Thank god you'r here, American version really that bad

[sloppybunny]

This show was created by a group of Australians and bought by the US, and a bunch of other countries.

Have you guys seen the other versions? I dunno if there's a british version.

I've seen a couple of Australian episodes and I didn't like them that much (Didn't hate them either), but I thought the concept with the right people could be really amazing.

Still on the Australian version the guests don't get corrected and don't make the jarring improv mistakes I heard from the American version.

Anybody a fan of this? Americans or Australians? I think the judge is a waste of time, just having a host is enough.

And TRS guys ;) Keep your TV reviews this length. I really thought the Battlestar review went for too long as I don't watch it, and it's not on TV here anymore.

[magunwarrior]

I watched the first episode, Didn't really dig it all that much, I prefer Whose line is it Anyway?

[divadawg9234]

I watched on segment and had the same thought as Jeff (..."you are not allowed to say no!!!!") and then changed the channel.

[sparks]

I watched the first episode, Didn't really dig it all that much, I prefer Whose line is it Anyway?

Ditto, I'd rather watch Whose Line over TGYH

honestly, doesn't scripting kind of defeat the whole point of it?

[russell1740]

I have not watched Thank god you're here. But I do have to say that some of the funniest moments in improv have happened on Whose Line is it Anyway. (My favorite being when Robin Williams was on the show)

[gm_wil]

Had high hopes for the show . . . but seeing an actor try and be told "you're wrong" is like kicking them in the crotch.

And having a judge? wtf?

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[comhcinc]

Thank God You're Here = Vegamite

[magunwarrior]

It's on again tonight for some reason with a new episode.

[tink2112]

Thank God You're Here = Vegamite

vegamite is quite popular in australia. just like the original version of this show. maybe is only works south of the equator?

[comhcinc]

also but are closely associated with crap here

[sloppybunny]

Beside the pointless judge and the 'Thank god you're here' line the Aussie version is different. For starters, beside the initial setup and a few thrown in situations it is all improv.

Oh, and I do like 'who's line is it anyway' a lot better. I actually preffered the American version over the british :(

I just don't like some of the comedians/ actors they have on the Australian version. When they get good actors/comedians in, it's quite good. Just most suck. I thought America has a bigger comedian pull, but if they correct the guest, then somebody messed up the concept.

[sloppybunny]

vegamite is quite popular in australia. just like the original version of this show. maybe is only works south of the equator?


I don't like vegemite or cricket. I'm not really that Australian though ;) Besides some sketch comedies from the 90s I don't find Australian TV shows anygood. Especially our soapies.

I just think somebody is messing with the concept on your shores, and as I find the concept sound. You guys don't think so? I mean if they actually improved would you guys like it?

[kwok_talk]

I just watched the show and was underwhelmed. The concept of the show is nice, but the celebs just don't seem that great at improv. Man, Dave Foley has aged..

("Whose line" is great)

[sparks]

Watching the episode that was on tonight, I don't recall every laughing, and even the audiences laughter seemed forced.

Thank God this show is going to be canceled

[troy_huch]

I just did a look up for clips of the US Thank God You're Here, and I have to say, it looks like you guys really got some shit people working on your versions of the show. Here's where I feel things have gone wrong though:

1. While the Australian version got together proper comedians and people you are more prepared to do improv than an you're average TV celeb (well except for that one time we let one of The Wiggle be on an episode, possible to try and help get the show sold overseas), the US version seem to have just picked up whoever they can get. Result being that the show becomes dependent on its regular cast to get out the jokes than the celebs who are meant to be bring most of the humour.

2. American television execs don't get improv, particularly NBC execs, which is odd considering NBC does Saturday Night Live. Saturday Night Live, while has had its good skits and stuff, to me it really should look at changing itself to "The Saturday Night Skit Show", because the show over the year has become some dependent on cue cards and stuff, that should anyone deviate from the script or do something different then that person is then at risk of being band for life from the show for doing that. Why?, because the exec behind the show don't like improv, but that for me raises the question, why do it live (well recorded live) if it's going to be so tied down what people can and cannot do. And here we have, probably some of the same people trying to do a improv show, and giving tight directions on how the improv acts can be done.

So that's my view of why Thank God You're Here US possible stinks, but if you want more to go by, I've done a search of YouTube of video from both the US and Aus versions of the show to compare (both to my knowledge are legit):

Aus Version: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3eIVJR9Ga9M
US Version: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIucjQLuGOk

To me, the Aus Version is the best, but I'm Australian, so I'm probably going to be a bit bias in that sense.

[sloppybunny]

I wouldn't say the Australian version is comedy gold either. Since over the two seasons a lot of the special guests are basically regulars. It would be good if they got either more guest through just PR promoting celebs from overseas, or better yet, show more exposure to local comedians. I mean some guests have been on 5 or 6 times allready. Aren't they just showing reruns now? I'm guessing a lot of people aren't up for it. Has Jimeoin been on it yet? I know his sidekick from his old show has and so has Habib from Pizza (I was dissapointed).

I think it's a nice concept and since America has more celebrities and comedians then Australia then the actual possibilities could have been better.

The judge shits me. The concept more then the actual judge. Just keep a host.

I'm going to have a look, but I think you can also download some of the Aussie sketches through iTunes as free podcasts ;)

I seen the guys have an interview with Dave and Kim about the overseas versions of Thank God you here. Apparantly the Danish version is doing the best, and even they found it funny without understanding the words :?

[tokenuser]

vegamite is quite popular in australia. just like the original version of this show. maybe is only works south of the equator?While I am sitting here, wearing my Australian Cricket shirt, I got to wondering "what is this Vegamite" you are talking about?

Is this something like Vitameatavegemin?? or is it Vegemite (http://www.vegemite.com.au/) ... an essential part of the Australian diet, and a great replacement for axle grease.

Back to the OP ...

I watched an episode last last and was underwhelmed. Australia has a long history of good imporv comdey and sketch comedy shows - especially on the ABC (Australian Broadcasting Commission - not to be confused with Disney TV).

The pick of them was "Theatre Sports" (one season - late 80's). Improv comedy at its finest.

The comedians make the difference - they need to be quick on their feet, and not monologers.

[gm_wil]

tom green is the worst one by far . . . it was painful to see him flounder around resorting to breaking things instead of thinking of witty things to say . . . there was a moment the camera turned to dave foley and he was wincing and shaking his head like he was thinking "don't do that, too far, just stop now" . . .

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[sloppybunny]

tom green is the worst one by far . . . it was painful to see him flounder around resorting to breaking things instead of thinking of witty things to say . . . there was a moment the camera turned to dave foley and he was wincing and shaking his head like he was thinking "don't do that, too far, just stop now" . . .

-


Did you really expect Tom Green to come up with dialog? Seriously? That's exactly what I would expect him to do.

Tokenuser, I knew a couple of guys from theatre sports. Doug Bayne and Trudy Cooper. Do you know them? THey did a relatively popular aussie comic called Platinum Grit. Doug also did an ABC show recently called "Double the fist".

Thank God you're here is a working Dog production which did ABC hits like Frontline and The Lateshow.

I saw the youtube clips. I was expecting the American version to a be a total carcrash, but it wasn't IMO. It seemed slightly less funny then the Australian version, but not that much.

[tokenuser]

Tokenuser, I knew a couple of guys from theatre sports. Doug Bayne and Trudy Cooper. Do you know them? THey did a relatively popular aussie comic called Platinum Grit. Doug also did an ABC show recently called "Double the fist".I know of them, but don't know them poersonally :)

Thank God you're here is a working Dog production which did ABC hits like Frontline and The Lateshow.Frontline was great, as was The Lateshow. Anything coming out of the D-Generation alumni is great sketch comedy.

[sloppybunny]

I know of them, but don't know them poersonally :)

Frontline was great, as was The Lateshow. Anything coming out of the D-Generation alumni is great sketch comedy.

Well Thank God you're here is from them :) So you owe it to yourself to order the first season DVD ;) Ofcourse the aussie version.

I was a Fast Forward fan from those days, and I was only here for a year to learn English, and I missed a lot of those shows while I was in Hungary.

Do you still catch up on Aussie TV while you're in the sates? I don't think you would miss out on much though, Although Wilfred looks like something Fresh. You might hear of it soon, as it's quite well received sitcom.

[tokenuser]

Do you still catch up on Aussie TV while you're in the sates? I don't think you would miss out on much though, Although Wilfred looks like something Fresh. You might hear of it soon, as it's quite well received sitcom.Very little Aussie TV makes it to the US. "Kath & Kim" is on cable, "The Secret Life of Us" was around for awhile (on cable), "McLeod's Daughters" (on cable). No comedy or dramas on the networks though. I enjoyed Stingers when I was home, a cop drama unlike anything done over here ... but for the most part Aussie comedy and drama wouldn't be understood. Hell, they originally overdubbed Mad Max because of the accents, and "The Castle" was overdubbed to mention US brands.

Aussie movies are generally well received on the indie circuit, though they don't seem to get much time in mainstream theatres.

Films like "The Big Steal (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0099138/)", "The Sum of Us (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0111309/)" or "Proof (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0102721/)" (sorry - I know, they both have Crowe) ... or "Malcolm (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091464/)"? There is more to Aussie cinema and TV than what people unfortunately see over here :(

[sloppybunny]

Very little Aussie TV makes it to the US. "Kath & Kim" is on cable, "The Secret Life of Us" was around for awhile (on cable), "McLeod's Daughters" (on cable). No comedy or dramas on the networks though. I enjoyed Stingers when I was home, a cop drama unlike anything done over here ... but for the most part Aussie comedy and drama wouldn't be understood. Hell, they originally overdubbed Mad Max because of the accents, and "The Castle" was overdubbed to mention US brands.

Aussie movies are generally well received on the indie circuit, though they don't seem to get much time in mainstream theatres.

Films like "The Big Steal (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0099138/)", "The Sum of Us (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0111309/)" or "Proof (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0102721/)" (sorry - I know, they both have Crowe) ... or "Malcolm (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091464/)"? There is more to Aussie cinema and TV than what people unfortunately see over here :(

http://www21.sbs.com.au/wilfred/ This is probably the cleverest show I've seen coming from here in a while. :) It's a former tropfest winner.

How sacriligous, how can you dub the 'Castle'. That's like Australia dubbing 'Harold and Kumar go to Red Rooster'. So you get all the shows I don't like. Mind you they are the better produced shows, and Kath and Kim are VERY popular here and apparantly England. I personally don't get it :?

I don't know if you were here when they played it, but I am a bit embarrased to say I liked watching Pizza. That was a weird format for a sitcom, surprised it hasn't been picked up or nicked yet by anyone.

[tokenuser]

I've been gone for almost 10 years.

I am of the "Acropolis Now" generation - which I doubt could never be made again thanks to the politcal correctness police. My first taste of Kath & Kim was on a Qantas flight home last year. I guess it might be considered a taste of Australian urban culture. The TV shows I mentioned are probably just marketable and have a universal blandness that appeals to TV execs.

I just wish that they would pick up shows like Enough Rope or The Panel over here. Intelligent commentary/interviews with comedic undertones. "The Daily Show" and "The Colbert Report" on Comedy Central get close - so there is a market for it.

[sloppybunny]

I prefered Denton's old show on Channel 7 to enough rope. The panel is pretty good, they just have to dump Kate Lanebrook or whatever her name is. She irks me and is really stupid, as most of her opinion seems to be pretty unfounded.

I don't think these shows would sell well overseas as they are too Australian. The Panel is very referential I think. Denton's gone all pretentious a bit. His old ABC show from the early 90s I only seen a few clips of seemed a lot more insightful and clever.

If You liked acropolis now (I did even if Wogboy was a bad movie), Pizza is basically a crass version of that humour. A bunch of wogs doing stuff. Except although it is a sitcom, they sometimes squeeze in an interview into the show. It's a bit leftfield as there's a somowhat storyline, and they write it around the interview. Like when sexpo was on they interviewed a bunch of pornstars, and then they had a plotline around it how they were trying to find this guy a girlfriend. You'll either love or hate the 'Westie' accent. Are they westies in melbourne too or just 'Wogs'?

[modestjesse]

Shannon Elizabeth was pretty funny last night. That banana skit was unexpected.

[gm_wil]

Shannon Elizabeth was pretty funny last night. That banana skit was unexpected.

Yeah, I about shit when she bent down and you could see her open her throat when she started mouthing it . . . but then changed her mind and bit it off instead. When the make-out sessions started I think everyone had given up by then. When George kissed the viking king, I laughed my ass off.

Shannon was spunky!

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[knight42]

...I've been, eh, on the show. Buuuuuut, every once in awhile, we get a good performance.

Harland Williams did a great job.

Chelsea Handler did a pretty good job too.

Joel McHale did a decent job.

George Takei had one of the best lines when he burst in the room and said "Thank God I'm Here" which I got a good laugh out of.

And it looks like the show has been moved to Wednesdays (hence the extra episode this week).

Oh, and has Tom Green EVER in his LIFE been funny??

Knight42

[modestjesse]

Tom Green is funny if you like that style of comedy. He was typical Tom Green last night. Breaking the glass was good.

And I agree about Takei, but after that he kind of went down hill. I think the best so far was what's his name, the 7 second abs guy from Something About Mary. He controlled the skit when he went in and that made it funny.

[poltah]

We got the show where I live (In Denmark) a year or so ago, and it seems like they're making the same mistake in the US as they did hear. They rely too much on the regular cast, than on the celebs they bring in. The celebs are supposed to be the ones that makes the story with what they do and say, instead of just being guided into some prewritten story.

It's not very could, but I think it could have been.

Really, Whose Line is it Anyway is so much better. Just go and by that on DvD instead of watching Thank God You're Here.