Submitted by movieguy2004 t3_10yernd in television
This appears to have been available in the UK for a while now, but it’s only been accessible here in the US on Netflix for the last couple weeks.
I really dug it. As a fan of British comedy like Monty Python & Rowan Atkinson, this was a refreshing new batch of that style of humor that I’d like to see more of here in America. I’m also a big history buff, currently working on a degree in it. And while the events “covered” here are very broad and well-known, I think the subject matter played a role in my enjoyment.
The jokes are really funny, often brilliant in their simplicity. There were a ton of writers on each episode, but it was the same writers for each one, which might be the reason for the consistency across the series.
And Diane Morgan is just hilarious as this character. Despite saying patently ridiculous things, she imitates the cadence of actual BBC reporters remarkably well. If someone wasn’t paying attention, I almost think you could trick them into thinking this was a real documentary, at least for a bit. And much like the work of Sacha Baron Cohen, I was amazed how she was able to avoid simultaneously laughing and cringing during the interviews with the experts like I was.
And it’s not actually completely devoid of educational value. Through all the absurdity, the experts are occasionally able to sneak a real interesting fact in there. So it’s thoroughly entertaining and also informative once in a while. Thumbs up from me.