As a fan of British Comedy, I was eager to tune in to “Mark Kermode’s Secrets of Cinema,” which focused on British Comedy in this first episode.
What viewers received was a well-structured, almost scholarly piece of television. Kermode explored six different branches on the cinematic comedy family tree: The Little Man; Class & Manners; The Sex-Comedy (“neither sexy nor funny”); Criminal Comedy; The Joke’s on Hollywood, and Little Britain.
This diversity, which sought to cover a comedic output of almost a century, was both a delight and the main difficulty with the programme.
At times, it felt like a primer, unable to spend too much time on one thing, but Kermode’s skilful narrative brought things together in a pleasing way.
It was fantastic to see such attention on the Ealing comedies, even if this is a topic upon which an entire series could have been commissioned. The viewer was clearly able to see the almost familial relationships. Ealing begat the Carry On’s; the Carry On’s begat the bawdy sex romps of the ‘70s.
But it was also rewarding to see this thread being drawn into more modern films, and I must admit it is perhaps here that the programme will send me away watch some of the films that I have not seen.
It was exciting to hear names like Armando Iannucci and the fantastic Chris Morris being mentioned. Have there been many more important and explosive films than 2010’s “Four Lions?”
The clips were well chosen, though, as with any show of this nature, I would have liked to have relaxed into larger segments. Unfortunately, this could never be possible. It is always joyous to see the great, late Terry Jones proclaiming Brian Cohen to be “a very naughty boy.”
Ultimately, it was a very enjoyable hour of television, fronted by a whisky-toting Mark Kermode who, at one moment, even channelled his inner Finbar Saunders. I would have preferred a series that could have offered greater depth, but this offering will definitely have me scurrying off to watch some of the films that I have not seen.
Mr Kermode remains an authoritative and comforting guide – and I can imagine going to the cinema with him is an endlessly fascinating experience. Catch up with this programme if you can.
Simon Gary is the author of the comedy novels “Gone to the Dogs” and “Thryke: The Man That Nobody Knew.”
“Gone to the Dogs” is based on a fictional 1970s sitcom and is told via a series of interviews with the cast and writers. “Thryke: The Man That Nobody Knew” is a prequel, which picks up on the earlier life of one of the stars, Cornelius Thryke. Join him on a journey through school, war, and love. Click on the titles to find out more!