One-Liner of the Week
Well, it’s Saturday. I’m not Fatblogging. Be grateful.
Great one-liners have a couple of features in common : they are exquisitely wrought by the writer, and they inevitably contain a touch of the bizarre.
However, if you overdo the bizarre, they can die a Glasgow Empire death. Take this one by Peter Kay, which, incredibly, was recently voted the best one-liner in television comedy history :
“Garlic bread. It’s the future. I know. I’ve tasted it.”
Now that makes you wonder if intelligent life has finally abandoned the planet.
Chandler in Friends was always a source of terrific one-liners and is sorely missed. Fresh material is increasingly hard to come by these days.
All is not lost, though. The BBC, purveyor of the worst comedies in television history, especially on BBC2, has risen to the post-Chandler challenge and produced the finest source of great one-liners in television history the current dismal climate.
The show is called Life on Mars and it’s a police series set in 1973, seen through the eyes of a 21st century cop — don’t ask, but time travel is involved.
Star of the show is DCI Hunt, played with total relish by Phillip Glenister (pictured, right). Hunt is not politically correct. His motto is, “The first one who speaks is guilty.”
So here’s the one-liner of the week, from DCI Hunt :
“He’s as nervous as a very small nun at a penguin shoot.”
Wonderful.
For even more great one-liners, and loads of other good stuff, get hold of a copy of the book that accompanies the series, written by our own, our very own, Guy Adams.
By Steve Newman on March 24th, 2007 at 5:38 pm
I should have mentioned that, Steve. Do you have a link to the book?
By John Evans on March 24th, 2007 at 5:41 pm
I do…
Link to book
By Steve Newman on March 24th, 2007 at 5:53 pm
Thanks, Steve.
By John Evans on March 25th, 2007 at 9:16 am
Has season 2 started yet on Life of Mars? I was getting into that show!
By HART (1-800-HART) on March 25th, 2007 at 8:49 pm
Series 3 is nearly over, HART. They say it will be the last, but it’s getting such good reviews, you never know.
By John Evans on March 26th, 2007 at 9:05 am
Season 3! We’re a little behind .. to say the least. BBC-Canada is on Episode 5, Season 2 right now .. (but I don’t subscribe) and the other channel is still showing Season 1 reruns.
Now I’m glad I don’t subscribe to the BBC-C channel and wonder why they are not in line with the your BBC programming! I could probably quote something Kyle might say when they killed Kenny - but I won’t.
PS: I would think that the star of the show is DI Tyler, not DCI Hunt :p .. He reminds me too much of an O’Brian wannabe from STNG
By HART (1-800-HART) on March 26th, 2007 at 9:22 am
Nah, Tyler is too straight-laced. Hunt gets all the juicy one-liners. He’s the star for me.
Strange you’re so far behind. Contractual stuff I expect.
By John Evans on March 26th, 2007 at 9:26 am