Just say NO to March Madness
One last March Madness indulgence in the name of comedy gems for your power-watching pleasure during this difficult time for anyone whose brackets have cratered already or those that aren’t in to college basketball. Like the others, these series enjoyed only a short lifespan but that’s much better than over-staying your welcome and jumping the shark for another season. Anyone have any more hidden gems to watch? Would love to hear them.
Green Wing
Even though it came along several years later, Green Wing is often compared to the American sitcom, Scrubs. Starring Tamsin Greig (Black Books), Stephen Mangan, Julian Rhind-Tutt and Sarah Alexander (Coupling, People Like Us) it revolves around the lives of the staff of the East Hampton Hospital Trust. The interesting thing about this series is that, many times, the actors were allowed to improvise jokes beyond what was scripted. Music plays a really important part of the show along with the timely use of speeding up or slowing down sequences in the editing process.
Absolute Power
If you’ve ever thought the PR world was filled with do anything for the money individuals in the name of spin, then Stephen Fry’s Prince of PR Darkness character will not disappoint you. Based on the simple premise of “power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely” and “spin is dead, long live PR, Absolute Power is nothing short of incredibly smart and well-written. Classic Stephen Fry and John Bird and a great supporting cast make this well worth a power watching evening.
People Like Us
More greatness. People Like Us stars Chris Langham as a fictional interviewer in this spoof documentary series that looks in on various professions in a day-in-the-life profile. Interestingly, while the series was very popular in the UK, it was shelved after two seasons to make way for The Office, starring Ricky Gervais. While I really like People Like Us, I think I’m ok with that decision.
