Bottom/Peep Show/Spinal Tap Mashup: Flight of the Conchords

There's a new comedy called "Flight of the Conchords", but I can't help seeing old shows in it.

While randomly blog hopping, I found a link to "Flight of the Conchords", a comedy about a band trying to make it big. "I has a flavor" alright, and it's New Zealand.

The New Zealand angle is the most original aspect about the show. It takes the classic two-men-and-a-flat formula (e.g., Steptoe and Son) and adds guitars and a New Zealand accent. That's not to say this mashup isn't original and funny, but it does seem to cite other comedies alot.

For instance, the general filth, junkiness and cramped living conditions of their apartment -- the kitchen of which can be seen in the clip below -- reminds me of "Bottom".



My favorite character is the band's manager, Murray (Rhys Darby), who looks vaguely like David Brent of "The Office" but acts more like Mark Corrigan from "Peep Show".



His scenes are the funniest, leading to some distinctly Spinal Tappish moments. See the opening scene in Episode 4: Yoko, where the band meet the Manager outside a grotty photocopier shop to discuss the "band rotundas" tour. ("I've had this organized for ages! I was going to tell you the difference between, y'know, gazeebos and band shells.") I particularly like his line at the end of the scene: "I won't say goodbye, I don't feel like it."

There's also some excellent supporting performances with Kristen Schaal as the band's "fanbase", and Sutton Foster as Coco.

There's more than a little Jeremy in the Conchords' Jemaine, both physically and in the character.

I haven't seen an episode with Dave yet, but I wonder if he's Super Hans to the Conchords' Jeremy.

Is all comedy doomed to be self-referential?