simple as that
attention to detail here is immense
and very very cleverly done
possibly the best dvd I own

Chris Morris has an eye for the sensitive underbelly of society and makes comedy that occasionally crosses the line into documentary because its humour cuts so close to the truth. This time his target is the Hoxton, Clerkenwell, Liverpool Street set.

Nathan Barley is just that series, working on media and digital projects I found it quite surreal as the characters and the antics so closely reminded me of people I knew. The performances are great and the humour slightly less barbed than some of Chris Morris' earlier projects. But make no mistake Nathan Barley is the Ali G of the creative classes.

I wanted to write a quick review, not just to say how much I personally love Nathan Barley, but to make a note on what I read in so many other reviews of this show. Many of the lower ratings for Barley state how much different Nathan Barley is from the rest of Chris Morris's work. And that's true, but mainly because it's not trying to be. Barley isn't exactly the socio-political satire of Brass Eye or The Day Today, it's attacking a social trend that I happen to believe is still very much alive: pretentious idiots who deem what they create as genius, and worthy of greater regard.

Personally, I think the show is more similar to the work of the other writer of the show, Charlie Brooker. Fans of his show Screenwipe or his Guardian column Screen Burn should get a similar sense of misanthropy from the character of Dan Ashcroft, the disenchanted journalist surrounded by idiots.

I'd also like to note that the show itself is pretty exceptional. The characters, while almost completely non-likable, are all well played. Julian Barratt is particularly excellent, especially for fans of The Mighty Boosh who see him exclusively as Howard Moon, and Nicholas Burns is also fantastic as the titular character. The stories can be simple, but this is definitely a character driven comedy, and the jokes come thick and fast, with the heavy majority hitting home.

Put simply, don't expect Nathan Barley to be the return of Brass Eye, repackaged as a modern day sitcom, because you're more than likely going to be disappointed. The show is as much the work of Brooker as it is of Morris, and manages to create a world full of wonderful, if horrific characters, which makes this, in my opinion, a brilliant comedy series. If you're a fan of casual misanthropy, I'd advise you to buy this, but there may not be quite enough stupid jokes for fans of My Family or Two Pints.

This is the sort of comedy that improves with repeat watching and with age. I have been a big Chris Morris fan since The Day Today - in fact I still think motorists should be shot in the chin - so I was eager to see what this was like. Owing to it's anti-social broadcast schedule I only watched a couple of episodes when this was originally aired. My reaction to the first of these was unreserved disappointment but when I watched the next one I was left trying to decide if it was rubbish or genius.

About a month ago I was given the DVD as a gift and I was a bit unsure what to expect. What I found was that it has aged brilliantly - much better in fact than The Day Today, Brass Eye or even Jam which seem very of-their-time. The miserable truth is the Rise of the Idiots has now reached Whitehall so this really is more valid now that ever.

I am not sure why I find it funnier now than I did then. Maybe it's just because I have watched it all not just pieces. Maybe it is because I am little older and even more disparaging of the wannabee cool kids. Maybe because Banksy and Pete Docherty are household names and we all recognise the moron-clever dynamic they represent that is at the core of Barley's character.

Some of the criticism levelled at the show is that you need exposure to the Shoreditch new media scene to get it. I disagree. Possibly the funniest thing in the whole programme is Barley's attention-seeking, tasteless, banal phone conversations on the bus. Anyone who has used a bus in the last decade can recognise this situation and if that doesn't make you laugh then maybe you are one of the Idiots!

The real strength of this is old-fashioned virtues like clever scripting, brilliant acting and fully-developed core characters. It has some of the perfectly observed accuracy prevalent in the work of Morris's old partner Steve Coogan. If you don't know an intelligent individual frustrated by the success of the morons (Dan), an insecure braggard (Barley), a cynical exploitative money maker (Jonathan) or a bunch of half-witted chattering monkeys that think a hat gives them personality (almost everyone else) then you must live in a better world than I do!

....and find it really good!

This sort of comedy doesn't come around very often.

Like making faces towards yourself in front of a mirror and getting upset as well.

Big shame it is not more widely known, or got no second series.
Maybe the points it makes are very real