Well, yes, I think so too! But I think that his character in spaced is well, not better or anything, in fact when I think about it, it is quite a lot like the character he plays in FND, a bit older and so, but he has a lot of the same well, qualities... I think. So in FND and in spaced I think he does a brilliant job as those quirky type of people, perhaps I am a beat weak when it comes to quirky people, that, that might be the reason why I love him in those roles...
There's a geezer like this who occasionally frequents my local. Nice as pie most of the time, but occasionally he hears some (seemingly) innocuous thing that riles him and he goes full-on psycho. I don't know what his personal "hang-up" is but when it's triggered he can be deeply unpleasant.
The sketch would have a very different tone without the laughter. I would personally prefer to watch it that way. I don't suppose such a version exists though.
Yep, or this could be Alan Statham long after he left Green Wing. Alan Statham has a penchant for consuming body parts, last time he swallowed somebody's gall bladder.
ERL yeap unfortunately my ex-girlfriend developed symptoms of paranoia like this. After 10 years of happy life, it turned our lives upside down. Sad. I still love her but after 3 extreme episodes, it was too much.
This sketch bothers me. I've cut in half the tip of my finger before and blood was just shooting everywhere. Plus, the whole sketch kept going on about me not being married.
Big train suffered the curse of success on the BBC. Second series had more money and more actors added...ruined the show. First series still makes me cry with laughter
I was under the impression Graham Linehan was no longer involved after the first series which would explain the decline in, well, basically everything!
As someone who has a schizophrenic, very delusional sister, I've gotta say the writing and Mark Heap's delivery absolutely nails the absurdity of their kind of talk brilliantly. That tone, where they're onto you, they know your little game, that's exactly how it is. The way Heap's character expects that Eldon's character understands his own internal logic, that Coke cans (but not Tango cans) are symbolic of marriage, in a way that to him seems incredibly obvious... It's just spot on. I've experienced a very similar talk (though relating to communication with the dead) in the past and, minus the severed finger, it was quite amazingly similar to this scene. I can see how from an outside perspective, and for myself with the benefit of many years of hindsight, this can make for some excruciatingly awkward comedy. Well played, guys! Big Train could really pull some clever stuff out of the bag and make it look simple!
Sadly my ex was an undiagnosed schizophrenic. Her dad was in an institution. She wasn’t diagnosed as she resisted all doctors and refused to go anywhere near them - fearing same fate as her dad. It got worse and worse, and I know well what you’re saying: she wouldn’t ever explain the delusions, came home one day and she had thrown out everything made of metal and I asked why and she said “you know full well why, don’t lie to me” I sadly had to make the decision to leave, I was young and I couldn’t cope with that. She lives with her mum now. I spent 3 years after the breakup bailing her out and supporting her financially. What has wracked me with guilt is my breaking up with her made her much much worse and I feel partly responsible for her descent. That is a very hard thing to deal with, but the issue is; it’s not like we were getting on. She was horrible to me a lot of the time. I’ve never managed to come to terms with the guilt of leaving her. To this day it haunts me. We were together for about 6 years. Guilt is a horrible thing.
@@RaferJeffersonIII you need to bear in mind that you left her for your own self protection. Having a partner with severe mental health problems isn’t easy and it sounds like it was wearing you down. What would be the benefit of staying with her and destroying your own mental health?
@@Leonards-leopard I know, I get it, it’s just still a traumatic experience. Things like death and bereavement are terrible but to be expected in life, but things like this, nobody prepared you for it.
When you get older and experience mental illness, whether it be through personal experience or through friends or family's experience..... So much of Jam and Big Train makes so much more sense. Horrifyingly so.
i agree - if you've ever seen Limmy's show, about half the sketches in all the series are written from a place of mental illness. paranoia, insanity, toxic hate/self-hate etc
No, because it was a comedy sketch played by actors. The end of it is when it ends on screen. They didn’t discuss it afterwards or go home and talk about it to their wives you nincompoop!
You just came up with a completely pointless and unfunny scenario. What a waste of typing time on your part. I suggest you delete it because it makes you look like you have cognitive issues.
@@hermanhawtrey8578 RU-vid deletes comments... Maybe you didn't notice or something? I wasn't replying to thin air... Maybe you won't see this one...who knows, eh, normie?
"...starring Simon Pegg", the caption says. Why does he usually take the most credit for Big Train? The star of this sketch is Mark Heap. He is the best actor of all of them, IMO.
It's to reel people in I'd imagine. Whether or not you consider him the 'main event' of 'Big Train', he is generally the best-known actor in it. Certainly internationally. The Cornetto trilogy alone would be enough to account for that.
@@warrenrandall6936 The original show itself is, yes. The video was posted later (and its description was written later) than two of the three films came out.
Mark Heap is just phenomenal! I love him in Friday Night Dinner, his Jim voice and character is completely different from his real one, you'd never ever guess they were the same person!
The commitment of this actor, cutting off the tip of his finger and eating it, just for the sake of the verisimilitude of the scene! Impressive indeed.
Mark Heap was actually engaged to be married to his long-term partner but upon conception of this sketch cancelled his forthcoming nuptials at huge personal and financial expense.
You're not meant to 'get it' really. The man is 'crazy' and assumes that everything the other man says, no matter what it's about, is some kind of dig at him not being married.
Note: Films & TV shows often show their true quality by how well the 'NPCs' are played. Pegg does a great job of setting this up as a normal situation e.g. adding in that matey little "Eh, shall ah go t' bar?" cod-Yorkshireism. You don't get that from extras.
"'Ello Broy-ann......" God I love this guy. Will still never understand why you Brits only give talent like this a 1 or 2 series run and then shut it DOWN. I get not wanting to overstay one's welcome, but I could do at least 5 seasons of anything involving this loose troupe of geniuses from the '90s. Spaced--2 seasons?! That is not nearly enough Spaced for me. Don't know how you guys manage it.
@@andymerrett Hahahaha, oh, christ, Mrs. Brown's Boys--what is to be done w you? yes; that makes a lot of sense. Explanation appreciated. Not a native, but still solidly obsessed w classic UK TV. Mighty Boosh forever.
The Dread Parsnip generally I find that UK series have less filler episodes. Also they generally have only one or two writers, for which a tv show is a personal project and not some kind of contractual obligation. Which is why I think we have more innovative comedy. I guess ideas run out quickly when your writing team is small. Taking the example of the IT Crowd, I thought it was much weaker by the final series and really should have ended sooner. Spaced was wrapped up brilliantly - I feel the characters have reached their natural conclusion and there doesn’t need to be any more.
The Dread Parsnip Also to take the example of Only Fools and Horses, that went on for a very long time. It did what most American sitcoms do - introduce new characters and new relationships between them to keep the plot moving and provide material. In the case of Spaced, it is very contained. There are really only 6 characters. So you get more character development but not as much material.
Ultimately a big part of why British comedy is good is we let talented people move onto new stuff. It sucks to lose shows you like, but it blows my mind to see stuff like the office and Simpsons cranking episodes out for years and years. Just means those programming slots and the staff involved aren't working towards something fresh.
I really think Mark Heap could have used this guy as the basis for Jim in Friday Night Dinner. Some of the mannerisms and vocal inflections are just the same. Put him on heavy medication to control his violent mood swings for 10 years and Jim is probably what you'd end up with.
Laugh track? Terrifying? Is that some sort of joke about me being scared of getting married? You're laughing at me not being married are you? Is that some kind of reference is it? A little joke? Hmm? Are you making fun of me for not being married?
There really was. Also Absolutely, The Fast Show, Smith & Jones, Fry & Laurie, Harry Enfield & Chums , KYTV, Hale & Pace .... we really were spoiled in the 90s
@bronc30td All three of them were in Spaced. Kevin Eldon was one of the sinister agents (dark suit, dark glasses) who tracked Daisy down after her return from Cambodia.
@@SPM0717 I could accept that argument if this video had been uploaded by some random user. But this is the BBC, ffs! In the case of TV, the first 720p video was aired in 1998 and the first 1080p video was aired in 2007. In the case of RU-vid, 720p support was added in December 2008 and 1080p in November 2009. So, at the very least, they should have 720p!
@@afonsodeportugal Given the age of the show, the source material will be standard-definition PAL (576i). Deinterlacing that would result in 288p. Upscaling it might make it look slightly better, or a lot worse, depending on how it's done, and it's probably not worth the effort anyway.
Big Tram. Old school pal he married a woman with two kids the two mums met excuse me do you have a son called Peter she asked. No they haven't had any more children. Would you like to live in the house after I die? Then when you die I'd like to think it went to the girls.
Series 1 was good because Graham Linehan was a writer...series 2 glaringly showed his comic genius absence...dunno if this is from series 2 but I suspect it is, it not being particularly funny.
Why did the BBC name this video "Is this some kind of joke?"? That line isn't used once in the entire thing. Surely the title should be, "Is that some kind of reference?" or something along those lines...?
