Nathan Barley: Series 1 [DVD]

I can see why some people are doubting this show. It's a tricky one to review; - it is for those with a very selective taste in comedy - but I also feel it has received unfair criticism. It's not really a love or hate thing - it is definitely funny and I'm pleased I bought it. Maybe if you're expecting belly laughs all the way through, this may disappoint a little, but it's still worth a look.Nathan Barley doesn't really touch upon subjects as harshly as Brass Eye; it's nowhere as silly-daft as Garth Marenghi, and it doesn't quite reach the realism of The Office. It sits uncomfortably in between these three, creating it's comedy from the strangely bizarre behaviour of 'The Idiots' and the deadpan reactions of the few sane characters.Episode 5 where Dan 'researches' the straight on straight culture had me stunned; all I could do was sit there, hand over mouth in cringe-worthy disbelief, and then immediately watching the scene again howling with laughter. I do have to say, - not so much to the discredit of the rest of the cast, as they play their parts definitively - the show is as funny as it is, because of Julian Barratt. He beautifully portrays a man going slightly insane in the moronic environment he's trapped in. Everything about his performance in this show had me creasing up, from the cat in the barber shop incident, to the ''get me a couple of pairs of pints'' build up with Nathan. Oh and if you're flicking through the extras on the dvd, make sure you don't miss the deleted scene where his builder buddy comes to visit him in the office, that really shouldn't have been edited out.In all honesty, I think Nathan Barley would have benefited if some of the characters had more chance to develop; the writing does feel rushed and clumsy at times, so perhaps if the series could have stretched to 8 episodes, we could have witnessed a greater insight to the depths of desperation they all seem to have, for either trying to fit in with, or escape their peers.If you are considering buying - make sure you watch all six episodes in order before you go thinking about e-baying the dvd, as it does take a while to get into. But stay with it, it does all lead somewhere. Through watching Nathan Barley, I'm not so sure about Chris Morris, but Mr Barratt certainly has established himself as a comedy genius.

Chris Morris and Charlie Brooker are a veritable dream team of comedy. Combine Brooker's articulately vehement ranting with Morris' deeply satirical guerrilla approach to entertainment and you're left with a potently scathing exploration of 'yoof' obsessed new media culture.But the best writing in the world can fall flat without the right actors and the ensemble cast of this comedy gold nugget really shine here. Julian (The Mighty Boosh) Barrat is superb as world - weary journalist Dan Ashcroft (Brooker's obvious mouthpiece), likewise comedy mainstay Richard Ayoade is gloriously loathesome as Ashcroft's cretinous colleague Ned. But it's Nicholas Burns that shines brightest as Nathan Barley himself!Seriously, he should be counted amongst the great comedy actors of our time! How he's not more famous is completely beyond me!Nathan Barley is so densely structured with gags that work on so many levels, visually and aurally the series actually improves with every viewing.This, my friends, is contemporary satire at its best!

I'm a longtime Chris Morris fan, and more recently a Charlie Brooker fan - living in Portugal, I wasn't aware of his Guardian column and his TV-bashing TV shows. I entered Brooker's world via Dead Set (not because it was written by him, but because I'm a zombie fan), loved it and started looking for his previous work. Nathan Barley was the only Chris Morris work I hadn't seen, so, being created by the two geniuses, it became essential. I was not disappointed. And the truth is - Nathan Barley ends up being as much a horror epic as Dead Set. It deals with zombies - just another kind of zombie. And the frustration and anguish that Dan Ashcroft feels (an amazing performance by Might Boosh's Julian Barratt) is just as suffocating as being surrounded by the living dead and feeling you're the only sane person in the world (although responsible for the dawn of the idiots, which makes it even more tragic). A masterpiece which manages to be hilarious and deeply disturbing!

This program is not only hilarious but also a quite clever take on modern society. With the likes TOWIE and Made In Chelsea the subject matter or the rise of the idiots has never been more apt. Julian Barrat is brilliant in it as is Dan Clark. The skeptical and pessimistic outlook on modern society is typical of Charlie Brooker. Anyone who liked How Not To Live Your Life starring Dan Clark and Black Mirror written by Charlie Brooker will I'm sure appreciate this program. Occasionally the low budget of the show shines through but to me that just adds to its charm. I've always believed that this program was a bit ahead of it's time (a cliche i know) as most people who claim to be sitcom connoisseurs that i have spoken to have never seen this. All in all worth a watch you will not be dissapointed.

I love Nathan Barley, i laughed myself stupid when i first saw it. The episode with the "13 year old" model is brilliant, i couldnt believe what i was seeing. However, all of the episodes are equally very funny. Julian Barrett & Noel Fielding are fab in the Mighty Boosh, but here Barrett is much darker in charector. He thinks Nathan is total idiot but the annoying thing is everyone else thinks Nathan is kinda cool (Fielding plays a over-the-top dj). Some great ideas in this series, which makes it a total one-off in more ways then one (you will never play rock/paper/scissors in the same way again). All culminating in a final episode... which i am not going to give away. Very, very funny.

If you've never seen this but like the work from the creators you're in for a treat.