I do wish Tamsin Grieg and Stephen Mangan got recognized for their acting on this show too. They portray the real artists and people crushed by Hollywood so well.
Personally I always thought of "Episodes" as the closets thing to a live action "Bo Jack Horseman". Mostly with how the character of Matt Leblanc is portrayed and explored in the second half of the show. Also have to give credit to Daisy Haggard for her portrayal Myra. I was really blown away when I found out that not only is she British, but she voices Hilda's Mom in the Netflix adaptation.
One of my favorite jokes in this show was Sean and Beverly telling Matt how the network did a lot of research about how Pucks is going to be a hit and Matt said “They did research Joey was going to be a hit” which scared Sean and Beverly 😂
I almost gave this one a pass because of Matt LeBlanc, but it turned out to be the best thing he was ever in and one of the best shows I'd seen in years. Hats off to Matt for playing himself as a despicable yet lovable jerk. The characters are superb, hysterically funny.
Episodes did for Matt Leblanc what Punch Drunk Love did for Adam Sandler. In Sandler's breakthrough drama, he was still in essence playing a manchild but removed from the context of a slobs vs snobs comedy, revealing someone prone to extreme emotions due to not being mature enough to temper them.
Episodes was underrated AF! It's a hilarious pisstake/mockumentary on Hollywood when you think about it, and we kind of needed that. Yes it references Friends a fair bit, but it's about (the fictional) Matt Le Blanc's career afterwards. It's bound to do so.
If it was a mockumentary it would be filmed like the office or presented as a documentary that’s fiction. It’s a satire on the Hollywood industry. Educate yourself.
I think you're missing half of "Matt's" argument regarding the lesbian librarian. He was also pointing out the different # of episodes a successful Hollywood tv show runs for vs a successful BBC show. This has started to change, but at the time Hollywood tv shows generally had 22 episode season. While BBC shows often had less than 10. This meant that a story that spanned 4 seasons of BBC tv wouldn't even fill 2 seasons of Hollywood television. And a 2 season show was rarely considered a success. Reaching 100 episodes (the minimum for syndication) was an important benchmark for success and that usually took almost 5 complete seasons. It's a lot easier to stretch a will-they-won't-they for 100 episodes than a they-never-will-isn't-that-poignent.
This drives the big difference between the UK and US versions of The Office. In the UK original the boss is an almost irredeemable arsehole. You can handle that for 12 episodes, but no more. In the first season of The Office US, Michael Scott is a tool the whole way through, but for the second season they gave us something to like about him in every other episode - a choice that came after discussion between the producers of both shows.
For context, back in the 2010-11 era when Episodes was being made, US remakes of UK shows were all the rage. _Skins, The Inbetweeners, IT Crowd, Peep Show, Gavin & Stacey, Coupling, Spaced, Broadchurch,_ - so many shows were seen as remake-able material, all the way till 2014-16, and they all failed disastrously. _The Office, Queer as Folk_ and _Shameless_ reboots might have been the only ones to work? (As well as some reality tv shows like _Dancing with the Stars_ based on Strictly). Interestingly, HBO's _Veep_ was actually a second attempt at an American spinoff of _The Thick of It_ and the first one hadn't involved creator Armando Ianucci at all, apparently, and had failed at the pilot stage.
@@user-sl6gn1ss8p they also tried to make a US version of another Australian classic; Kath & Kim. It was awful, but then again it was going to fail because its hard to replicate outside of Australia.
Coupling was meant to be an (admittedly unofficial) remake of Friends, so it's no wonder that the copy of the copy didn't work. Although personally I wouldn't highlight DWTS or other gameshows as being special for having successful remakes, since their formats get re-sold and re-made around the world as a matter of course anyway.
I'm reminded of a story told by David Cross. When "Arrested Development" was in the early stages of production, Gail Berman, an executive at Fox, issued a stern memo against facial hair, baseball caps, and puffy shirt sleeves. Cross fought tooth & nail and successfully subverted all three prohibitions during the first season.
I really liked this show. It's not exactly original, being the old 'Hollywood Dream/Nightmare' thing, but the fact it kept turning the thumbscrews made it really interesting. A lot of the side characters gave great performances too, especially Kathleen Rose Perkins because I fancy her. Must watch it again.
@casualcraftman1599 I saw a video about that book that's either titled or features the person who made it saying that she's also glad that Jeanette McCurdy's mom died.
A fascinating video. I never once thought of Episodes as a Friends spin off but now I am convinced. I think it should be categorised as a very dark drama comedy.
@@Stubagful And this amazing book now sadly barley scratches the surface of how messed up Nick Studios is with Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV documentary exposing more fuck up things.
Episodes is brilliant, it's weirdest element is actually from the production side - that it took them about 7 years to tell a story that in-universe only takes place over about 6 months.
It's definitely worth a watch! Seasons are typically around 8 episodes only and there are some lighter comedic and heartfelt moments between all the satire.
I agree with 99% of this, only disagree that it shouldn't be labelled a comedy, If it weren't labelled a comedy then the matt Leblanc/joey comparison disparity wouldn't work, it needs to be labelled a comedy to keeo you associating the 2
After he sleeps with his stalker and she says a line from the Friends theme song and then does the clapping part... if that's not comedy then I don't know what is.
Matt Leblanc is a great comedic actor , I loved episodes and the way he played his character. Sadly friends is now very dated but episodes always seems fresh. Matt always seems a decent guy , hope his success continues and he has a happy life.
Me, after one minute: I might check out that show! Me, one more minute later: wait a minute... Another minute later: yes. I've DEFINITELY already seen it. ...I watch too many shows.
Having only heard of Episodes for the first time today, no, I did not predict the ending, so that felt a bit harsh. Not that I’m mad about the spoiler. It’d be a bit odd to get that far in the video and suddenly proclaim “HOW DARE” to spoilers.
@ 8:35 I know you are saying how soul-crushing it is, and summing it up brilliantly, but that is so the reason why I've watched this show five or six times! I recommend it to EVERYONE for just how...stuck the two leads are. Stuck! With Joey! Better title for a spin-off.
Episodes is one of the funniest, best written shows I've seen. It's a complete piss-take of Hollywood, of "Joey" himself, and has (for me) laugh-out-loud moments. I think your perspective as a writer could make it difficult for you to fully enjoy the dark humour, as it revolves around fellow writers repeatedly having their guts ripped out in disappointment. But then, for me, that's the irony ... the allure of Hollywood (and money) along with Matt's charm keeps them coming back (idiots!) despite Beverly's deep (and very British) scepticism . And I agree with another, older comment -- the Myra character is hysterical! Seeing your video just makes me want to go back and watch it again.
So what I'm hearing is... Episodes is the new Bojack Horseman? Supposedly a comedy that's actually a tragic story that exposes a lot of the disgusting parts of making media and torturing the main cast with what happens to them in their stories.
Its kinda like a progenitor to it (Episodes started 2011, Bojack was a bit later). They appear to have come from similar places of frustration with the way the TV industry works. I think Episodes is probably a bit more for people "in the know" than Bojack Horseman which was more about inner turmoil. I recognised quite a lot of tropes from some of the books I've been reading about industry pitching lately
@@Stubagful Ah that's interesting, I actually had no idea Episodes came first as I hadn't really heard about it until now, but you've done a good job at selling it to me. I'm a sucker for media that's about making media, and especially shows that have the balls to take a look in the mirror and essentially become a critique of themselves and the system that allows them to exist. Very specific I know.
Oddly enough, now it's spun in a new way with Succession and Better Call Saul being created by comedy writers with ALL the same comedy principles but played for dark straight drama.
I’m surprised you didn’t mention the UK sitcom Extras from 2006-07, which is essentially the same premise as Episodes and features the same dark humour about the vacuousness and ruthlessness of the TV industry. You go in all excited to see Ricky Gervais’s cynical take on the sitcom business and for the self-deprecating celebrity cameos, but you come away feeling bleak and uncomfortable. Also it continues the meta-gag established by Friends by naming every episode after the A-List celebrity cameo that they know audiences will remember it by 😂
That's a great video! I loved Episodes, all the meta stuff. The only thing I regret is that there seem to be a lot of inside jokes and references that only people who work in the industry probably understand. By the way, I really dislike Friends to this day, because most characters are very toxic. I have no idea why people liked them so much. I found Episodes much more honest in this respect and that's what made people like Sean and Beverly much more relatable.
"while there is occasionally funny dialogue, I didn't laugh that much" I definitely see where you're coming from overall but I almost ran out of air when Shaun wobbled on his knees to attack Matt with a cactus.
While watching the show as it aired I don’t think the ending was obvious, but certainly while watching the final season for the first time I saw it heading that way so it is kind of a spoiler, but it doesn’t spoil the show in any way.
The fact Stephen mangan, or whatever his name is, and the other woman are in this means I'm definitely going to watch this. Green Wing was a favourite show
Even though I'm in my 40s, this always seemed like something for my parents. Very meta, but not actually that interesting. I might give it another look.
8:44: as you’re describing this, I’m cracking up lol. This is the height of comedy! Comedy is how we deal with our souls getting crushed every hour of every day - else we’d probably all be jumping off tall buildings and whatnot
14:20: I never watched Friends. Perhaps 20 seconds of one episode in a deli, while waiting for them to make my sandwich. But that just shows how insidious is this thing called television, because even without ever watching it I had an idea of what the Joey character was.
Some ppl simply not interested in watching some things even if they find them intriguing, I too am 1 of those ppl, I just don't have the timel@@solomonblake7041
@@Joemama55122 it’s a bit more British than it is American and it’s not too dark. So I’d definitely recommend it on how you’ve presented your preferences.
It's an interesting way of looking at it but I'm not entirely sure it is accurate, I loved Matt in this, he was likeable and smart because he had to be to manipulate the situation to his advantage but most times he wasn't wrong either. I didn't see Joey because he was a character he played and he was so different to that character in this.
this video gave me an idea for a video about comparing various self insert characters in drama shows, how the self awareness, ability to mock themselves, or lack their of for any self insert or direct "actor playing themselves" parts in dramas and comedies reflects on differant actors. feel free to steal it anyone reading this comment im never gonna finish that idea.
This idea was done great with the comic strips the strike. Having al pacino play Arthur skargill was great. They did the glc as well where Charles Branson plays Ken livingstone
This whole concept was kind of covered in an episode of Larry Sanders where Wallace Langham character, Phil, gets a deal to write a pilot and it gets brutally modified to the point its not his vision anymore.
I watched the first episode of this show because I've enjoyed everything I've seen that Tamsin Greig's been in, and loved the way she and Stephen Mangan interacted in Green Wing. I was hooked after that first episode, and particularly impressed by Matt LeBlanc's brave decision to risk playing an occasionally highly unlikeable version of himself, and his excellent acting portraying that character. I had a girlfriend who loved Friends and I liked it, but with Episodes my estimation of him went right up. I was convinced by the end of the first series that it was just too clever a show to get a second series, and at the end of the second was convinced that would be the end of it, so I was over the moon that it lasted for five, and even came to a clever and suitable conclusion. There's a great little video on RUclips of LeBlanc auditioning for the part of Matt LeBlanc on this very show. Have a look for it - it's brilliant!
Ps - I find it amazing, considering how well Tamsin Greig and Stephen Mangan work together, that first choice for the part of Beverly was Claire Forlani!
Another excellent analysis Stu. As a writer, just starting out on the journey of starting a nano-publishing business, I found it fascinating. That conflict between scratching a living and creative truth. Thank you for highlighting this sitcom, it's great to have another video from you. Have you seen the philosophical sitcom The Good Place? It's unique and I would be interested to hear your analysis. Keep up the good work. Looking forward to your videos on Season 14 of Dr Who. Are you going to carry on with them? Best wishes and thank for your work.
I have a question, and it may be a dumb one: Am I dumb for not knowing in advance what the last episode of "Episodes" is about as someone who has only seen this video up until the point when you mention the last episode of "Episodes", or would I have been dumb had I watched the show and not realised what the last episode would be about before watching it?
This video made me interested in watching Episodes, and it was genuinely one of the best things I have watched in awhile. I doubt you'll see this but this show was super impactful to me and I want to thank you for covering it, I would never have heard of it without this video.
If you want to see other comedies that are brutally cruel to the characters of the movie I may recommend He Was a Quiet Man, Burn After Reading, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, In Bruges, The Banshees of Inishirin, The Favourite, The Lobster, Saltburn, The Killing of a Sacred Deer, The Cottage, Severance, You're Next, Brazil, Kill Your Friends, Voices, Super, Kick-Ass 2, Parasite, The Thick of It, and Moral Orel.
a great way to critique friends, it wanted to be seinfeld without being seinfeld, and ultimately in friends they made them bad people without acknowledging it like they did in seinfeld
I literally TODAY just watched your Joey vid and commented that I thought the true successor of Friends is episodes! All Hail the Algorithm. Anyway, only having watched the show in real airing time, I disagree with your assessment of Matt as a self-interested monster. Yes, of course, there is humor in his relationship with his kids or his ability to crash cars or an overly elaborate security gate at his home. BUT, I think his intentions toward Bev and Sean’s piece are sincere-if for no other reason than it’s now his piece. I mentioned in my Joey comment, the Friends funeral joke (RIP Matthew Perry) has always stuck with me. The other punchline to do so is: “How many times can he hit on the d*ke?!” While crassly put for the sake of comedy, this was a pivotally incisive moment for the show. The moment when we learn that Matt is not an adversary but a guide (in this hero’s journey). Matt knows best. Matt knew: Lyman’s Boys ran for 4 6-episode “series” while Friends ran for 10 22-episode (give or take) seasons. To be a hit in Britain is to be a 1 season flop (like Pucks!) in America. If Lyman or Pucks was to run in America, she needed to be straight. (I am gay; I believe in representation; I can still concede the point being made, even if there are real world nuances.) This was also poignant in that American audiences had just witnessed an analog of Pucks! In The Office (US). And the show didn’t stop at analogies the majority of the viewing audience would pick up on. Lyman’s Boys was never actually original. It was a TV knock off of theatre’s The History Boys (down to also starring Richard Griffeths), which I picked up on immediately (again gay theatre queen here), but Episodes seemed to willfully ignore it (surely, Richard himself would have mentioned it in rehearsal) until MATT brings it up at his first meeting with Sean and Bev. Indeed, it is the show announcing that Matt is the sage, the magi, the guide. He’s fucking Gandalf. A far cry from Joey, Indeed. Now I have to Like and Subscribe and see if you made a video on The Comeback (with a nod to Web Therapy). If you haven’t… DO THAT NOW. (A la Lawrence Brown.) I’ll be there for you.
Really cool video! Never heard of it but as a guy who’s not exactly a fan per se of friends, so this def strikes me as something to consider. I love the idea of what “what if Joey was your co-worker?” And yeah, I like how you point out that Friends, as a sitcom, ALWAYS showed real life problems in a “cuddly” manner even when VERY CLEARLY they were unrealistic, and were somewhat disturbing. Like Ross’s crush on rachel was very obsessive, very detrimental to both, and to quote another RUclips video, borderline harassment when he kept bothering rachel at work. And Joey himself, if you actually took a serious look, would be a nightmare in real life lol. He’s a slob, easy to distract, hooked on stupid ideas, and very rarely grows up (I mean the finale shows that he never actually did anything different). Plus his constant lust for his female friends and generally women WOULDNT go well in real life. So friends was a a nice way to solve all your problems in a half hour while Ignoring the actual consequences. Seinfeld got away with this as the people were horrible to each other, even king of queen has drama where the couple break up over a legitimate fight only to TALK it over. Like doug and Carrie REALLY did seem they were gonna end it all.
@@beemoh That's from a TV show ...but which one! I don't get the ref' mate sorry! Update: It's a wonderfully funny quip, I'd say is it possibly Rick and Morty but I know how that splits rooms!
So, for me, I never really cared for Friends despite it being “the it show” when it aired etc. maybe because my family never watched it or whatever but I’ve never really got into it despite trying. However I do respect the actors and always thought LeBlanc came away the most typecasted which is a shame, so seeing something like this is honestly nice. It makes me think of the recent Nic Cage film where he plays a fictional version of himself, it works because it plays off the public perception we have of these characters.
I would love to know the date of the episode where Matt pitched the pimp who cares about his girls show or movie because I think he might have came up with the idea of “Hustle and Flow” minus the rap…then again, depending on the year, maybe still with the rap. People would have paid to hear Joey Tribbiani yell “Whoop that Trick”
I hope more people watch Episodes! It's a biting satire and hard to watch at times because of how often Sean and Beverly fail, but the show does have real heart. It's the marriage between Sean and Bev and their creative partnership. Stephen Mangan and Tamsin Grieg have so much chemistry and you really root for them to make it work. Even their odd dysfunctional "friendship" with Matt LeBlanc (the character) is quite earnest from time to time, when he isn't ruining their careers. IIRC, the creators David Crane (co-creator of Friends) and Jeffrey Klarik (his husband, who is also a writer) based Sean and Beverly on themselves respectively with their contrasting personalities and writing styles. The two clearly love each other and working together after being at it for decades now, so that's probably why it feels so real.
Episodes was brilliant Leblanc was great You really felt bad for Sean and Bev, This was at the time things like the Inbetweeners was being Americanised poorly so the joke of The Smart intelligent show becoming Joey 2 was great.
![Twenty One Pilots - “The Line” (from Arcane Season 2) [Official Music Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/E2Rj2gQAyPA/mqdefault.jpg)
Probably gonna cover more post-friends shows occasionally. Studio 60 on the sunset strip is particularly interesting
Yes! I just finished it for the second time. I was wondering why the whole time. It's a bad show but it's also oddly compelling.
Good luck buddy, you'll be diving headlong into the world of Aaron Sorkin's TV shows.
Mr Sunshine was fun. Similar style to Episodes
Ooh any plans to do a video on ‘The Comeback’?
YCOMT
My favourite joke in Episodes was when we discover that Matt has a vineyard, and his wine label is “Le Blanc de LeBlanc”. I think about that a lot…
'Anybody got any Windex?'
@@County22 I love that subplot
He's begging them not to fire him
They don't care
Once they decide to keep him on
Now he's got terms ;D
YCOMT
I hear it's Les Dawson's favourite joke in the show.
The show won Matt LeBlanc his only Golden Globe award. That never happened for him in Friends
He deserved it, his performance in Episodes was wonderful.
It’s so much better than friends.
I do wish Tamsin Grieg and Stephen Mangan got recognized for their acting on this show too. They portray the real artists and people crushed by Hollywood so well.
@@ToxicHAL Totally different type of program.
You say "his only golden globe"
Well, he's got one golden globe more than me!
Personally I always thought of "Episodes" as the closets thing to a live action "Bo Jack Horseman". Mostly with how the character of Matt Leblanc is portrayed and explored in the second half of the show.
Also have to give credit to Daisy Haggard for her portrayal Myra. I was really blown away when I found out that not only is she British, but she voices Hilda's Mom in the Netflix adaptation.
YESSSSSSS IVE BEEN SAYING THAT
bojack is depressing
@@roywall981that’s the point
@@gokufirespit8418 yes
Avoiding spoilers, I admire them so much for giving Daisy Haggard, a supporting player, the last scene in the series, and it was brilliant
One of my favorite jokes in this show was Sean and Beverly telling Matt how the network did a lot of research about how Pucks is going to be a hit and Matt said “They did research Joey was going to be a hit” which scared Sean and Beverly 😂
"joey was terrific. Especially the bits that you were in"
I actually kinda agree with them on that. Matt was what made it tolerable
I almost gave this one a pass because of Matt LeBlanc, but it turned out to be the best thing he was ever in and one of the best shows I'd seen in years. Hats off to Matt for playing himself as a despicable yet lovable jerk. The characters are superb, hysterically funny.
Why would Matt LeBlanc make you want to pass?
@@msjkrameybecause of “Joey”
Episodes did for Matt Leblanc what Punch Drunk Love did for Adam Sandler. In Sandler's breakthrough drama, he was still in essence playing a manchild but removed from the context of a slobs vs snobs comedy, revealing someone prone to extreme emotions due to not being mature enough to temper them.
Episodes was underrated AF! It's a hilarious pisstake/mockumentary on Hollywood when you think about it, and we kind of needed that. Yes it references Friends a fair bit, but it's about (the fictional) Matt Le Blanc's career afterwards. It's bound to do so.
If it was a mockumentary it would be filmed like the office or presented as a documentary that’s fiction. It’s a satire on the Hollywood industry. Educate yourself.
Mockumentary means a specific kind of presentation, which wasn't the case for this show. I see what you mean otherwise, though.
Episodes is to Friends what The Boys is to Justice League.
Depends if it's the Snyder Cut 🤔
@@FahadAyaz It is better than the original cut but I don't think it changes much. The comparison is not about quality, it's more about overall tone.
@@FahadAyazthe snyder cut is only darker in the literal sense
Snyder cut is better than the first two Avengers movies@@FahadAyaz
Interesting comparison
I think you're missing half of "Matt's" argument regarding the lesbian librarian.
He was also pointing out the different # of episodes a successful Hollywood tv show runs for vs a successful BBC show. This has started to change, but at the time Hollywood tv shows generally had 22 episode season. While BBC shows often had less than 10. This meant that a story that spanned 4 seasons of BBC tv wouldn't even fill 2 seasons of Hollywood television. And a 2 season show was rarely considered a success. Reaching 100 episodes (the minimum for syndication) was an important benchmark for success and that usually took almost 5 complete seasons.
It's a lot easier to stretch a will-they-won't-they for 100 episodes than a they-never-will-isn't-that-poignent.
Not to be that person but I believe u mean 100 episodes for syndication
@@pizzaprincess You're right. My bad.
This drives the big difference between the UK and US versions of The Office. In the UK original the boss is an almost irredeemable arsehole. You can handle that for 12 episodes, but no more. In the first season of The Office US, Michael Scott is a tool the whole way through, but for the second season they gave us something to like about him in every other episode - a choice that came after discussion between the producers of both shows.
@@gordon1545 Great example.
For context, back in the 2010-11 era when Episodes was being made, US remakes of UK shows were all the rage. _Skins, The Inbetweeners, IT Crowd, Peep Show, Gavin & Stacey, Coupling, Spaced, Broadchurch,_ - so many shows were seen as remake-able material, all the way till 2014-16, and they all failed disastrously.
_The Office, Queer as Folk_ and _Shameless_ reboots might have been the only ones to work? (As well as some reality tv shows like _Dancing with the Stars_ based on Strictly). Interestingly, HBO's _Veep_ was actually a second attempt at an American spinoff of _The Thick of It_ and the first one hadn't involved creator Armando Ianucci at all, apparently, and had failed at the pilot stage.
House of Cards
I always forget Wilfred was not from the UK, but I guess it also kinda fits?
They even tried an American red dwarf
@@user-sl6gn1ss8p they also tried to make a US version of another Australian classic; Kath & Kim. It was awful, but then again it was going to fail because its hard to replicate outside of Australia.
Coupling was meant to be an (admittedly unofficial) remake of Friends, so it's no wonder that the copy of the copy didn't work.
Although personally I wouldn't highlight DWTS or other gameshows as being special for having successful remakes, since their formats get re-sold and re-made around the world as a matter of course anyway.
I'm reminded of a story told by David Cross. When "Arrested Development" was in the early stages of production, Gail Berman, an executive at Fox, issued a stern memo against facial hair, baseball caps, and puffy shirt sleeves. Cross fought tooth & nail and successfully subverted all three prohibitions during the first season.
ohmygod you're covering it, this is one of my fave shows ever!!
I love that you managed to accurately portray his hair onto the devouring monster.
I really liked this show. It's not exactly original, being the old 'Hollywood Dream/Nightmare' thing, but the fact it kept turning the thumbscrews made it really interesting. A lot of the side characters gave great performances too, especially Kathleen Rose Perkins because I fancy her. Must watch it again.
I had completely forgotten that I actually watched this show! Wow, memory unlock.
Loved this show. Truly excellent.
I recommend Jennette McCurdy memoir I'm Glad my Mom Died if you want more of how fucked up Hollywood is.
Oh yeah that's been on my list for a while. I love a provocative title
@casualcraftman1599 I saw a video about that book that's either titled or features the person who made it saying that she's also glad that Jeanette McCurdy's mom died.
A fascinating video. I never once thought of Episodes as a Friends spin off but now I am convinced. I think it should be categorised as a very dark drama comedy.
@@Stubagful And this amazing book now sadly barley scratches the surface of how messed up Nick Studios is with Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV documentary exposing more fuck up things.
Episodes is brilliant, it's weirdest element is actually from the production side - that it took them about 7 years to tell a story that in-universe only takes place over about 6 months.
God this is just soul-crushing hearing about second-hand
As difficult as it is, I still recommend it. I had a lot of....I want to say fun but I'm not quite sure that's the right word
It's definitely worth a watch! Seasons are typically around 8 episodes only and there are some lighter comedic and heartfelt moments between all the satire.
@@Stubagful bleak and uncomfortable fun 🤗
I didn't find it soul crushing at all, I found it hilarious. If you generally like British comedy you'll love it.
I agree with 99% of this, only disagree that it shouldn't be labelled a comedy,
If it weren't labelled a comedy then the matt Leblanc/joey comparison disparity wouldn't work, it needs to be labelled a comedy to keeo you associating the 2
After he sleeps with his stalker and she says a line from the Friends theme song and then does the clapping part... if that's not comedy then I don't know what is.
I truly did not expect this video to have as much depth into the creative/toxic environment of hollywood and film as awhole. Spectacular.
I’ve already watched it twice. Wonderful recommendation
I love this show. Watched it multiple times
I always thought that matt leblanc is underrated i watched this show before i ever watched friends and loved it
I’ve never seen this but you talking about makes me want to watch it so thank you!
Matt Leblanc is a great comedic actor , I loved episodes and the way he played his character. Sadly friends is now very dated but episodes always seems fresh. Matt always seems a decent guy , hope his success continues and he has a happy life.
Me, after one minute: I might check out that show!
Me, one more minute later: wait a minute...
Another minute later: yes. I've DEFINITELY already seen it.
...I watch too many shows.
Reminds me of the arc of Extras.
Having only heard of Episodes for the first time today, no, I did not predict the ending, so that felt a bit harsh. Not that I’m mad about the spoiler. It’d be a bit odd to get that far in the video and suddenly proclaim “HOW DARE” to spoilers.
@ 8:35 I know you are saying how soul-crushing it is, and summing it up brilliantly, but that is so the reason why I've watched this show five or six times! I recommend it to EVERYONE for just how...stuck the two leads are. Stuck! With Joey! Better title for a spin-off.
fucking love Episodes, i really like it when actors give real effort and a good performance in portraying a asshole version of them selfs.
Episodes is one of the funniest, best written shows I've seen. It's a complete piss-take of Hollywood, of "Joey" himself, and has (for me) laugh-out-loud moments. I think your perspective as a writer could make it difficult for you to fully enjoy the dark humour, as it revolves around fellow writers repeatedly having their guts ripped out in disappointment. But then, for me, that's the irony ... the allure of Hollywood (and money) along with Matt's charm keeps them coming back (idiots!) despite Beverly's deep (and very British) scepticism . And I agree with another, older comment -- the Myra character is hysterical! Seeing your video just makes me want to go back and watch it again.
So what I'm hearing is... Episodes is the new Bojack Horseman?
Supposedly a comedy that's actually a tragic story that exposes a lot of the disgusting parts of making media and torturing the main cast with what happens to them in their stories.
Its kinda like a progenitor to it (Episodes started 2011, Bojack was a bit later). They appear to have come from similar places of frustration with the way the TV industry works. I think Episodes is probably a bit more for people "in the know" than Bojack Horseman which was more about inner turmoil. I recognised quite a lot of tropes from some of the books I've been reading about industry pitching lately
@@Stubagful Ah that's interesting, I actually had no idea Episodes came first as I hadn't really heard about it until now, but you've done a good job at selling it to me. I'm a sucker for media that's about making media, and especially shows that have the balls to take a look in the mirror and essentially become a critique of themselves and the system that allows them to exist. Very specific I know.
Ah this is totally up your street then. It was depressing but it was painfully addictive. Blazed through it in a couple of weeks
It also reminded me of series 2 of Extras
Oddly enough, now it's spun in a new way with Succession and Better Call Saul being created by comedy writers with ALL the same comedy principles but played for dark straight drama.
I’m surprised you didn’t mention the UK sitcom Extras from 2006-07, which is essentially the same premise as Episodes and features the same dark humour about the vacuousness and ruthlessness of the TV industry.
You go in all excited to see Ricky Gervais’s cynical take on the sitcom business and for the self-deprecating celebrity cameos, but you come away feeling bleak and uncomfortable.
Also it continues the meta-gag established by Friends by naming every episode after the A-List celebrity cameo that they know audiences will remember it by 😂
Daniel Radcliffe was absolutely hilarious in Extras, that one is hands down my favourite episode.
I watched this entire thing, and it was always an unsettling experience. I especially got worn down by Carol’s storyline.
I still use that same ringtone. No one ever gets it. Ever. I will be using the ringtone until someone recognizes it and says “heeeeyyyyyyy”
That's a great video! I loved Episodes, all the meta stuff. The only thing I regret is that there seem to be a lot of inside jokes and references that only people who work in the industry probably understand.
By the way, I really dislike Friends to this day, because most characters are very toxic. I have no idea why people liked them so much.
I found Episodes much more honest in this respect and that's what made people like Sean and Beverly much more relatable.
Dirk Gently & Fran from Black Books were very good in this show.
Try Green Wing
They work together a lot
@@Asheanae seen it several times. was a big fan when it dropped way back when. up there with Spaced
Beverley always reminds me of Debbie Aldridge from The Archers. They have such similar voices! 😉
"while there is occasionally funny dialogue, I didn't laugh that much"
I definitely see where you're coming from overall but I almost ran out of air when Shaun wobbled on his knees to attack Matt with a cactus.
Oh that's the best moment hands down
Okay, Stubagful. I am probably not washing my hair tonight.
While watching the show as it aired I don’t think the ending was obvious, but certainly while watching the final season for the first time I saw it heading that way so it is kind of a spoiler, but it doesn’t spoil the show in any way.
I loved this series when it came out, proper toe/teeth curling stuff.
AAAAAAAAAH I binged this in the depths of covid and trama holed it I forgot what the name of the show was thank you.
The fact Stephen mangan, or whatever his name is, and the other woman are in this means I'm definitely going to watch this. Green Wing was a favourite show
After watching the video I’m pleasantly surprised that you mean soul crushing in a good way
Even though I'm in my 40s, this always seemed like something for my parents.
Very meta, but not actually that interesting.
I might give it another look.
8:44: as you’re describing this, I’m cracking up lol. This is the height of comedy! Comedy is how we deal with our souls getting crushed every hour of every day - else we’d probably all be jumping off tall buildings and whatnot
14:20: I never watched Friends. Perhaps 20 seconds of one episode in a deli, while waiting for them to make my sandwich. But that just shows how insidious is this thing called television, because even without ever watching it I had an idea of what the Joey character was.
Emma Thompson and Kenneth Branagh in the fictional version of Episodes is brilliant when you know their history
I only ever watched the first half of the first episode years ago and all I remember is them waiting forever for the big spa bath to fill up lol
So what I'm hearing is that Episodes is playing in the same key as Bojack
Joejack Babykangarooman
interesting sounding show. ill never watch it but I did enjoy this video
Why will you never watch it then? It’s a great series
Some ppl simply not interested in watching some things even if they find them intriguing, I too am 1 of those ppl, I just don't have the timel@@solomonblake7041
Same
@@solomonblake7041i dont like american comedy or sarcastic dark comedies so idc
@@Joemama55122 it’s a bit more British than it is American and it’s not too dark. So I’d definitely recommend it on how you’ve presented your preferences.
God I loved that show. Thanks for this!
Episodes is Excellent! And even better that it is all filmed in the UK pretending to be the Hollywood!
Huh?? What about that track where everyone jogs up the hillside?
My mum and dad love this show
lol, I just posted the same comment.
I love this show too. Am I your Mum and Dad? 😮
Was anyone else reminded of the Christopher Guest movie 'For Your Consideration' while watching this?
Brilliant series
I can do without the existential misery of this. Being English in Australia is bad enough.
It's an interesting way of looking at it but I'm not entirely sure it is accurate, I loved Matt in this, he was likeable and smart because he had to be to manipulate the situation to his advantage but most times he wasn't wrong either. I didn't see Joey because he was a character he played and he was so different to that character in this.
Great video. The classic Comic Strip Presents TV film, “The Strike” from 1988, treads similar ground if you can find it. 👍
Matt Le Blanc is genial, all of his lines here killed me.
this video gave me an idea for a video about comparing various self insert characters in drama shows, how the self awareness, ability to mock themselves, or lack their of for any self insert or direct "actor playing themselves" parts in dramas and comedies reflects on differant actors. feel free to steal it anyone reading this comment im never gonna finish that idea.
Excellent show and LeBlanc's best work.
I'm not sure I ever saw the last one or two seasons of this, I must catch up with it.
I enjoyed this show is was very witty
This idea was done great with the comic strips the strike. Having al pacino play Arthur skargill was great. They did the glc as well where Charles Branson plays Ken livingstone
That sounds great, any idea where I can watch this?
This whole concept was kind of covered in an episode of Larry Sanders where Wallace Langham character, Phil, gets a deal to write a pilot and it gets brutally modified to the point its not his vision anymore.
I love Episodes!
I watched the first episode of this show because I've enjoyed everything I've seen that Tamsin Greig's been in, and loved the way she and Stephen Mangan interacted in Green Wing. I was hooked after that first episode, and particularly impressed by Matt LeBlanc's brave decision to risk playing an occasionally highly unlikeable version of himself, and his excellent acting portraying that character. I had a girlfriend who loved Friends and I liked it, but with Episodes my estimation of him went right up.
I was convinced by the end of the first series that it was just too clever a show to get a second series, and at the end of the second was convinced that would be the end of it, so I was over the moon that it lasted for five, and even came to a clever and suitable conclusion.
There's a great little video on RUclips of LeBlanc auditioning for the part of Matt LeBlanc on this very show. Have a look for it - it's brilliant!
Ps - I find it amazing, considering how well Tamsin Greig and Stephen Mangan work together, that first choice for the part of Beverly was Claire Forlani!
1:08 I forgot I was watching stu and got jumpscared to high hell
I had the same thing at 1:00
Great essay
Nobody mention THAT talking dog show!
Well, of course it's depressing
Do you really think that Caroline and Guy Secretan would live happily?
stu art
Another excellent analysis Stu. As a writer, just starting out on the journey of starting a nano-publishing business, I found it fascinating. That conflict between scratching a living and creative truth.
Thank you for highlighting this sitcom, it's great to have another video from you.
Have you seen the philosophical sitcom The Good Place? It's unique and I would be interested to hear your analysis. Keep up the good work. Looking forward to your videos on Season 14 of Dr Who. Are you going to carry on with them? Best wishes and thank for your work.
I have a question, and it may be a dumb one: Am I dumb for not knowing in advance what the last episode of "Episodes" is about as someone who has only seen this video up until the point when you mention the last episode of "Episodes", or would I have been dumb had I watched the show and not realised what the last episode would be about before watching it?
I love episodes
Stephen Mangan is sooo good at telly.
This video made me interested in watching Episodes, and it was genuinely one of the best things I have watched in awhile. I doubt you'll see this but this show was super impactful to me and I want to thank you for covering it, I would never have heard of it without this video.
If you want to see other comedies that are brutally cruel to the characters of the movie I may recommend He Was a Quiet Man, Burn After Reading, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, In Bruges, The Banshees of Inishirin, The Favourite, The Lobster, Saltburn, The Killing of a Sacred Deer, The Cottage, Severance, You're Next, Brazil, Kill Your Friends, Voices, Super, Kick-Ass 2, Parasite, The Thick of It, and Moral Orel.
a great way to critique friends, it wanted to be seinfeld without being seinfeld, and ultimately in friends they made them bad people without acknowledging it like they did in seinfeld
i loooved Episodes
I love it.
I literally TODAY just watched your Joey vid and commented that I thought the true successor of Friends is episodes! All Hail the Algorithm. Anyway, only having watched the show in real airing time, I disagree with your assessment of Matt as a self-interested monster. Yes, of course, there is humor in his relationship with his kids or his ability to crash cars or an overly elaborate security gate at his home. BUT, I think his intentions toward Bev and Sean’s piece are sincere-if for no other reason than it’s now his piece. I mentioned in my Joey comment, the Friends funeral joke (RIP Matthew Perry) has always stuck with me. The other punchline to do so is: “How many times can he hit on the d*ke?!” While crassly put for the sake of comedy, this was a pivotally incisive moment for the show. The moment when we learn that Matt is not an adversary but a guide (in this hero’s journey). Matt knows best. Matt knew: Lyman’s Boys ran for 4 6-episode “series” while Friends ran for 10 22-episode (give or take) seasons. To be a hit in Britain is to be a 1 season flop (like Pucks!) in America. If Lyman or Pucks was to run in America, she needed to be straight. (I am gay; I believe in representation; I can still concede the point being made, even if there are real world nuances.) This was also poignant in that American audiences had just witnessed an analog of Pucks! In The Office (US). And the show didn’t stop at analogies the majority of the viewing audience would pick up on. Lyman’s Boys was never actually original. It was a TV knock off of theatre’s The History Boys (down to also starring Richard Griffeths), which I picked up on immediately (again gay theatre queen here), but Episodes seemed to willfully ignore it (surely, Richard himself would have mentioned it in rehearsal) until MATT brings it up at his first meeting with Sean and Bev. Indeed, it is the show announcing that Matt is the sage, the magi, the guide. He’s fucking Gandalf. A far cry from Joey, Indeed.
Now I have to Like and Subscribe and see if you made a video on The Comeback (with a nod to Web Therapy). If you haven’t… DO THAT NOW. (A la Lawrence Brown.)
I’ll be there for you.
talking about series about television , I had enjoyed Reboot with Keegan-Michael Key on Hulu too bad it was cancelled after the first season
I'm really disappointed I've never heard of this show, seems great!
Really cool video! Never heard of it but as a guy who’s not exactly a fan per se of friends, so this def strikes me as something to consider. I love the idea of what “what if Joey was your co-worker?” And yeah, I like how you point out that Friends, as a sitcom, ALWAYS showed real life problems in a “cuddly” manner even when VERY CLEARLY they were unrealistic, and were somewhat disturbing. Like Ross’s crush on rachel was very obsessive, very detrimental to both, and to quote another RUclips video, borderline harassment when he kept bothering rachel at work. And Joey himself, if you actually took a serious look, would be a nightmare in real life lol. He’s a slob, easy to distract, hooked on stupid ideas, and very rarely grows up (I mean the finale shows that he never actually did anything different). Plus his constant lust for his female friends and generally women WOULDNT go well in real life. So friends was a a nice way to solve all your problems in a half hour while Ignoring the actual consequences. Seinfeld got away with this as the people were horrible to each other, even king of queen has drama where the couple break up over a legitimate fight only to TALK it over. Like doug and Carrie REALLY did seem they were gonna end it all.
Episodes gives me serious "The Big Picture" vibes (1989 film, starring Kevin Bacon).
6:00 I don't think Mathew Perry is going to do that anytime soon...
Dude ...come on, there's a line.
@@ThatCoalSoulwah wah
@@ThatCoalSoul Over the line? That's so past the line they can't even see the line. The line is a dot to them!
@@beemoh That's from a TV show
...but which one! I don't get the ref' mate sorry!
Update: It's a wonderfully funny quip, I'd say is it possibly Rick and Morty but I know how that
splits rooms!
@@ThatCoalSoul It's Friends, from an bit where Joey has an argument with Chandler.
I always get episodes and extras mixed up
Nobody ever talks about how much like bojack horseman he is
Really interesting video.
So, for me, I never really cared for Friends despite it being “the it show” when it aired etc. maybe because my family never watched it or whatever but I’ve never really got into it despite trying.
However I do respect the actors and always thought LeBlanc came away the most typecasted which is a shame, so seeing something like this is honestly nice.
It makes me think of the recent Nic Cage film where he plays a fictional version of himself, it works because it plays off the public perception we have of these characters.
3:44 RIP
How did I not know about this show? This sounds awesome. Thanks for the great video!
I would love to know the date of the episode where Matt pitched the pimp who cares about his girls show or movie because I think he might have came up with the idea of “Hustle and Flow” minus the rap…then again, depending on the year, maybe still with the rap. People would have paid to hear Joey Tribbiani yell “Whoop that Trick”
I hope more people watch Episodes! It's a biting satire and hard to watch at times because of how often Sean and Beverly fail, but the show does have real heart. It's the marriage between Sean and Bev and their creative partnership. Stephen Mangan and Tamsin Grieg have so much chemistry and you really root for them to make it work. Even their odd dysfunctional "friendship" with Matt LeBlanc (the character) is quite earnest from time to time, when he isn't ruining their careers.
IIRC, the creators David Crane (co-creator of Friends) and Jeffrey Klarik (his husband, who is also a writer) based Sean and Beverly on themselves respectively with their contrasting personalities and writing styles. The two clearly love each other and working together after being at it for decades now, so that's probably why it feels so real.
I find the best art comes from despair, though it is unfortunate This is what I've learned
Episodes was brilliant
Leblanc was great
You really felt bad for Sean and Bev,
This was at the time things like the Inbetweeners was being Americanised poorly so the joke of The Smart intelligent show becoming Joey 2 was great.
I couldn't get past episode 1 - just too painful.
Very well made and interesting, but painful.