Wednesday, November 11, 2009

'Miranda'

Anyone hasn't seen the first episode should go over to iPlayer now, because Miranda Hart's new sitcom 'Miranda' is a thing of complete loveliness.

Miranda Ep.1 - 'Date'

It's also a smashing old-fashioned sitcom of the kind I didn't think they made any more - and frankly the sort of stuff that normally gets done really badly - lots of looks to camera, laughter track, bits shot outside - and yet it works really well, possibly because there's a lot of sharpness amongst the cosiness that stops it nudging into something like 'My Family'. Also lots of proper pratfulls, which are a hard thing to do well. I've never even tried.

Miranda wrote the thing herself, as well, so kudos all over the shop, frankly.

PS: I was trying to find her 'I've got a castle' bit from Smack The Pony, but can only find one that's, er less appropriate. Still, here's the (NSFW) video:




'Miranda' is on BBC Two, 8:30pm Mondays.

13 comments:

Vicus Scurra said...

Yes, I loved it too. I get the feeling that the script, plot, production was all superfluous - she is just really good fun and it didn't matter about the rest. Very strange.

Mr Simon Allen... said...

I recently Sky plussed all the Smack the Ponys. Or is it ponies, hmmmm? Ponys I think as the thing that we're making plural is the entire object "Smack the Pony" rather than the individual ponies, isn't it? Actually, as I type this I'm growing increasingly uncertain - could you clarify please, James? Anyway, I recently Sky plussed (or +d or +'d?) various episodes of, um, the show you helped write and thought it a very fine thing indeed! Campus was good too - bravo Sir!

Danny Stack said...

Very charming and funny, indeed. Really enjoyed it.


**SPOILER!!**
There was one small but brilliant moment when Miranda comes into the wedding shop, and the shop assistant (Josie D'arby) turns to her and says: Hello, sir.

It was doubly sweet 'cos the plot was playing on her manly size all through the ep.
**LIKE, NO MORE SPOILER!!**

Boz said...

I loved it! And it was really tightly plotted. I was totally smitten from the opening monologue to camera. Lovely is definitely the word. And extremely funny.

I saw her at a Writers Room event thing in London last night, where she was interviewed about it. AND SHE WAS LOVELY.

James Henry said...

I know her a little bit in what I believe is called 'real life', and can confirm her utter loveliness there also. Aww, I hope this becomes a big hit, she really deserves it.

starcourse said...

I agree, it was brilliant. I also love the way in which she boomerangs little gags (eg "filling up private space") that then come back and hit you later on.

Imo said...

This is so good. I laughed out loads, and I can't remember doing that since GW days.

I really admire the way she falls over, and Patricia Hodge as the mother is brilliant.

Can't wait for the next installment.

Ellie said...

Thanks for recommending the show, James -- I loved it!

Miranda is fantastic.

But I think she's being patronised a bit.

James Henry said...

Really? By who?

Mel said...

I will preface this comment by saying that I've always found Miranda hilarious as an actress in the past.

I'm surprised so many people liked it - I thought it was shocking. I hated the asides to camera and the pratfalls, and does she have any more jokes than "I look a bit blokeish"?

It all felt rather self-loathing to me.

James Henry said...

There is an interesting thing that a lot of women seem to think they have to be, at best, self-deprecating, to get anywhere (see Jo Brand, Tina Fey, okay, that's only two).

Yeah, I'm hoping she got a lot of that out of the way in the first one, because I agree it can go too far.

heh - asides to camera and pratfall are, done well, my favourite things. But I know a lot of people HATE them with the power of a thousand burning suns.

Ellie said...

I think there's some cases in which more women than men are self-deprecating for comic effect because it's more "controversial"/unexpected of women to make fun of themselves than men (because of the traditional, hackneyed pressure put on women to look a certain way etc. etc. boring etc.). So like old people swearing or explicitly dirty jokes, it's an easy way to get a laugh.

(That said, obviously there's plenty of self-deprecating funnymen and plenty of big-headed funnywomen)

Power Kraut said...

I love this. I love the all the slapstick, and I guess I sympathise with the tall wide woman chip on her shoulder. But overall, I just think the hwole thing is very charming. It's refreshing to actually laugh rather than just cringe (Office, Nighty Night) at a comedy programme. That said, I made my friends watch it the other day and I think they hated it.

Also, that thing where she gets carried out of the restaurant - excellent.