Lead Balloon
Unlike most sitcoms starring stand-up comics, Jack Dee's Lead Balloon isn't just a thinly veiled way of trotting out old routines, but a cleverly plotted look at the everyday trials of a deadpan comic. Wonder where he got the inspiration from...?
With the kind of pedigree Jack Dee's enjoyed since the late 80s, it was surely only a matter of time before he chanced his arm in the world of sitcom. Luckily for viewers he did so on his own terms by creating his alter-ego, Rick Spleen.
It's hard not to sympathise with Rick's desperate attempts to keep in shape, humour his friends and fend off requests from his sponging daughter, even as you cringe, hoot and gasp at the grumpy git. Whether by promoting recycling while dressed as a globe, or doing corporate gigs with moribund 70s comics, every attempt to boost his career leads only to minor defeats and mockery. With a nod to the realism of The Office and Curb Your Enthusiasm, Lead Balloon is a minefield of wrong turns, gaffes, and embarrassment. Kind of like life itself, only funnier.
Having been offered the lead in a sitcom after filming his Live at the Apollo series, Jack realised that he could only really get excited about something he'd written himself. With the aid of his regular collaborator Pete Sinclair, and producer Alex Hardcastle, Jack started to use the daily grind and rounds of uninspired interviews that blighted his life as an inspiration for his new project.
Bagging a pilot on BBC4 proved to be a masterstroke: not only did the show leave the bosses suitably impressed; it also meant Jack could craft a show that didn't have to chase ratings or dilute its humour. The only real challenge for Jack was portraying a comedian whose career has gone off the rails – this Lead Balloon has gone down very well indeed.
Comments (5)
Farmers Boy
November 7, 2008
4:16 p.m.
partridge88
November 2, 2008
1:29 p.m.
Paperboy
October 29, 2008
7:24 p.m.
AndrewGB
October 29, 2008
12:50 p.m.
Dan4321
October 27, 2008
7:22 p.m.