Has "Vicious" improved? Series 1 Christmas episode, ITV

Against my better judgement I gave this tepid sitcom another go, bearing in mind how great Derek Jacobi was in Series 2 of "Last Tango in Halifax".
Nothing has changed. Obviously filmed straight after Episode 6, early in 2013. Same tired dialogue and obvious, crass situations ("Truth or Dare" resulted in Frances de la Tour having to mention Ash's penis). She must go home, look at the script and cry.
The studio audience must have been primed up with booze and chocs - laughing at almost anything (e.g. Ash's comments about his perennially drunk mother brought inappropriate titters).
How this waddle deserves a second season is beyond me. Perhaps if there was more mincing in "The Hour" and "Ripper Street" BBC wouldn't have cancelled both. No, silly comment, these were big budget dramas, whereas this sitcom is cheap (and nasty).
I know it's called "Vicious" but Gary Janetti ("Will and Grace", "Family Guy") seems to have forgotten how to write funny, gay stuff.
America's PBS has bought the rights (the prestigious cast must been a factor). Didn't they watch it?

Observation:
This dross reminds me of Stanley ("Singing in the Rain") Donen's 1969 misfire "Staircase" starring Richard Burton and Rex Harrison as the aging queens. Perhaps the play was better.

"Time After Time" (1979 film) When H.G. Wells Meets Jack the Ripper

Don't you love 'time travel' movies?
What about the meeting of two famous or fictional characters? Take Nicholas Meyer's "The Seven Per Cent Solution" (1976) when Sherlock Holmes meets Sigmund Freud? How about a film that combines the two ideas?

Three years later Nicholas Meyer (mainly known for directing 3 early "Star Trek" films) made "Time After Time". Sci fi author H.G.Wells follows Jack the Ripper to present day San Francisco. This movie is delicious fun.
The time machine looks quite different to George Pal's 1960 version of "The Time Machine". Looks more like a helicopter cabin. The special effects reflect the meagre budget. Apparently director Meyer insisted on veteran Miklos Rozsa to compose the musical score. it's very overwrought and 40's syrupy but beautiful to listen to. The disco scenes in San Francisco, with lots of vile suits and polyester shorts are quite jarring, but I'm quibbling.
Meyer originally wanted Derek Jacobi as H. G. and Mick Jagger as Jack. Wow. A shame.
They settled on Malcolm McDowell as Wells and David Warner for the ripper, who was later typecast as baddies in fantasy films - "Tron" (1982), "The Golden Child" (1986).
Mary Steenburgen is great at H.G.'s love interest. She is sort of channelling Cyndi Lauper - Queens accent - but still cute as a button. McDowell and Steenburgen met on set and were married from 1980-1990.
The final explanation of H.G.'s real fate and personal life is quite touching (no spoilers from me here).
Update: Nicholas Meyer wrote the biopic two parter "Houdini" for The History Channel in 2014. Adrien Brody came out of this cheesy opus unscathed.

"Vicious" ITV Episode 3 review Please Sirs!

Pl-lease Sirs! (apologies to the wonderful Esmonde/Larbey TV series)
I gave this stinker another go. I need not have bothered. The running jokes aren't worth running with - the geriatric pussy, slagging off Violet, the vain, hammy actor. Did Jacobi and McKellen sack their agents after viewing this debacle? Juvenile dialogue like "is that dog shit I smell or just you?" could have been written for a junior high school skit. The "Downton Abbey" bit part involving potatoes caused a smile, but that's it. A lame resolution to the episode too.
Only rarely do you see a glint in Sir Ian McKellen's eye or a bit of business from Sir Derk Jacobi - a glimmer of what might have been. This series features one dimensional characters and tired situations. I won't bother with it again.
"Quel dommage" as Mr Clary would say.

P.S. The opening title music "Never Can Say Goodbye" is the Jimmy Somerville/The Communards version (I remember Jimmy from Bronski Beat). The music is probably the highlight of this meagre show.

"Vicious" ITV TV series Episode 1 review

What a waste of talent! Three of the greatest actors of the British stage - Sir Ian McKellen, Sir Derek Jacobi, Frances de la Tour, the creator of "Will & Grace" - it seemed like a winner. The script was juvenile. And the worst sin ....dull.
Only one mildly funny bit when the two old queens reared back like Dracula when the curtains were opened. That was it.  I've laughed more in old episodes of the 1970's "Father, Dear Father".
I wanted to like this. Didn't these two great thespians read the script? Jacobi was so wonderful in "Last Tango in Halifax" too.