We Are Klang (TV Series 2009) Poster

(2009)

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7/10
Silly, childish and of course funny
ben_tos8 May 2015
I recently found this series on youtube an must say, i loved it. There are references to the Goodies, but since i never saw the Goodies i cannot comment on that. This show is an excuse for silly one-liners, bad puns and TV-violence like we've seen in Bottom.

The story line is just an excuse as a set up for short sketches, or skits, as they were called on Monty Python. The actors take up several recurring roles and in true British comedy tradition dress up as women.

Not the intelligent banter from Blackadder or a bit of Fry and Laurie but more in the line of the young ones, Bottom. It will appeal more to the younger generation but as an adult I did laugh several times while watching,
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8/10
Is it so wrong to enjoy this?
James-2807 August 2009
Halfway through the first episode I was questioning my own sanity about watching this nonsensical show, but the thing is I was enjoying it!

We are Klang are three comedians who have been "klanging" on radio and on stage before breaking into TV. I hadn't actually heard of them although I did recognise Greg from Mock the Week.

They are council workers in a fictional town. Greg is deputy mayor and a buffoon, Steve is health and safety and is verbally abrasive, and Marek is minister without a portfolio and is, well, just slightly odd that you don't know if you should be laughing at him or calling social services. There is also the audience ministry deliciously breaking the 4th wall as the camera pans to the audience clapping.

This is a surreal comedy and utter nonsense but it is so funny. The cast members know exactly what you are probably thinking and they pre-empt it themselves. Greg is constantly being ridiculed for either being a fat Rik Mayall, or (my personal favourite) a fat Giles from Buffy. In the first episode Greg says "You know what i've just realised?" and Steve jumps in with "That this is a poor imitation of The Goodies?"

The cast play other characters as and when they are needed but to be honest it is when they are all in the office together that it is at its best.

This won't be for everyone, it is very odd and childish in a grown up kind of way, but I would urge you to at least give it a go. I'm really glad I did
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8/10
The Modern Day 'Young Ones'
thereal_fozzy-122 August 2009
Remember the Young Ones, the short lived surreal sitcom is remembered for the slapstick and over exaggerated performances along with being one of the first 'Alternative' comedies. In the BBC Three comedy We are Klang has taken everything most audiences love about the classic comedies and sitcoms and put it into there own. There are similar characters to sitcoms such as Blackadder and The Vicar Of Dibley. I am mostly referencing Baldrick and Alice Tinker, their 'intelligence' and 'stupidity' is very similar to the character Marek, who is a minister without a portfolio. He is pushed about by the other two characters, and is the victim to slapstick violence such as being hit by a sledgehammer or repeatedly hit by Greg and Steve. One of his characteristics, which shows the audience the level of his intelligence is to lift up his desk only to have everything on it fall of onto the floor and when he puts the desk lid back down he is completely oblivious to where all his belongings have gone.

Well apart from having an actor who looks like Rick Mayall, the actor does surprisingly have the same energy as Mayall along with his loud voice and postures. There are also parts in the show where the plot goes nowhere and its just all about making a laugh, such as the final episode in series one, where the entire episode turns out to be a dram of Marek's. Remember Alexei Sayle as Balowski in The Young Ones and how he would have very random scenes, well the show is kind of like that, for instance the three main characters play a minority of residents of Klangbury, where the show is set, such as a pair of old racist women and other comical stereotypes.

The funny thing is, in parts that make you flinch and think 'Oh my god!' you can tell the actor/writers know that's what your going to think. In episode two 'Crime' Greg is tied to a chair and is told by a juggling criminal mastermind that juggling is a diseases, where Greg responds with 'Are you trying to tell me that juggling is catching' and both break the forth wall by looking in to the camera with cynical looks on their face. Another example is the health and safety officer, played by Steve Hall builds and organises operations around Klangbury, in most episodes where Greg is labelling a point (which is often a joke or a gag) Steve will say the punch line of the joke in a sarcastic tone, as if it was obvious what the joke was. In other occasions in episode five he made the "B.N.P" which stand for "Be Nice to People." If your one of those who likes alternative, slapstick and exaggerated comedies, than this is recommended for you.
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8/10
Great So Far.
Nitpicking7 August 2009
Warning: Spoilers
I've only seen a couple of episodes so far but I love it.

I was not aware of other incarnations of We Are Klang so I'm not coming to it with preconceptions. This has a bearing on another's comments, We Are Klang predates the Inbetweeners, just not in its TV form.

It's largely based in the offices of Klangbury Council but at the same time its a stage show, hence the Department of Audience, no 4th wall here much of the time.

Analysis would show, I suspect, comedy DNA sourced from the Will Hay/Moore Marriott/Graham Moffatt movies, The Goons, Monty Python, The Goodies*, Vic & Bob, Bottom** and Father Ted. If you like some of those you will probably like this.

*Explicit reference to The Goodies in one episode.

**Recurring references to Greg Davies looking like a fat Rik Mayall, which he does.
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2/10
One of the funniest BBC 3 comedies
bobthegrinch10 August 2009
I fear for the beeb sometimes. They cancelled Peter Serafinowicz and Pulling, didn't let Adam Buxtons MeeBox get past a pilot and turned Live At The Apollo to *shudders* Michael Macintyres Comedy Roadshow. It's hard to forget though that in the last 10 years they've given us The Royle Family, The Office, Broken News, The Thick Of It, The League Of Gentlemen, Stewart Lee's Comedy Vehicle, Gavin & Stacey, Getting On, Mock The Week and continued to supply Have I Got News For You and Buzzcocks.

Reading that you'd rightly think I'm a BBC fan (I am, it still makes some of the finest television in the world) but you might have also noticed only 3 of the shows I mentioned (Gavin & Stacey, Pulling *cancelled*and MeeBox *pilot only*) were BBC 3 productions and while my summary might sound like I like this show it's worth remembering that BBC 3 made about 9 series of 2 pints of lager and let the creators of that monstrosity make another series (the terrible Coming Of Age) as well as the so awful you'll tear your hair out, Grown Ups.

This isn't quite that bad but it's basically Chucklevision with ruder jokes. They leave a lot of mistakes/corpsing in and break the fourth wall (perhaps because they're not massively comfortable with the change of format from stage to television) but it's not cleverly done as it has been in shows like Garth Merenghi's Darkplace. I personally think the jokes they make at the expense of one characters mental disability aren't very sophisticated and there's a lot of hamming it up and shouting punchlines, which hurts the material more than it helps.

It's not a total disaster and I can imagine it would appeal to the sort of people who thought Little Britain and The Mighty Boosh were funny (they're certainly marketing it as though Klang are the new comedy troupe to watch). All that said I found the odd joke funny (If you're having facial spasms I feel bad for you son, I've got 99 problems but a twitch ain't one) but if you're looking for really good British comedy BBC 2, BBC 4 and occasionally Channel 4 are still your best bets.
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10/10
It is immense.
i-dont-get-it-121 August 2009
I think this show is utterly nonsensical and anybody who says the word excrement in their comment is rubbish but not rubbish. There's nothing wrong with the song in the first episode about the jews. It is an informative song listing folks that are jews. I never knew doctor who was a jew until this show. My eyes have been opened! Anywho, this is excellent. It makes no sense and has no plot line. It doesn't need one, i say more shows like this. More shows on BBC three that aren't American dad! I laughed hysterically, especially when there was a squirrel a ferret and some sex meat involved. It's awesome, if you don't find it awesome i shall quote you this.. "you are a giant porridge faced tool and if you don't get it sorted i will spin you off the end of my cock."
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1/10
Worst BBC programme ever?
c-bannon3 August 2009
We are Klang has to be one of the worst, if not THE worst BBC programmes of all time.

I really don't want to write 10 lines to get this comment on to IMDb but if it saves the pain of someone else watching it.... so be it!

It tries too hard to be funny/different/random (because random is the "in" thing). It's loosely strung together with a vague plot in between a jumble of stupidity, possibly rejects of ideas from family guy thrown across the Atlantic into the head of an ex-teacher who (as it says in the first episode) looks like a fat version of Rick Mayall!

All I can say is don't bother... even Big Brother would be better to watch (not that I would suggest that either).

oh and it's on BBC 3 if you were wondering.
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9/10
As good as it gets lately
stevepprice772 September 2009
We are Klang is just about as funny as comedy shows are right now. Even the songs (comedy songs normally a no no for me) are reasonable.

Shows such as Little Britain are amusing, but really not that funny. League Of Gentlemen very amusing, but certainly not laugh a minute.

Not saying We Are Klang was laugh a minute but as an anarchic comedy I would suggest it is actually better than The Young Ones. Have you watched one lately??; maybe not as funny as you may remember when 10 years old. With the exception of the 'Bambi' episode.

So anyone who thinks We Are Klang is total rubbish can I ask you the question; "what current 'comedy programmes' are you watching?"

Monty Python / Steptoe / Open All Hours / Only Fools & Horses

Whoops they're not current

Me laud... I rest my case

But seriously what out there is funnier I would like to know? Please not Friends PLEASE PLEASE no no no
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1/10
Crap
eamer-v21 August 2009
Really, how did this show ever get commissioned? I've not seen anything worse than this... EVER. Why is it screened on BBC3 too? If the Producers really thought the programmes target audience would be BBC3 viewers they were terribly wrong and the only people who would find this remotely amusing would be about four years old. The guy from the Inbetweeners... I don't understand why he took this career turn either. He plays a strict bastard of a teacher in Inbetweeners and in this he is just plain stupid and twenty years too old for it.

This is just not amusing in the slightest and tries far too hard to be. It makes no sense why anyone would think it was worth making.
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10/10
Brilliant and Fun
louiephillips-725547 January 2016
Surreal. Brilliant. Wonderful.

Im going to be honest, I love We Are Klang so much because it holds a nostalgic place in my heart. It reminds me of going on holiday and watching it with my family on BBC 3.

However, I enjoyed it for what it is also. Granted it's no Extras or Frasier but its style of humour is completely different. This is more along the lines of Bottom.

The characters are cooky , the music is quirky and the plots are fun for every episode. Ainsley Harriott even appears as a gun wielding version of himself.

Greg Davies , Steve Hall and Marek Larwood work well as a trio and the cast of supporting characters really fit into the world and fictional town of Klangbury.

This series definitely deserves a DVD release, especially when you see the other junk they put on discs. There is a petition on change.org asking for a DVD so feel free to give it a sign if you are a fan.

All in all I would give We Are Klang a solid 10/10.
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1/10
Hahaha!.. the bald one is a retard!! LOLROFL
jl230517 August 2009
A question:

Why is it deemed acceptable for a BBC commissioned show in the year 2009 to have a character who amounts to nothing more than a "comedy-spastic" routine?.

Marek Larwood gives a performance in this that would have shamed Jim Davidson in the early 80s.

He might as well sit there for the entire duration of an episode making a "duuuurrrgggh" noise whilst pushing out his lower lip with his tongue.

Wretched.
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10/10
Actual TV Comedy
simoncoram-0676612 June 2020
There's no humour anymore, no comedians. Try this for size!
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8/10
Hilariously absurd and over the top
pufflingpants14 January 2021
So amatourishly and raw - it's a delight. It's pure chaos and anarchy. I could hate it, but I love it. It's childish, it's so absurd it hurts. Can't stop giggling.
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