The Wrong Door (2008) User Reviews

Pretty Good Actually, Take your brain out and Enjoy

[md-154 · 7/10 · 4 September 2008]

I accidentally caught the first episode of this and was pleasantly surprised. Now I have read the official tagline "Comedy sketch show set in a surreal parallel universe where film and TV special effects are part of everyday life" it makes more sense! Without knowing this you just think some of the things in there are just a bit too random! The effects are really well done. I enjoyed this because it was something fresh, new and different to cut through the constant stream of reality TV (lazy producers) cr@p. I also love most sci-fi progs (don't be scared I'm not a trekkie!).

Most of the situations covered (losing car keys, getting drunk, bringing new boyfriend home, being stuck with an annoying person) are all things we have encounter so are familiar and relevant to the viewer. They just add a little humor, sprinkle a large helping of special effects and give it a good old 'twist', and there you go.

Personally I found most of the sketches funny and well done (drunk bloke in Hotel, you got to watch it!). I find most of the bad reviews unfair - yes there are a FEW sketches that don't cut it or are more a showcase of effects, but let's be honest, name a sketch show where 100% of them are funny.

Take it with a pinch of salt, take your brain out and see it for what it is - it felt really refreshing watching something different for a change. If you have any interest in sci-fi, every day life, computer games, London, something a bit wacky, special effects you may enjoy.

I can see this getting the same cult status as say Fonejacker did (although nothing similar in the format!). I will be watching every episode - it is of course possible I could change my view by the end of the series, but going on the first episode I would say it is VERY GOOD.

All of those slamming the 'most annoying creature on the Planet', well erm... didn't it do the job it was created for *sighs* It's meant to annoy the hell out of you :)! I would say about 80% of sketches were either funny or enjoyable to watch because of their technical achievements - I would suggest the 1 star reviewers stick to watching Gardens World or something equally mind numbing. Condemning a whole TV Show on 1 episode is a shade unfair. On the other hand I stand here ready and willing to receive some egg on my face if the series declines or becomes too repetitive Going by first ep The best BBC comedy for ages! Worth a wstch definitely.

I HAVE NO CONNECTION WITH the BBC, in fact I resent paying my TV license that solely goes to the cooperation that makes hardly any good stuff anymore. Go on watch it, watch it now on iPlayer, you know you want to... Now wheres me car keys??

How did this get commissioned?

[messagecraig · 1/10 · 31 August 2008]

What is it with the BBC and producing possibly the worst comedy sketch shows in history? Is it deliberate? I hope so because if the commissioning editor actually finds this stuff funny then the BBC is effectively doomed.

The Wrong Door consists of a stream of wee, poo and bum "jokes" with the odd swear word thrown in an attempt to make it "edgy", evidence of the show's lack of substance and desperation to make any impact at all. In fact, take away the swearing and you could probably broadcast this to an audience who would also find themselves watching Dick & Dom and even then it would be touch and go as to whether they would watch until the end.

The only reason I'd give for watching is so that people can see how bad this is and hopefully it will inspire some good writers to see how easy it is to get stuff on TV and persuade them to come forward.

What a load of crap.

[nomad_journeyman · 1/10 · 28 August 2008]

I just watched this, & I cannot believe I made it to the end.

I think this is possibly the worst example of 'comedy' yet put out by the BBC. Some of the sketches: The little annoying thing, the dinosaur boyfriend et al. What is it all about, there are absolutely no redeeming features to this show whatsoever. I give most things a second chance, but on this occasion I will not, as I feel that nothing is gonna change for the positive in this one. If the this is what the BBC is going to be spewing at us from now on under the guise of comedy, then I propose that we all boycott this increasingly distant organisation by refusing to pay our licence, who's with me...? Well, that's my rant over. I recommend that this show be avoided by everybody. I wouldn't wish an episode of this on my worst enemy.

Hilarious!

[john-handscombe · 9/10 · 12 September 2008]

I can't give it ten because very little comedy is that good. But this had me rolling about with laughter in my hotel bed on a recent visit to London. I had seen trailers of it on the two BBC channels that we get here in Belgium, and was sorry that it was on BBC 3, which we don't get.

Now, by sheer accident - I was zapping to see what was showing on various channels - I've seen it.

All the negative comments that I've read on here "The Wrong Door" may well be true - it is like something produced by kids with their first CGI software - but that's the whole point! It's VERY funny. If it's not, then *I* am! Durrr...

Off to the BBC Shop to see if I can find the DVDs...

it makes you wonder

[therefdotcom · 1/10 · 15 December 2008]

first of all i want to say that i am a huge fan of British comedy, starting from the classics like monty python, fawlty towers, french & saunders, ranging over light comedy like coupling, darker territory like black books and black adder, weirder stuff like spaced and the mighty boosh and even enjoying stuff that is as drastic as league of gentlemen and little Britain. with that said and not mentioning every single one of the gazillions of DVD boxes i have at home, i must say that i am actually quite surprised if not shocked, that something like that can come from the land that basically invented most genres of comedy we know of today and started worldwide "franchises" like the office or IT crowd.

this is a series that completely and utterly relies on the use of CGI and overuses the element of "running gags". sadly enough the CGI is at best mediocre and the "running gags" actually backfire as they won't get funnier with every time they get repeated. they start off annoyingly and get to a point where you can barely take it without kicking in the TV screen.

one example: a giant robot is searching for his keys. that's it, no further gag, just a robot looking for his keys. repeated over and over again. not funny? damn right.

the writing has some pikes where it barely hits mediocresy, but for the most part just stays rock bottom. throughout the whole few episodes i wasn't able to laugh or at least enjoy what i was seeing. some of the sketches even had some sadistic elements to them.

i don't have a problem with toilet humor, but at least it gotta be in context. just mentioning certain words over and over again doesn't make them funnier.

it makes me laugh reading some comments around here telling people to "switch of their brains and enjoy" when it comes to this series. it is not about being too high maintenance, it is about laughing about every sh*tty gag in the book. i have nothing against light entertainment. i found movies like van wilder 1&2, naturally blonde ..etc etc very entertaining as i am able to switch off and let go, but this series is just agonzing and by far the worst British TV series i have seen in my life.

Best sketch show in a long time

[stubieboy · 8/10 · 21 September 2008]

While most other reviewers slate this show for its 'over-use' of CGI, they're simultaneously ignoring the fact that this is the USP of the programme. It's like complaining there's too much murder in Poirot.

Indeed, special effects replace a long tradition of making intricate or wonderfully shoddy props prevalent in all British sketch shows up to this point and this can be a bit frightening for anyone born after 1984. It would be incredibly easy for this show to lazily leave us marvelling at the pretty visuals but instead backs itself up with excellent writing, with each episode taking a loose theme ranging from darkly humorous to darkly mad, and excellent performances from an extremely varied comic cast (largely devoid of regulars, helping the surrealism along.)

Let there be no misunderstandings, this is a programme aimed at a younger audience with an unnerving sense of humour (thus the scheduling) meaning criticism can largely be put down to this being "a generational thing." In the end, you can probably filter the audience as being anyone who's ever laughed at an internet video not involving a cat. I laughed.

The BBC have really outdone themselves!

[lister_ashley · 1/10 · 1 September 2008]

Okay, the BBC have produced some bad stuff in the past, and stuff which I've found amusing in the past (like Two Pints) seems to have gained a constantly decaying script, getting seemingly more abstract and surreal.

Well, this show begins surreal, with a giant walking robot. What's that, you say? A killing machine? An army weapon? Maybe an alien from outer space? Goodness, no! It's looking for it's keys.

(PAUSE) The pause was for you to laugh. WHAT?!? You didn't? But this is comedy genius! A 500ft robot looking for his keys? A woman dating a carnivorous dinosaur? An annoying creature? What else could you want? Oh, wait! A decent script might be nice! I don't remember smiling (not even laughing or chuckling, but SMILING) once. The program has a ghoulish train-wreck appeal, where once you start watching it, you can't seem to stop! I expect the show to flop, but wouldn't be surprised if a second series of this drivel will make it to the channel.

To anyone who hasn't seen this program, I implore you NOT to watch it! I kept asking myself why I was watching it, and answered "Because it simply HAS to get better!" It didn't. It really didn't.

Awful

[jamie_dibiasio21 · 1/10 · 4 September 2008]

After forcing myself to watch two episodes of this, I can confidently say that it is the worst "sketch show" I've ever seen. I honestly think that a group of school children, aged roughly 6, were placed into a room with a computer and told to go nuts.

The excessive use of CGI makes it look like the writers just purchased a new computer program and are trying to use it in every situation possible, creating cringe making, childish characters and situations. I can only assume that they couldn't find any actors willing to play the parts and had to resort to making odd, computer generated "things".

I would advise immediately blocking your ears and screaming to anyone who tries to get you to watch the show.

The Wrong Category

[MarkSaltzer · 1/10 · 22 September 2008]

This show was dismal at best. CGI, WOW, I guess the last three Star Wars movies showed you what good CGI and no storyline can achieve, disappointment all round. The CGI effects in this show are good if it was broadcast in 1997, but let's face facts, YOUTUBE has some better stuff to offer.

The sketches in this show were very weak and drawn out with no payoff, some of them were marginally humorous, but where's the quality of the old days ie. THE FAST SHOW. Not many BBC sketch comedies have hit the mark lately. LITTLE Britain really took the toilet humour to a whole new pathetic level and after the first season, went down hill faster than an Olympic snowboarder. MITCHELL & WEBB however was quite a clever show, with some intelligent sketches and overall was and hopefully still is a great series. Maybe it's the dumbing down of society that is making the BBC target it's comedy department to purile rubbish, we had the YOUNG ONES in our day, the kids today have THE MIGHTY BOOSH. The comparison... put it this way I still haven't laughed once while watching THE MIGHT BOOSH. Have both seasons, based on rave reviews, but found it to be as funny as a Royal Christening, The Wrong Door is even worse.