Take a tour around the Tate modern (The Catherine Tate Show - Series 1 (DVD))

Member Name: bruffyboy

Product:	The Catherine Tate Show - Series 1 (DVD)
Date:	28/05/09 (46 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: funny

Disadvantages: rude

It's a sign of the credit crunch price cuts that you can get this brilliant DVD for less than a fiver! Only a couple of years ago this was the show to watch, and now it's bargain basement prices (which is great for us!)

Catherine Tate and friends star in this sketch show with a vast range of characters ranging from relatable to bizarre. The show has run three series on the BBC and won a whole host of awards.

IS IT ANY GOOD:
For myself, I took a long time to be persuaded to watch this show; my thinking was that Little Britain was a funny enough sketch show, and I had no need for any more. I also knew that sketch shows, more than any other type of comedy, require time and effort to 'get into', with the characters only reaching their comic peak when you truly know them. However, people just wouldn't stop talking about it, so I tuned in.

The show is very funny, with a range of characters that are all enjoyable. Unlike many other sketch shows, I found myself laughing at everything, which is quite an achievement on Tate's part.

I would have to say my favourite character is the disgusting yet overtly sexual Irish nurse who just makes me cringe every time I see her.

As with all good sketch shows, some characters are easy to relate to, and Tate has her finger on the pulse of Britain's anti-foreigner status with the brilliant Janice and Ray, who show their disgust at the multi-cultural development in Britain through their scathing reports of foreign influence. Whereas Little Britain does this with the vomiting lady, Tate relies less on props and more on acting, which is the biggest strength of the show: put simply, Catherine Tate is a brilliant actress. In this show, she uses it for comic purpose, but that doesn't negate the fact that she is excellent at conveying a character. Her body language, facial expressions, tone and volume of voice are all mastered to give off brilliant renditions.

The characters are prone to swearing, so be aware of that if watching with young ones.

Prosthetics and costume are up to par with Little Britain, but as I said it's the actual acting that makes it a winner.

IN CONCLUSION:
A sketch show that raises the bar in terms of acting.

Summary: do it