Funland (2005) User Reviews

Enoying it

[Crimpo2 · 8/10 · 7 June 2006]

I have to say that I'm enjoying Funland on BBC2(I live in one of the large areas of the country where digital TV remains unavailable)and I didn't really have that high hopes for it.

It is extremely strange - and some of the grotesque features are over the top (an editor should have been more in evidence at times) - but I want to know if there actually is a plot (rather like Lost!) so I keep watching despite suspecting all the questions may never be answered.

I think we have some fine little acting gems in there - Philip Jackson (Finch) is of course excellent as ever but also mentions in dispatches for Sarah Smart (Lola), Ian Puleston-Davies (Shirley) and Judy Parfitt (Mercy). Frances Barber (Connie) was rather wasted but you can't have everything

Most of all however it has made me laugh - and that strangely enough is something the League of Gentlemen never did...

No fun but fun anyway

[paul2001sw-1 · 8/10 · 29 June 2006]

The grotesque world of the 'The League of Gentlemen' was a fairly standard comic creation, but Simon Ashdown, one of its writers, has surpassed himself with 'Funland' (co-written with an 'Eastenders' scriptwriter), in which they create an even more vicious, obscene and fantastic environment but moreover manage to play it straight throughout eleven episodes of tightly plotted thriller. The comedy here is so black that there's little in the way of conventional laughs, but the jarring lines between the ludicrous situations and the merciless drama make this a series like no other. The story is set in a Blackpool reduced to the grimmest of parodies (one wonders if the local burghers thought about suing), there's no affection here. If it reminds me of anything, I think of Alan Platers's 'Beiderbecke' trilogy, a series of unlikely escapades set in the ordinary landscape of northern Britain, but that was ultimately gentle whereas 'Funland' is anything but. What stops it from being great is that it's hard to relate what one sees to the reality of life in modern Britain, and the dialogue rarely rises above 'Eastenders' standards; but the same can be said for a good many more realistic dramas as well. And for savage inventiveness, it has few equals.

Seaside fun & frolics (slightly soiled)

[manoftrent-21299 · 8/10 · 18 April 2020]

Originally showcased in 2005 on the now defunct BBC 3 digital channel; Funland is a jaded tale of revenge, murder, greed and debauchery set over the course of a long weekend in a seedy English seaside town.

It is not difficult to see where the writers drew their inspiration from either. There are plenty of familiar nods to popular culture - the gritty realism of Get Carter, the macabre absurdities of The League of Gentleman, the earthy humour of a 1970s Confessions film. Even King Kong for Pete's sake!

But does it work? Well, yes and no.

Funland's strengths undoubtedly lie in it's solid and convincing cast - a veritable who's who of British acting talent. Worthy of mention is the late, Roy Barraclough as the grasping, machiavellian local politician Onan Van Kneck. His caustic one liners, coupled with his unconvincing toupee and peculiar physical deformities really was inspired casting. So too, Sarah Smart as the vulnerable but exploited Lola.

Blackpool's tacky "glamour" also provides the perfect backdrop for a story populated by sleazy, morally repulsive characters and unsettling subject matter. It is jarring, but strangely compelling viewing.

But, Funland is first and foremost a comedy. A very, very, very dark comedy. The bizarre spectacle of a stuffed dead gangster being trundled around the town on roller skates will stay with me for a very long time.

The series could have benefitted greatly from some sharper editing. This is easily the show's worst flaw. Characters and situations are introduced briefly but are not developed undermining the plot and stifling the pace of the action. There is too much unnecessary dialogue, and the much anticipated finale (after 10 episodes) seemed rushed and frustratingly inconsequential.

That said, Funland is a grim, humorous, often poignant, sometimes shocking journey through the grubby u bend of life in a seaside town that they forgot to close down.



























Funland has some brilliant one-liners and succeeds in delivering some genuinely hilarious moments: the council meeting who's only topic on the agenda appears to be discussing the size of a stripper's thong; and the bizarre spectacle of a stuffed dead gangster being trundled around the town on roller skates; are easily two of the funniest scenes I've seen on TV in a long time.

Surreal & Dark - Brilliant

[weby2 · 10/10 · 15 May 2006]

BBC3 has been an excellent vehicle for new ventures that, due to their 'different' approach, wouldn't be picked up by either BBC1 or BBC2. Admittedly there have been some lumps of crap and a whole load of averageness, but amongst that have been some glimpses of pure brilliance.

And Funland is one of the highlights.

Set amongst the downmarket seediness that is Blackpool, the characters are almost all deliberately grotesque exaggerations. One can't fail to see the obvious comparisons with the League of Gentlemen.

The acting is good enough to compliment the script, with some well-known faces turning up in roles - and situations - you wouldn't expect to see them in.

I loved it.

An interesting, well-conceived show

[wellthatswhatithinkanyway · 29 November 2005]

STAR RATING: ***** The Works **** Just Misses the Mark *** That Little Bit In Between ** Lagging Behind * The Pits

Carter Krantz (Daniel Mays) is a London detective who's taken a trip down to Blackpool- but he's not here to celebrate a stag party or ride the Pepsi Max. He's after the killer of his mother, who's dying words mentioned the name of a person at the popular seaside resort. But along the way, shocking twists and turns conspire to take his quest to an electrifying climax.

With this and supporting roles in films like Class of '76 and Vera Drake, Mays is shaping up a fair career for himself. He's a cockney actor with an impressive dialect and a smooth, natural presence and he has a likable personality, so I think he deserves this. He's helped by a good supporting cast, including Coronation Street favourite Roy Barraclough and a wheelchair bound old lady who provides one of the show's most pivotal roles.

Performances aside, Funland is a darkly funny, impressively voyeuristic show with an interesting premise and sound delivery. It's also helped by a foreboding opening score and an impressive and realistic use of Blackpool as the seedy backdrop for all the nefarious goings-on.

Faults-wise, there's one or two grinding, clunky clichés here and there, but I suppose it's no biggie. BBC 3 usually gets slammed as being rarely watched and full of useless programmes and repeats, but they've tuned out an admittedly rare piece of quality programming here. Kudos. ****

The most intriguing of programmes in a long time!

[fiona_watts271 · 10/10 · 6 July 2006]

I totally disagree with comments slating this programme. I also stumbled across Funland - a surreal experience! It made great Sunday evening television and I could not wait for the next episode. It's dark, bizarre and certainly lends itself to a cult following. The acting from characters Lola and Carter particularly were believable and realistic. Watching it was an uncomfortable experience, which I am hoping was the intention of the writing and direction. It was this aspect that made it addictive for me. The almost cringe-worthy exposure to a sordid, sick underworld made fascinating watching. I am very pleased that it has been nominated for a Bafta.

Quality

[blonde28 · 10/10 · 10 July 2006]

I remember this show being advertised on BBC3 last year and thought it looked interesting, but wasn't too sure about David Mays (Carter) being in this serious, gangster like role. He just looked a bit too babyfaced for the role.

Anyway...

it pops up on bbc2 and i caught 1 or 2 episodes and was better that i had first thought, so, on returning from my holiday and bought the series and watched everyone back to back.....it was money well spent.

11 Episodes of quality, dark humour and drama. The best way to describe this show is The League Of Gentlemen meets Twin Peaks set in Blackpool. I love the idea of it being set in Blackpool. It captured the Dull, Englishness and Melancholy feel that i think every English person (especially North Western people) can relate to.

The cast were terrific, almost like each was born to play that role (especially Connie, Lola, Shirley & to my surprize, Carter, who were all fantastic). Though the Mayor will always be Alec Gilroy from Corry to me.

I rated this as 10/10 on IMDb out of sheer enthusiasm but in reality i give this a solid 9/10.

Go Buy, Go watch, Go Love...

Jordan

Surreal experience - grotesquely funny & very rude!

[hesketh27 · 10/10 · 2 June 2006]

I am currently watching Funland on BBC2 after having missed it when it was originally shown on BBC3. So far I have thoroughly enjoyed it, the comedy element appeals to my sense of humour perfectly. The cast of grotesques that populate this production are uniformly excellent and the shadowy lighting / sets convey the seedy atmosphere perfectly. I love Blackpool and am a regular visitor but I must say that this programme does not serve as a very good advert for it! It does however capture the darker side/underbelly of this unique town. It is also extremely near the knuckle both visually and verbally! Anyone who enjoys comedy such as that performed by the League of Gentlemen will enjoy this series.

Like the League of gentleman ? You'll love this

[lloydwells-77215 · 10/10 · 17 July 2022]

I don't buy anything on DVD ever but I own this. I watched this when it was first screened and I've watched it a lot since. As you'd expect from the writers of the League of gentleman it's deliciously dark and full of clever little references. Judy Parfitt as Mercy makes a fantastic villain and the whole cast are excellent the story Twists and turns wonderfully and just who is in the gorilla suit.

Blackpool becomes Funland

[FungasUK · 8/10 · 15 August 2022]

I've just returned from a four-night break in Blackpool. No - this isn't a 1-star review of our dreadful 'hotel' that makes Funland's 'Shangri-La' look like the Savoy; that's just been posted on TripAdvisor. What this is, is a nod to the 'art imitates life' principle that applies so fundamentally to Funland, but from the perspective that what was once (in 2005) an over-the-top, bombastic surrealist comedy series that seemed to amplify the worst sleaze and excesses of Blackpool, has now become matched by Blackpool's accession (or maybe recession) to that once fictitious seaside town portrayed in Funland. My fourth visit to Blackpool since Funland first aired, and Blackpool has now become that place.

The series itself has to be recommended. It's hard to describe - it's a black comedy for sure, has multiple story layers and side plots, but with the central core story arc coming back to the relationship between the brilliant Ian Puleston-Davies' Shirley Woolfe, and his mother Mercy played by Judy Parfitt. The locations are pure Blackpool - the Tower features prominently, but acts both as a reference point for the story, and an allegory about the state of Dudley and Lola's sexless relationship (the scene in Ep1 where Lola gazes fixedly on a cabinet of huge dildos whilst Dudley asks her 'is there anything you want?' sticks in the mind).

Funland must be seen, but should be treated with caution for its grotesque characters, references, and sexual imagery. Funnily enough, the same could pretty much now be said for it's life inspiration: Blackpool.

What an Ironic Title

[extravaluejotter · 1/10 · 14 May 2006]

I sat through the first 2 episodes of "Funland" before deciding that I'd be more profitably engaged in cleaning my shoes or emptying the cat litter tray. This series is the exact opposite of "Fun".

Nomination for a BAFTA award is not an indication of how good a drama is, merely an indication of how good media types think it is. I bet that people in the entertainment industry love "Funland", or at least they love the idea of it. I wonder how many of them have actually sat through it?

The series was originally shown on BBC3 and it's now being shown on BBC2. It's also available on DVD. Woo-hoo, lucky us.

Apparently "Funland" is a 'darkly comic thriller teeming with brassy characters' and it exposes 'Blackpool's seedy underbelly'. Well, it's been penned by two experienced scriptwriters, one of whom has contributed to the long-running soap opera "Eastenders". The other guy was involved in "The League of Gentlemen", so I suppose that's why the BBC put up the money for "Funland". Unfortunately, the series manages to combine the worst aspects of soap opera and so-called dark comedy.

Regarding the comedy elements: Cartoon character grotesques are much in evidence. There's a pale bisexual taxidermist, a journalist with abnormally thick lenses in his spectacles and prominent teeth (I think he had a dodgy accent as well)and a chain-smoking Barbara Cartland lookalike in a wheelchair. All very "League of Gentlemen", then. The humour seems to consist of the cast members being dressed up like freaks and/or placed in bizarre and embarrassing situations, which I just found embarrassing or bizarre, never funny.

Regarding the drama elements, there are some stock soap opera characters and situations. We have the dodgy businessman with a troubled family life who appears in every soap from "Corrie" to "Neighbours" for starters. There is also a young naive couple who tick quite a few "Eastenders" boxes for anyone who's followed the series. He's completely inept and she's clearly not in his league. Lofty and Michelle, anyone?

After watching for a while, it became clear to me that they must have locked the "Eastenders" hack writer and the psychotic ghoul from "The League of Gentlemen" in a hotel room for about 2 weeks, hosing them down with black coffee and passing their scribblings on to a script editor. The editor must have realised that the writers weren't interacting at all, just alternating their individual 'Dark Comedy' and 'Soap Opera' styles scene-by-scene. As contracts had been signed and money had already changed hands, the script editor then had to try and fit the two conflicting styles together without too much sticky tape over the edges. He failed. Despite some very good actors doing the best with what they were given, I didn't give a damn about any of the characters or their problems and I didn't find anything to laugh at either. Maybe I just didn't get it, or maybe "Funland" is just a big pile of badly-written overwrought PANTS.

Without the BBC's public funding, this lead balloon of a TV series would never have been made. It could have worked if the two scriptwriters had co-operated more, but each episode lurches from borderline funny/bad taste to soap drama with all the subtlety of a trucker's gear-change. TV drama and comedy is a tricky business to get right, so I don't begrudge my licence fee being spent on rubbish like "Funland". Sometimes the only way to find out if something will work is to throw a shedload of money and acting talent at it and see if it flies.

"Funland" is a bold experiment and there may be some soap opera-loving fans of "The League of Gentlemen" (or some fans of TLOG who like to watch an episode of "Corrie" every once in a while) who find it funny or moving or whatever it's meant to be and grant it the status of 'Cult' TV. My own rating of "Funland" is another four-letter word beginning with C.

Compelling viewing

[jramills · 16 October 2011]

Bought this on DVD for the price (five quid) and the writing/cast credits (half of The League of Gentlemen) - I wasn't disappointed.

This is a dark, twisted, comedy that also works as a compelling, enthralling and gripping thriller. At times, the tension makes it almost unbearable to watch, and then suddenly there's a scene or a shot that makes you laugh aloud.

I watched this in one sitting, all six hours of it, such is its power to draw you in and captivate you.

Beautifully written and well-acted by all involved, this is a darkly funny series that is well worth checking out. Most of the cast are familiar faces, seasoned pros giving excellent performances. Simon Greenall (Michael The "Work Geordie" in I'm Alan Partridge) is almost unrecognisable as the local newspaper reporter.

If you like your comedy with a deeper, dramatic storyline, or your mystery with a sense of humour, check this series out.

Not for me

[inacan-90-894261 · 4/10 · 22 June 2022]

I just don't get it. It's not funny, the black humor can be lost in the sea of bleakness and it is too jarring for my taste. The soundtrack is fantastic and the acting good.

It's intriguing as I haven't given up yet. But at this point it's more a marathon than a sprint.