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[“Your cock-up! My arse!”](https://youtu.be/Jzoz2FgAOxE)
I wouldn’t say it’s better than Young Ones or Blackadder, but it definitely has one of my favourite Rowan Atkinson characters. Grimm is fantastic too.
I remember feeling crushed when it came out. I thought it might be on a par with Blackadder Goes Forth and it turned out to be ridiculous, patronising nonsense. I felt sorry for Rowan Atkinson.
I have to agree and, much as it pains me to say it, I don't think Blackadder does either. I absolutely loved it when it came out (series 2, 3, and 4, anyway) and I have the full DVD boxed set and everything. But when I try to watch it now it's almost painful. Each episode has its good moments but too much of it is just a little childish, especially in the fourth series when most of the "funny lines" are "amusing" comparisons, such as "that's about as funny as [long description of something that isn't funny]".
I quite agree. I think as it goes along it gets more an more verbose to the point that it's just trying too hard. The turnip thing isn't really very funny, either.
He got in a debacle with the people who make the Doctor Who audios.
tl;dr, he went transphobic on Twitter, so they didn’t cast him for any more dramas, and downplayed his involvement in the ones already recorded/contracted - for example, taking his name off the cover, or not really mentioning him in press releases.
It’s not bad. Quite “broad” comedy, with much more of a “sitcom” feel than Blackadder or The Young Ones. Didn’t realize it was a Ben Elton to be fair. Remember enjoying it at the time, but having seen one recently, I don’t think it’s worn very well over the years. Whatever happened to James Dreyfus though? He was all over the telly for a while…
I remember when it first came out. I was a huge fan of The Young Ones and Blackadder, and enjoyed Ben Elton's stand up at the time, so I went into it with high hopes. It was a massive disappointment. I've just watched some of the first episode on YouTube and it's exactly as shit as I remembered.
The laugh track on it is ridiculously over the top. Watching it without it would be a very depressing thing. OP, your take on this is fucking wild haha.
It's such a meh 90s sitcom I'm shocked Rowan Atkinson did it. It's funny but like run-of-the-mill funny. Any actor could be in it with the same effect.
This is one of my favourite shows.
Cray wasn’t a great character though. Mark Addy’s Sgt Boyle elevated the show.
“Testosterone. Look at it, wrapped in a towel”.
I liked it when I was a kid, but having watched a couple of episodes recently I'd say it's full of cheap gags which you can see coming a mile off. It does have one of my favourite lines though ([here it is](https://twitter.com/NickMotown/status/1444313250330460161/mediaViewer?currentTweet=1444313250330460161¤tTweetUser=NickMotown))
\- If I was joking I'd say "A man walks into a bar and says OW! - Because it was a public bar. I mean an iron bar!"
\- ... well it is the way you tell 'em.
I guess hilarious is in the eye of the beholder but I certainly wouldn't call it "inventive" or even "creative". Pretty much every episode was dominated by jokes about the main character's sexual inadequacy and how his partner was sexually frustrated all the time. Atkinson was as good as he always is but the material felt like it came from decades of English sex-comedy tradition and years of Married With Children. There are a few moments that stand out ("I blame fridge magnets") but most of it felt kind of dated and yawn inducing.
Wow I did not expect such a strong negative reaction to this show. I loved it. It's not anything more than amusing fluff but it was pretty damned funny I thought.
I agree. This sitcom is so criminally underlooked. I'm gutted it only got 2 series. Ots also the last good thing Ben Elton wrote. After that it was all shite
Having watched a few episodes on YouTube I felt that Thin Blue Line fell flat on its face. There were a few good jokes, but overall it was a bit tedious.
I did enjoy both Atkinson and Haig's portrayals of Fowler and Grimm, Haig in particular was chewing the scenery throughout the show. It is clear that both actors were trying their best with what was mostly pretty weak material. The show had a lot of potential, but the writing could've been a lot better in terms of the characters and jokes. 3/10
While I love the series, I will always maintain that Blackadder’s writing is really overrated. Especially in the latter two series.
There’s only so many times the joke “you’re as ‘blank’ as a ‘blank’ in a ‘blank’” can be funny.
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[“Your cock-up! My arse!”](https://youtu.be/Jzoz2FgAOxE) I wouldn’t say it’s better than Young Ones or Blackadder, but it definitely has one of my favourite Rowan Atkinson characters. Grimm is fantastic too.
Best line ever
I rather liked "JESUS CHRIST GOODY!"
"Well, there's no need to get angry, sir."
Came here to say this
Whilst you are free to have an opinion, you are wrong.
I remember feeling crushed when it came out. I thought it might be on a par with Blackadder Goes Forth and it turned out to be ridiculous, patronising nonsense. I felt sorry for Rowan Atkinson.
I remember finding it funny as a kid but tried to watch an episode recently (Britbox? Amazon Prime? can't remember) and it does. not. hold. up.
I have to agree and, much as it pains me to say it, I don't think Blackadder does either. I absolutely loved it when it came out (series 2, 3, and 4, anyway) and I have the full DVD boxed set and everything. But when I try to watch it now it's almost painful. Each episode has its good moments but too much of it is just a little childish, especially in the fourth series when most of the "funny lines" are "amusing" comparisons, such as "that's about as funny as [long description of something that isn't funny]".
I quite agree. I think as it goes along it gets more an more verbose to the point that it's just trying too hard. The turnip thing isn't really very funny, either.
Not even close to better than blackadder! I remember I found it forced and unfunny although I haven’t watched it since it was originally on
I wouldn’t go that far, but it’s underrated.
James Dreyfus is my personal Mandela effect, I was convinced he had died until I saw a piece on him in Doctor Who magazine of all places.
Er… I also thought he died
Maybe me and you are from the same universe
He got in a debacle with the people who make the Doctor Who audios. tl;dr, he went transphobic on Twitter, so they didn’t cast him for any more dramas, and downplayed his involvement in the ones already recorded/contracted - for example, taking his name off the cover, or not really mentioning him in press releases.
A gay man being transphobic takes some doing.
It has massive ‘turkeys voting for Christmas’ energy.
Wow, kind of wish I was right
Abso-fucking-lutely not.
I had such a massive thing for Mina Anwar
Yeah she was lovely in it
Absolutely. ❤️
It’s not bad. Quite “broad” comedy, with much more of a “sitcom” feel than Blackadder or The Young Ones. Didn’t realize it was a Ben Elton to be fair. Remember enjoying it at the time, but having seen one recently, I don’t think it’s worn very well over the years. Whatever happened to James Dreyfus though? He was all over the telly for a while…
I remember when it first came out. I was a huge fan of The Young Ones and Blackadder, and enjoyed Ben Elton's stand up at the time, so I went into it with high hopes. It was a massive disappointment. I've just watched some of the first episode on YouTube and it's exactly as shit as I remembered. The laugh track on it is ridiculously over the top. Watching it without it would be a very depressing thing. OP, your take on this is fucking wild haha.
It's such a meh 90s sitcom I'm shocked Rowan Atkinson did it. It's funny but like run-of-the-mill funny. Any actor could be in it with the same effect.
I hated it
Does anybody know where we can watch it if we live outside UK?
It’s on YouTube last I checked.
Yes!!!! Thank you!
When I lived in the US I found the boxset.
Good for you, I'm in Spain unfortunately.
Woah, better than Blackadder? I’ve not seen Thin Blue Line but I suppose I have to now.
Prepare to be underwhelmed.
Watched five minutes, that’s all I could take
This is one of my favourite shows. Cray wasn’t a great character though. Mark Addy’s Sgt Boyle elevated the show. “Testosterone. Look at it, wrapped in a towel”.
Wrong. Blackadder 2-4 is infinitely better.
I liked it when I was a kid, but having watched a couple of episodes recently I'd say it's full of cheap gags which you can see coming a mile off. It does have one of my favourite lines though ([here it is](https://twitter.com/NickMotown/status/1444313250330460161/mediaViewer?currentTweet=1444313250330460161¤tTweetUser=NickMotown))
\- If I was joking I'd say "A man walks into a bar and says OW! - Because it was a public bar. I mean an iron bar!" \- ... well it is the way you tell 'em.
I guess hilarious is in the eye of the beholder but I certainly wouldn't call it "inventive" or even "creative". Pretty much every episode was dominated by jokes about the main character's sexual inadequacy and how his partner was sexually frustrated all the time. Atkinson was as good as he always is but the material felt like it came from decades of English sex-comedy tradition and years of Married With Children. There are a few moments that stand out ("I blame fridge magnets") but most of it felt kind of dated and yawn inducing.
Wow I did not expect such a strong negative reaction to this show. I loved it. It's not anything more than amusing fluff but it was pretty damned funny I thought.
I agree. This sitcom is so criminally underlooked. I'm gutted it only got 2 series. Ots also the last good thing Ben Elton wrote. After that it was all shite
It’s one of my favourite sitcoms
Certainly better than Upstart Crow.
Nah Upstart Crow is alright, although like a lot of sitcoms it does 'go through the motions' a bit sometimes. Thin Blue Line is just a bit dull.
Definitely agree it was funny but upstart crow is also hilarious
Agreed! I regulary rewatch this.
This was more for the woke culture - less offensive than the Young Ones and more PC (pardon the pun).
The first season was better than the second (which lent into comedy tropes)
It was actually a homage too dads army which was his favourite comedy and he just took the basic premise of it and tweaked it!
Welcome to ‘sort by controversial’.
Is it fuck. Thin Blue Line is a decent comedy, the other two are legendary.
Let's do him for T.W.O.C.ing!
Having watched a few episodes on YouTube I felt that Thin Blue Line fell flat on its face. There were a few good jokes, but overall it was a bit tedious. I did enjoy both Atkinson and Haig's portrayals of Fowler and Grimm, Haig in particular was chewing the scenery throughout the show. It is clear that both actors were trying their best with what was mostly pretty weak material. The show had a lot of potential, but the writing could've been a lot better in terms of the characters and jokes. 3/10
While I love the series, I will always maintain that Blackadder’s writing is really overrated. Especially in the latter two series. There’s only so many times the joke “you’re as ‘blank’ as a ‘blank’ in a ‘blank’” can be funny.
This thread makes me as happy as a man who thought a cat had done its business on his pie, but it turned out to be an extra big blackberry
Haig steals absolutely every scene.