During the run up to Christmas (and don’t tell me you’re not already feeling that Christmas kick in the air…) I’m going to be taking a look at some recent and not so recent DVD releases to entice (or dissuade) your festive purchases (or rentals…). The Office: An American Workplace has been out on DVD for a while now but was recently rereleased in a nifty and affordable box set, containing seasons one, two, and three, which you can now pick up for under twenty quid (available from all good online retailers – you know the ones), so without further ado…

It was with much trepidation that I first started to watch the American remake of the British classic. I, like most of the nation, shed a tear when Dawn returned to give Tim that kiss and it scared the hell out of me that someone was going to mess with that perfect TV moment. The original 12 episodes (and those note-perfect Christmas specials) redefined British comedy and transformed Ricky Gervais (undeservedly?) into the worldwide star he is today (star of A Night At The Museum 2!).

In fact, the pilot for The Office: An American Workplace is simply a rehash of sight gags and dramatic pauses that worked far better in the dulcet British tones of the original performers. It’s not dreadful, but it’s not original, and that makes it redundant. Why watch a rehash of something you’ve seen done better before? However, as the course of the first season progresses, our protagonist Michael Scott (the versatile Steve Carell of Little Miss Sunshine and The 40 Year Old Virgin) becomes someone who we are able to sympathise with. He’s by no means a likeable guy but he gives the character a childlike innocence which makes him a little less grating than David Brent and gives the show the longevity it needs to sustain the 22 episode American format.

Once the teething problems are over, The Office becomes one of the finest American sitcoms, probably ever. I would argue that the writing on television is more interesting than anything on at the cinema right now. Television is no longer a throwaway medium. DVD and online on-demand programmes allow viewers to consume television in concentrated doses and also means that they never miss an episode. This allows for a far greater sense of continuity than older programmes that you could just dip in and out of. The Office benefits from the extended length and, whiles never falling into a Friends style descent into soap opera, it allows relationships to develop and change. Over the first three seasons we see a variety of romances between the characters and the dynamics are constantly evolving amongst the staff of Dunder Mifflin.

The Office’s greatest strength is in the development of the minor characters. In the English counterpart, they were just familiar faces but the American version casts fantastic character actors who are the true stars of the show. Against the drab setting of a paper company these characters seem larger than life but remain true to themselves and consistently funny. For example, Kelly (played by Mindy Kaling, a writer of the show) begins as a one-note Indian joke and is then given a relationship with office temp Ryan (B.J. Novak, another writer) and her character is revealed to be sweet yet obsessive and wholly naive. Kaling plays her as incredibly annoying yet incredibly vulnerable and consistently amusing. Similarly, the stern and uptight Angela (Angela Kinsey) starts off as a one-dimensional thorn in everyone’s side and is then given a softer side with the introduction of a surprise secret romance. My personal favourite character quickly became the ineffectual HR advisor, Toby (Paul Lieberstein), whose recent divorce has made him basically give up on life. He is the bane of Michael’s life and manages to do this without doing much at all. Lieberstein’s subtle and understated performance doesn’t go for the big laughs but manages to flesh out the character and make us feel for him. It is rare that a television show doesn’t feel overcrowded with more than about six major characters and The Office manages to juggle the lives of about twenty main characters. No easy feat.

The DVD features definitely give the viewer an appreciation into what makes this show work. It becomes clear from the commentaries that the makers cast established comics to take the most minor parts and the serialised format allow them to tweak things over time according to what works and what doesn’t. Like any good show, it learns from its mistakes and this is why it is such a slow burner. The show also employs some of the best directors working today including Buffy the Vampire Slayer creator Joss Whedon and Ghostbusting Egon Spengler himself, Harold Ramis. Ramis contributes to some audio commentaries and reveals he is as much of a fan of the show as anyone else. The audio commentaries span about 20 episodes throughout the second and third seasons and are almost as entertaining as the show themselves. Featuring most of the cast and behind the scenes personnel, they are an interesting insight into the making of the show, and also track the rising stardom of Steve Carell as different participants comment on his evolving superstar status.

All the episodes are all presented in anamorphic widescreen and almost all of them feature a wealth of deleted material which offers up material which is just as good as what ended up in the show. I would definitely recommend checking them out. The DVDs are rounded out with ‘made for Internet’ webisodes, trailers, bloopers, and an on-stage cast interview which runs for about 20 minutes. The 9 disc box set offers a wealth of bonus material for such an inexpensive set. The only downside to the box set is the box itself. It’s made of a flimsy cardboard and is a completely different size to any other DVDs. It also features no episode guides or booklets so good luck revisiting a specific episode without a little trial and error.

Whether as a gift or something to keep you entertained through the cold winter nights, I would highly recommend The Office: An American Workplace. It benefits from the DVD format in that you don’t have to wait too long to get through the shaky start and at under 20 minutes each, they are incredible… more-ish. The second and third seasons were undeniably the shows’ strongest so far and include such memorable material as Michael’s homocidal improv class, Dwight’s Macbeth style takeover of the office, and Pam and Jim’s first kiss. The episode plots are mostly throwaway but each has at least one or two genuine laughs which is rare for even the funniest of sitcoms. Forget the inherent baggage it carries from its English predecessor and just enjoy one of the greatest and consistently funny American comedies since Seinfeld. The only downside is that the UK are still yet to see a release of seasons four or five but sales of this box set might prompt someone to do something about it. Do yourself a favour and pick this one up.

Jennifer's Body

In 2008, an ex-stripper won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. She probably wasn’t the first ex-stripper to win an Oscar… but it was a bit of a change for the sometimes conservative Academy to award one if its prestigious gongs to a woman who wasn’t afraid to be provocative and whose name means Devil in Spanish.

If you’re lost as to who I’m talking about, it’s Diablo Cody. And the film she wrote was Juno – a sassy, funny, warm account of teenage pregnancy. It really was the screenplay that made the movie – Diablo’s idea of how (American) teenagers talk and act was probably not at all accurate, but, hey, it was witty to think that some of them do indeed talk on burger-shaped phones.

Diablo’s follow-up to Juno (but actually written at the same time as the former) is a different style of film altogether. Jennifer’s Body is part-horror, part-comedy, part-sexual fantasy, part-wha?!Starring Megan Fox and Amanda Seyfried as ironically stereotypical best friends (Megan is the sexy and vampish, Jennifer, whereas Amanda is the supposedly innocent and bespectacled, Needy), Jennifer’s Body tells the completely realistic story of the time when a local band, desperate for success, decide to make a pact with the Devil. In order to do this, they must sacrifice a virgin to Satan. Unfortunately for them, they pick on Jennifer…who is clearly not a virgin. And what happens when a non-virgin is sacrificed? According to Jennifer’s Body, they become possessed and must go around eating people in order to survive.

Thus begins a slew of deaths and some of the most annoying dialogue ever featured in a film. If Juno’s script was snappy and ironic, Jennifer’s Body’s just grates. Lines such as: ‘You give me such a wetty’ and ‘You are so lesbi-gay’ are, I’m sure you’ll agree, Pulitzer-prize winning material. Not that our annoyance stopped my friend, Maryam, and I from quoting the script for days after the screening. Because that’s the thing about the film: as much as it’s irritating, groan-inducing and ridiculous, I have to admit, it’s a bit of a guilty pleasure.

Megan Fox

The other elements of the film? Well, let’s see, erm…okay, Megan Fox looks smokin’ hot throughout. But that’s about it. Let’s be honest here, the girl can’t really act (although the bitch character really becomes her for some reason?). Amanda Seyfried fairs a little better as the geeky heroine of the film. Adam Brody (late of The OC) is clearly loving every second as the quick-witted lead singer of the Satan-worshipping rock group. And the boy certainly suits black eyeliner.

Underneath all the glossiness though, it’s a bit depressing that this film was female-scripted, female-directed with two female leads… and it’s actually quite inherently misogynist. Female characters are either highly sexualised maneaters (literally) or boring ‘Plain Janes.’ Oh and the two share a very forced semi-lesbian scene. Of course. Maybe that’s just the climate we live in nowadays, but do we women really hate our own gender that much? I’m sure that’s not what Diablo Cody was intending, but unfortunately that’s the impression it gives. And this is where my guilty pleasure starts to turn sour.

But I know you’re intelligent readers, so you’ll probably just take this film with a pinch of salt…

Kojo

If laughing grants you a longer life then be prepared to live for an eternity.

We’ve had the opportunity to sit down with one of UK comedy’s fastest rising stars Kojo the Comedian. He recently relocated to New York in a bid to gain global recognition with his comedy. But he’s now back on the British scene with a revamped monthly show, which is filmed for MTV Base. Here is what he had to say about his journey so far.

Muso’s Guide: You just re-launched your Sunday comedy show; what triggered the move from Cork’s to Sound Club in Leicester Square?

Kojo: Cork’s had served its purpose; we had hosted the show there on a weekly basis for five years and that’s a long time. Cork’s is an amazing establishment, but as the show grew, we gradually built into something else. Sound catered to what MTV needed, in terms of making a television show. But the show hasn’t lost its edge and I think it’s still raw, which is what I want on TV. We now include musical acts like Kano, showing that it’s not just about comedy. The formula is Nick Cannon’s Wild ‘n’ Out meets Def Comedy Jam.

MJ: So you’re celebrating your five year anniversary - how does that feel?

Kojo: That’s the only thing that makes me proud because it shows young black London, that there is an opportunity to do more things other than rapping. Even I used to MC when I was young due to my friends, and many of the young comedians we see today may have chosen that route themselves if it wasn’t for the Comedy Club. We’re five years deep and there is no black promotion in this country that has gone on for that long. That makes me proud.

MG: Why do you think your show has had such a successful run?

Kojo: Because I filled a gap. There was a need for laughter every week, especially with the world being the way it is and it changed a lot of lives. Veterans like comedian Slim have been doing this for years and its going to be nuts for him when this show finally airs on TV. It was important for me to bring him back because he was one of the people that started all of it.

MG: You have a successfully merged with MTV in a way; do you think that’s the future of UK comedy?

Kojo: It’s not the future but it’s definitely a steppingstone. Why have a great idea but not show it on TV, there’s no point of being a comedian and just sit at home. I can now get a booking from a comedy club in Aberdeen because of MTV Base filming my show The Fresh Prince of Hackney. People will call me from Scotland and tell me to come down and the club will be absolutely rammed!

Kojo: Who inspires you, are there any comedians that you would say influence you?

MG: I’m more influenced by business people rather than artists right now. I’m inspired by Russell Simmons every day, he’s my idol. I’m motivated by 50 Cent, I like his aggression and I like the flamboyance of P Diddy. So all three of these people become Kojo, bits and pieces of them. I think you need all of the characteristics mentioned to be successful and respected, you have to let people know when they’re taking the piss out of you, especially as a comedian.

MG: You’re a very funny guy, but you still manage to talk about the current and serious issues that affect the British youth. Do you think that’s why young people relate to you?

Kojo: I don’t try to be a comedian who over-thinks things. I talk about everyday situations like running for the bus and missing it or falling over in the street and styling it out. I am however getting more serious with my comedy now because I believe that I’m here for a reason. I don’t have to prove that I’m funny anymore since I could easily do a show with a 1000 people, which is why it’s now important for me to talk about things that hit the bone.

MG: You’re a frequent user of Facebook and Twitter, how important are these internet community sites to you and your work?

Kojo: I’m going to rinse those web sites until they ask me to pay! People always ask me why I have 5000 friends on Facebook because I surely don’t know all of them. But my point is that they know me. I’ve got people all the way in New Zeeland laughing at my statuses and the more people that know me, the more impact I can make. My status on Facebook usually says all kinds of things and people love it because somebody can always relate. The internet is really a good a market tool for what I do. I try to test it out as much as I can and I’m actually trying to formulate a talk show from it.

MG: Why did you decide to move to New York, have we lost you forever?

Kojo: No not all, I’m out there on an educational trip and everything I do over there is in aid of what I need to do here at home. I want to bring as much energy back to London because there are so many gaps to fill here. I went to New York for a couple of months and came back and revamped the show, which is now on MTV Base! That’s stemmed from me being around people like Nick Cannon and Russell Simmons. Imagine what I’m going to do when I meet Will Smith!

MG: Have you learned anything over there?

Kojo: I now know what hustle is and what it feels like to be broke and not have anything. People here in the UK complain about being broke and you still see them out raving in clubs. When you’re truly broke over there it’s real and I actually have a newfound respect for homeless people. Their hustle is the same as mine because I live in a world where I don’t have a 9-5, so I have to go out and look for work just like they have to look for food. I have to go and create that opportunity and you only know how that feels when you are in that position yourself.

MG: You were the first British comedian to be featured on a Def Comedy Jam tour, how did that collaboration with Russell Simmons emerge?

Kojo: That’s through to the internet and YouTube as well as working with Americans for a long time by bringing them down to Cork’s. We put up a clip from a show when we had Dave Chapelle come down onto YouTube and people went nuts. It had about 6 million hits! Gina Yashere was the first British person to do a Def Comedy Jam Show, but doing the tour was different because it was live and time consuming and I got to host it and work alongside Russell and Stan Lathan.

MG: I already knew most of the comedians from previous work, which made me feel right at home. The show we did in Brixton was by far the greatest show I’ve ever been on, I’ve never been a part of anything amazing like that in my life. It was really good to get that opportunity and build that network.

MG: You’re launching your DVD soon. Tell us about that?

Kojo: The DVD is called Live Your Life and it’s an insight to what I’m really about. It will show you what my projects are, what I do on a day to day basis and how I run my business. The grand finale is a performance and it was important for me that it was filmed at Cork’s, because that’s where it all started. Live Your Life is actually a compilation and I’m featured on the first DVD, we then go on to follow a different comedian on volume two.

MG: It seems like you’ve done everything now, what can we expect from you in the future? A fragrance, a clothing line?

Kojo: (Laughs) Yeah, get my new cologne. I actually just did an audition in the states for Martin Lawrence. It’s a stand-up comedy show which will air on TV, and I got the role so stay tuned for that! I’m trying hard at building a brand and one thing I know is that if you’re successful at what you love then you can do whatever you like in life.

You can catch Kojo’s Comedy Funhouse every month and the show is filmed and broadcasted by MTV Base. For more info visit the following site: www.kojotv.com

Magners Best Of The Fest

March 12th, 2009

I certainly had my eyes opened tonight. Up until now I’ve only thought of Fred MacAulay, on compere duty here at the Glasgow Magners Comedy Festival, as Ken Bruce-in-waiting, being carefully groomed at BBC Scotland to eventually occupy the elder broadcaster’s seat at Radio 2.

After his initial introductory stint, though, I’ll never be able to look at Donald Duck or Porky Pig in the same light again. Revelation number two came when he swore. It was like witnessing a Blue Peter presenter do the same. Fair play as he had the audience in stitches, roasted a few members to varying degrees (as ever some were comedic gifts from God – such as the girl who attempted to obscure the fact that she was from Grantham, cue a bout of Thatcher-bashing, and the lass who confused Kilkenny with Letterkenny) and managed to let off the steam that he can’t get rid of through his day job. Plus anyone that rips into Bono gets top marks in my book.

The first act on was Mark Nelson, of Glasgow by way of Dumfries. Totally unknown to me but definitely a good start to proceedings. Wandering on-stage looking as if he’d slept in his suit, he raised a lot of laughs with his drolly delivered set of equal parts deviant behaviour (jokes about rather than actions - let me be clear) and life lessons. Clearly a man with an eye for the ironic side of human existence.

Second on the bill was another new name to me – Eleanor Tiernan. A rather nervy girl but funny nonetheless, with a good line in subtly delivered secondary punchlines. It’s been quite a while since I’ve seen a comic do so many Irish jokes but as she’s a native its obviously the bedrock of her set. Her closing wheelchair anecdote was a little weak.

The last act I managed to see (due to a lack of buses heading east after midnight I was forced to skedaddle before Reginald D. Hunter came on, a real shame seeing as he’s clearly well at the top of his game) was Des Clarke, the token Weegie, as he himself said. I pretty much knew what to expect from him and, other than a more adult countenance than the last time I saw him perform, he delivered in spades. Quick-fire repartee with bold jokes and a decidedly subversive line in bizarre impersonations. A treat every time.

Russel Peters - Red, White and Brown

As a general rule, DVDs of stand-up comedy aren’t nearly as funny as the live show. The atmosphere isn’t the same in a living room as it is in a packed out club or venue, be it the Comedy Store in London, or New York’s Madison Square Garden, the latter theatre being the setting for Russell Peters’ new DVD, Red, White and Brown, filmed last February to a full house.

Now close to 20 years on the comedy circuit, the Indo-Canadian comic has only recently broken through and become recognised (sporadically) around the world. His first major showcase came on Canada’s Comedy Now, and paved Peters’ route to fame, albeit through illegal downloads and word of mouth.

His comedy crafted out of impersonation, racial observations and his youth, Russell has gained a sizeable UK and North American fanbase, supported by his sold-out night at London’s O2 and sell-out dates through India, Dubai and Canada. His shows have become characterised largely by his mockery of Asian cultures and disregard for most social taboos, and there’s little change in his second DVD outing.

He kicks off almost immediately into his hallmarked impression of Oriental people and their supposed obsession with Dance Dance Revolution. Mixing personal experience with unashamed political incorrectness, Peters delivers laughs even from the people he’s mocking.

And that’s pretty much the same line he runs throughout the show. Indians bellow laughter after repeatedly being called cheap – an example of one of the running gags Peters uses in all his shows. It is at this point where any fan of his would realise that there’s not going to be anything particularly new in his routine. The same subjects from his Comedy Now breakthrough are regurgitated here, just a few jokes updated and changed, with very few new matters dealt with. Case in point being the new material regarding his visit to the Middle East, which, though still funny, doesn’t move away enough from his older stuff.

However, this is all said from a person experienced in his comedic stylings. Anyone new to Russell will find plenty to laugh about. Despite the aforementioned problems, he still is unique in his ability to provide colour commentary (metaphorically and literally) with almost any subject unspeakable in normal conversation. Even with his mother in the audience, he ventures into yarns about his sexual misadventures, his fear of deaf people and lack of Indian culture, not to mention more serious topics of media influence and body image.

Red, White and Brown delivers a complete snapshot of Russell Peters’ stand up capability. The special features are just as much value as the feature itself, with a documentary clip on Peters, deleted scenes, bootleg show tapings and snippets from his show onboard the USS Eisenhower. A brilliant orator with wit and a keen social eye, Peters gives the audience what they’re looking for in him, but those new to him should not expect much variation anytime soon.

Frank Skinner

Midlands funnyman Frank Skinner has announced details of a bargainous run of stand-up shows in London’s West End – at a tenner a ticket.

The Credit Crunch Cabaret shows are happening every Monday from February 9th to March 9th 2009 at the Lyric Theatre on Shaftesbury Avenue. The reduced price of £10 per ticket is possible thanks to the performers slashing their usual rates and passing on the savings to fans.

Other comedians confirmed include Russell Howard, Dave Gorman, Al Murray and Richard Herring, as well as Tara Palmer-Tomkinson and Lightning Seeds singer, Ian Broudie.

Speaking about the anti-recession gigs, Skinner said: “Comedy is the best way to forget what’s going on in these dark, depressing days, but it costs about £30 to watch a big name in the famous venues so I’ll do it at an affordable price. Hopefully it will spread to other cities.”

The exact line-ups for each gig have not yet been confirmed, but tickets are on sale on Monday.

Andy Parsons

One of Mock The Week‘s key comedians, Andy Parsons, is to embark on a mammoth three-month tour of the UK.

The bald-headed funnyman pits his wits against other popular comedians such as Russell Howard and Michael McIntyre on the BBC’s top satire show Mock The Week. He has also starred in BBC1′s recent Live At The Apollo, as well as Stephen Fry’s QI, and Parsons’ acerbic wit is proving to be as popular as the wares of his Mock The Week colleagues.

His new stand-up show is entitled CITIZENS! and in it he considers how we might make the world a better place… if only we could be arsed.

Catch Andy Parsons live at the following venues:

JANUARY

Fri 30 Jan DIDCOT, Cornerstone Arts Centre

FEBRUARY

Fri 6 Feb FARNHAM, Maltings

Sat 7 – Sun 8 NORWICH, Playhouse

Fri 13 Feb LEICESTER, Curve Theatre

Sat 14 Feb BLACKHEATH, Blackheath Halls

Sun 15 Feb NOTTINGHAM, Playhouse

Sat 21 Feb MIDDLESBROUGH, Town Hall

Sun 22 Feb NEWCASTLE, Tyne Theatre

Wed 25 Feb ABERYSTWYTH, Arts Centre

MARCH

Sun 1 Mar BUXTON, Opera House

Fri 6 Mar CHATHAM, Central Theatre

Sun 8 Mar SALFORD, The Lowry

Fri 13 – Sat 14 GLASGOW, Garage

Sun 15 Mar COVENTRY, Warwick Arts Centre

Fri 20 Mar SALISBURY, City Hall

Sat 21 Mar SOUTHEND, Palace Theatre

Sun 22 Mar SALFORD, The Lowry

Wed 25 Mar MILTON KEYNES, The Stables

Thu 26 Mar BARNSTAPLE, Queens Theatre

APRIL

Wed 1 Apr YEOVIL, Octagon

Thu 2 Apr CHELTENHAM, Town Hall

Sun 5 Apr SHREWSBURY, Theatre Severn

Wed 8 Apr  DORKING, Dorking Halls

Fri 17 Apr KINGS LYNN, Corn Exchange

Sat 18 Apr NORTHALLERTON, Hambleton Forum

Sun 19 Apr  LINCOLN, The Engine Shed

Fri 24 Apr WESTON SUPER MARE, Playhouse

Sat 25 Apr BASINGSTOKE, Anvil

Sun 26 Apr BOURNEMOUTH, Opera House

Wed 29 Apr IPSWICH, Corn Exchange

Thu 30th Apr HODDESDON, Broxbourne Civic Hall

MAY

Sun 3 May WOLVERHAMPTON, Wulfrun Hall

Thu 7 May LIVERPOOL, Philharmonic

Fri 8 May BARROW IN FURNESS, Forum Twenty Eight

Sun 10 May EPSOM, Playhouse

As always, you can purchase your tickets from your favourite music, comedy and film website by clicking here.

Ed Byrne

Muso’s Guide favourite, Ed Byrne, has announced plans for a mega UK tour in spring next year.

Byrne has added a further 60 dates to perform his current hit show, Different Class, a namesake of Pulp’s biggest-selling albums.

We loved him at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in the summer – read our thoughts here.

Tickets for the tour, which covers the length and breadth of our fair isle, are available through us by clicking here.

Exciting news for fans of the television series Arrested Development as the much speculated film of the show appears to be closer to reality. On Friday many, many entertainment news sites reported that a deal for a movie has been done.

AD creator Mitchell Hurwitz is set to write and direct with Ron Howard exec producing and providing his familiar voice-over.

Jeffrey Tambor says in this interview “We’re doing it.”

One curious sticking point is the report that one of the original cast members has not signed on for the film. The rumours are that the lone hold-out is Michael Cera who played George Michael on the show.

This seems to be based on this interview with him where he stated he saw no need for an AD movie.

In the meantime Mitchell Hurwitz is currently exec producing an animated series which has the working title of  “Sit Down, Shut Up”. The show focuses on ‘the lives of eight staff members at a high school in a small northeastern fishing town who never lose sight of the fact that the children must ALWAYS come second.’

The show features the voice talents of several Arrested Development stars such as Will Arnett, Jason Bateman and Henry Winkler.

Scheduled to appear on Fox in the US next year it is based on a short lived live-action Australian series from 2001.

“For 3 years you YouTubers have been ripping us off, taking tens of thousands of our videos and putting them up on YouTube.” So begins the introduction to Monty Python’s own YouTube channel.

They promise high quality versions of the clips that have been going up in ‘crappy’ quality for years. All they ask in return is that you buy a few of their DVDs from time to time.

See the introductory clip here. The channel, which at the moment mainly houses clips from the films, can be found by clicking here.