Changing Ends

Extreamly Funny A lot of what i can relate to. Even though i am srait but in school i was extreamly feminate hated football and PE was made to do it .I remember one day getting onto my desk and doing impressions of animals to get laughs out of my class mates who where Bullies .But it worked It never made me popular but for that brief moment i had my class doubled with laughter .Its still made me no friends apart from one or two .. But i found having a sence of humer and using it gained me an advantage ,our school never had a drama class..We need more of this 26+27 mins is too short it needs more episodes like young sheldon 14+18 episodes not 6 could have watched more ..so Alan if you see this well done.

Even if you don't like Alan Carr, it's likely you will like this very funny, on point sitcom with the stand up comedian taking us through semi-autobiographical moments in his life.

We see young Alan on his first day at school, being unexpectedly put on the football team (hilarious) faking sickness to avoid an injection (which leads to awkward but very believable bonding with dad) and all manor of japes that keep the audience hooked.

Carr's relationship with his family and few friends are nicely explored without being heavy handed and the humour is kept at an even pace, carefully balanced with tender / low moments but not too many to descend into melodrama.

Co-written by Carr, this show knows how to keep your attention with ideal casting all round, but Oliver Savell as the young Alan deserves particular praise for his stand out, star making performance. It would have been very easy for him to fall into caricature but somehow Savell manages to blend Carr's friendly campness and mix it with the real fears of a young boy as he tries to navigate the impending, uncharted teen years without going over the top and keeping the comedy this side of believable and engaging.

Well done to everyone involved.

Now, when is the second season coming out?

Just a very funny, sincere, very well acted comedy. For Brits of a certain age, the 80s references and nostalgia are spot on, much of it too obscure I'm sure for those not there at the time to appreciate fully.

Much of the comedy comes from two ongoing situations: the catty relationship between Alan's mum and the neighbours who live opposite, which mainly consists of a trade in (sharply witty) back-handed insults, and the other situation of course being Alan's campness, oddball unconformity, his path to discovering that he is gay.

A couple of reviews here have given totally unjust 1 ratings, citing that it's just a one trick gag which wears thin, but I didn't find that at all. I was chuckling throughout every episode. The campness of the young Alan is so well done, and the writing so on point, that it remains funny even after 12 episodes.

I'm not sure how non-Brits will receive this comedy, maybe it works fine, but I would highly recommend for Brits anyway.

Writing this having watched two seasons, and glad to hear that a further two seasons are planned.

Was really good, very funny. The young boy who plays young Alan was amazing you would really think it was Alan as a young boy. Quite emotional at times, sad getting picked on at school that you would try not to be yourself. But it's definitely a good watch. Takes you back to the 80s so quite nostalgic. The mum and dad were very good aswell. A very good cast and storylines. I really hope there will be another series. I binge watched it very quickly definitely would like to see more. Think it will be a big success. Alan playing himself in it too and being the voice over was also very good. Gets thumbs up for me for sure.

There are two shows that this Alan Carr effort really remind me of.

This is a 1980s version of two 1970s classics. The Dudley based Grimleys that starred Amanda Holden, Brian Conley, James Bradshaw and the real star turn, Noddy Holder. Then there was the much too short lived and brilliant Cradle to Grave. Difficult to look past the tour de force that was Peter Kay, utter genius in C2G (ably abetted by the fantastic Lucy Speed).

Hopefully Changing ends gets a longer run than Cradle to Grave which was criminally short at 6 episodes.

We've obviously moved far enough away from the 1980s to be able to eulogise it in the way that Ashes to Ashes etc. Did for the 1970s.

Carr's personal intrusions are well timed and well written, particularly the Prince / George Michael gag (Too soon?)

There are little lines like "Touch my Blue Nun and you're out" which will resonate with anyone born late 1960s hitting the full force of 1980s UK naffness at the Beefeater with Prawn Cocktail and Black Forest Gateau.

The star of it all, Oliver Savell, does an excellent job portraying the young Carr and hopefully he will have the career he wants from this like Laurie Kynaston and James Bradshaw before him.

The soundtrack is excellent too. So all in all an excellent first series that doesn't drag or outstay its welcome. Here is to more...It would be good to take this to sixth form. So at least 3 more series please.