Customer Reviews

The League of Gentlemen - The Complete Series 3

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The first two series of The League of Gentlemen are a wonderful mixture of sketch comedy and soap opera, with elements of horror and drama. Series 3 is even better. The phenomenally talented Gentlemen take their bizarre formula to its zenith here, producing what in essence are 6 brilliant short films that all climax with a different perspective on the same event. I was floored by these shows - their originality, inventiveness, grotesque hilarity, and surprising moments of poignancy. The portrayal of characters goes way beyond the sort of one-dimensional caricature you normally associate with TV comedy. The residents of Royston Vasey, no matter how strange, feel vibrantly, believably real. This is a testament to the incredible acting talent of Reece Shearsmith, Mark Gatiss, and Steve Pemberton, who, along with Jeremy Dyson, also write this unique program. Quite exhilerating, in its occasionally sickening way.

The first two series of "The League of Gentlemen" were fantastic, but it's the third that elevates the show into cult history. The bloody, demented sitcom is now a series of six short films, all linked together by the fatal car accident that ends each episode.

The third series sees the return of fan favorites like Pauline, the monstrous restart officer with a passion for pens; Geoff Tipps, the squat, gun-toting businessman with the world's shortest fuse; Charlie and Stella, a bitter, bickering couple with an invisible daughter, Julie; and even Papa Lazarou, one of television's scariest villians, who kidnaps local women and forces them to travel with him as part of his sideshow. We're also introduced to new characters like aspiring magician Dean Tavalouris, Dr. Carlton, a physician who loves child's party games, and Keith Drop, the Charity Shop's new clerk with a sinister secret. Car bombs and kidnappings, a prosthetic arm with a mind of its own, beauty pagaents, an invincible car called Maxie Power- the third series of "The League of Gentlemen" is darker, sicker, more twisted than the two that came before. Highly recommended for fans of black humor.

For many fans, the third series is one that you'll LOVE or HATE. Personally, I loved it.

The biggest changes are 1) the elimination of the laugh track (thank god!!) and 2) the featuring of one or two characters per episode. The 3rd series is quite dark, but ties in together very nicely at the end of the series.

If you are a fan of the first two series, check this one out....be prepared to be disappointed. But, if you're like me, be prepared to be AMAZED!!!

The 3rd series of League of Gents is one of the best if viewed from the overall arch of the 6 stories tied together with an Amores Perros-like moment. It think it's correct, as other reviewers have noted, that this series is made up of short films, and as such, it works brilliantly.

While this series is more story driven than the two previous, I think this really elevates this series from other Brit Coms. Take Little Britain, which is entirely character-driven, for comparison and you know that you have something really special (and also very depraved).

I do see why some Gents fans would not like this series. They "kill off' two of the best characters Edward & Tubbs at the beginning of the first episode. Now that takes real balls. But It prevents this show from turning into the worst parts of Little Britain (predictable characters that become less humorous with more appearances).

The Gents takes their characters to new highs (or lows) and there are some truly shockingly funny scenes.

The League of Gentlemen peaked early and they peaked high. There was really no room for improvement following the stellar first season of this hilarious show. The show took a turn away from it's roots in the second season and, by the third it had strayed very far afield.

Season three is very inconsistent, with some episodes such as "The Lesbian and the Monkey" being absolutely hilarious. Others, such as "How the Elephant Got It's Trunk," are not only not funny, but stupid as well. In between are some episodes which aren't terribly good, but aren't terribly bad either. In the end it's just hard to get away from the abysmal "Elephant" episode, which is just painful to watch. Really Season three deserves two and one half stars, but that isn't an option.

I am not going to make this a long review as i can't see the point. I live in the uk and am a massive League of Gentelmen fan however season 3 is just not the same and in my opinion it's not even worth watching.And for any fan of the show i will describe season 3 with just one line(It's just not local)