14 replies to this topic

[AtlanticVamp]

I didn't see a thread for this, so here goes.

I really was looking forward to Brand X when it first came out, having seen Ponderland, The Russell Brand Show, RE: Brand, and his other appearances on British TV on YouTube. However, the first season was deeply political, and a little frustrating to watch, mostly because he insisted on having his fact-checker, Matt, on the stage. Matt was mostly there to feed a factoid in, and be promptly either ignored or talked over by Brand. Also, the live studio audience was there for the same reason.

Having seen the new season, however, it seems like they've changed the format slightly. He had Ryan Hurst, "Opie" from Sons of Anarchy, on the show, and he seemed to be a welcome distraction for Russell. It gave the show a focus for a while, and it seemed more like a late night talk show. I hope that Russell can continue to focus, and maybe he might keep this show.

[braggtastic]

I didn't like the changes. Putting in a desk and trying to be more like a conventional talk show didn't work for me. Also, how long ago was it recorded? I think he mentioned the replacement refs at one point towards the beginning. Talk shows can't sit on the shelf that long before airing.

[AtlanticVamp]

YMMV, but the previous formula of letting Russell go didn't work very well, either. He just seemed like a bad child at play.

[ratgirlagogo]

I didn't like this initially but oddly it's a stronger show now that it's an hour. The segments with the various hatemongers have been fucking brilliant. I've seen those tools from Westboro Baptist (the God Hates Fags people) on TV many times and this is the first time I saw them rhetorically outmaneuvered. Russell mocked them in such a bubbly, friendly way that they were completely thrown off balance and ended up walking off the show befuddled. Same thing with the white separatist guy this past week.
Strangely (or perhaps not) he seemed to be having a much harder time interacting in a comfortable way with Sarah Silverman.

Edited by ratgirlagogo, Dec 7, 2012 @ 3:13 PM.

[braggtastic]

Sarah likes to think she says outrageous things, but when it comes to her sex life, she seemed very conventional and not at all interested in Brand's proclivities and kinks. He seemed to want to discuss why the two of them haven't slept together above any other topic. I think Sara is used to being the wild one in a conversation & didn't quite know how to play it with Brand. I did like when she talked about not understanding half his voice mail messages. I don't have a problem understanding him, but he does speak rapidly, and I imagine voicemail from a cell in a club or somewhere else noisy would make comprehension more difficult.

[Dancin Queen]

Brand creeps me out, especially when he gets right up into (or should I say onto) someone's face.

[AtlanticVamp]

I didn't like this initially but oddly it's a stronger show now that it's an hour. The segments with the various hatemongers have been fucking brilliant. I've seen those tools from Westboro Baptist (the God Hates Fags people) on TV many times and this is the first time I saw them rhetorically outmaneuvered. Russell mocked them in such a bubbly, friendly way that they were completely thrown off balance and ended up walking off the show befuddled. Same thing with the white separatist guy this past week.

I agree. Russell is a mostly get-along guy, so I'm sure it's his own way of trying to get them to gently see the error of their ways, rather than just "YOU ASSHOLES!" The Westboro segment was entertaining in ways I wasn't previously able to imagine.

[braggtastic]

Relaunched again as a LIVE show. He was really making the rounds pushing the show and the live element. I do like when the show is taped the same day, but I don't really think the live element is going to make that much difference, except take up about 8 minutes of airtime each week if he continues to talk about it like he did this time.

Has Steve Jones lived in LA as long as he lived in London at this point? Craig Ferguson treats him with a lot of reverance too. I imagine young UK performers meeting him and paying homage on a regular basis. Noel Fielding is a truly unique voice - I loved that crazy show Mighty Boosh when I saw it. I don't think the yogi bit was successful, but props to Brand for trying something that obviously means something to him.

I would like him to calm down just a bit and have more of his yogi persona, but I'm guessing that won't happen.

[AtlanticVamp]

Watched the hour-long, live, Brand X and it seems a little better than before. AnTony (because the "H" is silent) Anderson seemed to be able to go with Russell's flow and help Russell make it a good interview. I'm a Brand fan, but much like Robin Williams, he has a little trouble breaking character when he gets wound up.

Noel Fielding made lots of appearances with Russell in England, both live and on television, and they work well together. I wonder if FX might bring on Noel as a sort of Ed McMahon/Andy Richter for Russell, to help keep things directed.

But the 'baby, let's wait' robot could have stayed out of the show. It was just annoying, and apparently no one knew how to deal with it. I believe the lady in the audience who ended up with 'baby, let's wait' purposely took out the batteries, for which I can't blame her.

[ratgirlagogo]

I decided I would wait on commenting on this new live version of the show until it had a few episodes to re-find its feet. And now that it has - I pretty much hate it. The emphasis on spontaneous suggestions from the studio audience and from tweets, etc. just prove what we already knew - most people aren't anywhere near funny or smart enough to be television writers. This is the kind of show people do who aren't actually funny and need to depend on some heavily amped-up presentation of "immediacy." Russell is not one of these people - so why is he doing this kind of show? Russell's previous show had actually become not just watchable , but something I looked forward to watching. Now I think I may give up on it. The whole thing with butchering that poor Estonian woman's hair was the kind of thing Tyra would have done - stupid, sadistic, and not really that funny or entertaining. Just lazy.

Edited by ratgirlagogo, Mar 1, 2013 @ 9:15 PM.

[braggtastic]

I'm glad Russell is doing more shows from London. He gets much better guests there. I could have listened to Eddie Izzard as the sole guest this week & saved the others for next week. He did get mighty distracted when the chemicals spilled on him though.

Edited by braggtastic, Mar 8, 2013 @ 1:47 PM.

[Scrb]

Hmm, not many posts here.

 

I kind of avoided his show.  The voice and mannerism I thought were an act.

 

But I was surprised when he appeared on Kathy Griffin with a kind of world-weary skepticism at some of Kathy's silliness.  Kind of clashed with the image I had of him when he appeared on other shows or in the movies.

 

Then I read his column about Thatcher and what she meant to him when he was growing up.  Very thoughtful and very well-written.  Perfectly conveyed his thoughts in very economical language.  Wasn't at all what I would have expected from him.

 

Caught the show with him interviewing the bunny ranch guy.  Hope he gets more interesting guests and has a chance to display his brilliance but in an entertainment format, maybe the kind of incisive reflection he displayed in the Thatcher place doesn't have a place.

[braggtastic]

He is very adept with words, both written (his books and that article) and spoken (talk show appearances, his stand up). I watched his show (I think new episodes are over for now), and appreciated what he was trying to do, but don't think he was too successful. Maybe it would have been better to have all those guests with unusual viewpoints/ideas without a live audience.

[Dancin Queen]

If he would just slow down a bit and stop shouting, I might be able to make it through one of his programs.

[ari333]

He seems very intelligent, imo. Sometimes that doesn't come across in his delivery. IDK why.