snaps

I was invited to watch the first two episodes of this odd show last night. Just guessing, but I imagine most people on here will have at least of heard of them. Anyone have any opinion on them they are willing to share?

jmh

I use to watch it in the UK - can't remember what channel it was on. It was OK, but I probably wouldn't go out of my way to watch it.

barnsleymat

My review.

It's shite.

Bo-Jangles

I don't think it was all that popular here in NZ and most people find it a bit 'odd'.

Usually if a Kiwi makes it big overseas they get mentioned 400 times a day; Flight of the Conchords was a big flop in that regard and TVNZ wouldn't even fund them. The TV prog somehow never achieved that 'up there' status that usually comes with anyone remotely related to a New Zealander that made it big.

Most people know who Rhys Darby is of course and he is funny and relatively famous in his own right, BUT the rest of them? Who? Whatever!

bourbon-biscuit

Oh, I love them! Not so much the TV show they went on to do but the stand up comedy stuff is brilliant. Look on Youtube for Issues (think about it), The Humans are Dead, Business Time, and (haha - I'm laughing even thinking about it) Same Girl. Those are a few of my favs. We have the CD, which we all love to sing along to in the car.

Gill and Rob

We love them too !!!
We saw them live in Auckland and they were BRILLIANT !!!


Gill and Rob

BEVS

The OH is big on any form of comedy but we both didn't 'get ' it and thought it bland, banal and boring quite frankly.

However, that was the show. I will now look out the stand-up as suggested. You never know. It might have missed it in translation so willing to give this a good shot.

Justcol

a couple of half witty songs and that's your lot

Took off big style here simply because the show was aired oversees, this of course turns any kiwi into a national hero

Caryatid

You are so right. I think the prob. is that kiwis aren't very good at recognising or laughing at themselves. These guys are sooo... talented when it comes to writing, harmonising, performing. Rhys whatshisface just does versions of the same material everywhere he goes. He is pretty over rated.

The anti-Australian stuff hits the spot! Its so true!

Caryatid

and they had from a very young age a huge repertoir of genres that belies the fact that they grew up in poor little NZ. I'm thinking they have so much cultural knowledge that most kiwis can't even recognise. There's all kinds of stuff going on in the sets, props, costumes, scenarios.

northeastlad

x2

I just cannot get away with the Flight of the Conchords. They're just... not funny...

Caryatid

Is that because they don't swear or mock anyone but themselves?

Caryatid

Actually I remember taking a passing glance at something of theirs years ago and having the same reaction but when I found them by chance on the internet recently I couldn't get over their creativity. They are excellent musicians plus have comic timing and can keep a straight face when saying or doing the silliest things. If you think they are banal it is because they are portraying the widespread New Zealand blank uninvolved expression (watch, I don't move my lips when I talk/or sorry my jaw is wired shut).

TommyLuck

Saw them at a packed Wembley Arena in May 2010, so they must be doing something right.

I'm certainly a fan, but the type of comedy is a bit quirky. I'm certainly not comparing them to Monty Python, but there are many people, certainly of my generation close friends of mine are split down the middle, some think it's brilliant, some think it's awful.

My personal opinion is that there are a generation or two from the UK that were bought up on canned laughter comedy and it wasn't until The Office came about that we woke up to more subtle forms of comedy.

As it is, I'm a fan - but hey, different strokes for different folks.

'Jenny' is my favourite song. I just find the story telling very clever.


They never took off in NZ because, apparently they were too Wellington-centric. TVNZ telling them to do one was probably the best thing that happened to them.

They took their brand to the UK and made a radio show with the BBC, which was then picked up by HBO in the States and transformed into a TV show.

Both Jermain Clement and Bret McKenzie have found lots of work in verying genere of film, TV and music since FotC, so I'd say they were a success.


I met Rhys Darby and his wife Rosie last year at the Edinburgh festival, a thoroughly decent bloke. We have a mutual friend and I enjoy his comedy too. I have seen him live on a number of occasions, both before he 'got big' and since and his comedy is brilliant.

I like him because I just can't compare him to any other stand up I've seen, he's original.

Bellasmum

They never took off in NZ because, apparently they were too Wellington-centric. TVNZ telling them to do one was probably the best thing that happened to them.