Shark Bytes

this may come as a shock but I only watched all three series the other week. Always been put off by what I saw as an over reliance on catchphrases. How wrong was I, the most dark series I have seen since Jam, and that was far to dark. Loved every show. As for the third series there was a differance, but bless them, they did get rid of that laughter track.

this show could NEVER jump the shark!

Quite simply, the show never jumped. The three series, the Christmas special and, yes, even the film are an extraordinary acheivement. There are scenes and characters I find less engaging than others (I'm not especially keen on the Ernest Foot sketches, or Les McQueen), but as a whole the 'League of Gentlemen' shows are consistently blackly funny and inventive, paying homage (sometimes subtly, sometimes overtly) to more movies, TV shows and books than any other show I can think of, and never afraid to ditch or kill off characters that might outstay their welcome. I would concede that some of the storyline threads peter out, especially in the third series, but, if you listen to the UK DVD commentaries, this is largely due to the need to edit in post-production for the shows to be accommodated in TV slots. In any case, there was never, as far as I understand it, meant to be a 'soapy' element to the show of 'what happens next with the New Road (Series 1)/'special stuff' (Series 2)', but one emerged and was blended brilliantly with the original sketch comedy format. Series 3 has some extraordinary pathos and, if only technically, a truly breathtaking interweaving of the disparate plot strands, both in the final denoument, and in throaway references throughout the individual episodes. The writer-performers developed their material across radio, stage, TV (and even book) and have succeeded in creating an interacting 'community' of characters only matched by 'The Simpsons' that I can think of. Yes, 'Python' and the short-lived 'Kids in the Hall' created galleries of extraordinarily amusing grotesques, but never (even in the movies 'And Now For Something Completely Different' and 'Brain Candy') did those characters take on sufficient life to be able to interact with each other. With so much formulaic dreck on TV on both sides of the Atlantic, how anyone can level criticisms of shark-jumping at 'The League of Gentlemen' who are, if nothing else not afraid to experiement and invent, is beyond me.

The first series of the League Of Gentlemen was right on perfect. Kooky, scary, ball tearingly funny and threaded together with just the right balance of intrigue and suspense. The writing was just superb. Sadly, from the start of the second series it was obvious that the writing had lost focus - and it just wasn't funny anymore. The first series stands alone as a self contained masterpiece. "Hello? Hello? What's all this shouting about - we'll have no trouble here!"

I haven't seen the movie yet - lots of people reckon this is when the show jumped the shark. But I would say that it jumped the shark in series three, right at the very end. I loved series three, probably more than the first two as it was a gripping story full of twists you could hardly guess. The focus on lesser known and new characters was appropriate and daring. But the very end when it is revealed what Papa Lazarou was doing to his victims was utter pish. The animal reference also makes you think of the shark jumping analogy. I suppose this can be forgiven because it is very difficult to end a story. But more enigma would have been good. Papa L is one of my favourite characters and I think their mistake was focusing on him too much (also in the christmas special) removing his sheer shock and horror factor.

The 3rd series has to rank as one of the biggest cultural let downs of recent times: up or indeed down there with Oasis' Be Here Now album or James Cameron's Titanic. The 3rd series had one genuinely tight funny sketch which was Maxi Power: this sketch had a proper beginning, middle and end. Unfortunately the rest of the show was as flatulent as Bernard Manning's boxer shorts. Totally forgettable new characters were introduced to a yawning nation, sketches meandered on for ever and went absolutely nowhere, and if that wasn't bad enough there was the removal of much of the true "special stuff" - the superb characters that made the show such a hit in the first place. With things such as this against it it was too much to hope that we would "never leave" Royston Vasey. The 3rd series should be on some sort of "Don't ever go there" list like the Foreign Office produces for all the scary and dangerous countries in the world. True comedy lovers will only be hurt if they stay there.

This show, like a fine wine, matured with age. Frankly, the people who don't find the 3rd series as funny as the previous 2 are simply not intelligent enough to understand it. Condescending, I know, but apt. As for the "British" guy who used the "...NOT!" to show that his comment was ironic - I think that speaks volumes about your intellect. Here's irony for you: Your comments are witty, thought-provoking and blisteringly well-observed and, from start to finish, did not make me want to vomit blood. Carry on.

Cracking stuff. Bought the dvds (on sale in HMV, its fate!) and have loved rewatching every sordid, disturbing and hilarious minute of it. Hilary Briss is my hero.

A programme to savour, comedy for the connoisseur, okay, it's not to everyone's taste, but for those who like their humour dark and in your face The League of Gentlemen is one of the funniest, if not THE funniest of comedies ever created. Be prepared to be shocked at the sheer outrageousness of some of the characters, a couple don't 'cut the mustard' (in joke) for me, Pops for one, Mike for another, but out of the wonderful collection of bizarre, but oh so real characters that this talented foursome have created, it's negligible. Series three as previous comments have indicated changed course, still SO funny though, just very different in its style. My only grumble? killing off poor old Tubs and Edward a minute after they came 'back from the grave', damn you! Is it the new Monty Python as has been suggested? definitely not to British viewers, as different as chalk and cheese, the only similarity is that both were made by the BBC, I'll pass on Monty, never liked the show, never will, but long live the League! Once hooked You'll never leave...

This show is fantastic - the 3rd series is by far the best. And if ya don't like it go and watch Vicar of Dibley instead. Its nothing like Monty Python ("guys in dresses from England - must be like Python!" duh) or Kids in the Hall. 'fans' who don't accept series 3 are missing out. Long live the League!

What on earth happened to that third season? I'm all for shaking things up and changing them, but you've got to keep it funny and/or interesting!! What on earth happened to that third season? I'm all for shaking things up and changing them, but you've got to keep it funny and/or interesting!!

the third series just wasn't as good as the first two. they did it in a different style, which is to their credit, but they didn't pull it off i'm afraid. let's hope that's it for the show. i love it, the xmas spesh is a classic, but i don't want it tainted any further by another poor series.

LISTEN! This is quite simply one of the greatest television shows ever. It rips off Monty Python? What are you talking about it's like saying Martin Luther King ripped off Jesus Christ. Sort it out! Who doesn't like it? Morons! - In the words of Bill Hicks - "Go and watch 'Who's the Boss' and then we'll chat."

That third series was the best thing I've ever seen on television ever. The "fans" hate it because it had contempt for "fans" (cf the Knight Rider fan) and the mass public didn't get it because they are sheep who were told "The Office" was better and believed it. Idiots

The show is a masterpiece of comic genius. It is, of course, influenced by Python, but then who isn't? It's experimental comedy, as was Python, and as long as it stays true to its innovative intention, it will never jump the shark (but this may be consigned to Pseuds' Corner). The third series was brilliant because it was as different from the first two as they were from the rest of the comedy scene at the time. It is still fresh, still frightening, and still sick-making, and the essential maintenance of its ideal make it fundamentally shark-free, as it defies the definition of jumping the shark.