Really though. Humour, pathos, and hilariously un-pc. Brilliantly reinvented. By the end of series 3 (though it was far better than 1 or 2) I was getting a little bored. So for it to come back with a new series and 3 amazing new characters, completely refreshed completely saved it for me.
And there are a lot of us out there who agree.
Humour:
Series 1 to 3 - Sometimes subtle, generally consistent, brilliantly timed.
Series 4 - Occasionally very good, but way over-the-top.
Pathos:
Series 1 to 3 - Several genuine moments, with most coming in Series 1 and Series 2.
Series 4 - About one, and it involved Damien, not Bob. Bob's attempt at gaining my sympathy (I won't say "our", since you obviously disagree) was just lame.
This probably has something to do with the fact that Andrew Lincoln and Zoe Telford are better actors than Lloyd McGuire. Either that, or they got better scripts.
Un-PC:
Can't argue with you there, I suppose. But it didn't work out for the better.
Other notes:
Check out this article.
http://www.shinyshelf.co.uk/article/sl/st/924
This sums up how I feel about the last series, with the exception of Episode 7.
Why change a winning forumla? To revitalise it.
Seems to me that this is entirely subjective - to my mind series 4 was funnier, with more pathos, and better scripts. You try and qualify your opinion - but ultimately everything you're saying can be put down to, as with most of these things, your particular taste. I happen to think series 4 was better all round and I'm not really sure why you're so defensive - surely the only thing to say is that you have your opinion, i have mine. Unless you have some kind of vested interest.
You've made your point. This is entirely subjective. Everyone is entitled to their opinion.
That I'm being so defensive is probably down to a habit of mine. I'll admit that I have a habit of trying very hard to defend something that I believe is almost beyond criticism until I read a negative review of it (examples: Schindler's List; Tim and Dawn getting together at the end of The Office). Or something that I am so much in awe of that I am blind to its faults (add Teachers Series 1 to 3 to those examples). The negative reviews can show my favourite things in a new light, and may ensure that I'll never look at them in the same way again.
The comdey was all down to Simon, Brian and Kurt and with them gone it just wasnt the same.
I also really didnt like the way you were made to dislike Bob the fat twat in the first series' but then they tried to bring him in, that was just annoying.
Also the fat biology teacher was the most annoying character ever!
To be honest i think Psi was just giving his opinion, hardly defensive, and if you post a comment like yours you need to expect people being defensive.
It's true, I was merely giving my opinion and backing it up.
However Sam, I'd take issue with you on one of your comments - the "fat biology teacher" - Lindsay, aka Vicky Hall - was a very welcome addition to the show. Very funny and witty. Her only problem was that she just wasn't in the same league as Jenny or Susan, and with no Matt to play off in Series 4, she and Penny struggled to hold the series together. The new lads never really felt settled, with the possible exception of Ben, aka Mathew Horne.
But I just about agree with you on Simon, Brian and Kurt. (Although I think Matt was an able replacement for Simon. But then he eventually left as well.)
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series 4 killed teachers. before the awful series had even ended jane fallon called a it day. teachers should of ended at the end of series 2, because the unexplained absence of jenny and susan left massive holes that were badly filled with the biology techer lindsay, who can claim a worthy place on the credits but never stood a chance of replacing susan and jenny... the opening credits/beginning of teachers in the first two series were famous for simon on his bike wearing a red coat,racing J.P or brian and kurt singing along in their car.. Not for Bob on a bloody moped. The soundtracks also went downhill.
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Yeah guys the fourth series was the best. Except of course it wasn't, in any respect whatsoever. There is an episode on right now and it nearly makes me angry how they have completely destroyed the legacy the original (by which I mean ORIGINAL in content, humour, blah blah) series were responsible for creating.
Series 4 is just embarrassing. So it might suit Americans. Maybe channel 4 plan to swap it for all those endless series like Lost...
series 4 was no way the best ...... but by no means the worst. I believe many people will slate me for writing this but I didn't think series 1 was any good any way. Yes the story line was good and Simon was a good enough character but I think the idea of making the the main character was a bad choice and the lead role should have been shared such as in series 3 which I claim to have been the best series seeing as I never really fell in love with the the character Simon and Matt was definatley a worthy replacement with his witty input. I also thought the character Jenny was crap she was such a slut and everyone seemed to adore her she was not consistant (the whole evil thing then all lovey dovey to Brian, Susan and Simon) when she obviously wasn't a character at all and everyone appeared to despise her then say the sun shines from her ass. Susan although a good enough character was more than abley replaced by the ever funny Lindsay. The fact that Lindsay doesn't go round sleeping with everyone (like all the rest of the female characters) give something fresh to the show and even though Penny is better than Jenny all that seems to be to her character is a naive slag. In my opinion Kurt and Brian carried the show the character were funny and down to earth with questions like who would you rather shag, that made it hysterical. Killing the best characters off in series 4 was the biggest mistake ever not only did they kill off Matt the new and funny character the killed off the soul of the show Kurt and Brian possibly the biggest mistake ever leaving only Lindsay to carry the show off which she only just manages to do. Even though they have replaced all the main male characters they have done this poorly and the only good character is Ben as he always seems to be a good laugh but Ewan just seems to be a pretty boy that knows it and the other one (who had no story line and I can't even remember his name) was just an *beep* that you never got to know. Saying all this I think series 4 was better than series 1 and possibly 2 but series 3 was definatley the one that shone for me as Kurt and Brian were given the bigger parts they deserved along with the arrival of Lindsay. Teachers is still worth a good look at and the imagery in series 1 seemed to get lost later as the show got a more real perspective. Over all it is a show Britain should be proud of.
shareSaying "it might suit Americans" used to be a valid insult for a comedy show before the 1990's, back when the heartwarming (more like diaper-warming) canned laughter abortions like "Diffrent Strokes" and "The Cosby Show" ruled the airwaves. Nowadays the opposite is true, and series 4 matches the great post-"Simpsons" American comedies like "Beavis & Butthead", "Family Guy", "Curb Your Enthusiasm", "Crank Yankers", "Jackass" etc with their outrageous, hilarious politically incorrect humour and outlandish premises. Seasons 1-3 with their bland, inoffensive, observational "humour" have too much in common with everything that used to be dreadful about American TV comedy. What has happened to the country that once produced Derek & Clive or The Young Ones or Fawlty? It seems unable to produce anything along those lines anymore, and when it does it draws out whiners talking about whether or not they find characters likeable or annoying or realistic. In a comedy FFS!! They're not your friends, they're characters in a comedy program. If you judge a comedy program by whether or not you find the characters likeable, then either you don't understand the purpose of comedy or there is something seriously deficient in your personality.
shareThe problem here is that you're both calling Teachers a comedy. Teachers was never a comedy, at least not pre-season 3. It was a drama. It was just a show about five teachers with the occasional joke or 'funny situation' brought in. The whole point of the show wasn't to laugh at their antics but to merely get absorbed into their lives and experiences.
That's why viewers left in droves during season 3 and 4. Not only did the cores of the show, the original characters, all leave, but the producers tried to reinvent it into a comedy series. Completely unsuitable for the audience they'd originally targeted. If they'd done a bit more marketing they might have been able to attract the kind of audience who watch Crank Yankers and Jackass, but too little too late.
I mean, the entire show was based around the life stories of Susan, Brian, Kurt, Jenny and Simon. To take away every original cast member and expect audiences to remain loyal was just naive. Turning it into a raw comedy was the final straw.
For me, the 4th series was way worse than the others.
1-3 had a subtlety that made it funny. I could see the school and teachers still being real, which made it even more funny, being able to relate it to your own experiences in school as adults down the pub taking the mickey out of each other. The characters were all likable (with exception of maybe JP) becuase they each had there own humour, stregnths/weaknesses and traits. This is what made their interactions so funny.
4 just seem to try and make up for the lack of personality/originality in the characters by making way OTT storylines, meaning it lost all touch of real life, which the previous parodeid so well. Bob just became annoying, one was a black version of Matt, and the one with long hair was just dull. Lindsey and Penny seemed to fade away without the interactions with the old characters. The change of location didnt help it either, although I assume this was a forced decision. The neurotic one had potential to be funny, but he just ended up being annoying too.
This is just my opinion
In my opinion series 4 was the worst. But having bought the boxset of series 1-3 i have really noticed that with each new series, the storylines got more and more far-fetched. The first and second series could be 100% believable. It was just about a Bristol comprehensive school where the teachers hate the students and the students hate the teachers. But everything that was in it COULD be true.
By series 3 there were little things which just made it silly but it was still ok, and the main storylines were usually believeable.
By series 4 the storylines had just got stupid. I know its a TV show and it doesnt have to be believeable, but the fact that it started out believeable (to the point that it was almost a comedy-drama not a comedy) but then got worse and worse just ruins it for me.
I guess even channel4 and VCI have realised that, because the fourth series isnt in the box set. U have 2 buy it seperately. That's also why a 5th series was never made, becuase the ratings went through the floor in series 4.
Season 4 was ridiculous! When all the main original characters are gone the show is bound to lose some of its best qualities.
1 and 2 were absolutely brilliant
3 wasn't as great but it was was still very enjoyable to watch
4 shouldn't have been made!
I entirely agree with everything you said.
shareThe fourth series was terrible. When you're only left with the likes of Bob from the original line-up you know you're in trouble. It was hardly the same seeing him cycling to school like mutton dressed as lamb instead of Simon.
For me one of the only redeeming features of the fourth series was the lovely Lee Williams as Ewan. Ben and Damien seemed like an inferior Kurt and Brian and it just seemed to have run out of steam. I'm not at all surprised it was the last series.
I think the first two series of Teachers were definitely the best; series three suffered without Simon, Susan & Jenny. I watched series four on DVD and I fast-forwarded through some scenes as it was boring.
I like it. It's got that it's-a-cruel-world-let's-throw-ourselves-in-the-abyss type ambience.
"Ben and Damien seemed like an inferior Kurt and Brian "
Beleive.
I didnt like the 4th series and I found it depressing.
My fave episodes start about half way through series 2 and finish with 3, while series 1 was good it was mainly centred around Simon and his girlfriend which I didnt find interesting.
As Comic Book Guy would say:
Worst.
Post.
Ever.
Worst Series Ever too. It was the biggest insult to what for me is one of the greatest programs ever screened. Series 1 and 2 were the gems, every episode a peach. Only thing good about Series 3 was the focus on Brian & Kurt (One of the best double acts of modern television), but on the whole series 3 itself was poor.
Series 4 isn't fit to bear the name 'Teachers'.
sorry but imo series 4 was a load of @*%@ it was way over the top in series1-3 it had some funny background stuff going on that in a way could happen but by the fourth it was over the top maybe to make up for the lack of decent characters when u watched the first three seasons they were hilarious but in a non forced way like ur mates having a laugh almost like it was real like a fly on the wall kinda thing by the fourth it felt acted which was one of the reasons why the first three appealed to me in the first place more so than any other show on tv,
simon,kurt,brian,susan,bob,liz,claire,= great
jp,matt,penny,carol,lynsey,= good
all the new cast= bad
see where i am goin with this:P
The only good thing about series 4, IMHO, is the absolute babe, Lindsay. I am being completly serious when I say she was the only reason I continued to watch series 4. Beautiful. But not a strong enough character to carry a series, unlike Simon in 1-2 or the Kurt-Brian double act in series 3.
Riley Finn, Medicine Woman.
Series 1 and 2 are the only ones worth owning, moreso Series 1 really.
When the show first started airing, it was a brilliant mix of comedy and drama that was completely believable, as has already been stated. The show focused mainly on a bunch of twentysomethings who happened to be teachers working in the same school and made it clear that their behaviour was in the minority at their school.
However the storylines became gradually more drawn-out and it seemed and more like all of the Teachers were as quirky as the main cast. The quality of the jokes dropped too and by the time Series 4 started, the show was just outright awful.
i liked series 4, i missed 1&2, so my judgement wasn't impared. never thought much of kurt, i prefered Ben.
Cher: Would you call me selfish?
Dee: No, not to your face.
I've got all 4 series on DVD, I like them all equally! Obviously Brian and Kurt could never be replaced but I liked Ewan, Damien and Ben. Penny is the only character I ever disliked, she's so annoying! I like the way they all laugh at her in series 3 LOL so it annoyed me that she was one of the gang in series 4 but I still liked the series as a whole.
Ever seen a grown man naked?
for me series 1 and 2 were the best. the way it didn't even explain where jenny, susan and jp went was wrong.
although jp wasn't in series 1 i thought he made the programe along with the other original characters.
it seems to me that the characters left in series 4 were ones i didn't like - e.g. bob and penny.
in the first series the development (or perhaps underdevelopment) of simon and his self involvement and his friendship with susan, and the way that jenny and simon did and didn't get on was brilliant. i loved the introduction of j.p which changed the relationship between brian and kurt.
i didn't mind lindsay and matt being introduced but series 4 was several steps too far!
I watched Teachers from the start, on Channel 4, 2001.
Personally I think Series 3 is the best, followed by 1 & 2.
4 was...different, but funny in its own right.
"It is time to keep your appointment with the Wicker Man"share
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I realize I am coming in late here but have just watched the entire 4 seasons and the 4th was just terrible. Penny was a self absorbed, narcissistic, whiny bitch who was devoid of anything good and was the focus of way too much of the 4th season. I like the new additions to the staff, it was just penny, carol and bob that were horrible.
Season 2 had to be the best because everyone was still on board
I agree I didn't even finish watching the end of the first episode of season 4. In my mind Kurt and Brian didn't die. The show to me ended at season 2. Season 3 was okay but I only enjoyed the three episodes that Simon was in and it was missing Susan, JP and Jenny. Season 4 was doomed from the start since they got rid of the original core characters - Simon, Susan, Brian, Kurt and Jenny. Getting rid of all 5 was just ridiculous. Also making background characters such as Bob, Carol, Penny and Claire was a bad idea as they weren't really likeable. That's like killing off Rick, Daryl, Carol, and Michonne and making Sasha, Eugene, Tara, and Abraham the main characters. It just wouldn't work
IMO Season 2 was my favorite season because it had the right story and balance of characters.Season 3 would have been better if Susan, JP, and maybe Jenny would've stayed though Lindsay and Matt were okay too. But other than that Teachers was good for seasons 1-2 with a few good episodes in season 3. Season 4 didn't exist and is more a spinoff.
But thanks for reading my essay lol just had to give my opinion on one of my fave shows from the past.