Oh, My God, You're Thinking Very Deviously.
I'm not sure The Bubble, in which three guests are locked away from the world for several days and then presented with news stories that may or may not have genuinely occurred in their absence, would work were anyone other than David Mitchell presenting it. The guests are essentially talking about things about which they know nothing, which naturally imposes limitations on their discussions, but I sort of wanted to marry David Mitchell when it began and I desperately wanted to marry David Mitchell when it ended, so I certainly enjoyed it. (Of course, the guests' inability to talk at length on any one subject means that the host has to get involved a lot, which I selfishly appreciate.)
Also, Reginald D Hunter is very funny and Victoria Coren seems a pretty cool chapess, and their interactions were great ('I learnt how to play snooker!' 'No, you didn't'). One thing about the format that definitely works: as the panellists have been shut up together, they've had the opportunity to develop a relationship before being brought onto the show.
(FIC I WANT FOR NO GOOD REASON: Mitchell/Coren/Brooker. Oh, I don't know. They would make a delightfully intelligent and ranty threesome.)
The start was a bit uncertain, but I was laughing a lot by the end of the episode, and I'm looking forward very much to the next one! (If anyone missed it and wants to give it a look: it is on the iPlayer if you're in the UK and on YouTube (1, 2, 3) if you aren't.)
Here are some suggestions to improve the show:
- I wasn't sure about the question on the assassins. If The Bubble is going to bring in topics like murder, I think the circumstances should be particularly bizarre. I don't think murder is an invalid topic for humour, but I didn't think there was enough scope for humour in that particular story to justify its inclusion.
- At some point, one of the fake stories should be a tabloid going 'WE PEEKED THROUGH THE WINDOW OF THE BUBBLE AND WE THOUGHT IT LOOKED LIKE THE PANELLISTS WERE GETTING AWFULLY FRIENDLY', just for the guests' reactions.
- Charlie Brooker should definitely be on the panel at some point. I am obviously suggesting this purely because it would be interesting to see how a news critic judges whether stories are true or false and for no ulterior motives at all.
- On the week on which Charlie Brooker is on the show, one of the news stories (probably one of the fake ones, although I suppose one can't be certain) should be about a zombie outbreak during the guests' incarceration. I don't care if it's too implausible; it would be brilliant.
- In the same week, one of the guests should be a clone of David Mitchell.
Here are some completely unrelated videos:
Hooray, the 'My Shiny Teeth and Me' video from Fairly Odd Parents has turned up on YouTube! I love this stupid song. 'Why should I talk to you when I've got thirty-two?'
Also, Genevieve Cortese adorably informs us that she does not have Twitter. I cannot fathom the rudeness I've seen in some parts of the Supernatural fandom, because I have seen no indications that she is anything other than perfectly sweet. Awww.
Also, Reginald D Hunter is very funny and Victoria Coren seems a pretty cool chapess, and their interactions were great ('I learnt how to play snooker!' 'No, you didn't'). One thing about the format that definitely works: as the panellists have been shut up together, they've had the opportunity to develop a relationship before being brought onto the show.
(FIC I WANT FOR NO GOOD REASON: Mitchell/Coren/Brooker. Oh, I don't know. They would make a delightfully intelligent and ranty threesome.)
The start was a bit uncertain, but I was laughing a lot by the end of the episode, and I'm looking forward very much to the next one! (If anyone missed it and wants to give it a look: it is on the iPlayer if you're in the UK and on YouTube (1, 2, 3) if you aren't.)
Here are some suggestions to improve the show:
- I wasn't sure about the question on the assassins. If The Bubble is going to bring in topics like murder, I think the circumstances should be particularly bizarre. I don't think murder is an invalid topic for humour, but I didn't think there was enough scope for humour in that particular story to justify its inclusion.
- At some point, one of the fake stories should be a tabloid going 'WE PEEKED THROUGH THE WINDOW OF THE BUBBLE AND WE THOUGHT IT LOOKED LIKE THE PANELLISTS WERE GETTING AWFULLY FRIENDLY', just for the guests' reactions.
- Charlie Brooker should definitely be on the panel at some point. I am obviously suggesting this purely because it would be interesting to see how a news critic judges whether stories are true or false and for no ulterior motives at all.
- On the week on which Charlie Brooker is on the show, one of the news stories (probably one of the fake ones, although I suppose one can't be certain) should be about a zombie outbreak during the guests' incarceration. I don't care if it's too implausible; it would be brilliant.
- In the same week, one of the guests should be a clone of David Mitchell.
Here are some completely unrelated videos:
Hooray, the 'My Shiny Teeth and Me' video from Fairly Odd Parents has turned up on YouTube! I love this stupid song. 'Why should I talk to you when I've got thirty-two?'
Also, Genevieve Cortese adorably informs us that she does not have Twitter. I cannot fathom the rudeness I've seen in some parts of the Supernatural fandom, because I have seen no indications that she is anything other than perfectly sweet. Awww.