Monkey Trousers (2000–2005) User Reviews

Love Monkey Trousers

[magictown · 22 July 2005]

I have to disagree with the previous reviewer. They obviously don't have the same level of humour as me and hopefully you dear reader.

Monkey Trousers is not brilliant or clever but just simple easy to watch stupid fun. And that's it.

The sketch with the Vic Reeves as the hostage negotiator is pure genius. I have to show it to every one that comes to my house. Most find it very funny.

The "Gingery" claims sketch is also great and gets better the more you watch it. Last night I watched the latest episode and although it was not a great episode had some funny moments. Penny Smith with PMTv and the swearing chief which takes off the Hells Kitchen scenario.

On the whole, well worth watching and I can't miss it.

The comedy business!

[Jabberwoc · 9/10 · 20 May 2009]

I own the double DVD set of this series so I've seen it a few times now...I know what I'm talking about.

I think you either "get" Vic and Bob or you hate them. Personally I love em. Always have..always will.

If you do "get" this brand of humour you'll love this series. The comedy acting is second to none...with Vic, Bob, Steve Coogan, John Thomson et al putting in top notch timed performances.

The character based format is perfect for all the actors....Vic and Bob's being the best in my opinion. "Croc Botherer" and the Vicar both had me laughing out loud again last night when I reran the DVD....I was on my own..should I worry? I'm adamant this is carefully crafted comedy material and not tosh as some have suggested.

Well done to all involved...let's have more, please! Cheers, Mark.

Losing their touch?

[rhys65 · 5/10 · 11 June 2006]

OK, I laughed at the first episode, it was funny (except that awful vicar sketch, that just isn't funny), there were some good funny characters with potential. By the second episode, all the jokes were simple repeats and just not funny. I have been a fan of Vic & Bob as far as I can remember, and know how creative they are, this was bitterly disappointing.

The other actors are also well below par in this show, Steve Coogan is usually great, as is Allistar McGowan, and John Thompson.

Better luck next time?

Hopefully they can return to there greatness like The Smell Of Reeves And Mortimer or Vic Reeves' Big Night Out, they were great comedies.

One of the Best Comedies i have seen in 2005

[Messerschmitt_bf109_10 · 4 July 2005]

I think that any negative comments placed on this show are simply untrue. I admit, i have seen only one episode, but 80% of the sketches had me in Stitches. Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer still know how to bring on the laughs, they cover the right issues in todays world, and give them a truly good Thrashing.

Although, some sketches are plain silly, like the gunman sketch, where they send a man who speaks utter gibberish to negotiate the gunman's surrender, although daft, i thought was brilliant, when bringing on daft laughs, and thats what comedy is meant to do right, make you laugh? .... Another great sketch, is 'Crocodile Botherer', where Steve Irwin is the Target, seeing a Domestic Animal in the English Countryside, running up to it, and Squashing it, by Jumping on it, is silly, but, so very Funny. Granted, a few sketches, are a bit hard to follow, but, in the sketches, where they are portraying a message, you get it. An example of this, is the Compensation Advertisement, which gives the whole idea of 'Advertised compensation' over a silly accident at work, a good kicking.

This Comedy show shown on ITV2 does exactly what it is meant to do, and it brings on the laughter in spades. Well Done ITV.

This Is Supposed To Be Funny ?

[Theo Robertson · 3 December 2005]

If you thought heads deserved to roll at ITV ( I mean that in a literal sense ) with mega flops like CELEBRITY WRESTLING and CELEBRITY LOVE ISLAND this comedy sketch show called MONKEY TROUSERS will have you sharpening your Axe . It's quite possibly the worst comedy sketch show ever produced . I know people will nominate things like COMEDY NATION and REVOLVER as being worse but when you look at the comedy talent involved like Gryff Rhys Jones , Vic Reeves , Alistair McGowen etc you really do find yourself asking how this show turned out so bloody embarrassing MONKEY TROUSERS fails because the sketches are so damned unfunny coupled with being predictable and are often just plain silly . In fact most of the sketches are all three . Take John Thompson ( Usually very amusing whatever he's in ) sending up one of those " Have you been injured " claims adverts . Not too bad but then we see the joke repeated with " Have you been gingered ? , have you been .. " make up your own word that rhymes with injured ad infinitum . We also have a long running sketch featuring FOOTBALLERS WIVES which is set in the 1950s which is predictable , unfunny and silly . We also have two blokes standing outside their workplace similar to the sight we all see when smokers pop out for a quick ciggie . Except they're not smoking , they're inhaling helium and talking to each other in helium induced silly voices . If you thought this was unfunny the first time you have to endure it several more times .

There is the eponymous comedy character who is so offensively unfunny that he deserves his own paragraph . A gunman holds someone hostage and Frank Burnside and Ted Roach from THE BILL appear :

" I want a million pound , a helicopter and a beef curry " demands the gunman

" This guy really means business " gasps Burnside

" Don't worry guv , we've got the negotiator coming " reassures Roach

A car drives up and the negotiator who is Vic Reeves resembling John Mills in RYAN'S DAUGHTER exits the car . Burnside and Roach are shocked . How is this guy going to resolve the situation ? Reeves picks up a loudhailer and starts shouting indecipherable dialogue to the gunman

" All right . I want a thousand pound , a skoda and a big mac " the gunman replies changing his demands

More implausible sounds from Reeves

" Okay don't shoot I'm coming out " screams the gunman

Reeves turns to a clearly impressed Burnside and Roach: " Monkey Trousers "

This ridiculously unfunny character appears in sketches throughout the series where for example he takes an aerobics class where he pulls silly faces , makes incomprehensible sounds and states his catchphrase " Monkey trousers "

This is a shockingly unfunny comedy sketch show and what makes it so offensive is that it's obvious that the producers allowed the very poor standard of jokes simply because it was written and performed by well known comedians . The comedy itself is of a standard that shouldn't be broadcast and if the performers were expecting to get paid they should have made sketches that were at least amusing to ITV's long suffering audience

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