Jam and Jerusalem

Subject: Jam and Jerusalem
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 24 Nov 06 - 05:17 PM

Just seen the new BBC Series Jam and Jerusalem. Pretty impressed. Good cast. Well acted and, the biggest suprise of all, Music by Kate Rusby! Theme tune is Ray Davies's 'Village Green Preservation Society' and she makes a fine job of it indeed. Incidental music was excelent as well.

Thought at first they may have 'over egged' it with the number of famous names and mass of odd characters but I soon got used to it and hope it develops into another BBC classic. Certainly worth watching just for Sue Johnston ('Barb' Royale).

Best comment must have been from Jennifer Saunders' character. "It was going realy well till Sting played the lute..."

Cheers

DtG

Subject: RE: Jam and Jerusalem
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 24 Nov 06 - 05:22 PM

I got a bit fed up with Dawn French playing another variation on the same character, yet again, apart from her it was excellent, but I thought she merited a 'Ham Actor of the Year' award.
Giok

Subject: RE: Jam and Jerusalem
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 24 Nov 06 - 05:25 PM

Which one of her multi-personalities though, Giok? :-) Bet it's fun at her and Lenny's house though. (Are they still married?)

D.

Subject: RE: Jam and Jerusalem
From: greg stephens
Date: 24 Nov 06 - 05:32 PM

Little too much of the Vicki Pollard in Dawn French's part I thought. Pretty easy targets they seemed to be aiming at I thought. Djembe player and fire-twirling in church was OK. 5/10.

Subject: RE: Jam and Jerusalem
From: GUEST,Shimrod
Date: 24 Nov 06 - 05:45 PM

A bit of a 'curates egg' really. It had its moments: Joanna Lumley on the bike in the lowest possible gear, the new-age fire twirling in the church and the guest speaker at the WI meeting talking about a typical day Lidl etc., etc.
The 'Independent' describes it as "dire"; I didn't think that it was that bad, but it was far too silly for its own good.

Subject: RE: Jam and Jerusalem
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 24 Nov 06 - 05:46 PM

Pretty good (even aside from the music, which was a splendid surprise). But it really needs to have another funeral in the next episode - this time for the Dawn French character. And I wouldn't miss the Jennifer Saunders character either. But they wrote it, so I suppose we're stuck with them.

It's really a hyped up version of Calendar Girls. I'm not complaining about that. Unless they start getting their kit off.

Subject: RE: Jam and Jerusalem
From: Geoff the Duck
Date: 24 Nov 06 - 05:56 PM

If they can kill off a character each show, we might be able to keep it going ubtil the jokes run out.
With J Saunders, I doubt they will last that long.
couldn't understand why Kate was the theme song, which would have suited a series set in Yorkshire, but seemed out of place with a "middle England" village setting.
Quack!
GtD.

Subject: RE: Jam and Jerusalem
From: greg stephens
Date: 24 Nov 06 - 06:04 PM

The Ray Davies version would have been more fitting, perhaps? Rusby's voice inhabits a rather precise mythical world which didn't seem to resonate with this bit of fantasy Mummersetshire: or not for me, at any rate.

Subject: RE: Jam and Jerusalem
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 24 Nov 06 - 06:09 PM

Always makes me happy to know that a TV critic doesn't like something I do. I don't trust anyone who makes a living commenting on the work someone else has done:-)

Subject: RE: Jam and Jerusalem
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 24 Nov 06 - 06:47 PM

The only critic I always enjoy is Nancy Banks-Smith - she always seems to find something to enjoy in anything she reviews, and, if it's something I've seen, more often than not it tends to be something I enjoyed in it too.

Subject: RE: Jam and Jerusalem
From: artbrooks
Date: 24 Nov 06 - 06:59 PM

Wonder how many decades it will take for BBC America to get it?

Subject: RE: Jam and Jerusalem
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 25 Nov 06 - 12:34 AM

Bugger, missed it.

Ho hum....

But fire twirling isn't exactly 'new age' - the Maoris and other Polynesian settlers have been doing it for centuries.

LTS

Subject: RE: Jam and Jerusalem
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 25 Nov 06 - 05:41 AM

Scots do it too
Giok

Subject: RE: Jam and Jerusalem
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 25 Nov 06 - 06:04 AM

But not in C of E churches during funerals.

Subject: RE: Jam and Jerusalem
From: Keith A of Hertford
Date: 25 Nov 06 - 07:14 AM

I liked the music.
Unlike callender girls, all WI members here were portrayed as morons.
C of E took a bashing too.
As Giok said, easy targets.
Dawn French did a similar thing last year set in Cornwall, which came across as sophisticated metropolitans taking the piss out of rural England.

Subject: RE: Jam and Jerusalem
From: GUEST,Lea
Date: 28 Nov 06 - 03:05 AM

Does anybody know if we non-UK people can listen to that new KR song on the 'net?

Subject: RE: Jam and Jerusalem
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 28 Nov 06 - 05:06 AM

Can't see one, Lea. Can't even find it on an album:-( I could record it to MP3 but it isn't the full song. Sure it will be released soon - Probably chart as well seeing as it is TV based. Keep looking either at Kate's site of for 'Music from the series'.

Cheers

DtG

Subject: RE: Jam and Jerusalem
From: Paul from Hull
Date: 28 Nov 06 - 05:11 AM

Missed this last week, & could have kicked myself, because the trailers looked good.

Somewhat mixed reviews here, though tending towards the non-positive, but I'll give it a go (providing I dont forget again!)

Subject: RE: Jam and Jerusalem
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 28 Nov 06 - 07:24 AM

First episodes of sit-coms always tend to over-egg the pudding - they try to introduce everyone and explain too much. Sort of jumping up and down saying "look at me, look at me".

I think this one will work out well if thay keep the Sue Johnston and Pauline McLynn characters (Sal and Tip) at the centre, and don't overdo the rather forced fun and games.

Subject: RE: Jam and Jerusalem
From: Bagpuss
Date: 28 Nov 06 - 09:55 AM

I think Dawn French must have some sort of dirt on Jennifer Saunders and blackmails her into giving her a part in the stuff she writes...

Subject: RE: Jam and Jerusalem
From: Big Phil
Date: 28 Nov 06 - 08:09 PM

Vicar of Dibly in disguise was my first thought.........

Subject: RE: Jam and Jerusalem
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 29 Nov 06 - 05:18 AM

I always did think of Dawn French as what our American friends call 'a one trick pony' or in her case, a Clydesdale!
G.

Subject: RE: Jam and Jerusalem
From: Mrs.Duck
Date: 29 Nov 06 - 01:44 PM

Did nothing for me. I like Dawn French in Vicar of Dibley but have never enjoyed anything involving Jennifer Saunders. I'll probably see how it continues as new series can take time to gel. Not a fan of kate Rusby either but thats another story.

Subject: RE: Jam and Jerusalem
From: billybob
Date: 30 Nov 06 - 09:11 AM

I laughed all the way through, mind you I think I have met some of the characters when doing talks for the local WI ! (Ok so they could not get Hannah Gorden!)

Subject: RE: Jam and Jerusalem
From: Ruth Archer
Date: 01 Dec 06 - 05:13 PM

Sounds like the KR band doing incidental music throughout, too - sure I heard Mr Cutting's melodeon at one point!

Subject: RE: Jam and Jerusalem
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 02 Dec 06 - 01:50 AM

Excellent incidental music, and Ruzzer does a cracking job of the ' Village Green Preservation Society '

eric

Subject: RE: Jam and Jerusalem
From: Paul from Hull
Date: 02 Dec 06 - 03:21 PM

Well, I watched last night, having missed the 1st one, & thought it was ok, but no better than ok.

With that cast & pedigree, I would initially have expected far better, but with what people were saying about the 1st episode, I then began to expect far worse.

There must have been a BIG dofference between last weeks, & last nights episodes for it to get 'slated' to the extent it was, here & elsewhere?

Subject: RE: Jam and Jerusalem
From: Geoff the Duck
Date: 02 Dec 06 - 05:46 PM

A heck of a lot of good actors wasted.
One problem is that there are so many on the cast and somebody has decided that if someone is present in a scene, they MUST be given a line. Trouble is that all the "lines" are just space fillers and not actually funny.
Quack!
GtD.

Subject: RE: Jam and Jerusalem
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 02 Dec 06 - 05:59 PM

Damn - Knew there was summat I wanted to watch last night! Anyone know if and when it is repeated?

DtG

Subject: RE: Jam and Jerusalem
From: Paul from Hull
Date: 02 Dec 06 - 06:04 PM

Tuesday night/Wednesday morning at 3.40am, Dave

Subject: RE: Jam and Jerusalem
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 03 Dec 06 - 02:48 PM

Thanks Paul - I'm not keen enough to stay up but I'll try and tape it.

Subject: RE: Jam and Jerusalem
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 03 Dec 06 - 07:00 PM

I'd expect subsequent episodes to be better than the opening one, because that's how it works generally in English sit-coms, they try to introduce everything in the first, and it's overcrowded.

Trouble is that all the "lines" are just space fillers and not actually funny. True, lines shouldn't just be space fillers - but God preserve us from shows that try to have funny lines as such, "jokes". The humour needs to arise out of the situations and the interplay between characters, and that's what the lines are mean to do. And that is the context in which lines that wouldn't be that funny become funny.
.......................

I see there are rumblings from the WI about Jam and Jerusalem:

WI group not amused by Jam and Jerusalem show

A new sitcom about a village guild of women who range from the comically deranged to the spectacularly stupid yesterday drew fire from the Avon Federation of Women's Institutes. Its secretary, Ros Knight, said Jennifer Saunders' BBC1 show Jam and Jerusalem, which features Dawn French, was in poor taste. "It plays to the worst side of people's nature and I don't like it at all. I'd like to see it taken off the air." The BBC stuck by the programme, saying it was intended as "an affectionate portrayal of the lives and relationships of the women that make up the group".

Actually I suspect that it's likely to do wonders to help the WI recruit new blood. Of course that might be what they are really worried about...

Subject: RE: Jam and Jerusalem
From: GUEST,Shimrod
Date: 04 Dec 06 - 05:12 AM

"A heck of a lot of good actors wasted."

Those of you who are as old as me may remember certain 'blockbuster' films of the 60s and 70s. These often had huge casts of stars, ie. David Niven and Peter Sellers and Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor and Alec Guiness and Peter O'Toole and ... well, you get the picture (no pun intended!). These films were usually dire and completely forgettable - which is probably why I can't remember the title of a single one!!

I'm afraid 'J & J' rather reminds me of those old films.

Subject: RE: Jam and Jerusalem
From: GUEST,Peter Ormrod
Date: 08 Dec 06 - 05:26 PM

The funniest series on television for ages. Don't know why women have the edge with comedy and especially with this unlikely subect: The WI of all settings but resulting inabsolutely hilarious stich-making scenes. THe death of the doctor and the prosthetic arm nearly made be pass out I laughed so much.

Subject: RE: Jam and Jerusalem
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 08 Dec 06 - 05:41 PM

Enjoyed tonight with the almost 'folky' beating the bounds theme. The vicar trying to dress for the occasion was so like some people I know it was amazing:-)

DtG

Subject: RE: Jam and Jerusalem
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 08 Dec 06 - 06:10 PM

BTW, Peter, you weren't the Peter Ormrod that worked for Oracle about 11-12 years ago were you? If so we met while you were working at Kemira.

DtG