MovieChat Forums > Join or Die with Craig Ferguson (2016) Discussion > It's kind of a mess.

It's kind of a mess.

posted 8 years ago by saltysweetener
13 replies | jump to latest

I had hope for this, but the whole concept is lost. It is funny, but the set up and format rely on the same jokes and material to maintain throughout. As with almost every show Craig does, the monologue is the best part, but it pretty well makes the rest of the show a retread of the monologue. Craig can easily excel against third rate comedians and historians trying to be humorous. It was too easy to see which bits would be dropped at each interval. I even selected all of the eventual the winners before the first commercial.

This needs variety and gimmickry. The budget seems low enough to get a renewal, so I do expect reasonable changes in season two.

[–] merman1983 8 years ago

Just seeing Craig again is good enough for me. I give it a "9" only because it isn't longer. Yes, the opening monologue reminds me of his Late Late Show....ah, and that's the point.

Discussions over the first 2 eps were fine; I'm like a freaking addict that has been going through withdrawls for over a year. Yeah, I've seen Craig's game show, but it's so fast paced with the contestants that Craig doesn't get to do his usual insane stuff.

Very pleased he is back on, and I will continue to watch Join or Die ;)

[–] saltysweetener 8 years ago

Just seeing Craig again is good enough for me.

I was at that point when I fist sat down to watch, but now, I am hoping that he can stick around for a while.

I hope Henry Rollins is a guest at some point. That guy is funny and very knowledgeable. It won't take them long to do something about music, and he should definitely be on the panel for that, among other topics.

[–] cardifan 8 years ago

Like many British panel shows everything's pretty arbitary, people tune in for the laughs along the way not the result.

[–] wildcat2000 8 years ago

I think discussing topics throughout history from a comedic standpoint with a panel of comedians/journalists is a good idea but I get the feeling it was not what Craig really wanted.

He claims he doesn't miss his talk show but he was already in-works to do another talk show before his Late Late Show ended but it didn't happen and now this turned up.

I believe him when he said he didn't care about David Letterman's spot but not that he was tired of doing a talk show. There had to be some other reason he left late night.

Your right to an opinion does not equal an opinion that is right

[–] cardifan 8 years ago

We'll never know but it seems he no longer wanted to do *that* talk show. He's acknowledged that he worked himself into a corner by featuring Geoff and Secretariat.

[–] wildcat2000 8 years ago

He could have changed it up if he didn't want so much focus on them every episode. There were other things he used to do that he eventually phased out or replaced.

Not that I wanted them gone, I loved Geoff and Secretariat, I mean if he wanted them toned down. Like you said though we will never know.

Your right to an opinion does not equal an opinion that is right

[–] Zippy B 8 years ago

Late to this part of the conversation but it would have been interesting to see what Craig would have done with the budget and support they are giving James. James isn't 1/4 as funny as Craig but he is doing well enough.

I don't really watch regularly any more. It has actually helped me get to sleep earlier more regularly really, but I do miss Craig's interviews. He could very well have worked out a way to reduce how much the horse and the skeleton were part of his monologue in particular. His interactions with Josh were usually hilarious but Craig is very funny in a different way when he is just talking on his own.

[–] synchary 8 years ago

I've finally seen most episodes of Join or Die and I found it disappointing. It isn't a patch on the early chat show Ferguson - casually erudite, insightful, funny yet often profound. I'd hoped JoD would be the right venue for that side of him, but for me, it isn't.

He's acknowledged that he worked himself into a corner by featuring Geoff and Secretariat.

How very unfortunate he only sees now what many saw then. I read numerous heated debates here on IMDb, and those who deplored the decline were roundly abused by posters, Josh Robert Thompson, and Ferguson himself.

He was clearly tiring of something; it's a pity he didn't withdraw before burning himself out completely.

[–] thao 8 years ago

It's WAY too early to judge the show. Talk shows like this need time to find their feet. That being said, I enjoyed this and I'm looking forward to future episodes, especially if they go farther back in time. The problem with the first episode is that it is too recent. I really liked the medical advice bit.

- No animal was hurt during the making of this burger -

[–] saltysweetener 8 years ago

It is too early, and it is also not too early. People almost always judge by the first viewing. Ken Jeong would have been the ideal panelist for the medical advice episode, but his availability and interest is naturally unpredictable. An appearance by a well known comedic expert would have set a certain standard in guests.
The timing is not an issue so much either, although, there are horrendous political blunders that do go back much further than 30 years. Nixon comes to mind without even trying, so that one would be hard to beat. It's the exact format, not the concept, that is the primary issue.

The topics are too simplified and selections too complex to go too far in the brief time allotment. I think, if they had to choose only 1 selection of 3 per commercial break to go onto the final championship round of the 3 previous "winners," it might produce a better result. This would mean an extension to hour long, but it would only add three more choices to the mix. The additional time could mean a more indepth analysis into why a selection is qualified to win or more witty jokes as the case may be. Direct audience member or pre-taped on the street participation might be interesting as well. A more varied and through selection process would be necessary too.

If you have seen any of Craig's LLS, you know he can make an hour compelling. The time extension for 10 Things You Don't Know About did add to that series in some positive ways, although I do miss the polling results from the original production.

[–] thao 8 years ago

I'm a fan of Craig's LLS. Agree with all your points here and I'm sure they will be looking at these things if they decide to continue with the show.

- No animal was hurt during the making of this burger -

[–] Zippy B 8 years ago

They have the advantage of being a cable show, so if it doesn't instantly become a hit they will often work at it a bit. It is an interesting idea but they need more topics to choose from and maybe more panelists and possibly advocates of some kind or another at some point. There is lots of room to make it more interesting and at risk of teaching people stuff.

[–] topher208 8 years ago

I would much rather they talk out the topics and select a single winner at the end of the show. Too much of the other acts are them working out what to eliminate.

I agree with other commenters that it could easily be an hour long. The first half could be Craig introducing the topic and then bringing in the expert to correct or expand on Craig's comedic version. Then in the second half bring in the funny guests and pick your winner.