Time Gentlemen Please

Shear genius!!! This sitcom just keeps getting better!!! 18 Episodes in (18! - you don't get that on terrestrial) & it still has me wetting myself every week. Catchphrases abound: "Its not normal","never confused","I'm cheeky me","Look at his face - its a picture","Back off Brussels","Damn my bean shaped face","COW! Never pulled a pint in her life","Mustards Yellow - not Brown!","They play bowls on gravel for pitys sake!" and "Do you remember when the Prof won £2 out of that machine". Funniest telly since the Fast Show.

i have been watching this show, which is on it's first series, after seeing interviews with Al Murray in a lot of the monthly magazines. Al plays a sexist, narrow minded, stubborn landlord of what must be the scruffiest pub in Britain, where only the 5 regulars seem to be the only customers! The laughs come thick and fast as Murray rants about women, the French('they're up to something!!') Brussels, and pub theme nights('the only theme a pub needs is BEER!!!') Julia Sawahla(Absolutely Fabulous) plays the brash, foul mouthed Aussie barmaid who never gets paid, and Phil Daniels (Quadrophenia) plays the local slob who keeps getting barred out!If you like the humour of 'Harry Hill' and 'Bottom', then you'll love 'TGMP'.

This is without a doubt one of the funniest shows British television has produced in ages. Al Murray is superb as he translates perfectly his stand-up character, the landlord, into a sitcom star. His unusual and un-PC rantings almost always hit the spot and though his supporting characters are rarely given any material to work with who cares? He carries the show on his own with only Terry and, more recently, The Prof lending any comic support. Julia Sawalha is completely wasted. Steve is equally unfunny, and he's a stand-up comic apparently, but to be fair to them they haven't much to work with. The gags come fast and often and with most of them revolving around the pub trade (which has been meticulously copied, go to a real pub during the day and you'll see what I mean), the French and the landlord's own take on life, they're always good. A rare treat and I've become quite hooked, here's to a second series.

I don't know what Teotihuacan was watching, but it obviously wasn't Time Gentlemen Please.

My wife is American and it's about the only British comdy she watches, laughs at and really enjoys. The programme has now moved on and Julia is no longer there, so any other Australians put off by Teotihuacan's comments can rest assured that they won't be cringing at her accent, not that I thought it was that bad. The strong characterisations (slutty Aussie, maloderous Drunk, still in the closet gay pervy guy, failed-at-everything landlord) and catchphrases add immensly to the humour of this thoroughly hilarious show. Perhaps it's just *too* British for Teotihuacan to understand.

Give it a try!

I watched all of season 1 and 2 within a couple of days, once into the first episode I couldn't stop watching. It is such a clever written comedy, hilarious, great one liners and gags & superb how each cast member seem to have their own quotes which works well every episode, even Terry's constant farting doesn't effect the morale of the comedy.

The talented Julia Sawalha, who puts on a brilliant Australian accent left at end of season one which I thought would effect the shows continuity leading into season two but in comes the absolutely gorgeous Emma Pierson as Connie, another amazing talent who helps keep the show alive.

Overall this is a highly recommended comedy, definitely 10/10 and definitely in need of much more episodes, British television needs more humour of this quality.