Bravo @rvdk! Ceith Allen and me should have come up with the joke "Chapati on your shoulder" which thinking about it was probably what Ceith was searching for. But I didn't think of it either.
Collings came over to record
Podcast 82 at lunchtime. Unusually he wasn't very well. I've been under the weather a few times in the last year and a half (notably in the legendary podcast 79.5 of which we must never speak again), but Collings, buoyed up by his macrobiotic and oat filled diet and his homeopathic cures for all ailments is usually feisty and fit. But he was asthmatic and tired and looked a little bit sorry for himself. And at least when I have been ill you have NEVER heard me complain about it - I soldier onwards. In fact I'd be surprised if you were even aware that I had ever been unwell.
But even though he looked delicate he was still more than up for playing a few songs on my Beatles Rock Band - and finally, FINALLY, I got him into my bedroom! He was a whizz on the drums though initially seemed to miss the point that he couldn't just freestyle along to the songs - it's important to hit the notes or beats at the exact right time. I played along on one of my three guitars, far from being expert as yet. In fact I am cack-handed. Though after the podcast I went on the mic and sang, whilst Collings played on some pretend drums. Perhaps one day, inspired by this game, Andrew and me will form an actual rock band, which will be him on real drums and me on pretend guitar and real singing. It will be amazing. I will start writing songs now.
And Collings seemed very chipper when he was playing the game. He had forgotten to pretend to be ill, like a skiving schoolchild.
The podcast was OK despite one of us being ill, but then it was the unimportant one who was under par. We were censored by our own technology though - the recording stopped for no reason just as we got on to discuss the little boy from Diversity falling on his bum when doing leaps outside 10 Downing St. Who knows what gems were lost? Not me. I don't generally listen, even to what I am saying, so have little to no memory of it. Thank goodness we spotted the mistake within a few minutes though. It would be annoying to be talking all this shit for absolutely no reason.
We are both going on a road trip to Cheddar on Monday to record some extras for the Headmaster's Son DVD (including another video podcast) and as I will be away for a week after that and we'll have little time once we're there, we're considering doing next week's audio podcast in the car on the way there. I will be driving at the time. I don't know if that is dangerous or illegal or will impede my comedic brain, but it'll be interesting to find out. A few people have nearly crashed their cars laughing at the stupid things we've said, so there would be an irony if we managed to do so whilst making the thing. But it'll make for a great podcast if we do.
My dad, who will be interviewed by
The One Show stalwart is very excited about meeting Andrew Collings. But I think Collings is equally excited about meeting the legend that is TK Herring. Maybe they will do a podcast together. Or maybe Andrew's dad and my dad should get together to do one of their own. After the awful implications I made about Collings senior today I would be a bit scared about hearing what he might have to say about me. As long as he doesn't try and take me up Downing St then I am cool with it.
Frittered the rest of the day away feeling depressed that My Family has been given two more series, then watching another newish BBC sit-com on iPlayer and finding it fairly hackneyed too. Then I watched most of the second series of Pulling, which was much more enjoyable (though equally depressing to realise that the BBC pulled the plug on this one in order to carry on making the other two). Much as I like the show it does seem to follow the trend of sitcoms involving lead characters who are unaware of how selfish and shallow their lives are. With Pulling this is kind of the whole point and I certainly wouldn't want it to change, but it might be cool to see some comedy with characters who are not so reprehensible and unpleasant, as not seems to be the trend. It's possible to be flawed without just being an awful twatting prick. The Americans manage to do it, but post-Office over here we seem a bit trapped in parodying grotesques.
In Pulling at least there is intelligence in the unpleasantness of the characters, painting a world view of the way that we're all essentially disgusting idiots and that life is an awful disappointment. I wonder how long it will take for the more optimistic comedy that is in vogue on the stand up circuit to filter through to TV. I'd like to see a five year ban on shows which parody celebrity, have sarcastic hosts mocking the decline of previous screen icons, ironic celebrations of old TV shows and sitcoms about selfish people unaware of their own arrogance or prejudice. Just to see what else we can come up with.
You might think that that will just result in more shows like My Family, but to be honest, My Family is one of the worse offenders. The Robert Lindsay character is just a horrible man who seems to hate his life.
And it's possible to be edgy without just being unpleasant.
Or maybe I am just getting old.
Even if I spent most of the day playing a video game with another old man who is trying to pretend he is young. Interrupted by one hour six minutes and 35 seconds of me portraying exactly the kind of offensive idiot I have just been railing against.
Oh fuck off. This is free isn't it?
