LIBRARY CARDS?

Is The Librarians* funny? We put the question to two leading reviewers.

Debbie Enker is the Green Guide's chief TV reviewer. Sure, GG and the ABC are joined at the hip, but Enker has occasionally stooped to writing a bad word or two about shows on her ABC. She has also, on occasion, said a bad word or two about shows on her ABC when she's speaking to Jon Faine on her ABC:

Thankfully, comedy makes a comeback

The Librarians has dropped [ratings] since its debut, recording 958,000 viewers last week. But the sly comedy has allowed the creative partnership of Robyn Butler and Wayne Hope to strut their stuff on the national stage and added a welcome new note to the array of comedy on display.

Professor Rosseforp, a leading independent freelance reviewer appearing here at the AGB, the Strayan entertainment scene's foremost organ of taste, judgment and all things grouse, demurs:

Caffee Culture

Did anyone else watch the new ABC-TV show The Librarians last night?

I gather it is some form of free-styling comedy as there appeared to be no script. I have vented my feelings elsewhere, and was pleased to see I was not the only person with thoughts such as "unadulterated crap" -- but tell me, a-g-bloggers, have I got it completely wrong?

Haven't seen it yet, probably won't, but I imagine it's not as ropey as Chandon Pictures:

Chandon Pictures

A fine new Australian comedy about thoroughly deluded documentary maker Tom Chandon, who is trying (and failing) to pay the bills by filming weddings and children's birthday parties. Tom (series creator, writer and co-director Robert Carlton, right) does have one real doco to his name, something called Oh No Bonzo: The Clown that Killed a Child, and he's always on the lookout for a way to turn one of his dull paying jobs into a documentary masterpiece.

CP has the odd moment, but Brad Newsome arriving at the conclusion it is "Excellent." only confirms for me the root cause of all that is wrong with Strayan television: young people. Harumpf.

* Do you, like me, hate it when show titles end in a plural? "Is The Outsiders" looks quite wrong.

Comments

[nick]

I had the misfortune to see some of 'The Librarians' last night. I feel my 7 cents was wasted, yet again, on unfunny rubbish. From the prissy main character, to her hackneyed husband, to the large breasted wrinkly skinned woman and the dozey village idiot (purloined from The Wedge, I think), to the (inserted at the last minute, no doubt) ethnic lady, it was crap from beginning to end. And before you all ask, it was on in the background while I was reading, and my wife had the remote...

[Francis Xavier Holden]

Here at McCackie Mansions we struggle with TV free weeks and alcohol free weeks days

I'm reliably informed that that particular 25 minutes of my life is now gone forever and I can never get it back.

It hurts to think how funny some of this closed room work comedy can be and I DON'T mean the fuckin OFFICE. Gold standard; Are You Being Served. Others good for a smirk or chuckle; Brittass Empire, Open All Hours, Vicar of Dibley, Thin Blue Line, -

why go on you know them all.

[Francis Xavier Holden]

Here at McCackie Mansions we struggle with TV free weeks and alcohol free weeks days or hours. The struggle overwhelmed me in the end and I flopped on the couch in the front room to read a book and accidently clicked the TV on hoping to find an animal doco. I caught the last bit of the Chaser which looked good like they used to with the newsdesk format and then it sequed into the usual 15 minutes of ABC ads / promos and I saw the Librarians. So I thought why not give it a whirl. Oz comedy and all that.

I'm reliably informed that that particular 25 minutes of my life is now gone forever and I can never get it back.

It hurts to think how funny some of this closed room work comedy can be and I DON'T mean the fuckin OFFICE. Gold standard; Are You Being Served. Others good for a smirk or chuckle; Brittass Empire, Open All Hours, Vicar of Dibley, Thin Blue Line, -

why go on you know them all.

[Francis Xavier Holden]

yeah well - whatever.

Carry On Blogging

[fm]

It'll never rate better than House and The Show After That (L.A. detective show thingy). Assorted hotties + Semblance of plot + Reasonable laughs = Perfectly satisfying. Waste of taxpayer money even trying.

[Francis Xavier Holden]

As you were - Vicar Of Dibley isn't closed room.

[David Barry]

On singular/plurals: We use "the United States" as a singular all the time.

[fm]

Life.

That's it.

[Tony T.]

Nick: Not only are you a closet Librarians watcher, but you're a fan of The Wedge. Worrying signs, my friend.

FX: I can't "work" out whether you're taking the piss. Everyone involved with The Brittas Empire needs a punch in the teeth. (Same goes for Barrie's hideous Red Dwarf.) I felt like I'D been punched in the teeth watching Ronnie Barker's lame shenanigans in Open All Hours after seeing how good he was in Porridge, and how puke-ful Granville was after his fine work in, ummm, Dangermouse. I just couldn't, ahem, cop The Thin Blue Line; it was only marginally better than the dreadful Mr Bean. And as for Are You Being Served... well, I liked it when I was twelve. Carry On Blogging was good, but.

FM: I watch House and Life. The former is a bit of alright even though it strains my credibility to stay with it. And I was close to giving Life away, what with some pretty dull story-lines and a running plot that barely rated a mention each week. But last night's episode seemed to kick the running plot in the arse, so hopefully it's a show on the up after a few dull weeks. And by the way; what's the idea of American shows having Poms play Yanks in lead roles? Can't they find any good actors of their own?

Dave: I suppose it's just a matter of perception and familiarity. "Is the librarians?" is not something I see everyday, whereas "Is the United States?" is.

[Professor Rosseforp]

The more perceptive AGB readers will realise that there is more than one Professor Rosseforp on the web -- however, if you come across one with opinions on just about everything (but precious little knowledge on anything) -- especially leatherflingers who have suspect actions -- it's likely to be me.
I have followed various blogs on The Librarians and they are generally negative in the extreme (see http://www.tvtonight.com.au/2007/10/first-review-librarians.html as an example) -- it is very noticeable that the critics are extremely articulate and coherent as to why the show is no good. You know that when you look on a librarian website, and see terms like "puerile rubbish", that something is wrong with the product.

[nick]

Now just wait one minute. I watched one episode of The Librarians and am aware that there is a pretty average show on commercial TV called The Wedge. I've never seen it.

[Adsy]

Wasn't the guy from Life one of the lead actors from Band of Brothers? Excellent casting in that show, apart from having David Schwimmer as one of the nasty captains. I was fully expecting him to bust out some Friends craziness at an inappropriate time.

But it never happened. Sadly.

[Tony T.]

That's the bloke - Damian Lewis.

Wussy Schwimmer rightly ended up a training officer because he was a crap commander under simulated fire.

[nick]

OT (and probably OTT), but doubtless soon to topical on this site :

http://content-aus.cricinfo.com/columns/content/current/story/321621.html

Selected Gems :

The caption from the picture with the article, describing throwing in cricket as a 'black and white (issue)'. How true.
Whining incessantly about how it's not really cheating because, well, it helps the bowlers even up the game against blue blooded willow wielders with fragile egos.
Leather-flingers - looks as bad on screen as it sounds on radio.
Then finally, after mentioning Murali in the penultimate paragraph, admitting that throwing is unscrupulous.

Spanky (perhaps on purpose) just ties himself in knots with this sort of crap.

[Tony T.]

Good to see he concedes our key point:

In fact, most of them are gentle spinners seeking extra purchase on hard decks; they have never bruised a batsman, merely a few fragile egos.

But in short: "It was wrong in 1900 so they cleaned it up. It was wrong in 1960 so they cleaned it up. And it is wrong now, but so what."

[Ann O'Dyne]

Yes indeed dear Tony - Mr.Brittas was repulsive and Chris Barrie was perfectly cast to play him; the real star of the show was Pippa Haywood as Mrs.Brittas buying her pills at the school gate.
She is in a new show 'Fear Anger and Stress' written by (my friend) Michael Aitkens (writer of Waiting For God, and also winner of a SAMMY for playing Piggy Lewis in Power Without Glory on ABCTV).

Fear Anger and Stress' has a fan group on Farcebook.

I have not seen The Librarians, but I have belonged to a few libraries
and I've got the cards to prove it: Brighton 1965, Sydney 1969, South Yarra, Brighton 1985, St.Kilda, The Athenaeum, Central Highlands, Corangamite.
I like to borrow Lovejoy novels and visualise Ian McShane while reading.
Vandals put the fire hose into the returns slot at the Dendy Street library and turned it on one time.
A good writer could make that funny I suppose.

[Bruce]

Pippa is/was also in Green Wing a pretty good current generation brit com.

http://www.jamesandthebluecat.blogspot.com>James Henry is one of the writers and I think his pedigree includes Smack the Pony.