# Year of the Rabbit



## Dave (Jun 30, 2019)

Has anyone seen the Channel 4 comedy *Year of the Rabbit *





						Year of the Rabbit
					

Detective Inspector Rabbit is a hardened booze-hound who fights crime in Victorian London



					www.channel4.com
				




It is about a whisky-drinking, hard-living police detective, in the late Victorian era, fighting crime and a secret society; very 'Jack the Ripper'esque. 
He has two sidekicks - Strauss - a posh, younger, naive man and - Mabel - the sweary, black adopted daughter of the police chief. 

Matt Berry (IT Crowd, Mighty Boosh) is Inspector Rabbit. There is an "all-star" cast according to channel 4, though they are actors I recognise but from minor roles (what constitutes a "Star" these days?) 

There are four 25 minute episodes available at the moment. I've only seen the first so far.


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## Narkalui (Jun 30, 2019)

If Matt Berry is in it then I'm watching


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## M. Robert Gibson (Jun 30, 2019)

I've been watching.  It's great.



Narkalui said:


> If Matt Berry is in it then I'm watching



Talking of Matt Berry, did anyone see _What We Do In The Shadows_?








						BBC Two - What We Do in the Shadows
					

Following four vampires who have been roommates for hundreds and hundreds of years.




					www.bbc.co.uk
				




There's also the feature film








						BBC Two - What We Do in the Shadows (Film)
					

Comedy about three vampires who are struggling with modern life.




					www.bbc.co.uk
				




And the original short


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## Narkalui (Jun 30, 2019)

That looks hilarious


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## Dave (Jul 11, 2019)

I've been watching the American TV series. That original short is good, and all credit to them for the idea, but the series is better. I particularly like the LARPer virgin idea and EVie the emotional vampire preying on pity.


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## Dave (Jul 15, 2019)

The final episode of _Year of the Rabbit_ went all Steampunk! 

I enjoyed this and pity there were only 6 episodes, but after having watched _What We Do In The Shadows_, given the choice, I'd rather they made more of those. (Also while that is technically North American, it was made in Canada. It was the, living on Staten Island, that confused me.)


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## HareBrain (Jul 16, 2019)

I watched the first few minutes of YOTR, but something didn't work for me. I very much enjoyed WTWITS. Matt Berry will eventually become a national treasure, I'm sure.


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## M. Robert Gibson (Jul 16, 2019)

Does anyone remember one of Matt Berry's earliest appearances in _Garth Marenghi's Dark Place_?








						Garth Marenghi's Darkplace - Wikipedia
					






					en.wikipedia.org
				




Also notable for an early appearance of Richard Ayoade and Alice Lowe, both of whom found later success









						Garth Marenghi's Darkplace
					

A maverick doctor battles with evil forces lurking beneath a hospital in Romford



					www.channel4.com


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## Dave (Jul 16, 2019)

I never saw any of these late night Channel 4 comedies until recently, partly because I used to often work nights, but also because they were broadcast with little advertising. I've seen The Inbetweeners, Friday Night Dinners and Fresh Meat only because my children watched them, but I seemed to have missed much more.


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## M. Robert Gibson (Jul 16, 2019)

Another Channel 4 offering I heartily recommend is _Green Wing_.








						Green Wing
					

Quick-fire (and occasionally slow motion) genre-defying comedy, set in a surreal hospital



					www.channel4.com
				












						Green Wing (TV Series 2004–2007) - IMDb
					

Green Wing: Created by Victoria Pile. With Sally Bretton, Oliver Chris, Olivia Colman, Michelle Gomez. Funky hospital-based sketch-comedy-drama type show.




					www.imdb.com
				




Another show featuring a lot of now familiar faces from the comedy scene.


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## HareBrain (Jul 17, 2019)

M. Robert Gibson said:


> Does anyone remember one of Matt Berry's earliest appearances in _Garth Marenghi's Dark Place_?



Yes, I watched them all again on Channel 4's streaming service a year or so ago. Very funny.


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## Toby Frost (Jul 17, 2019)

Darkplace is excellent. I did a review of it here: Garth Marenghi's Darkplace. A friend has suggested that I make business cards with "author and dreamweaver" on them.

There's a moment in Darkplace where Matt Berry angrily gesticulates with a polystyrene cup, stating "What?! Am I holding a crock of s**t? Tell me something: is this hospital called St Crock of S**t?" which, second for second, I think is one of the funniest things I've ever seen.


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## HareBrain (Jul 17, 2019)

He also steals every scene of _The Mighty Boosh _he's in. You completely believe in his ridiculous character. (I find his way of saying "Kit-Kat", with the stress on the second syllable, hilarious for some reason.)


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## anno (Jul 17, 2019)

No love for Toast of London?


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## HareBrain (Jul 17, 2019)

anno said:


> No love for Toast of London?



Plenty here. Bloody Ray Purchase!


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## Dave (Jul 17, 2019)

Dave said:


> The final episode of _Year of the Rabbit_ went all Steampunk!


It wasn't the final episode. It seems to be on next week.


M. Robert Gibson said:


> Does anyone remember one of Matt Berry's earliest appearances in _Garth Marenghi's Dark Place_?


I'm watching them now. Thanks! What else should I catch up on?


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## Ursa major (Jul 18, 2019)

Dave said:


> It wasn't the final episode. It seems to be on next week.


Is it?

It isn't on the same day of the week, and at the usual time, according to the Radio Times website.


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## Dave (Jul 18, 2019)

Very strange! There was an advert shown when I watched _Garth Marenghi's Dark Place_ on catch-up that said it was on next Monday. The advert also included other current shows on Ch4 like _The Handmaid's Tale. _Clearly, it must have been a mistake. Pity, because at the end of the final episode it seemed like they were going to become agents for Queen Victoria, (like The _Torchwood_ Institute.)

I haven't seen_ The IT Crowd yet _but was put off by the number of seasons to watch.


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## M. Robert Gibson (Jul 18, 2019)

Dave said:


> because at the end of the final episode it seemed like they were going to become agents for Queen Victoria


Making sure they get a second series perhaps 



Dave said:


> What else should I catch up on?


A few of my faves from Channel 4 not already mentioned








						Peep Show
					

Award-winning sitcom starring David Mitchell and Robert Webb as dysfunctional flatmates



					www.channel4.com
				











						Father Ted
					

Classic sitcom about three dysfunctional priests and their long-suffering housekeeper



					www.channel4.com
				











						Black Books
					

Bafta-winning sitcom about a foul tempered and wildly eccentric bookshop owner



					www.channel4.com
				











						Spaced
					

Surreal cult sitcom, with more pop culture references than you can shake a light sabre at



					www.channel4.com
				











						Drop the Dead Donkey
					

Classic satirical sitcom set in the studios of Globelink News TV



					www.channel4.com
				











						Comic Strip Presents...
					

Outrageous and hilarious films from the Comic Strip team



					www.channel4.com


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## M. Robert Gibson (Jul 18, 2019)

And there was this offering from Sky which has never been repeated








						The Strangerers (TV Series 2000) - IMDb
					

The Strangerers: With Mark Williams, Jack Docherty, Sarah Alexander, Mark Heap. Aliens in human form land on Earth to carry out a secret mission, and when the Supervisor is decapitated, the two bumbling Cadets have no idea what the mission entails. With a mixture of their of own language, and...




					www.imdb.com
				




but which can be found here








						Rob Grant's The Strangerers
					

I have created this channel because I can't seem to find any copies of this brilliant show anywhere on the net. I must make it very clear that I DO NOT own t...




					www.youtube.com


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## Dave (Jul 18, 2019)

Well, I've got _Spaced_ and _Father Ted_ on DVD. I've also watched _Black Books,_ and most of _Comic Strip,_ if not all (that's going back a while!) Yes, I did also see that rather odd, _The Strangerers_ too. So, that leaves _Peep Show_ and _Drop the Dead Donkey_.  I've also seen _Brass Tacks_ which is appearing as "if you like this, you will like this..."


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## Dave (Sep 23, 2019)

I watched all of _The IT Squad_. It is a little dated now, and a little bit hit and miss, but the good parts were very good, and the "have you tried switching it on and off again" gag just runs and runs. 

I've been watching a Netflix animation created by Matt Groening called _Disenchantment _which is now into a second series. I just realised that the voice of the pig was Matt Berry. I looked it up to check and found out Noel Fielding is also a voice actor in it as Stan the Executioner.


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## Dave (Jun 18, 2020)

The _TV Guide_ says there is a second series of _The Year of the Rabbit_ coming to Channel 4 very soon! (no date given.)

Matt Berry is a busy man. There has also been a second series of _What We Do in the Shadows,_ and a third season of that has been given the okay too.


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## Dave (Jul 20, 2020)

Narkalui said:


> If Matt Berry is in it then I'm watching


I've a growing appreciation of Matt Berry.


anno said:


> No love for Toast of London?





HareBrain said:


> Plenty here. Bloody Ray Purchase!


I've only just discovered Toast of London  It's like if _Extras_ was funnier with sex and bad language. I wasn't sure about it after the first couple of episodes but it builds up. There are some LOL scenes in it. I like the running jokes - Ray Purchase, and Clem Fandango, with his silly made up name, and that Toast doesn't recognise any famous celebrity names.


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## HareBrain (Jul 20, 2020)

Dave said:


> I've only just discovered Toast of London



I recently re-enjoyed the first series. It flagged a bit in the second, but maybe I just need to leave a break.



Dave said:


> I've a growing appreciation of Matt Berry.



Also excellent as Dixon Bainbridge in _The Mighty Boosh_ (that might be my favourite role of his) and in _Garth Marenghi's Darkplace_.


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## Rodders (Jul 21, 2020)

I normally love Matt Berry et-al, but I really struggled with Year of the Rabbit. 

Maybe I will try again once I've finished bingeing Doctor Who and The Twilight Zone.


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## M. Robert Gibson (Jul 31, 2020)

For those Matt Berry fans, there's a new spoof documentary series starting on BBC2  Thursday 6th August





__





						Squeamish About...
					





					www.bbc.co.uk


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## Ursa major (Jul 31, 2020)

M. Robert Gibson said:


> For those Matt Berry fans, there's a new spoof documentary series starting on BBC2  Thursday 6th August
> 
> 
> 
> ...


The phrase "with four more surreal and comic documentaries on a bold and eclectic selection of new themes" suggests that there might have been a previous series of _Squeamish About_.


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## Dave (Nov 21, 2021)

I think the third series of _What We Do In The Shadows_ is the best yet. I''ve not yet seen them all, but _The Casino_ and _The Escape_ episodes are


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