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  • Full Frame
  • Dual Layer ( )
  Languages
  • English: Dolby Digital Stereo
  Subtitles
    English
  Extras
  • 4 Interviews

The Fast Show - Series One

BBC/Roadshow Entertainment . R4 . COLOR . 180 mins . M15+ . PAL

  Feature
Contract

The Fast Show is another in the long line of sketch comedy shows that continue to be well received on Australian television. In fact, many of our best-known television comedians began their careers in sketch comedy, both here and in Britain where The Fast Show originated. Some are very good, some are very bad, but most fall into the middle somewhere, and this is one show that falls fairly and squarely in the latter category.

The first series of The Fast Show comprises six episodes and is now available on DVD. It was recorded in 1994, and I have to confess to not knowing much about the the show. I have been told that it was shown on Australian television by SBS sometime in the mid-'90s. I suspect that it failed to make much of an impact.

The six names and faces that make up The Fast Show team are hardly household names, in Australia at least, but one or two have gone on to star in sitcoms such as The Royle Family. The team is Paul Whitehouse, Charlie Higson, Arabella Weir, Mark Williams, Simon Day and John Thompson, who between them have created over 100 different recurring characters that formed the basis of the three series'.

As with all sketch comedy, some jokes succeed, some fail, some baffle, some are too clever, some probably looked good on paper, and some appear to be in-jokes. Sketch comedy based on a set of familiar characters often succeeds because of the audience's familiarity with the character, the predictability, and the various catch phrases that form part of the character's make-up. The Fast Show certainly relies on this format, and many sketches are identical bar the slightest change to the routine. If variation in comedy is your thing, then The Fast Show will soon lose your interest.

One thing the show does well, generally, is move along at a good pace. Too many sketch comedy shows drag out an idea far too long, and the initial humour of the sight gag or the quick joke is lost in the quagmire that follows. Typical of British comedy, there are some references to personalities and social events that will be lost on many Australian viewers. There are also many sketches that are simply not funny, and struggling through them to get the odd chuckle or even rarer belly laugh is a bit of a challenge.

Still, The Fast Show was well received back in Britain, and it does have enough in it initially to elicit a decent laugh or two, but the predictability soon sets in. There are some genuinely funny ideas such as The Fat Sweaty Coppers and the Channel 9 News, but patience is required if viewing all six episodes in one sitting.

  Video
Contract

As with most television shows transferred to DVD, this is presented in a full frame ratio and therefore is not 16x9 enhanced. It has that typical television look to it, and that is usually a good thing. The image is quite detailed and sharp, and there is a crispness to it that looks good. Colours are very natural and skin tones are accurate. There is no evidence of colour bleeding or other problems associated with colouring. Black levels are also good, and shadow detail is excellent.

Filmed and videoed in the studio and on location, there are a few instances of grain, and also some aliasing and shimmer, especially on one character's tweed jacket, that almost seems to shine silver as he moves. There are almost no occurrences of artefacts, and overall the picture is clean and free from glitches.

The layer change is placed between episodes and therefore is non-intrusive.

  Audio
Contract

The only audio option is a Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo, which is more than adequate for something like The Fast Show. Sketch comedy is based largely on dialogue, and there is little to no need for fancy audio tricks, Subsequently, there is little panning of sound, though the laugh track shows very clear separation. Certain 'panel show' sketches also exhibit some separation.

Low-level sounds are immaterial and virtually non-existent. There is very little in the way of music either, so there isn't much to be lost there.

There isn't much else to be said other than the dialogue is clear and accents are not a problem. The audio is well synched and overall the audio does what it is required to do.

  Extras
Contract

The only genuine extra here is Interviews with several of The Fast Show team. The interviewees are writers/creators Charlie Higson and Paul Whitehouse (12:56), Arabella Weir (6:16), Mark Williams (7:29), and Simon Day (7:13). Each gives a brief rundown of their time in the cast, how they came to be a part of it, and their creative input. The interviews are a lot more recent than Series One and are of more interest once you become a little more familiar with the characters they created. There is also the option of Sketch Selection which should need no explanation.

  Overall  
Contract

The Fast Show falls far short of being the funniest thing I have seen on television or on DVD, though there are some genuinely amusing moments. Its potential strength of building familiarity with the characters quickly becomes its downfall, as characters become utterly predictable, which is really a problem when the laughs were never there in the first place. If you are not familiar with The Fast Show then caution is advised, though there is bound to be something in the six episodes that gets a laugh.


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      And I quote...
    "Another British sketch comedy show from the '90s. Fast? Yes. Funny? Not really..."
    - Terry Kemp
      Review Equipment
    • DVD Player:
          Akai
    • TV:
          TEAC CT-F803 80cm Super Flat Screen
    • Receiver:
          Pioneer VSX-D409
    • Speakers:
          Wellings
    • Centre Speaker:
          Wellings
    • Surrounds:
          Wellings
    • Subwoofer:
          Sherwood SP 210W
    • Audio Cables:
          Standard RCA
    • Video Cables:
          standard s-video
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