French/ Saunders TV folk festval.

Subject: French/ Saunders TV folk festval.
From: The Shambles
Date: 28 Dec 05 - 01:51 AM

Did anyone see French and Saunders Chistmas TV special?

They had a sketch in which Rufus Wainwright (tried) to perform his song under a banner saying 'The Beckenham Folk Festival'. He was joined on stage by two worthy folk ladies who insisted on dancing with him and trying to play bodhrans and other strange instruments........

Subject: RE: French/ Saunders TV folk festval.
From: Sooz
Date: 28 Dec 05 - 04:10 AM

Didn't do "folk" any favours did it?

Subject: RE: French/ Saunders TV folk festval.
From: Compton
Date: 28 Dec 05 - 04:16 AM

How often does "Mainstream TV" do "folk" a favour?

Subject: RE: French/ Saunders TV folk festval.
From: Sooz
Date: 28 Dec 05 - 04:16 AM

We can always hope.

Subject: RE: French/ Saunders TV folk festval.
From: Jeanie
Date: 28 Dec 05 - 05:05 AM

"Blessed are those who can laugh at themselves, for they will never cease to be amused." (Anon.)

"Angels fly because they take themselves lightly." (G.K.Chesterton)

I thought it was a very well observed sketch. They got the clothing, the hairstyles, the banner, the microphone introduction, all of it, spot on ! Good humour observes and takes what is there and exaggerates it just that little bit (and sometimes, even, not at all). These ladies (and the BBC wardrobe department) have obviously *been places*, taking notes !

What makes something funny is seeing people taking themselves and what they are doing totally seriously. "The Fast Show" did the same thing in their take-off of those "late night jazz" programmes. Generally speaking (ooh dear....I fear I have to cover myself by that) the frequenters of folk events *do* dress in a distinctive way and our music and many of the instruments that play it *are* different from what is listened to by the majority of the population. Of course they are going to find us funny ! (in just the same way as we may grin at those Chavs in their burberry and bling, for instance).

Maybe French & Saunders can develop their "Beckenham Folk Festival" into a sit-com ?

- jeanie

Subject: RE: French/ Saunders TV folk festval.
From: GUEST
Date: 28 Dec 05 - 05:10 AM

Still not found the Folk Messiah then, the one that will lead folk music out of the wilderness, and turn the doubters and the naysayers into disciples.
Yeah right!!

Subject: RE: French/ Saunders TV folk festval.
From: breezy
Date: 28 Dec 05 - 05:11 AM

we are not mainstream ,thats cos we is esoteric !

No such thing as 'bad publicity'

A form of flattery maybe?

Happy new year


The Duke of Marlborough in St Albans, Herts U K for new years day evening with 'windward' plus a quiz

15th jan at the Comfort with guest Ben Campbell from Moorland Folk

Subject: RE: French/ Saunders TV folk festval.
From: The Shambles
Date: 28 Dec 05 - 05:59 AM

Still not found the Folk Messiah then, the one that will lead folk music out of the wilderness, and turn the doubters and the naysayers into disciples.
Yeah right!!

Perhaps Beckenham has already found this Messiah?

http://www.bowiewonderworld.com/features/beckenham.htm

Subject: RE: French/ Saunders TV folk festval.
From: GUEST
Date: 28 Dec 05 - 06:25 AM

French and Saunders suffer a huge drawback as comedy writers and performers: they are not funny. Their programmes are fit only for small children. It is disgrace that given the millions of pounds poured into television production and the colossal salaries paid to so-called Creatives this is typical mainstream adult telly and bloody rubbish it is too. Thank God for Folk and other home-made music as a alternative to such bollocks.

Subject: RE: French/ Saunders TV folk festval.
From: GUEST,Mr (apolitical) Red
Date: 28 Dec 05 - 06:44 AM

Hey - I stopped laughing at satire when I aquired a political favourite. I stop having a political favourite when I stopped laughing.

I am over it now but the scars are still with me.

Subject: RE: French/ Saunders TV folk festval.
From: GUEST,Anon
Date: 28 Dec 05 - 07:32 AM

Those who criticise French & Saunders ought to know that both performed as folk singers before finding fame and fortune as comediennes.

Like Jasper Carrot and Billy Connolly before them some of our best comics started life as folk singers.

Both Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders have been seen with their families at folk festivals in the south of England in recent years and Dawn French is known to particularly like the singing of June Tabor and The Copper Family.

Don't knock 'em.

Subject: RE: French/ Saunders TV folk festval.
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 28 Dec 05 - 07:41 AM

didn't see it . hands off the Vicar of Dibley though, she's as near as most sentient beings will get to a spiritual life of the old fashioned type. her ministry touched more people in England than three generations of happy clappers, and 'looking disdainfully down the nose at anything post 1953' styles of Christianity.

if you went near the tv at Christmas, someone should put you wise to the Blockbusters Video store.

Subject: RE: French/ Saunders TV folk festval.
From: GUEST,Raggytash
Date: 28 Dec 05 - 07:58 AM

Do you really want folk to become mainstream, I recall walking in the Peak district and Lake District before these two places became mainstream locations for tourists. They were comparatively empty, the other walkers you met were, for the most part, like minded. We did not have "Ye Olde Worlde Coffee Shoppes" and to my mind the area's were much better off without them. I'm not at all sure I would welcome folk becoming mainstream

Subject: RE: French/ Saunders TV folk festval.
From: Alan Day
Date: 28 Dec 05 - 08:31 AM

Thank goodness when I first read the posting, I thought it said Beckham Folk festival, but the thought of Posh doing Folk Dancing would really be quite amusing,I wonder what David would play?
Al

Subject: RE: French/ Saunders TV folk festval.
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 28 Dec 05 - 08:43 AM

Nah! Beckenham, ain't that where Ewan and Peggy used to live?

Subject: RE: French/ Saunders TV folk festval.
From: GUEST
Date: 28 Dec 05 - 10:33 AM

Why do you think Jennifer Saunders dropped Dawn French from Absolutely Fabulous? Because, as Guest said above, "SHE IS NOT FUNNY"
She should spend more time on her scripts, and less time trying to convince us that she's beautiful.

Subject: RE: French/ Saunders TV folk festval.
From: manitas_at_work
Date: 28 Dec 05 - 10:55 AM

Wasn't Dawn busy on something else at the time? "Murder Most Horrid", perhaps? She is one of the scriptwriters for AbFab so I don't suppose she was droped by Jennifer Saunders.

Subject: RE: French/ Saunders TV folk festval.
From: GUEST,grumpy old c*nt
Date: 28 Dec 05 - 02:22 PM

maybe saunders is marginally more 'naturally' funny than french

maybe dawn french is a good 'comic actor' rather than a natural comedienne and is only as funny as the scripts she performs..

maybe they cant write anything funny enough to be allowed to be given huge BBC budgets ??????


maybe its also a gender thing..


..the wife thinks french and saunders are hilarious

Subject: RE: French/ Saunders TV folk festval.
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 28 Dec 05 - 03:02 PM

Just who is Rupert Wetwipe anyway?!

LTS

Subject: RE: French/ Saunders TV folk festval.
From: Doug Chadwick
Date: 28 Dec 05 - 03:14 PM

I find Jennifer Saunders funny when she isn't working with Dawn French

I find Dawn French funny when she isn't working with Jennifer Saunders

I find French & Saunders funny when they are working together


DC

Subject: RE: French/ Saunders TV folk festval.
From: Grab
Date: 28 Dec 05 - 06:59 PM

F&S were *never* funny on their own shows. As writers for other people, they seem to apply more care to their work, and as actors fronting other people's scripts they do a good job. For themselves though, they'll fill 10-second gaps going "yeah - yeah - yeah" when they obviously couldn't be arsed to write a script. It's not improvising, it's just being crap and unprepared.

Graham.

Subject: RE: French/ Saunders TV folk festval.
From: GUEST,Bottom
Date: 28 Dec 05 - 11:02 PM

Hasn't this thread moved completely away from its original topic, namely, the French / Saunders TV piss-take of a folk festival?

I thought their sketch was very amusing and not at all offensive.

I cannot understand the negativity that creeps into all the threads on mudcat these days.

Like Anon. I remember seeing Dawn French at a folk festival, indeed I even chatted with her on the streets of Broadstairs and was impressed by her knowledge of traditional music & dance.

She said she'd always longed to be a morris dancer but didn't think she had the build for it!

Subject: RE: French/ Saunders TV folk festval.
From: GUEST
Date: 29 Dec 05 - 04:10 AM

She'd be all right as a Bullnose Morris or maybe a Morris Oxford

Subject: RE: French/ Saunders TV folk festval.
From: The Shambles
Date: 29 Dec 05 - 04:19 AM

Just who is Rupert Wetwipe anyway?!

Not too sure but after saying to millions of viewers that he can't stand folk festivals - I don't suppose he will now get booked to play at many......

Nor perhaps his father - Louder Wetwipe III or his mother who is one of the MacMiserable sisters.

Subject: RE: French/ Saunders TV folk festval.
From: breezy
Date: 29 Dec 05 - 04:58 AM

I think Dawn more than has the build to be a trad folk singer, but the lack of beard does little to help.

Its great that they paid 'folk' such a compliment. lets have more of the same I say, Little Britain is for the younger set!!

The two Ronnies also helped promote the cause if I remember

Subject: RE: French/ Saunders TV folk festval.
From: GUEST
Date: 29 Dec 05 - 05:18 AM

I'd rather be kicked in the nuts than watch an episode of Little Britain! What a load of self indulgent twaddle it is!

Subject: RE: French/ Saunders TV folk festval.
From: GUEST,Another Guest
Date: 29 Dec 05 - 07:12 AM

Yet more negativity!

If you just want to moan go to one of the Sidmouth threads which seem to be totally populated by moaning minnies.

Leave this thread for those of us who appreciate the comic genius of French & Saunders.

Subject: RE: French/ Saunders TV folk festval.
From: GUEST
Date: 29 Dec 05 - 07:24 AM

Excellent stuff and so is Little Britain more of the same please

Subject: RE: French/ Saunders TV folk festval.
From: GUEST
Date: 29 Dec 05 - 09:28 AM

Another Guest, you sound like Shambles, as you seem to want to express your own opinion but not listen to any opinion that disagrees with yours. If only life were that simple!

Subject: RE: French/ Saunders TV folk festval.
From: GUEST
Date: 29 Dec 05 - 10:27 AM

The praise you often hear for French & Saunders concerns their deadly accurate movie pastiches. Spend enough money and you can indeed make pinpoint copies of famous films, and everyone seems to overlook the fact that you've spent about 5 minutes cobblig together a lazy script

The shame is, they have proved themselves to be very talented, but appear content to coast

Subject: RE: French/ Saunders TV folk festval.
From: GUEST,amazed
Date: 29 Dec 05 - 10:50 AM

comic genius ??????!!!!! of French & Saunders ???

.. yer 'avin a larf..!!!


whatever next.. ??


Mike Harding,    king of comedy..????

Subject: RE: French/ Saunders TV folk festval.
From: GUEST,Lord Bonkers
Date: 29 Dec 05 - 02:45 PM

Seems any comic who turns to folk singing or any folk singer who turns to comedy just gets bashed on Mudcat.

One of these days I must find out which folk club all these mudcatters go to just so I can go along and find out if they're all as miserable in real life as they appear on this board.

Or maybe I should just go to Sidmouth as they all seem to emigrate there in early August.

Subject: RE: French/ Saunders TV folk festval.
From: shepherdlass
Date: 29 Dec 05 - 03:16 PM

Oh, puh-lease! Almost their entire show is send-ups, most of them brilliantly observed AND affectionate. Now I'm cursing not getting to see this one ... if it's anywhere near as good as their "Silence of the Lambs", then it must have been worth seeing.

Subject: RE: French/ Saunders TV folk festval.
From: Orwell
Date: 29 Dec 05 - 03:23 PM

Who does their bookings?

Subject: RE: French/ Saunders TV folk festval.
From: mooman
Date: 29 Dec 05 - 05:46 PM

Well I enjoyed it anyway and it was well observed and sympathetic IMHO!

Peace

moo