Review of Star Stories: Series 1

Introduction

As usual, I`m the last on the block to notice any new comedy. I came to Peep Show at the very tail end of Series 1, just in time for the series to finish. In truth, I missed Series 1 of `Star Stories` in its entirety, only picking up on it recently with an episode featuring `Take That` which surprised me by making me laugh aloud once or twice.

Series 1 contains 6 episodes of this completely irreverent dig at modern tabloid celebrity culture, and of magazines like `Now`, `Hello` and `OK` in particular.

`Star Stories` is an extreme kick-back at this vacuous celebrity culture, where every negative trait is grossly exaggerated and dark, surreal humour (think `League of Gentlemen`) is laced through these whistle-stop biogs of the celebs we love to hate.

Like `Spitting Image`, these gross exaggerations allow for cruel re-invention which sees Sporty Spice with a moustache, Glen Hoddle as a `cripple-hater`, and Billy Bob Thornton as a hillbilly with an irrational fear of antique furniture.

There are six twenty minute episodes here featuring amongst others, Posh and Becks; George Michael, Catherine Zeta Jones and Michael Douglas, Guy Ritchie and Madonna, Sadie Frost and Jude Law, and Jennifer and Brad (along with Angelina Jolie).

Naturally, any opportunity for introducing peripheral or related celebrities into each plot is taken, which means that Boy George makes an appearance (accusing the young Wham boy of being gay well in advance of the eventual outing) as well as a coke addled Kate Moss, knickers adrift, falling out of her car.

There are some sinister snipes too, such as the borderline libel of presenting Blue Peter`s John Leslie as a predatory sex monster with a suitcase full of cocaine and sex-aids, or of Gary Glitter shacked up in a bamboo prison in Vietnam. Even David Jason is shown nicking sandwiches off the set of `Darling Buds`. Is nothing sacred?

Video

Anamorphic 1.78:1, this is a perfectly respectable transfer of a fairly mediocre looking programme which has been shot and mastered on DV-Cam.

Audio

DD2.0 and perfectly acceptable.

Features

Curiously, this is rather well-endowed with extras, though in common with so many, generally pointless.

On-Set Diary (19m30s): This is an on-set diary by the comedienne best known for appearing on `Balls of Steel` and then appearing to be an Australian housemate in the Big Brother House. This is standard `I`ve got a camcorder` stuff, and should be reserved solely for those desperate to kill some time.

The Out-Takes (9m30s): Why? Why? Why? Maybe when Dennis Norden first started churning out those godawful `It`ll be alright on the night` programmes, there was a titter or two to be had showing actors fluffing their lines. After all, these sneak-peeks behind the scenes were rare then. Now, we`re all production experts, and there is nothing remotely amusing about it. This really helps prove the point.

The Music Videos (4m30s): All from the George Michael episode (Watch Without Prejudice) these are even less amusing taken out of context.

The Rehearsals (8m): Hmmm. Actors reading their lines in funny voices. This is starting to feel like work.

Extended Scenes, Deleted Material (7m): The usual stuff swept back off the cutting room floor and offered up as seconds. Hardly worth the effort.

Commentaries: Only two episodes have commentaries included on them, Posh and Becks (Kevin Bishop, Daisy Beaumont and Oliver Maltman) and George Michael (Kevin Bishop and Oliver Maltman). It certainly sounds like they had fun doing them, but again, the reserve for either avid fans, or those with time to kill.

Conclusion

`Star Stories` can be extremely funny in small doses, though is generally a case of diminishing returns. Its madcap, almost surreal humour will have schoolboys guffawing aloud as they replay sketch elements ad-infinitum in classrooms around the country, though its juvenile level sarcasm gets a bit wearing after the first five minutes or so of each episode.

It`s certainly an inventive enough premise, and the writers and players work hard to keep up the pace of the attack and maintain enough variance to keep interest alive. But for every hit, there are half a dozen misses. Sheer anarchy and unbridled enthusiasm may be enough for some (after all, Bo Selecta found a fairly dedicated audience) but for me, watching episodes back to back became a real effort.

Fans of the series will undoubtedly like this set, and enjoy revisiting episodes to better discover all their hidden nuances. There are probably plenty of gags here that will be missed on a first viewing.

Another aspect of the series that`s worth mentioning is its casual low-fi look; a series that looks slapped together to some degree, and which exudes low-level production values. Strangely, in common with Bo Selecta, this no longer seems to be an issue for many, and would clearly be an attractive element for those footing the production bill. Personally, I`d prefer to see a little bit more production gloss to take this up a notch. It looks like a sixth-form revue.

Possibly good stuff if you`re in the mood, having just returned from the pub with a bunch of guffawing mates, but in the cold light of a normal day, more miss than hit.

I suppose the bottom line is: if you liked the series then you`ll like the DVD. Mainly because the DVD IS the series, with a few extras for good measure.