This would be worth pretending to be an artist for.
Better than pretending to be a comedian perhaps? I don't know, this has got me puzzled. Some comedy sketch programs that relied on parody for their chuckles have been given short lifespans despite being as funny as hell. Yet Skithouse is a bit of a hit. Leastways it's still on.
I'll give you just the opening paragraph from an article in last weeks TV liftout:
Last Laugh
There's little time for comic relief among the writers of Skithouse, reports Paul Kalina.
When 20 or so of Australia's most successful comedy performers and writers gather at the production office of Ten's 30-minute sketch comedy Skithouse every Tuesday, the idea of having a good time is far from their minds. By 9.30am, the officers are buzzing with hyperactivity. Writers are begging one another to read their scripts; others nervously prevaricate over last-minute changes.
"It's a funny time," says head writer Paul Calleja. "If you were just standing here watching it, you might even think it's a lot of fun."
All of which is news to me, and would no doubt be to my son, who is fifteen, as we sat and watched the show once and counted how many of the sketches were weak to insubstantial to downright nonsensical. The show is put to air by Rove Productions and really, as far as sketch comedy goes, all I can say is "What the...?"
The Australian fast bowler idea is a very simple one and designed for easy repeat laughs. But I'd prefer a chortle at the Lilleean figure getting a cat down out of a tree his way than any of the other series of non sequitirs and comedic misfires.
Posted by berko_wills
at 10:43 PM EADT
Updated: Saturday, 1 May 2004 6:04 AM NZT