If You’re New…

If you’re not a regular here, go through the pages linked to your left. To find out what World of Pub actually is, read the Introduction page. This front page is for the latest news.

Hot News

Well, World of Pub has failed to set the world on fire. However, many of the people involved have done very well for themselves. Martin Freeman has been in The Office, an all-time classic, and Peter Serafinowicz's page has been updated. Michael Cumming has also done well, with Brass Eye on DVD and the Mark Steel Lectures a triumph on BBC4 and BBC2, with a new series planned!

You can check out the BBC’s Official World of Pub site here. The site is very entertaining, written by Tony Roche (the Pubmaster General) himself, with eCards, quizzes, competitions, character information and things. What web of pub (this site) will aim to do is to let you discuss WoP free from the restraints of the BBC, so we can look back (and forwards) at the careers of the cast and crew, discuss favourite episodes, select choice quotes and so forth. I hope. Do please feed back to me!

BBC website hacks: to get at the wallpapers from the BBC site for downloading quickly, visit this URL which links you into the BBC site directly. Right-click the images beginning “lrg” to get the large wallpapers, for example. This is just quicker than going through the whole site. Which you should. Enjoy.

The future: would you like to see this site expanded to cover The Sunday Format, People like Us, and all that stuff? Let me know…

Recent additions: pages for Martin Freeman and Michael Cumming. More Cumming soon! This site is the victim of continual procrastination.

Long ago in a galaxy far, far away: Disaster strikes first and second episodes, but some progress is then made.

First things first: before one can assess Pub, one must know that there are 3 versions in existence:

1. Version with no laughter track.

2. Version with low laughter track.

3. Version with appallingly overdone and underdone laughter track and absurd applause which manages both to obscure some jokes and ignore others. This version also has whooshes added to the jump cuts and additional music cues not written by Richard Lewis, the show’s composer.

The third version was created without consultation with the director, Michael Cumming, or the writer, Tony Roche. The version preferred by all the artists is version 1. Version 2 is a happy compromise, but a compromise nevertheless. The BBC would not even consider version 1, and were adding appalling canned laughter just before the early transmissions to create the dire version 3. Towards the end of the series, my campaign had had an effect, and the amount of laughter added was greeatly reduced.

When I first became aware of this, I wrote the following letter to Jane Root, head of BBC Sports Overrun Take as Long as You Like Funsize Choice:

Dear Ms Root

In January this year, I attended a screening of World of Pub. I became an instant fan and have been promoting it on the Internet since that time.

My enthusiasm has meant that I have received considerable feedback after the first transmission. It was unanimously agreed that the appallingly false laughter track superimposed on the show ruined the atmosphere, obscured many of the jokes and surprisingly came at odd moments clearly not intended to be funny. Also, the loud applause on the end credits was totally out of place.

Insiders close to the show have informed me that two versions of the programme were prepared: a version with no laughter track, and a version with a light laughter track, being the copy sent to reviewers. I understand that you showed no interest in the laughter-free version. However, the version broadcast last Sunday was different to the one prepared by the director, in that it had further audience reactions overdubbed. The director and writer were not consulted over this addition, making this a possible breach of his moral right not to have his work subjected to derogatory treatment.

I am disgusted that the BBC feels the need to patronise viewers by telling them when to laugh, and then, having decided to do so, fails. Further, I am disgusted that the opinions of all the artists involved in the creation of the show have been overridden by an executive decision which has so completely failed to gain the support of any members of the viewing audience.

The additional laughter version is completely unacceptable and I very strongly recommend that World of Pub is never shown in this state again. The light laughter edit would be preferable, but there can be no question that the definitive version is the one with no laughter track.

I find the basis of your decision to insist on false laughter peculiar to say the least, as People like Us seems to survive without it, as do The Royle Family, Stella Street and Marion and Geoff. Channel 4 has enough respect for its viewers and artists not to force laughter tracks on Brass Eye, Jam, Banzai and Spaced.

There was the same battle over 20 years ago with Hitch Hikers' Guide to the Galaxy, and more recently with League of Gentleman, where I believe the Christmas special did not have a laughter track, but series 2 did, again ruining the atmosphere and counter to the artists' wishes.

My recommendation is that you immediately substitute the no laughter version for the fake laughter version for all future broadcasts, then you will have some chance of regaining the respect of both viewers and artists that your original decision has lost.

Do please contact me if you would like to discuss the matter further.

Yours sincerely

Steve Day

I had no reply.

Anyway, laughter track aside, is it any good? [My opinion coming up]: When I first saw WoP 1.1, I was left luke-warm, but I still enjoyed it. On watching WoP for the second time, and taking account of the laugh track atrocity which had been revealed to me, what can I say but that I think the show is fantastic. Every line in the script is perfect, all marvellously delivered, tightly structured and brilliantly filmed. Timing is spot on and the spirit of the original radio series has definitely been preserved. I think this show is a classic of TV comedy.

The way every line counts is a quality I look for in modern TV and radio comedy, and I was not disappointed here. Even the credits sequence has me in stitches! But the comedy was drawn from linguistics and rhythmic delivery rather than silly situations. This programme demands close attention and approaches The Simpsons in its speed and intricacy and The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin for its effective use of repetitive language. Incidentally, The Simpsons doesn't need a laughter track, does it, Ms Root? Nor does Malcolm in the Middle, recently voted the best US TV comedy (maybe a slight exaggeration).

I think a lot of people didn’t quite get it, and the feedback I’ve had has been mixed. That said, there was a general desire to “tune in next week” and give it time. I think it will take time for people to adjust to the humour, which proves that Pub is both original and set for a long life. My advice to you: if you enjoyed the episode, watch it again, and you’ll get more out of it. If you didn’t enjoy the episode, watch it again and you’ll get more out of it.

Congratulations go to Michael Cumming for directing, and all the stars for giving such tight performances. And of course Tony Roche for creating the whole World of Pub in the first place. Main battle now is to get the fucking laughter track removed for the DVD issue…

Count

You are punter since 06/02/2001. This page has been pulling pints since January 17 2001! Beat that!

If you're finished exploring this site, please go to my Stella Street page, with much more about Phil Cornwell’s other major show. To see the index page of all my sites, click here. Thanks for visiting. Do come again. Rose for the lady?

Disclaimer: This is not a BBC site. To go to the BBC, click here. This web site is © Steve Day, except for extracts reproduced from World of Pub, © BBC 2001, used for review purposes only. All information presented here is believed to be correct, but no liability is accepted for any loss resulting from the use of it. Please email me if you have spotted an error, have any further information, or have any questions. All emails are read carefully, but unfortunately I cannot guarantee a personal reply, at least not quickly. This site exists to promote World of Pub amongst fans and is run on a non-profit basis. There is a small commission for sales of videos etc. from this site, but this is because (i) it is immoral to make money for someone without making any yourself, and (ii) to cover costs of web hosting.

Web of Pub

A World of Pub page.

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This site was last tampered with on 2007-04-07 with a little DVD news, although nothing's official yet.

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