Yeah, the makers of Forgetting Sarah Marshall just made exactly the right part for him. Demonstrating the unlikely good judgement which made the film work, in fact - on paper, it looked horrible.

Yeah, the makers of Forgetting Sarah Marshall just made exactly the right part for him. Demonstrating the unlikely good judgement which made the film work, in fact - on paper, it looked horrible.

Oh God, the school reunion episode of The IT Crowd… genius.

Oh God, the school reunion episode of The IT Crowd… genius.

Ah, I hadn't read the book. Ayoade would have been 13 in 1990, so the 80s setting was a weirdly deliberate choice on his part. Fashionable period settings normally piss me off, but with a bit of goodwill on my part this film seemed to get away with it.

Ah, I hadn't read the book. Ayoade would have been 13 in 1990, so the 80s setting was a weirdly deliberate choice on his part. Fashionable period settings normally piss me off, but with a bit of goodwill on my part this film seemed to get away with it.

Lots of tiny frogs

Lots of tiny frogs

It wasn't Boyle, it was a choreographer called Kim Gavin, who does Take That concerts… the thing had a couple of nice moments - especially Stephen Pinker playing guitar riffs off Sheer Heart Attack - but there was a lot of embarrassment as well.

It wasn't Boyle, it was a choreographer called Kim Gavin, who does Take That concerts… the thing had a couple of nice moments - especially Stephen Pinker playing guitar riffs off Sheer Heart Attack - but there was a lot of embarrassment as well.

He's one of those guys who proves that you can take your acting seriously without taking yourself seriously.

He's one of those guys who proves that you can take your acting seriously without taking yourself seriously.

Those Palin diaries are great, aren't they?

Those Palin diaries are great, aren't they?

Exactly that. I wonder how many British TV comedy disappointments are because someone writes and hones live sketches, takes it to Edinburgh, goes on Radio 4 and is then offered a TV series (which is a version of the radio show). When that's successful they are offered a second series, and they think "…Shit."

Exactly that. I wonder how many British TV comedy disappointments are because someone writes and hones live sketches, takes it to Edinburgh, goes on Radio 4 and is then offered a TV series (which is a version of the radio show). When that's successful they are offered a second series, and they think "…Shit."

"…Mother left me in charge" is still a thing we say in our house. And that was exactly what the Bee Gees were like.

"…Mother left me in charge" is still a thing we say in our house. And that was exactly what the Bee Gees were like.

@Scrawler2:disqus the Pizza Chase!

@Scrawler2:disqus the Pizza Chase!