BEST COMEDY ACTRESS — BRITISH COMEDY AWARDS 2006BEST COMEDY PERFORMER — ROYAL TELEVISION SOCIETY 2006BEST ENTERTAINMENT PROGRAM — ROYAL TELEVISION SOCIETY 2006The first lady of character comedy is back and so are they: stropp... more »y teenager Lauren; 'foul-mouth' Nan Taylor (the scourge of Meals on Wheels); Paul and Sam in their endlessly hysterical world; and Bernie the nurse who brings a new meaning to having a 'bedside manner'! With a host of hilarious new creations, including the modern gentleman bachelor, Derek Faye, and indignant Northerners Janice and Ray... we very dare you not to buy it!Tate's characters are beyond comparison... an extraordinary ear for mimicry, a blissfully sure sense of character and perfect timing.
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH ...had me weeping with laughter...
MAIL ON SUNDAY Sharply observed, cleverly written and performed with a versatility that is genuinely amazing.
THE TIMESWritten by Catherine Tate, Derren Litten, Ash Ditta & others
Director: Gordon AndersonTHE PROGRAMS CONTAIN SOME EXPLICIT LANGUAGE« less
"I love Catherine Tate, as does every one of my friends to whom I've introduced her. My overall favorite of her many and varied personas is Lauren the schoolgirl, whose implacable in-your-face attitude contrasts nicely with her sugary agree-on-everything attitude to her male fellow chav. But Derek the how-very-dare you gay, Bernie the nurse, and many others of her remarkably distinctive creations are all extremely amusing.
Catherine Tate's originality and sense of timing are extraordinary. No wonder that the creators of Little Britain, upon receiving a British Comedy award, announced that it should really be going to Catherine Tate. This disc contains a vast number of unique comedic creations.
That said, I really don't see the point of Damon's review below. He provides no rationale for his dislike, nor any specifics of Catherine's performances. Frankly, who would care a whit about his unsupported opinion or tired recommendations? Has he even watched this?"
One word...Brilliant!!!
Shore DJ | Oceanport, New Jersey United States | 04/01/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"More great comedy from one of the funniest ladies (and her fantastic supporting cast) to come along in years. One of the great things about Catherine Tate is that she so totally transforms herself into these characters, and all the time spent in the makeup chair definitely comes back to her three-fold in terms of laughs. And the various accents all fit the characters perfectly. Just try to quote the lines without doing the accent yourself! Particularly Paul and Sam or Janice and Ray (with their distaste for a certain type of mushrooms). And as is the case with most of the great British comedies like "Absolutely Fabulous", "Coupling", the various "Black Adder" series, and "Fawlty Towers", the brief 6 episode series always leaves you wanting more."
Catherine is a scream!!!!
Conner | USA | 03/28/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I quite agree, Catherine Tate is a natural born comedian. I never miss her show, and I own both series one & two on DVD.
Her character's of Lauren & Nan are a laugh riot. As is the; "How very dare you" gay man, ( though he claims not to be gay), what a riot that one is!!!
All of Catherine's characters are well played, and very entertaining. I highly recommend the show.
I can't wait until the final "Series Three" is released, as well as the "Christmas Special" with Tony Blair, as himself.
"Yes", you heard correctly. Tony Blair, actually did a skid with Catherine on her " Special Christmas". I saw it, and it was funny!!! Now, I only hope BBC will release it here in the states."
Hysterically addictive
N. Thomas | 06/12/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Catherine Tate's random characters are not only memorable and amusing, they are endlessly quotable. From curmudgeonly grandmother Nan Taylor ("What a pile of horse#$@!" & "What a $%&*+@! liberty!") to Lauren Cooper, the trashy schoolgirl ("Am I bovvered?" & "But I don't CARE, though!"), to the flamboyantly obvious, yet clueless, Derek Fay ("Who dear? Gay dear? Me dear? NO DEAR!" & "How VERY dare you!"), Miss Tate transmogrifies herself into each successive personality with superb results.
Office mates Kate (Catherine Tate) and Ellen, with Kate constantly pestering Ellen to "just have a guess!" about random things, are also very funny, as is the tragicomedic entity that is Elaine Figgis, an Englishwoman engaged to marry a serial killer/cannibal who eventually gets executed in Texas. I squirmed with delight upon meeting Bernie, the Irish nurse who simply cannot control her horrifying sexual innuendo from slipping into every situation at the hospital.
Some of the sketches--like Bunty, the 31-year-old majorette, and the couple who find the most banal stories of everyday life funny beyond description, I didn't enjoy as much. However, among these recurring characters are new little gems, like The Tactless Lady at Parties, The Ginger Outcast, The Annoying Waitress (think of a server at a T.G.I. Friday's on speed...), and the Aga-Saga Woman (whose melodramatic reaction to such things as running low on olive oil while preparing for a dinner party would make Susan Lucci jealous--actually, Aga-Saga is recurring as well--my mistake!), which make up for the weaker skits.
Catherine Tate is an excellent comedienne whose talents I compare, with deep respect, to the gentlemen of Little Britain (if you enjoy Matt Lucas and David Walliams, be assured that Catherine Tate is their exact female counterpart!). I can't wait for the American release of her show's third season!
"
Brill Brit
dram@urg | NYC | 06/03/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Catherine Tate is a master of character. The Second Series builds on the bite and charm of the first--more Lauren, more Nan, the apotheosis of Bernie, the rise of Derek, and the skewering the yuppy Taylor Thomases. Tate and her talented ensemble not only manage to ring changes on their established scenarios, but they also manage to make the expectation of the familiar part of the fun. If only BBC-America would show the third and final series here, and we could have it in the NTSC format."