severely underrated


okok, I understand that this is quite an odd idea for a tv show, but as with all e4 produced shows (misfits, shamelesss, inbetweeners, and skins-which I personally dislike) its so on point with the interaction of the youth of Britain/England/whatever it just makes it an instant classic for me. I find a 6.0 rating a *beep* travesty to be honest :P (from a 24yo londoner)

Until the color of a mans skin is of no more significance than the color of his eyes..

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From the ratings, most votes are high, but there's a lot of the minimum mark too. It's better for a show to be hated by some and loved by others, than for people to be mostly indifferent. Only people who really like something will watch it these days, because there's so much choice available. I'm hopeful that this will get another series.

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[deleted]

how did you hear that mcspeed?

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err ignore that sorry, i was gettin mixed up with somethin else

Until the color of a mans skin is of no more significance than the color of his eyes..

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"its so on point with the interaction of the youth of Britain/England/whatever it just makes it an instant classic"


Incorrect, it's on point with the interaction of STEREOTYPICAL British youth. This is why for me, I find this sitcom rather abhorrent.

Unlike shows like 'The Inbetweeners' in which the situations are what bring the greatest humour, Phoneshop is a desperate attempt to make a sitcom. The situations lack the intrigue and structure to strengthen the 'jokes' that are bounced off of the situation.

Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against a comedy that makes no sense, but I feel that the humour in this is just too obvious and poorly thought out. These things don't make me laugh.
I mean, like all comedy, it's subjective, but I can't believe how many people have such a simple taste in humour to enjoy this stuff.

From my perspective, it seems like the most popular comedy shows on TV are just getting dumber and dumber.
I'm a 20 year old from Bucks, I'm part of the key demographic for this show, and I just don't get it.

The conversation that occurs in this, may be on par with certain things I joke about with my friends at the pub, but basing a TV show on it makes it look like the characters live their entire lives with that sort of exchange of dialogue.
Smutty mixed in with smart would be alright, but to base a show on stereotype and vulgarity speaks cheapness and no imagination to me.
It saddens me that so many of my peers regard this show in such high esteem.

Personally, I see this is bottom of the barrel TV.


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I like it because in a similar way to inbetweeners it is very dumbed down but doesnt pretend to be anything else. I think there is room for improvement. if anything else it could benefit from being a bit more sureal. one of the funniest parts was when one of the guys was comparing the different types of girls in terms of store they worked at. If they could expand on that kind of thing they would have a bona fide classic on their hands.
I think E4 is brilliant at providing this demographic with shows and phoneshop fits in perfectly

"...I'm a contradiction"

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Inbetweeners is just as smutty, but they focus on the situation more that, or just as much as, the jokes. The situation is supposed to provide the backbone for the comedy. Hence the term SitCom - Situation Comedy.

It is much more than simply taking a situation and filling it with simple jokes.

If Phoneshop could strengthen its situation, it'd probably be funnier, but as it is, I personally don't see how the term "classic" applies.

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RE the term classic, I said this was classic for me, I understand its not for everyone and also i agree that the situation could be better, but what could that be in whats displayed as a failing phone shop.

As for the stereotypical bit, I dont really see how, no race/gender/creed is biased to one dialect/opinon/mindset?

Also could part of your opinion be due to you not living in London?

BTW im not trying to be a complete a*se mate, just wondering/debating

Until the color of a mans skin is of no more significance than the color of his eyes..

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I agree severly underrated

Brilliant

Bean Girl: Charlie Darling
...The needs of the many out weigh the needs of the few...

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No, you're right. No race of anything is biased to a singular set of traits, but I'm talking about stereotypes, not actualities.

Modern youth are viewed and portrayed quite negatively in the media, especially over the past few years. Statistics (which we all know are a waste of time) dictate teen pregnancies from the age of 13 and hard drug use by 15 (exaggeration). A stereotype is a biased view/portrayal by other people, and not the people themselves.

It is highly possible that my opinion on the show and stereotype are due to my surroundings, though it does seem odd how disparate mannerisms can be across a mere 30-40 miles of road.

I feel this show exaggerates on the stereotypes of the majority of modern youth, and doesn't try to incorporate any inclination of generalisation towards how modern youth actually are...At least, not in my experience.

"A Owl"...Come on...They can do better than that, surely.

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Hades, I guess you are right by saying that PhoneShop certainly isn't a work of genius, but I feel like it succeeds in what it aims to do. Around where I grew up, you get so many clowns who talk and behave like the guys on the show and PhoneShop parodies them perfectly in my opinion.

I understand that to some, PhoneShop is considered the peak of comic genius and it is a little sad that the youth is so uncultured and so uninterested in occasionally watching something with a little more depth, but I don't really feel that this changes the fact that this programme is good for what it is.

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you get me doh?
what you sayin fam?

"...I'm a contradiction"

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As I said before, with comedy, it's each to their own.
But on a more objective basis I find this show to have very little structure or heart to it...To me, it just smells like cheap and desperate TV, they took a random situation and filled it with cheap jokes.

There are far greater pieces of inane entertainment out there. But I guess McSpeed is right in saying where you live will drastically alter perception.
I found Inbetweeners to be a more accurate parody of modern youth than Phoneshop.

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I think you're right about where you live reflecting how you feel about this movie. Having been involved in both groups personally as a kid. I think that neither is entirly accurate but they both find a level. Inbetweeners started off as a bunch of teenages swearing obsessively, but as the show went on they developed depth.

As I said before, phoneshop doesnt work in the same way, it is more surreal and I actually think adding too much depth would kill it. It has the air of tyhe cartoony world of Bottom about it. The characters can still be empathetic without having to be REAL.

But then if you dont know ppl like this you wont find it funny, but you could say the same thing about inbetweeners

"...I'm a contradiction"

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Yeah, that's true about Inbetweeners.

Bottom was slapstick and anarchistic, it was popular for the time, but unfortunately doesn't stand the test of time in that it's not as appreciated by today's youth due to the change of cultural behaviour.
Anarchism still exists, of course, but it's not as much a national movement as it has been in the past.

I wouldn't call Phoneshop surreal as such, more non-nonsensical. But then my personal view of surrealism involves the likes of The Mighty Boosh and Terry Gilliam, in which it mostly makes no sense but is artistically pleasing. There is creativity there. Unlike Phoneshop, the surrealism as you call it, is unimaginative in my opinion.

I find it hard to empathise with characters forged of stereotype and portrayed to be the dumbest people you could ever meet.
But we could spend an eternity debating the structure and 'comedy' of Phoneshop and never get anywhere.

Just one of those things that we'll have to agree to disagree on.

But Phoneshop is crap.

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lol, ok. you win

"...I'm a contradiction"

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The thing is it's not at all nonsensical like you keep making out. The gags usually make perfect sense, whether you find them good or not and there is usually an underlying storyline to each episode.

Perhaps you just don't understand the slang they use and stuff, because "trust me" it's not made up at all, there are a hell of a lot of people that actually talk like that.

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truss. on a reel ting, fam.

"...I'm a contradiction"

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i think with any comedy, it really does depend on the audience's sense of humour. you either get it or you don't.

with the inbetweeners, we've all been to school and so we all more than likely knew someone like the 4 main characters in the programme. and its much the same with the phoneshop, as anyone who has been to one of the MANY phone shops on the high street would know, these characters are quite common. or rather it's certainly the case in london.

personally, i think the phoneshop is really funny. i'm not the target audience but i get the humour. and isnt that what comedy is all about - getting it, finding it funny and laughing your ass off....?

case in point - "a owl??". how can you not find that really funny?!!!

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you're from Bucks.. thats probably WHY you don't get it.. and its probably why you think its a "stereotype" but the truth is, alot of britain's youths (especially from london) can relate to some of the characters of this show, like jerwayne/Ashley for example. you'd have to be in complete denial to think that its simply stereotyping british youths. thats why its still popular. i can assure you it would have been cancelled through jokes alone. it has a unique personality that those who can't relate the characters, just don't get. its a breath of fresh air for british comedy sitcom.

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I feel you have totally missed the point of the show. I don't think it is about a stereotype of youth, more its is about older people trying to be their stereotype of youth. The joke is on them, surely?

On top of that, the humor is not based on that. At least the majority of the humor could easily transfer to a sitcom based in a Reading Branch of Paperchase, or whatever.

Be honest, are you sure you didn't just watch 5 mins, get annoyed at the accents, and switch off? I nearly did.

Don't get me wrong, its not a classic. But, IMHO, it is a decent 1/2hr off, as it were.

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I'm so glad I discovered this show! To begin with I was put off - didn't like the look of the posters I saw advertising it. The series was halfway over by the time I decided to give it a go - and I was instantly smitten.

It has reminded me of first watching Father Ted - there's something totally new and exciting about it. One day everyone will understand and they'll wonder why they ever thought it was a one-joke comedy about street-talking losers. This has top writing, great acting, complex characters and subtle irony AS WELL AS the instant humour obtained by watching idiots talk like that. And I like laughing at the idiots as well! Win-win!

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I loved it (I am in the USA) and I am so glad I found it through the message board. Any other suggestions would be great.

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IT Crowd
Ideal
Black Books
Father Ted
Louie (One of yours, but I totally recommend it!!!)
Not Going Out
The Thick of It
Miranda (very silly)
The Office, and if that works, Extras

If you want ye olde sitcom:
Fawlty Towers
The Young Ones, and if that works, Bottom
Black Adder (Start with S2, S1 is weird!!)

Enough??? ;)

Several different types there. For example, Ideal is heavy and shocking at times, often plain weird, but still very funny, where as Miranda is really silly and slap stick, with turns to audience. Both a genius at their niche. Hopefully a couple of them will suit your taste. Tip, watch 2 or 3 before giving up.

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Peep Show deserves a mention, as well. And Inbetweeners was a crack-up if you like a fvck-a-minute Superbad knda show.

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RED DWARF!!

Until the color of a mans skin is of no more significance than the color of his eyes..

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