I Was Flying

Ever watched one of those failed TV pilots that they used to dump on TV during summer rerun season? This HBO debacle is far worse. It simply doesn't play at all.

I was immediately disturbed by director Armando Iannucci shooting the show apparently in all master shots. That means distant camera placements, in this case to encompass vast sets featuring dozens of extras in the frame beyond the actors with speaking roles. This makes for an impersonal feel right from the git-go, as if cinema had never invented the close-up.

The dialogue is inane and never funny, even by accident. Hugh Laurie is adept at comedy but not here - playing a captain of a cruise ship (in space of course), think Gavin MacLeod in "The Love Boat". Worst of all is Josh Gad, a stage actor who inexplicably has been anointed a star. His extremely poor imitation of Jack Black (without Jack's energy or looniness) is depressing and apparently central to the intended comedy content. Detestable characters saying stupid things is not amusing.

I didn't like Mel Brooks' "Spaceballs" when it was released, way too obvious and infantile in its satire of the popular Outer Space movies. This moronic tv series is far worse.

Great cast with great writing. Never feels like it's trying too hard. A really promising start.

Solid start! Ignore the humourless yanks that dont get good old British humour!

Excited to see where the show goes, the writing is funny enough to keep you laughing but also intriguing enough to want the next episode

I found everything about this show very derivative and unfunny, particularly Josh Gad's character. The writing is terrible and I expect more from Hugh Laurie. The divorcing couple's dialogue was extremely hackneyed. I'll give it one more try, but I don't really see much potential here. HBO can and needs to do better than this.