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The League of Gentlemen is something I never got into back in the day. I couldn’t watch the first two series thanks to the canned laughter (when they take audience laughs from another part of a recording to use elsewhere, to pep up the laugh track, that may as well be canned!)
So, when I chanced upon the 2nd episode series 3 by chance, on BBC3 at the time, I enjoyed it, went back and saw the first, then watched the rest of that series. I couldn’t get into the first two series after that, due to the canned laughter. Maybe the BBC can somehow restore these, properly.
So, this return Royston Vasey feels more like an introduction, for me.
Reece Shearsmith, as Benjamin, comes back to the village as the council are moving the borders to help bring down crime statistics.
Add in Mark Gatiss as a naked woman, as well as a vet who deals with a hedgehog in his own, gross way. Plus, Steve Pemberton as Pauline, running the Job club, co-writer Jeremy Dyson also in multiple roles; and also the Shining twins, who are two of the few characters NOT played by the central three cast, and… maybe it’s just been too long since this lot were on our screens, but I couldn’t take to it too much, especially since it just felt like a run through a load of characters, rather than giving us any sort of coherent storyline.
I was amused by a cashpoint which dispenses sandwiches, as well as a photo booth that hides a dark secret, but these were here one minute and gone the next. The Inside No.9 link was nice, however. Now, let’s have more of that, and the return of Psychoville!
Part 2 was pretty much more of the same, and while part 3 wasn’t available for review, I saw it when broadcast, but my opinion on the whole affair hadn’t changed. However, I am looking forward to more Inside No.9, which begins Tuesday January 2nd on BBC2.
The League of Gentlemen continues tomorrow on BBC2 at 10pm, and this 3-episode series is available to pre-order on DVD and Complete Collection DVD, ahead of its release on January 15th 2018. If you missed it, you can watch it on BBC iPlayer for 30 days after transmission, and click on the packshot for the full-size version.
Complete Series Score: 2/10
Director: Steve Bendelack
Producer: Adam Tandy
Writers: Jeremy Dyson, Mark Gatiss, Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith
Cast:
Various characters: Jeremy Dyson
Various characters: Mark Gatiss
Various characters: Steve Pemberton
Various characters: Reece Shearsmith
Ellie: Lyndsey Marshal
Receptionist: Gemma Paige North
Daisy: Isla Neild
Mum: Jackie Knowles
Workman: Shaun Mason
Chloe: Francesca Knight
Radclyffe: Lily Knight
Dr Fisher: Andrew Readman
Orderly: Simon Smithies
Little Girl: Ruby Longhsaw
Mr Webster: Hylton Collins
Tricia: Sian Gibson
Jennifer: Sammy Oliver
Maisy: Claire Cornmell
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.