The ‘A Dose of David Mitchell’ Fan Interviews – Meet Amanda

Twitter handle: @amandajv47

What do you do? Or what do you love to do?

I do freelance web design and am a mom to a 7-year-old son. In my free time I love to go running, though I’m pretty bad at it.

The moment that you realised you were a David Mitchell fan?

I became a fan late in the game, in the last year or two. I am in the US so not as familiar with all the British shows, but I watched IT Crowd on Netflix and loved it. That led to me watching clips of the show on YouTube, then random panel show videos of Richard Ayoade. From there, I kept seeing this David Mitchell guy pop up and thought he was hilarious and fell down the rabbit hole of YouTube videos and that was that.

Your favourite David Mitchell show?

This is a tough one. I think I’d have to say Would I Lie To You? No matter how many times I have seen an episode, it never fails to make me laugh. And seeing David’s reactions to Lee’s stories are such a delight. His laughter is a great tonic in the down times.

Favourite Mitchell & Webb sketch:

Oh, I don’t think I can name a favourite; I love so many. Numberwang, Snooker, Hennimore.  I also love the “Women Sort Yourself Out” sketch.  Oh, and the job interview sketch where David’s character gets hit with the typewriter never fails to crack me up.

Favourite Mitchell & Webb scene/moment?

I think maybe from Peep Show – Jez pissing himself in the church at Mark and Sophie’s wedding. Also, you can’t go wrong with the cheese making argument from That Mitchell & Webb Look.

Favourite Mitchell & Webb deep cut?

I missed out on seeing a lot of the more obscure stuff, so I’ll say Was it Something I Said?, which I thought was great and wish it had run longer.

Favourite Peep Show episode?

I think Nether Zone in Season 7. I love that entire episode. Mark being uncomfortable during Jez and Zahra’s conversation in the bathroom and casually reading the bottle (Rinse and Repeat. Always with the Rinse and Repeat) is so relatable and funny. Plus, pizza through the mail slot and Mark jumping out the window.

https://www.channel4.com/programmes/peep-show/on-demand/47548-004

Favourite Peep Show character?

Mark. I relate to his awkwardness. And neither one of us knows how to drive.

Favourite Peep Show line?

There are so many great ones, but I’ll go with two probably more obscure ones –

“Nothing growing in the pants department. I’m as limp as a charity wristband.” – Mark making out with Sophie after getting mugged. (S3Ep1).  When I heard it I spent the rest of the day randomly giggling about it.

“Can I turn that into a little dance? No, play it cool” – Jez, wearing sunglasses and accidently running straight into the bar (S7Ep2). It was such a small little moment in the episode but it still makes me laugh when I think about it.

Favourite Upstart Crow episode?

“I know Thee Not, Old Man” from season 2. The mix-up with the two Gertrudes was great.

‘Well, I must say that was the most divine service I’ve ever had.’

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p05dsz60/upstart-crow-series-2-2-i-know-thee-not-old-man

Favourite Upstart Crow character?

I think, maybe, Bottom. I’m not really sure why, other than Rob Rouse is great, which I guess is reason enough!

Favourite Wilty? moment?

Oh wow, how do you pick? Kevin Bridges accidentally buying the horse is obviously a classic. I love the outlandish lies Lee is always given (Wok Around the Clock, Mouse Taxidermy, the Keys) and how much David ends up laughing from them. One moment I really enjoyed came from the story about David supposedly not liking contactless payments. Lee made a joke about how hard it was to get into Oyster HQ because you had to prise it open. The joke didn’t get as big of a reaction as it probably should have but then David picked it up and said “You have to get past Pearl on reception” and  I thought it was a great moment of how the two of them play so well off of each other.

Favourite Wilty? guest?

Probably Bob Mortimer or Greg Davies.

Favourite David Mitchell rant?

The one from the Big Fat Quiz where he goes on the rant about people always trying to get you to dance when you don’t want to. So relatable.

Favourite David Mitchell quote?

“I’ve answered at tedious length. Tedious length is also my porn name.”

“I like to .. erm .. no. I was about to say, ‘I like to experience new things.’ No, I don’t. I get bullied into experiencing new things under peer pressure.”

Your Numberwang number?

Twentington.

Do you think Andrew is really evil in Back? What do you think will happen in the end?

Evil? Perhaps. He definitely appears to be leaning that way. Maybe “complex with a side of evil-like tendencies?” I couldn’t begin to speculate about what will happen, but I’m anxious to see. What happened at Sergio’s? I have to know! I’m worried about Stephen, all drugged up in that chair, haha.

Poor Stephen…

Are you more like Mark, Jez or Super Hans?

Mark, definitely.

Your favourite character in the entire Mitchell & Webb extended universe?

Maureen, the dog from Back.

What are your Other favourite comedies and/or comedians?

Lee Mack – love him on WILTY? I finally got around to downloading his autobiography onto my kindle and am really enjoying reading that.  Also enjoy Richard Ayoade and James Acaster

The twitter pages you’d love to recommend:

@MrMichaelSpicer – His Room Next Door videos are hilarious.

Your Favourite TV Shows:

other than the ones mentioned above, I’d say Golden Girls and Seinfeld

Your favourite movie:

I’m not a big movie person, but Best In Show has always been a favourite of mine.

Your Favourite Book:

Nonfiction would be “NeuroTribes” by Steve Silberman. It’s such an important book (I think), for the Autistic community. Fiction would probably be “The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon” by Stephen King. It’s one I can read over and over and still enjoy.

Thanks for sharing your favourites with us Amanda!

 

The ‘A Dose of David Mitchell’ Fan Interviews – Meet Leah

 

Twitter handle: @leahcksmith

What do you do? Or what do you love to do?

I am a literature and film student who enjoys reading and writing about all kinds of interesting and funny things. I also love procrastinating in front of TV shows, particularly sitcoms.

The moment that you realised you were a David Mitchell fan?

Hmm, I don’t think I would be answering the right questionnaire if I said I don’t know. I think I just sort of gradually realised how funny he is when I started watching Would I Lie to You? (first thing I saw him in) and when I was looking up his TV appearances on YouTube, that’s when I knew.

Your favourite David Mitchell show?

Difficult question… I’m tempted to say Would I Lie to You because he’s brilliant in that, so in terms of panel shows definitely that. In terms of sitcoms, probably Peep Show. His character, Mark, is just so wonderfully absurd, and he has the best rants.

Favourite Mitchell & Webb sketch: “The Green Clarinet”, is that the official name of the sketch? There are so many, but for some reason that one sticks in my mind. I love the idea of it, the piper’s silly costume, Olivia Colman, the ominous clarinet music that plays when David’s character misuses his power, and the way it all escalates is just really funny to me. But otherwise, “are we the baddies” and “the football” are also classics, as are many more.

Favourite Mitchell & Webb scene/moment?

It has to be the final Holmes and Watson sketch, I think. As many have said, it is a rare moment which balances humour with sadness especially well. It starts as sort of a funny premise with some good jokes but ends really heartbreakingly with Holmes’s confession and Watson’s reaction is really painful to watch. It’s really well acted and was an interesting way to end the Mitchell & Webb sketch show.

Favourite Mitchell & Webb deep cut? Was It Something I Said? I thought David was a great host.

Favourite Peep Show episode?

I think “Seasonal Beatings” in series 7, because it has many standout funny moments (no turkey!) and it also ends with Mark standing up to his father.

https://www.channel4.com/programmes/peep-show/on-demand/47548-005

Favourite Peep Show character?

Dobby, I think. She’s pretty cool and for a while I thought she had a good dynamic with Mark.

Favourite Peep Show line?

I’m so bad at remembering lines but probably every line written in the show!

Favourite Upstart Crow episode?

“Go on and I Will Follow”

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0bmgftc/upstart-crow-series-3-6-go-on-and-i-will-follow

Favourite Upstart Crow character?

Kate, because she’s a boss. I also think Shakespeare’s daughter Susanna is pretty funny.

Favourite Wilty? moment?

When David realises Chris Rea did not in fact tell Bob Mortimer to put an egg in his bath and laughs merrily in the face of utter chaos.

Favourite Wilty? guest?

Any episode with Bob Mortimer to be honest.

Favourite David Mitchell rant?

“get to the point is not an exhortation you can fairly make during a parlour game! There is no point, this is a pointless exercise and we are whiling away our finite time before the grave.”

Favourite David Mitchell quote?

“the world is full of people trying to make people who don’t wanna dance, dance.” (if I extended the quote it would actually be another rant haha)

Your Numberwang number? Hmm tweighty-thrive

Do you think Andrew is really evil in Back? What do you think will happen in the end?

I think he is, I just find him very shady. But I find this show very unpredictable, so I can’t really imagine what will happen in the end – which is why I’m super excited to find out!

Are you more like Mark, Jez or Super Hans?

Probably Mark, because I overthink a lot and also feel permanently guilty about my existence.

Your favourite character in the entire Mitchell & Webb extended universe?

Probably the magic clarinet from that Mitchell & Webb sketch because it makes people admit they wet the bed until they were twelve and that sort of thing.

What are your Other favourite comedies and/or comedians?

Some other comedians I like include Lee Mack, Diane Morgan, Ricky Gervais and also YouTube comedians like Dan Howell. Other favourite sitcoms are The Office, Miranda and french sitcom Call my Agent, and big ones like Scrubs, Parks & Rec, Brooklyn 99 and The Good Place.

The twitter pages you’d love to recommend: @Kermodemovie for film content , @SparkNotes and @Drunk_Austen for literature content , and @AlexTheHonk for birb content

Your Favourite TV Shows: Doctor Who, Scrubs, Supernatural, The Good Place

Your favourite movie: Hot Fuzz, Mamma Mia, School of Rock, Groundhog Day, Bridget Jones’s Diary (technically quite a few favourite movies)

Your Favourite Book: Harry Potter series, Matilda, Good Omens (choices are hard!)

Thank you for sharing your favourites with us Leah!

 

The ‘A Dose of David Mitchell’ Fan Interviews – Meet Nikki

Twitter handle: @80sretro215

What you do? Or what you love to do? I’m a Lab Tech who loves books, music (listening & playing instruments), movies, plays, writing poetry, sketch drawing, cooking & baking.

The moment that you realised you were a David Mitchell fan? The first time I saw Peep Show. The way David & Robert played off each other was comedy gold. The comedic timing was impeccable.

Your favourite David Mitchell show? I’d have to say Peep Show because that’s when I became a huge fan.

Favourite Mitchell & Webb sketch: There’s so many to choose from (The Situation, The Sound & The Look), but if I’d have to choose a favourite I’d be “Erotic Massage” from “The Look.” When Robert gives David a massage, he appears to be a bit uncomfortable & corpsing at the same time.

Favourite Mitchell & Webb scene/moment? There’s so many to choose from, but my favourite scene would be from “Back” when Stephen confronts Andrew about maiming a child in France. It’s drama with a touch of comedy.

Stephen confronts Andrew in Back

As for favourite moment, so many to choose from (& yes I’ll be saying this a lot). It’s a toss up between “Was It Something I Said? when Robert kind of offends Charles Dance about his age & WILTY? when in Series 2 Episode 1 during the “This Is My” round, Robert was asked “What did he learn from the relationship in 1991?” Roberts response was “To try to form relationships that are based more on just sex & drinking.” David responses “So you say you learned this is 1991?” Everyone laughs including Robert. Priceless moment!

Favourite Mitchell & Webb deep cut? I’d say “The Bleak Old Shop Of Stuff.” But, I do love “The Smoking Room.” There’s also a pilot Robert did called “Our Ex Wife” that I thought was quite good, too!

The 2011/2012 Sitcom The Bleak Old Shop of Stuff

Favourite Peep Show episode? These questions are so difficult because there’s so many to choose from (see I told you I would say that again). Since I have to choose, I’ll say one that no one else would say. Series 9 Episode 3 (Threeism) because the banter in the opening scene between Robert & David still makes me laugh no matter how many times I view it.

https://www.channel4.com/programmes/peep-show/on-demand/51399-003

Favourite Peep Show character? Jeremy because he’s such a shit!

Favourite Peep Show line? “I’m eating a fruit corner, Jeremy!” David’s delivery of the line still makes me laugh (along with his facial expression).

Favourite Upstart Crow episode? I’m torn between the two Christmas specials.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b09l2dvj/upstart-crow-a-christmas-crow

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0bx3yfs/upstart-crow-a-crow-christmas-carol

Favourite Upstart Crow character? Why, Will Shakespeare, of course!

Favourite: Upstart Crow line? Kate’s line in ‘Lord What Fools these Mortals be’ – “Tis is if I see thee for the first time. MY BOTTOM! Come embrace MY BOTTOM! Kiss My BOTTOM! Caress, Cuddle & Delight MY BOTTOM!” Will then hastily adds “Bottom’s his name!”

Favourite Wilty? moment? When Lee Mack initially fooled everyone, especially David, about being invited to Harry & Meghan’s wedding. The look of disappointment on David’s face is priceless. Then, when Lee tells the truth, the sheer relief on David’s face is also priceless.

Favourite Wilty? guest? My favourite WILTY? episode would probably be Series 5 Episode 1 with Miranda Hart (The Jumper Episode), but I also love the Series 10 Episode 1 with Martin Kemp (The Blow Up Toy Episode). What makes it so funny is becuase David Haye continues to ask the question, “So, how long…?” My favourite guest would probably be Bob Mortimer. Shocking, eh?

Favourite David Mitchell rant? David did a rant about America in his Soapbox series on YouTube. So, I’ll choose that one. God, there’s so many rants!

Favourite David Mitchell quote? When David was on “The Big Narstie Show,” David was given the mic to spit some bars, but he stated “He had a note from his wife & would not be participating in the closing bars on this episode.” Cracks me up every time.

Your Numberwang number? Twentington or Filthhundredandneem.

Favourite That Mitchell and Webb Sound sketch? Asbo Zapruder.

Do you think Andrew is really evil in Back? What do you think will happen in the end? I don’t believe Andrew’s evil, but I do believe he has an ulterior motive. What could that motive be? Not quite sure. I do believe he’s desperately seeking praise & approval. Has a bit of hero syndrome in his persona.

Are you more like Mark, Jez or Super Hans? I’m a bit of Mark & Jez. A bit smart, responsible, not too confident, avid reader, not into booze, tobacco or drugs, but I love music & people say I’m a pretty cool dresser (tee shirts, jeans, trainers, army jacket).

Your favourite character in the entire Mitchell & Webb extended universe? So many, but I’m going to say Jedrington (Robert Webb) in The Bleak Old Shop Of Stuff.

What are your Other favourite comedies and/or comedians? Comedies: Only Fools & Horses, Chef, Desmond’s, Miranda, Open All Hours, just to name a few! Comedians: There’s so many, but Robert & David are tops on my list!

David Jason & Ronnie Barker in Open All Hours

The twitter pages you’d love to recommend: Here’s a few: @DobbyClub06, @PodcatsPharaohs, @mitchell_webb, @doseofdavidm (obviously), @ruleofthreepod, @RealDMitchell (of course) & @arobertwebb (of course).

Your favourite movie: I’m obsessed with the 80’s, so you can’t go wrong for me starting with that decade.

Your Favourite Book: I really don’t have a favourite book. I’m into many genres. It just has to grab me from page one!

Some of Nikki’s Mitchell & Webb DVD Archive

Thank you for sharing your Mitchell & Webb Favourites with us Nikki!

 

The Upstart Crow Fact Chronicles -Series 2 Episode 2 – I Know Thee Not, Old Man

A very affectionate look at the Upstart Crow episodes by @chasquipenguin.

Each episode has a theme, usually revolving around one of Will’s plays, and in this series of articles our aim is to give a little more background to those and the Upstart Crow storyline surrounding it, together with the facts, deliberate anachronisms, and the characters involved.

Series 2

Episode 2 – I Know Thee Not, Old Man

The title of this episode is a quote from Henry IV Part 2. Although the episode is not based on this or any other Shakespeare play, there are elements within the plot which are reminiscent of his dramas, and this line is spoken by Kit to John after their night out together.

 

The first scene is set in Lucy’s tavern, which is not beyond the bounds of possibility. Lucy almost certainly existed and is thought to have worked in such establishments which Shakespeare frequented, and it has been concluded that they probably knew each other. There is even speculation that Lucy was the anonymous Dark Lady to whom 28 of his sonnets were dedicated.

 

While it is widely considered that Christopher (Kit) Marlowe worked as a government agent, seeking out Catholics, there is no evidence to suggest that Robert Greene was part of this spy ring. However, the only indication of Marlowe’s involvement is in the form of an extant letter written by members of the Privy Council to the Cambridge University authorities, explaining his absence from college – he was on a mission in Rheims (the home of an English Catholic seminary) for Queen Elizabeth’s government. His MA, which was being withheld because of his prolonged absence, was subsequently granted to Marlowe.

 

There is little likelihood of Marlowe openly discussing a secret mission in a tavern, but from this episode we understand that a Jesuit priest is thought to be hiding in Warwickshire, Will’s home county, and that Will has particularly horrific memories of a cruel school teacher, named Simon Hunt. As a footnote, although Kit refers to Walsingham sending him to Warwickshire, this episode is set in 1592 or later and Sir Francis Walsingham, Queen Elizabeth’s spymaster who headed the spy ring, died in 1590. After this there were two branches of the spy ring run by the Earl of Essex and Robert Cecil.

 

As the episode moves to Stratford, Will is paying a visit home, accompanied by Kit, Kate and Bottom. Soon after, Simon Hunt arrives for an uninvited stay with the family and admits that he is a Jesuit spy. The real Simon Hunt is listed as a teacher at the King Edward VI School in Stratford when William Shakespeare was almost certainly a pupil there. Simon Hunt left England in 1575, as Will mentioned in this episode, travelling to the Catholic seminary in Douai where he trained to become a priest. In 1578 the seminary moved to Rheims temporarily. Later he moved to Rome, joining The Society of Jesus (known as the Jesuits). He never returned to England, dying in Rome in 1585 – a few years before the setting for Upstart Crow. Therefore, his visit to the Shakespeares would not have occurred, but it makes a good story.

 

In this episode Will is keen to write a new play about Henry VIII – an idea which is not met with much enthusiasm by the family. Kate feels he should write about a more worthy king, suggesting Henry V, the hero of Agincourt. This does not appeal to Will who describes Henry V as a self-righteous bore, though he does consider lightening the drama with the introduction of a comedy character but has failed to progress with this idea. However, Shakespeare did write his famous Henry V towards the end of the 16^th century and it was first performed in 1599. Years later Shakespeare added Henry VIII to his extensive list of dramas. Initially entitled All is True (the name of Ben Elton’s recent film), it was first performed in 1611. However, during its performance at the Globe on 29^th June 1613, the theatre burned down when a live cannon on stage misfired. There is speculation, to which not all academics subscribe, that he co-wrote this play with John Fletcher. However, in the First Folio John Fletcher is given no recognition for this.

The original Globe Theatre – as imagined by C. Walter Hodges, based on documentary and archaeological evidence.

Meanwhile, in this episode Will’s mother Mary reveals that her husband is not highly regarded by the residents of Stratford and is known to them as John Foulstuff. Whether the real John Shakespeare resembled this description seems unlikely. Although he was fined for illegal wool dealing, he was a successful and respected businessman and member of the town council, rising to the position of Mayor of Stratford in 1568.

 

The confusion which ensues over Gertrude and Gertie is not, to the best of my knowledge, taken directly from a Shakespeare play but cases of mistaken identity are familiar in much comedy drama, including Shakespeare’s. While the girls’ names give rise to the crossover of visitors to Simon Hunt and Kit, there is a tenuous link to Hamlet via Queen Gertrude, Hamlet’s mother.

 

The ploy to get Kit out of the house by sending him out drinking with Shakespeare Senior led to the penultimate scene, in which Kit, in no uncertain terms, makes it clear that he is not impressed by John’s behaviour the night before, describing him as ‘a sad-act town foul-stuff’ and telling him to his face:

‘I know thee not, old man. Fall to thy prayers. How ill white hairs become a fool and jester’.

This is a quote from Henry IV Part 2 (Act 5, Sc 5), spoken to Falstaff by Henry V who wishes to distance himself from his disreputable old friend and fellow drinker, in the Boar’s Head tavern, now he is no longer a gadabout prince but the king.

 

While it seems unlikely that Shakespeare based the character of Sir John Falstaff on his father, there are contenders for this dubious accolade. In the first edition of Henry IV the name of this comedy character was originally John Oldcastle. However, as history records, he was a friend of Henry V but later led a rebellion against the king. He died in 1417 and it is understood that his descendants objected to Shakespeare’s use of his name for the drunken buffoon in the play and so it was changed to Falstaff in 1598, a year after the play was written. The name itself is said to have been inspired by Sir John Falstolf who had no descendants to object to use of his name!

Falstaff is considered to be Shakespeare’s greatest comedy character. He appeared in three of his plays: Henry IV Parts 1 & 2, as well as The Merry Wives of Windsor in which he married two of these ladies. He does not appear in Henry V but Act 2, Sc 3 of this play is devoted to musing on his death. It is not known who originally played Falstaff but William Kempe’s name has been suggested. However, this seems unlikely, if the date of 1600 for the play’s first performance is accurate, as Kempe parted company with The Lord Chamberlain’s Men, the troupe which performed most of Shakespeare’s plays, in 1599 and in 1600 he undertook his Nine Days’ Wonder during which he morris danced from London to Norwich, over a few weeks.

Falstaff in the foreground at the Boar’s Head with Doll Tearsheet – illustration by Eduard von Grützner

Although this episode is not based on a particular Shakespeare play, there are quotes from a few of his dramas which Will drops into conversation:

When discussing his former schoolteacher Simon Hunt, Will claims that if he ever meets him again he will insult him with quotes from his plays:

• ‘Thou elvish-marked, abortive, rooting hog’ – a quote from Richard III, spoken by Queen Margaret to Richard in Act 1, Sc 3

 

• ‘Villain, I have done thy mother’ – a quote from Titus Andronicus, spoken by Aaron to Chiron in Act 4, Sc 2

 

Watching with the family on the stairs while Simon Hunt gives communion to Mary, Will remarks:

• ‘And live a coward in thine own esteem, letting “I dare not” wait upon “I would”, like the poor cat in the adage’ – a quote from Macbeth, spoken by Lady Macbeth to her husband in Act 1, Sc 7

 

When Anne tells Will he must act now, his response is:

• ‘For there is special providence in the fall of a sparrow. If it be now, ‘tis not to come. If it be not to come, it will be now. If it be not now, yet it will come – the readiness is all’ – a quote from Hamlet, spoken by Hamlet in Act 5, Sc 2

 

In addition, Will is geared up to lay claim to the invention of any saying he hears:

• A change is as good as a rest, which Bottom claimed his grandmother used to say when he was a young lad, seems to be a far more modern proverb and its first known appearance in print was in a magazine published in 1825.

 

• You can’t judge a book by its cover is even more modern and apparently first appeared in The African Journal of American Speech in 1944, as the phrase you can’t judge a book by its binding.

 

• No sooner said than done – while not one of Shakespeare’s inventions, it may well have been known to him as it surfaced in the mid 16^th

 

• All’s well that ends well – as we all know, Shakespeare wrote a play with this title, but the proverb was not his own and dates back to around 1425 when its first appearance in print was in The Middle English Dialogue between Reason and Adversity.

 

An interesting episode with many strings from Shakespeare’s plays all brought very cleverly together to form an Upstart Crow story. Next time we will be scribally travelling to Verona to look at the similarities between one of Will’s plays and ‘I Did Adore a Twinkling Star’.