A puerile modern update on Beadles About (Balls Of Steel)

Member Name: paulie1975

Product:	Balls Of Steel
Date:	16/08/09 (42 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Good Post Pub television

Disadvantages: nasty, childish show lacking in originality

Presented by Mark Dolan, this late night Channel 4 comedy is totally hit and miss, the idea is for varying comedians to do things which are outrageous, the studio audience then vote on who has balls of steel.

The show has a variety of acts varying from two members of Dirty Sanchez smashing things on varying parts of their anatomy, literally appearing to have balls of steel at times, this is old fashioned horrific tv and watching people hurt themselves for audience laughs is a bit outdated and embarrassing.

Another act is tv presenter and Dj Alex Zane who presents a made up quiz show, he winds contestants up by questioning them, ensuring they can't win and embarrassing them, everything you'd never expect of a presenter, this can be quite funny at times.

Other acts include a man who will ask people if they want a bum, pretending to be gay, this is gratuitous and obviously requires balls of steel but is humiliating random members of the public and is a bit cruel, its a one hit joke and tires very quickly.
Another act is a little devil, a short man painted red in a devils outfit who does mischievous things on camera to wind up members of the public, this is reasonably amusing in a candid camera kind of way.

When I watched the show there was one act that really wound me up and made me dislike the programme, it was a woman who seemed to think she was stunning when she clearlty wasn't whose joke was to get her foot stuck in a pothole or ask a guty for directions, when any guy offered to help she would accept and then accuse them of sexually harassing her, this seemed cruel, unfunnty and totally spiteful. I love humour that is dark and a bit off the wall, Family Guy, Brasseye, the daty today, buit it needs to be relevant, have a pointed target and a reason for targeting them. This act was rude, obnoxious and I was hoping to see an errant wife wander up and give her a piece of their mind for being such a git.

The show is totally hit and miss and requires a short attention span and the ability to laugh at anything, its like a crueller Beadles about or Candid Camera, the host is annoying with his snide little quips, most of the performers are very crude and amateur and it never passes up a weak visual gag for something better thought out. In fact I distinctly remember Rio Ferdinand presenting a similar show where he 'Merked' fellow footballers and that had twice the wit and imagination of this show.

Its good post-pub television but nothing more, its had 3 series, is a tad lazy and contrived and really not worth going out of your way to watch.

Summary: A puerile modern update on Beadles About