MovieChat Forums > Chewin' the Fat (1999) Discussion > This is Better than Little Britain that ...

This is Better than Little Britain that ripped it off

posted 18 years ago by johnblox
5 replies | jump to latest

Looking on www.tv.com
Little Britain First episode = Feb 9 2003
Chewin the fat = May 1, 1999

I only recently saw Chewin the fat and it seems clear to me that little Britain have borrowed heavily from it. Not to mention Ricky Gervais whole new award winning series 'extras' being based on the 'extra's' character in chewin the fat!

I think it is much funnier and more incisive than little Britain. I guess the scottishness meant it missed out on it's true destiny

[–] jozaklandsspunkeebakpak 18 years ago

just because extras is set in the same situation as the character from chewin the fat doesnt mean its ripped it off.

The character in chewin the fat isnt an extra hes an actor all be it a rubbish one

Ricky gervais' character in extras is an extra i.e just appears in the background but he wants to be an actor.

Could you also explain what Little britain has ripped off

[–] brian_downie 18 years ago

Compared to Chewin' The Fat, Little Britain sucks ass.

[–] highlandland 18 years ago

I think Chewin' the Fat was probably the first sketch show to do material about chavs or neds (did they do stuff in their earlier radio shows?)

It's arguable this started a trend which was "ripped off" by Lucas & Williams and then Catherine Tate, five years later - but maybe they were all just making jokes about what they saw around them.

Also, I don't think CTF invented the current vogue in "catchphrase" comedy. That would probably have been "The Fast Show" (or, hell, even "The Goon Show").

"Extras" is more a rip-off of "Curb Your Enthusiasm" than anything elese, incidentally. And it is a BIG rip-off.

[–] johnblox 17 years ago

First I love extras, big fan. I'm saying that 'chewin the fat' was that good that many others borrowed heavily from it and it deserves far, far more recognition.

You say, "The character in chewin' the fat isn't an extra he's an actor all be it a rubbish one, Ricky gervais' character in extras is an extra i.e just appears in the background but he wants to be an actor."

I wasn't talking about Ricky's character I was talking about the series. Cast your mind back to Series2 with IMHO the best ep of that series Keith Chegwin, being a rubbish extra IDENTICAL to Ronald from Chewin', IDENTICAL AND Hilarious nonetheless. Even down to keith getting confused with his name, just like the tyre shop sketch in Chewin Season3 (my fav Ronald sketch). Ricky MUST have seen that and borrowed it. But given that Ricky is effortlessly the UK's current best comedian that's high praise indeed.

[–] 17 years ago

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