Friday 25 May 2012

Verdict: Noel Fielding's Luxury Comedy


Noel Fielding is handed the reins to his own sketch show, Luxury Comedy, and the result is a canvas that nurtures the comedian's wildly expansive imagination. Luxury Comedy however is an ambitious title and one that is maybe, a little too ambitious for Fielding to pull off.


Continuing in the same vein as The Mighty Boosh, Luxury Comedy is a psychedelic blend of kooky characters and wacky locales. Fielding is well and truly in his element here, relishing in the strange and imaginative ideas that he cooks up. Whether it is a talking chocolate finger, an incompetent New York cop with a talking stab wound (!) or a clay-motion figurine of Joey Ramone, each character and situation it seems is as outlandish as the next.

Fans of Fielding's previous work on The Mighty Boosh are bound to get a real kick of seeing Noel further delving into his seemingly endless well of ideas. For newcomers however, Fielding's escapades may fall a little flat on their face. Not being familiar with Fielding's "schtick" would no doubt bemuse and confuse viewers rather than make them laugh. 

That said, I myself found my sense of humour tested by Luxury Comedy. The first few episodes are fairly refreshing and entertaining but the format and humour starts to feel tired by just the third time around. Whilst Noel's jokes and input on Never Mind The Buzzcocks are alleviated by the different guests and hosts each week, here, the absurdity quickly gets repetitive and annoying. He doesn't fail to raise a smile all of the time; it really is hit and miss as to whether you "get it" or you don't.

"If you don't like something" Fielding remarks in the opening scene of episode 3 "just get up and leave. Don't sit there tutting all the time." Strangely apt, given that that is exactly what I did next.

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