If youre wondering why you might have missed this short-lived 2001 conceptual sketch show from one of modern British comedys most influential figureheads, well, Iannucci notes it himself in his commentary: the week it came out, 9/11 happened. After that, comedy as bleak and bitter as this wasnt exactly in vogue. Truth be told, you missed a lesser effort, even if this does display flashes of the wit behind The Day Today and The Thick Of It.
There are passages of surreal delight a Busby Berkeley-style musical number with corpses beggars belief but also sketches so arch they forget to be funny, linked by the vaguely charisma-free Iannucci as he rails against the blandishments of life and the inadequacies of people (mostly himself). Its smart and savvy, but ultimately we prefer Iannucci behind the camera.