The League of Gentlemen
The League of Gentlemen
| 11 January 1999 (USA)
SEASON & EPISODES
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  • Reviews
    GamerTab That was an excellent one.
    TaryBiggBall It was OK. I don't see why everyone loves it so much. It wasn't very smart or deep or well-directed.
    Tayloriona Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.
    Ezmae Chang This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.
    O2D After years of seeing the commercials for these DVDs on The Young Ones DVDs, I finally decided to give it a try and waiting so long was a very dumb thing to do.The show is an insane, bizarre mix of comedy and complexity.There are so many characters and story lines that it's really hard to even explain what the show is about.It's basically about a very strange town named Royston Vasey.All the citizens are very odd and extremely funny.There are multiple story lines which seem to have no connection to each other but they eventually all come together and like the title of my review says, it's just amazing.The only thing I didn't like was the laugh track(which I have heard was not in the original broadcast version).Otherwise it's an awesome show.See it.
    smut_husky A fantastic show and an unrealized classic; The League of Gentlemen remains as one of the greatest modern comedies of recent times.With a dark and bizarre style of humor that towers over the tired, formulaic approach of it's inferior, yet unfortunately far more acknowledged successor, Little Britain, The League of Gentlemen was truly something special during a rather quiet era in British comedy.Up until it's arrival on the scene, there had never really been anything like The League of Gentlemen before. On the surface, a seemingly simplistic sketch show, the show soon unfolds as a vivid, sinister but incredibly hilarious universe populated with all manner of brilliant comedic creations. What really sets the show apart from it's rivals, is it's approach to telling us it's story. Rather than serve us re-hashed sketches, barely distinguishable from the next, here we see each individual or group of characters go through their various journeys and story lines. No visit to them is the same, and each time they offer us up with a surprise.Gradually, over three series' and a Christmas special, the fictional town of Royston Vasey is heaving with a grotesque yet hilarious populace. And that's probably the main reason why the show is such a joy to watch (and also the reason why the show would easily merit more series') Unlike other current shows like The Catherine Tate Show or more importantly Little Britain, the League both know when a character has run it's course, and have the opportunity to deal with that. Several fan favorite's, who could have easily been kept on to entertain further, bowed out before the series came to a close, giving room for fellow characters to grow more, or allow for the introduction of newer residents of Royston Vasey to make their mark.Another thing that sets this show above others is that the writing team approach the script process with care and intelligence. As mentioned before, all four members of the League have a sound mind when it comes to judging the longevity of their creations, and when it's time to call it quits in respect to certain characters. This awareness has also meant The League of Gentlemen undergoes a bold evolution, not usually seen in a show of this nature. The narrative driven, and far darker third series is a brave step away from the more sketch based first two series' and this bold move by the League really pays off. With the third series, there's less of an urgency for them to please an audience, and like the Christmas special, they pursue individual stories with a clear narrative, unlike the more sketch-based previous series' that (succesfully) binded together various sets of sketches into a series' long story arc.The third series is both a refreshing change of pace of style, as well as a real treat for fans who've already seen the first two. Despite some polarized opinion on the third series, any real fan of the League will appreciate what the third series has to offer, as well as really enjoy the more character based episodes, that only delve deeper into fan favorite's, but pair up and inter-wine characters that might not have crossed paths previously.It might take a little trying to get into the change in style, but it's definitely worth it, and in my opinion, the third series is the best and also provides a firm conclusion to the series.The show's not without it's drawbacks, and very occasionally certain characters and set pieces appear somewhat out of place, but for the most part, the genius writing, dark nature of the show and the host of brilliant characters (that are often all too close to real life) make for a real treat and prove what comedy should be about and puts much of the more recent, catch phrase driven and often desperate attempts at comedy to shame
    albm I remember seeing a few episodes of "The League of Gentlemen" on Comedy Central a few years back.It came on after "Strangers With Candy", one of my favorite programs, on Monday or Tuesday night. I remember being confused and a little freaked out. And I remember laughing so hard it hurt.Unfortunately, Comedy Central, in their infinite wisdom, canceled "Strangers" and ceased showing "The League of Gentlemen". I was hooked, however, and was excited when I found out Series One was available on DVD. After waiting forever for the other two series and the Christmas special, I finally broke down and bought an all-region DVD player online. A few weeks and steep shipping fees later, I had the entire series, the Christmas special, and the live show on disc- just about a month before BBC wised up and released region-1 versions. The point is, patience is a virtue and good things come to those who wait.Actually, the real point is "The League of Gentlemen" is so good, so funny, so unique and bizarre, so totally in a class of its own that I went out of my way, and spent a fortune, just to get my greedy little paws on every black, wretched episode. And I'd do it again. "The League of Gentlemen" has long since surpassed even "The Kids in the Hall" as my favorite television program, an impressive feat if you're familiar with the Kids' work.If you haven't seen "The League of Gentlemen" (and if you're an American, you probably haven't), the show centers on the bleak town of Royston Vasey, and the people who call it home. The first and second series were presented in a traditional sketch/sitcom format, with a laugh track. Even as early as then, however, you could see a streak of cinematic flair- there were the sitcom studio sets, and then there was the filmed location footage; the epic, sweeping score; the subtle, quiet, clever jokes that flew entirely over the heads of even the enthusiastic audience (there are long stretches during the second series when you can even forget they're there). There were the characters, so freakish, so mind-bendingly different from American sitcom characters. Instead of Rachel or Chandler you had Pauline, the egregious forty-eight year old lesbian restart officer, and Mickey, the retarded monkey, her prized pupil. Will and Grace? Not in Vasey. Instead there was Tubbs and Edward, the inbred, murderous shopkeepers. And the Dentons? The Dentons- toad-obsessed Harvey and Val, their twin daughters Chloe and Radcliffe, and Benjamin, the token normal one- make the Munsters look like the Waltons. And I'm not even going to mention Papa Lazarou.So we've established that the show is brilliant. But then came the Christmas special, and it took "The League of Gentlemen" to a higher plane, a level above brilliance that simply must be seen to be believed. For the Christmas special the Gents ditched the laugh track (perhaps Tubbs and Edward were dispatched to "take care" of the audience) and the sketch format. The special, and the third series after that (which is, to me, their masterpiece), were darker, scarier, bleaker than anything that had come before. When something can frighten you beyond words (Keith Drop ripping off his skin to reveal Papa's sinister face), make you shudder in revulsion (amatuer magician Dean Tavalouris getting his hand singed with a lit cigarette) and yet still make you laugh uncontrollably (Judith and Alvin's ludicrous rendezvous at the appropriately-named Garden Center)- and when that something is a half-hour television show...well, that's just special. "The League of Gentlemen" gets my nomination as the funniest, most striking series television has ever produced. I Can I Can't.
    Mark Dallas (scribblr) I have been a huge fan of the L.O.G. since it first aired in the UK (where I'm originally from).However, I have since moved to Canada (shortly after series 3 started to air) and have only been able to get series 1 in region 1 (USA/Can). What's going on? Does this mean I'm destined to buy the UK DVD and watch it on my PC? Dammit! P.S. Even though Royston Vasey is a fictional place, it is filmed in a village called Hatfield in North Derbyshire. I drove through that area shortly before the making of the series and I can tell you that the place really is weird. People stare at you if you are not LOCAL (even when you are in a car!!) Anyone who loves the L.O.G. should also check out 'Little Britain' (Lucas & Walliams), which also has some participation from Mark Gatiss.