Cool News
Will HBO’s New Sitcom FLIGHT OF THE CONCHORDS Force Us To War Against New Zealand??
SPOILER ALERT !!
I am – Hercules!!
It’s an HBO sitcom about a pair of thirtysomething New Zealand musicians struggling to succeed in New York. One of those thirtysomething musicians is the star of the new movie “Eagle Vs. Shark.”
Variety says:
… seems like any of the cut-rate slacker comedies that overpopulate Comedy Central -- until they burst into song and madcap lunacy ensues. Hardly a great show, those eclectic musical numbers nevertheless yield some extremely clever moments …
The Hollywood Reporter says:
… has its moments of wiggy charm but lacks an essential ingredient: star charisma. Its two leads, the New Zealand music-comedy duo of Jemaine Clement and Bret McKenzie, are deadpan and clever but so cloyingly doofy that they're not only tough to root for but difficult to watch for extended periods as well. …
USA Today says:
… Some of it is mildly amusing, but there are few performers who can make this kind of slice-of-life comedy play (think Ricky Gervais), and none seem to be working on Conchords.
The New York Times says:
… funny in such an understated way that it is almost dangerous to make too much of it — it could collapse like a soufflé when the door slams. It’s much slighter than HBO’s big production comedies like “Curb Your Enthusiasm” and “Entourage.” It’s also a little sweeter, less a satire of show business than wry self-parody.…
The Los Angeles Times says:
THE art of the deadpan has been tuned to an exquisitely fine degree in HBO's new and consistently funny "The Flight of the Conchords." …
The Chicago Tribune says:
… The charms of this series are subtle, but only grow over the course of the first few episodes. Clement and McKenzie, perhaps because of their upbringing in the most polite nation on Earth, are well suited to understated, self-deprecating comedy, and their fertile imaginations are usually up to the task entertaining the short attention span of the YouTube generation. …
The Washington Post says:
There's easily enough about it that's sweetly fresh to make it worth hanging around for … the Conchords' deadpan, hang-dog demeanor is rare and special and can grow on you quickly. Even instantly. …
The San Francisco Chronicle says:
… may well be the funniest thing you've seen in ages and -- at least for a half hour -- answers the question of whether HBO has any good shows left. … Who knew that jokes about New Zealand (an overreliance on "Lord of the Rings" references to promote tourism, a disdain for the more popular Australia and the silent suffering of Americans who think you're English) could be so pitch-perfect funny? Or that two earnest and likable guys from a tiny country coming to New York City with big dreams (and acoustic guitars) -- and failing spectacularly, but doing so with a Zen mind-set and a laconic, breezy acceptance of their fate -- would be such a wonderful idea?
…
The Miami Herald says:
… Memo to HBO: Mostly, weird doesn't work. … feels less like a sitcom than a Saturday Night Live sketch stretched out to about six times its shelf-life. As the show meandered on with bits like three minutes' worth of repetition of the words gigs and jobs, I found myself wondering just how limited the options are in Auckland on a Saturday night. …
The Boston Globe says:
… The four half-hours that HBO sent to critics were funny, but at times indistinguishable from one another. But I am nonetheless eager to see if the story gains momentum in the course of its 12-episode run, and grows from a sweet nothing into a sweet something about nothing.
10:30 p.m. Sunday. HBO.
NEW DVDS FOR $5.49 OR LESS!!!
Warner’s Insano Movie Sale!! 
DIRT CHEAP SIMPSONS 50% (Or More) OFF!!
The first five seasons of “The Simpsons” represent one of four best sitcoms in the history of history. Amazon now has SEVEN of the first nine seasons on sale for $19.99!!
…
-
+ Expand All
-
...and I LOVE FOTC they're NZ's A-Grade comedy duo, the 'Hip-Hoppotimus' song is freakin' hilarious. Can't wait to see this show.
-
And the duo are a very talented pair, though Jermaine is easily the much funnier of the two. It seems kind of like Peep Show, but with songs.
-
all those Orcs? think about it.
-
Yes.
-
It is quirky though, and I could see how some may not enjoy it/find it funny, but I'll be tuning in every week.
-
this should be good!
-
these guys are no tenacious D, but they are damn fun.
-
what a piece of shit!
-
That pilot was damn funny and so fuckin weird. It just doesn't seem like something HBO would go for. That first song had me dying laughing.
-
I watched the One Night Stand special recently and I can't get enough of those two. Almost worth keeping my HBO subscription...giving it a couple more weeks between this show and John From Cincinnati.
-
not saying that's bad necessarily...
-
Just what the world needs, another too-black-to-be-genuinely-funny fish-out-of-water comedy.
-
i know Brett from his days of The Black Seeds when all he was famous for was (lol) Figwit. He's pretty much the guy you see on screen and the humour isnt really deadpan it's subtle; so in a country where brashness rules and subtlety is serously undervalued i imagine it will be a slog convincing the wider public of their greatness; but the main thing is their having a whole mess of fun doing it; Who would have thought their bored jam sessions in a freezing cold wellington flat would have come this far.
-
Unfortunately, those of us in the UK can only see the pilot on the Conchords Myspace page. Having already seen them live at The Comedy Store in London a few years ago I was already a fan but have to admit I was sceptical about how they would come across in a show. Have to admit I loved it though! That kind of dry and quirky humor just makes me prolapse with laughter at the best of times.
It's not everyones cup of tea by any stretch of the imagination, a bit like Darkplace over here in the UK that was cancelled after one season, but I hope this little gem doesn't get swept under the carpet and forgotten about...AND WHY CHANGE THEIR MANAGERS NAME!?!? I miss Brian Nesbitt! -
A musical comedy sitcom? Genius. Hard to watch that guy's
Mick Jaggerish mouth though. Makes me want to hurl. -
Not all that funny. I smiled at a couple bits and laughed twice. But seeing Rachel Blanchard made me think about her role on Peep Show, and that made me laugh just remembering some of the shit she said on that. "Now fuck me and pretend I'm your mother!"
-
Seriously, this is great stuff. A musical comedy SHOW. Fucking genius. Gaurenteed new songs every week. Hilarious. The one guy is really funny, the other guy not so much- but I think it was more his lack of material. Is he supposed to be playing it straight against the other's wacky antics? That's what it came off like. Either way, this show rocks. Easily as good as The Office, Scrubs, Entourage, and 30 Rock, which are the only comedies really worth watching(Haven't seen Always Sunny, though). As if the Scrubs musical episode wasn't proof enough; we need more musical shows. At least this one kicks ass.
-
Always a plus!
-
When Entourage ends, there will be no more good comedies on HBO ever again.
-
since I cancelled HBO after Six Feet Under ended. But I do know that one of my former students, Kristen Schaal, is in this (saw her in the preview). She's a strange bird.
-
Do yourself a favor and rent Always Sunny on DVD when they FINALLY come out in September. Possibly the funniest show ever made.
-
Always Sunny is an amazing show. Oh, and Entourage will never end. You'll be watching that show well into Ari's golden years.
-
the most original comedian out there. Watch any show with Steve Coogan and/or Chris Morris, and tell me which came first, and which is far, far more talented.
-
...a series of one-minute TV commercials for some prodcut nobody cares about. It's about that entertaining too. HBO, don't just cancel this show--never show any more episodes. Dead air would be preferable.
-
except it actually is funny and is not just for stoners who don't understand irony, or dry wit.
Readers Talkback
User Login
Top Talkbacks
- Whitney Houston 1963 - 2012 -- 273 total posts 271 posts
- New JUDGE DREDD post production footage pops up -- 92 total posts 92 posts
- AVENGERS enemy revealed as pink boardgame pieces... You might suffer some form of elation... SPOILERS!!! -- 160 total posts 69 posts
- There's a STAR TREK video game that is going to lead into JJ's STAR TREK 2 apparently... -- 151 total posts 63 posts
- Does ‘SNL’ Rhyme With ‘Deschanel’?? Learn Which SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE Vet Hosts After Sexy Zooey!! -- 67 total posts 59 posts
- HANNA's Saoirse Ronan to boss around seven little people -- 60 total posts 57 posts
- To Commemorate The 3D Release Of STAR WARS EPISODE I: THE PHANTOM MENACE, George Lucas Wants You To Know...Greedo Shoots First!! -- 484 total posts 49 posts
- Here's The Red Band Trailer For Drafthouse Films' THE FP! -- 69 total posts 42 posts
- Friday Brings SWEEPS DAY NINE!! Gab Here About Tonight’s FRINGE!! Plus Einstein on TIM, Wiig On PORTLANDIA, MAHER, CLONE, GIFTED, GRIMM, SPARTACUS, SUPERNATURAL, GOLD RUSH And More!! -- 120 total posts 32 posts
- SPACE 2099!! -- 183 total posts 24 posts