Mighty. Comedy. (Ah, the memories....)
Jan. 6th, 2016 10:38 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
unbelievable2I don't know if any of my current friends-list still share my first fandom love, but here's an update.
Starting next Friday, the UK channel Gold is showing, in succession:
1! The Mighty Boosh (surreal, innovative, bonkers, hilarious, beautiful, and with the added attraction of Noelian and Howince - two amazing slash pairings for me at the time)
2! Garth Marenghi's Darkplace (*completely* bonkers but also a sharp and hilarious pariody of 70s and 80s cop and adventure shows, complete with wooden actors and dialogue. As well as Matt Holness, the writer in all senses of the show, the cast also includes: Richard Ayowade! Matt Berry! Alice Lowe! Plus Noel Fielding and Julian Barratt in minor roles).
3! Nathan Barley (Charlie (Black Mirror) Brooker's and Chris (Brass Eye) Morris' biting satire on the media idiots of Hoxton and Shoreditch and their vapid world, with great performances from Christopher Burns and Julian B.)
Darkplace was for me a revelation. For the first time I thought "there are people out there who think like me!" (take that as you will, if you know what Darkplace is like!). After that I fell by accident (and somewhat belatedly) into Boosh. And fell in love.
It was my introduction to slash. And what an introduction. And from there, tentatively, into writing fanfic.
And it was also my introduction to fandom - and *that* was scary. But at my first Boosh event I met two people who, eight years on, are two of my closest friends.
You have to have a certain type of brain/sense of humour to fall for any or all of the above, I think. They don't work for everyone. Even I find Nathan Barley a bit of struggle, because the characters are so appalling, but it's great writing. And you definitely have to be in the right frame of mind for Darkplace... but if you are it's gloriously silly fun ;)
But Boosh... ah, Boosh. *sighs* I haven't been in the fandom for some time now having fallen out of love with it. But it's one of a kind, extraordinary and magical; both childlike and darkly adult, a glorious mix of music and art, and characters from the depths of anyone's imaginings, both bad and good. And at its heart, two idiots who hate and love each other in equal measure, and as such it's a true child of British situation comedy.
If you want to put a toe into Boosh, start with season 2 - the one that should have won a BAFTA, if there was any justice in the world.
Starting next Friday, the UK channel Gold is showing, in succession:
1! The Mighty Boosh (surreal, innovative, bonkers, hilarious, beautiful, and with the added attraction of Noelian and Howince - two amazing slash pairings for me at the time)
2! Garth Marenghi's Darkplace (*completely* bonkers but also a sharp and hilarious pariody of 70s and 80s cop and adventure shows, complete with wooden actors and dialogue. As well as Matt Holness, the writer in all senses of the show, the cast also includes: Richard Ayowade! Matt Berry! Alice Lowe! Plus Noel Fielding and Julian Barratt in minor roles).
3! Nathan Barley (Charlie (Black Mirror) Brooker's and Chris (Brass Eye) Morris' biting satire on the media idiots of Hoxton and Shoreditch and their vapid world, with great performances from Christopher Burns and Julian B.)
Darkplace was for me a revelation. For the first time I thought "there are people out there who think like me!" (take that as you will, if you know what Darkplace is like!). After that I fell by accident (and somewhat belatedly) into Boosh. And fell in love.
It was my introduction to slash. And what an introduction. And from there, tentatively, into writing fanfic.
And it was also my introduction to fandom - and *that* was scary. But at my first Boosh event I met two people who, eight years on, are two of my closest friends.
You have to have a certain type of brain/sense of humour to fall for any or all of the above, I think. They don't work for everyone. Even I find Nathan Barley a bit of struggle, because the characters are so appalling, but it's great writing. And you definitely have to be in the right frame of mind for Darkplace... but if you are it's gloriously silly fun ;)
But Boosh... ah, Boosh. *sighs* I haven't been in the fandom for some time now having fallen out of love with it. But it's one of a kind, extraordinary and magical; both childlike and darkly adult, a glorious mix of music and art, and characters from the depths of anyone's imaginings, both bad and good. And at its heart, two idiots who hate and love each other in equal measure, and as such it's a true child of British situation comedy.
If you want to put a toe into Boosh, start with season 2 - the one that should have won a BAFTA, if there was any justice in the world.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2016-01-06 12:23 pm (UTC)You have reminded me of *my* intro to fandom, though. I went to my first Stargate convention in January 2002 and got talking to a couple of slash fanfic writers in the queue (various prior events and my own personality at the time make that in itself quite surprising).
After that, it was a very steep and very slippery slope into a glorious rabbit-hole, until I stupidly dropped out of online fandom early in 2005.
Fast forward to September 2013, when I decided to dip my toe back in the lovely waters again by going to GMOH - where, of course, I met you! And I am *so* glad to be back - and to be able to share my obsessions with you! :o)
no subject
Date: 2016-01-09 04:49 pm (UTC)And the feeling is of course mutual!
As to wld u like any of the above? I think a lot depends on silliness quotient and mood at the time. U have to be prepared for real stupidity with Darkplace, and sometimes its a bit too much. Nathan Barley requires u to have asbestos sensitivites, such r the issues it deals with, and the language in places. The people r truly unpleasant. But it is scathingly observed.
Boosh can catch u unawares. The first epiosde i saw involved a talking moon (who is an imbecile) a desert island, romantic attachments to coconuts, rabid jealousy, domesric violence ( involving coconuts) and murder. I sat open- mouthed at the sheer beauty of it all. It had me at talking moon, tbh. But that was the final ep of season 2 . Gold is starting with season 1. Deliberately ragged and untidy. But loads of imagination and hilariously funny in its own mad way. Id say give that a try at least. But the first ep is really quite weird so dont give up with it even if u shake yr head. The eps "Bollo" -what happens when you r mistakenly called by the Grim Reaper - and "Tundra" - arctic exploration and hidden treasure - are classics! ;)