lowculture.co.uk

Tuesday, October 02, 2007

There's nowt so queer as folk (music)

COMEDY! Flight of the Conchords/Charlie Brooker's Screenwipe, BBC4, from 9.30pm

Tuesday is at risk of becoming our absolute stay-at-home, don't-answer-the-phone television treat night. Or it would, if we hadn't just ruined that by signing up for an evening class. But since you don't really need to know about our daily schedule (and if we explained it in too much detail some internet shyster might try to rob us when they know we're going to be out), we'll get to the point, since Tuesday night now means two things: Flight of the Conchords and Charlie Brooker's Screenwipe directly afterwards. Both series started last week, and perhaps we should have warned you about them then, but now having seen an episode of each, we just feel more informed of their brilliance.

Flight of the Conchords, for the unfamiliar, follows the eponymous duo, billed as "formerly New Zealand's fourth most popular guitar-based digi-bongo acapella-rap-funk-comedy folk duo", as they attempt to make a (slightly shorter) name for themselves in New York. Hampered by their manager-slash-New Zealand Deputy Cultural Attaché Murray, who last week memorably attempted to film their new video on his mobile phone, and in possession of a fanbase of exactly one, they have their work cut out. There are some nice moments of the standard sitcom variety, but the real kick lies in the songs. Last week Bret and Jemaine duetted on the heartfelt ballad 'I'm Not Crying' when Bret's former girlfriend Sally broke up with Jemaine, including memorable lyrics such as "these aren't tears of sadness because you're leaving me / I've just been cutting onions / I'm making a lasagna / For one" and "I'm not upset because you left me this way / My eyes are just a little sweaty today".

Following that, the man who needs no introduction (though we'll give him one anyway), the wondrous Mr Charlie Brooker, patron saint of all those who yell angrily at their televisions. (We must invite him around to watch Hollyoaks with us.) Last week's show featured an analysis of the current crisis of trust in TV, and how even old favourites such as Cash in the Attic are LYING TO US. We especially liked it when he used The X Factor as an extended example, because it was almost like looking into our own heads. We don't know what he'll be getting riled up about this week, but whatever it is, we'll almost certainly be in stitches. So there you have it: the best hour of television this week, for our money.