Chewin' the Fat

I'm surprised to many people think you can only find this funny if you are from Glasgow. I think they are selling this program short. Yes, the accents are thick and, at times, difficult to understand, even with the subtitles on. And, yes, there are a lot of local jokes that we won't get. But we still laugh our butts off! My husband and I have been making a point of watching Chewing the Fat on Netflix and we've really enjoyed it. So much of the humor translates better than the Glaswegians think, ... or wish. Many of the recurring sketch taglines have become part of our own jokes. No one we know watches the show so no one gets us on this, but that's OK. Funny is funny, whatever the language.

Aye, yer gonnae sh**e yerself from laughin!

Take a bit of Monty Python, add The League of Gentlemen, then scrap all the bad stuff and give it a real edge and a heavy Scottish accent and you have Chewin' The Fat, a marvelous show from the brains of Ford Keirnan and Greg Hemphill (plus Paul, Karen, Julie and the rest). With recurring characters and a few story lines, this sketch comedy series is as brilliant as it is sometimes rude and crude. You need to have a good ear for the accents, and there are a few references that may go over your head, but the three 6-episode series (plus the Live! show and their "Still Game" stage play on DVD) are about the best thing to come along in years. And a fourth series is due in November 2001!

This is not for kids. And I'd recommend that anyone who gets upset by mothers proudly telling their friends that they "need to do more laundry these days because their 14 year old son has just started mastrubating" stay clear. A solid 5 of 5 points.

I love the fact that there's so many comedy critics bemoaning the fact that Scottish comedy is "outdated" and scandalously unfunny. Hmmm, interesting that they're all from places that has produced far worse (After all, England has the dire 'All about me' and 'My Hero' amongst other hideous offerings, whilst the good old USA has given us such tripe as 'Will and Grace'.)

As far as Chewin' the Fat goes, its decent, solid comedy that more often or not hits the spot straight on. OK, it may not pack the mirth ratio of the Fast Show, but when it stumbles it doesn't do so as pathetically ("Hi! I'm Ed Winchester." anybody?). I think the problem is that, unless you've actually spent any time in Scotland and realised that's exactly what its like, you just won't get it. You're not clued into the language, slang or the general ambiance of the country, so you've got nothing to base the series on and just slag it for being what you perceive to be "unfunny". I hate to tell you, but theres more than a million Scots that would probably disagree and hail both Chewin the Fat and Still Game as the best comedy shows to come out of the country since Naked Video. And why? Because believe it or not, both are actually very, very funny if you know what you're meant to be laughing at. (perhaps its a little unfair, but the Scots don't tend to make it very easy for outsiders to get in on the joke. Maybe its all those years of wearing woad on their faces and yelling "Freedom!", eh?)

Rab C Nesbitt was similarly criticised when it made the trasition to mainsteam UK screens - primarily because southernised Englanders couldn't understand the Glaswegian dialect and missed the humour. And to suggest that Scotland hasn't had any decent comedians to come out of it....Billy Connolly anyone? Ronnie Corbett? Phil Kay, Fred McCauley or Rhona Cameron? This little country isn't quite as stagnant as you think - you just need to open your eyes a little and try to understand the humour a little better.

I've read reviews to say it's not for non-Scots due to the culture etc. I'm Welsh and I've loved every minute, so much more than the 'valley' culture that infests our shows. I'm a city boy so I cannot identify with the Welsh sitcoms/sketch shows (fact I don't speak Welsh is a factor too)

Roland Villiers, The lighthouse men, the crazy shop lady, the camp banter boys - it's brilliant.

Some say to avoid this and watch Little Britain instead. For me that ran out after 2 series but they kept going and was much more crude - only Tom Baker's linking bits were worth it.

Half way through this (finished S2), two more to go and it's great to see the origin of Jack and Victor from Still Game - plus regular guest roles from Paul and Mark who played Winston and Tam.

Just got turned on to Chewin the fat. Absolutely brilliant Glaswegian comedy. Burned through every Still Game episodes and found this precursor. Though not from Scotland, having been multiples of times to Bonhill and Islay, found this one piece that made it all make sense. Laugh out loud comedy, crude or not. For those with tender mercies on their sleeves, leave this be. For others, like me, who found the comedic locale of Glasgow forbidding and hilarious, this hit the spot. Indeed, not for everyone. Yet, if you want to peer into the Glaswegian wit and lack of sensibility, this is the ticket. Give it a go if you have the patience for not so mainline sketch comedy. Worth every minute.