Brand X with Russell Brand (2012–2013) User Reviews

Russel being Russel

[kennyslayer-260-791926 · 5/10 · 19 July 2012]

First off, I would like too say I still don't completely understand the concept of this show. That being said you will either like it or you won't.

I myself am not a huge fan of Russel Brand (Though I did enjoy his work in Forgetting Sarah Marshall), but his show was on after Louie so I decided to check it out. Ehhhhh. It wasn't great nor was it terribly bad. One of those shows that if absolutely nothing else is on then you watch it, not something you go out of your way for. It's just their.

Brand himself makes the show and yet breaks it at the same time. His personality makes for a sporadic, blunt, humorous, and annoying show all at once.

Each episode begins with a topic of discussion. Brand takes it from there with many different comedic views on the topic. Some funny, most not. But what sets this show aside from most is the audience interaction. Brand often walks into the audience to get opinions or he'll just poll them with a system similar to that of AFV. This is not a new concept, but offers the show something different than just an annoying British guy on stage.

All and all I don't think this is a show that will attract a major audience like FX's otherwise fantastic line up of shows or will continue past two seasons. But a show that may just be different enough to attract a cult following.

what a load of crap

[bebydiva13 · 1/10 · 27 March 2013]

Who's idea was it to give this idiot an hour of live TV?...Who ever it is should be fired asap! Russell Brand is a Plato wannabe, he thinks he's so intellectual, clever, smart...and some people get wow by his crap.Well he doesn't fool me, because the only thing he does is repeating the same crap we all know by now. An another thing, if you're going to have guest in your show, let them speak for God sakes! I watched the show because a friend of mine is a big fan of him and she was supposedly to be on the show...what a waste of time! I waste an hour of my life watching this idiot! because she never made it to the studio, because the address on their website was wrong! It doesn't get more crappy! than this! oh wait it might!

PS I gave him one stars because there's no 0 stars!

From ponderland to this??

[Storms786 · 3/10 · 16 October 2012]

I'm a fan of Russell's past work. I think ponderland is one of the funniest TV shows of all time, he was unhinged in BBBM and his radio shows were comedy genius.

I was expecting he'd deliver something at the same level with Brand X, however the show fails miserably. It's just not funny, too much of the corporate tag on it. It feels to me like Brand hasn't exerted his own zany style on the show and instead has conformed to what the network wants. I'm very disappointed.

If Russell ever reads this here's a message: you've lost your mojo man, don't tow the line with the corporate moneymakers, come back to the UK and try and recapture that zest you had from 10 years ago.

Very humorous basic show

[funrocket · 8/10 · 20 July 2012]

It's funny how such a simple show can be so entertaining. Russell just gives a standup performance in what looks like a small college lecture room with Power Point presentations and kind of a bland professor sidekick who seems to do nothing other than be someone Russell can make fun of. You can see the subtle catering to the college crowd as almost everyone there appears to be young and it's much like seeing a college lecture. He really knows how to work the audience, taking audience participation a step further, rather than maybe send an intern into the audience to put a mic up to them, he goes in and sits on their lap, male or female. One of the best shows on FX and barely costs anything to make, it's a good part of the guy show lineup on the network.

Russell is doing something new

[Furcino · 10/10 · 25 March 2013]

The first few shows left me feeling a little perplexed. It wasn't comedy, but rather a comically dressed person trying to express his world-views in a funny and vulgar way. With every episode, the show has become more enjoyable, but I think that the theme of exploring today's world basically stuck.

Since I was expecting more comedy, I didn't enjoy the show that much at first. I identified with some of his views, but that is not why I watched it. Gradually, the comedy part caught up with the rest. However, what I love about the show now is mainly the 'philosophy behind his mental illness'. He tries to portray the most extreme individuals as people (spoiler: 'as long as they don't have sex with animals') and, tries to open a dialogue free of condemnation. While he (or any of this) can't be taken seriously, I think he's still trying to send an important message.

The laughs are solid and I think most people will enjoy his more recent shows. I am giving this a 10/10 because I like what he's doing.

Cumming Along;)

[pianys · 7/10 · 12 August 2012]

I've watched a few episodes, and I was well entertained and had some good laughs, but I feel the show hasn't yet reached its full potential. Russel Brand really wants to bring up important issues, and make deep, meaningful points - but when he gets too close to doing that, it seems he gets scared and flimsy, and pulls a bunch of sex jokes out of the pocket of his skinny jeans.

I don't have a problem with balancing serious with funny, I love that concept, but Russel the producer should tell Russel the performer to chill once in a while, and actually explore a subject deeper, even if it's not instant laughs every two seconds.

Russel Brand has a very warm personality, and he connects with his crowd in the studio so well, he takes us to the brink of awkward, but brings us home safe:) I want to see this show evolve!

Original

[symbolt · 10/10 · 11 April 2013]

I was skeptical at first, because I didn't understand the format. I was glad when it evolved into something more varied. I have to say that I adore Russel Brand for his wit and intelligence. I love how he brings in people with hateful views and then has a discussion with them to try to mellow our their hatred, but also doesn't shy for calling them on where their reasoning is idiotic, and in an eloquent and glib way that isn't actually disrespectful. The fact that he brings homeless people into his show is very touching to me. I always think about how cool it must be for the guy to be on TV. It doesn't solve their problems, it's just a cool experience that the world has probably largely denied them. And it makes you realize that such people exist - not only the ex-homeless, but the currently homeless, with an unpleasant predicament, and they are people like you and me. Most of all, this show is funny and made me laugh so hard that I cried on a few occasions. I really hope that it stays on air.

Oddly enough, I like it.

[bankcello · 10/10 · 3 March 2013]

Being an old guy (73) I suspect that this is not my demographic, but I love vulgarity and this had a great deal of that.

I also like Legit and Archer, which are part of FX's vulgarity segment.

I have said what I have to say in a cogent and concise manner, yet IMDb' rules require me to pad this.

If what you have to say can be said in twenty works, why be forced to use two hundred.

Let me say again and again, being forced to pad this review is silly and counterproductive. Isn't it enough to know that and old guy (I will avoid using my favorite term for that since it it vulgar (hint: its initials are O.F.)

Its Fun FFS

[bwatty2 · 10/10 · 8 March 2013]

I thought I would hate this show, but I have become a fan. Brand's frenetic verbal riffs and "off the tracks" demeanor make for a very entertaining TV show. Jonesy adds punk cred to the show, which is really an anti-talk show, but I wish he had more to say (getting a word edgewise with Brand around is no mean feat).

Brand filibusters in his shrill, staccato English accent, sometimes tending toward Cockney. His thoughts are often difficult to unpack, but mostly I've been impressed by his insights. He's clearly well educated and can be erudite when it matters.

His interaction with the audience borders on abusive, but they love it. Likewise, he tests the limits of his guests' patience. In one episode, two ladies from a puppy rescue came on the show, puppies in tow. Apparently Brand didn't think they were upbeat enough, so he screamed at them and threw a coffee cup full of water, shattering it on the side of an Airstream caravan that had been set up in the studio. He later tossed another cup of water on the audience and demanded they "wake up".

Being a huge Mighty Boosh (and Luxury Comedy) fan, I've thought of Brand as a sort of Noel Fielding rip-off. Fielding has basically said the same in interviews. But show biz makes for strange bedfellows. Fielding's guest appearance on the show was brilliant. He and Brand seemed to get on well, especially when they butchered the hair of a female audience member. Fielding returned on the next episode to apologize to the woman.

Its a bold statement, but.... I think Brand X is the paradigm for the future of late night TV talkshows. Irreverent, youthful and unpredictable.

Where is the DVD of these shows?

[Jim_Morrissey · 10/10 · 9 January 2014]

The most memorable talk show in years. I loved everything about it. Russell handled the job of mediator well. He had some potentially explosive interview guest moments. I think hes funny and adorable. I just love his energy and light. I feel like i learnt something from these shows, I remember looking forward to thursdays when a new episode would air. He made me care about the things that he felt passionately about. Very influential guy. Ondi Timoner is doing a documentary on him. Soon all the haters will have to bow down. Love the episode he brings a homeless person on to sit with a couple nice ladies from the dog pound and throws a cup across the studio to get his guests attention. Im disappointed to see only a 5 rating on here, even Russell talked his show down on the Howard Stern show. Russell rest assured the fact that you weren't trying to make a perfect run of the mill TV show is what made it so relatable and real. Trust me, everything on U.S TV is boring bar hbo. Thanks for waking us up over here.

Truth with cheery English pithiness.

[HighlandsArtCollective · 5 June 2023]

Mr. Brand gets dinged sometimes for inconsistency, but who among us is 100 24/7/365? Whether one series of his is deemed stronger than another is less important to this reviewer than the generally high observational value presented at any time.

So why is it that humorists with English bloodlines (a nod to Konstantin Kisin here too) are often at the front of the satirist line? Deeper literary genes perhaps. Close geographical vulnerability to aggressive forces in two World Wars maybe too.

Whatever the nature of the decidedly English truth-to-power acumen, it typically rings deeply to the observer paying attention. And Mr. Brand carries that tradition with joyful aplomb.