Upstart Crow - Series 2 [DVD]

Upstart Crow is not just for the traditional theatre luvvies. However if you have a working knowledge of the Bard then it will enhance your enjoyment of the show. David Mitchell does a wonderful job portraying Shakespeare as a jobbing playwright just trying to balance life between London theatre life and his family life at home in Stratford-Upon-Avon. A strong ensemble cast ensures that the humour is widely spread among the actors and each individual character has their own particular quirks that develop as the series progresses. Some of the laughs are somewhat convoluted but that isn’t a criticism. Writer Ben Elton has always used this form of writing and it works well in the right hands. Liza Tarbuck as Anne Hathaway plays the long-suffering wife well and with the recurring characters strongly featured in each episode it withstands repeated watching quite well.

I LOVE this series. So funny, so delightful, so original. Of course David Mitchell's Will owes more to David Mitchell and Ben Elton than to the real Will, but that is half the fun. His rants on the terrible journeys he has from London to Stratford are a joy, as are the frequent references to his future reputation. The show is full of wit and charm, and the rest of the cast are wonderful. You don't have to know Shakespeare to enjoy it, but the more you know of him and his work, the more you will laugh. One of the conceits that I particularly appreciate is the turning on its head of the nonsensical idea that Shakespeare didn't write the plays; here it is Kit Marlowe who doesn't write his, but gets Will to do it for him. Brilliant!

Both series are splendid. They're witty, haracterful, full of Shakespearean hints to recognise and modern references to such phenomena as transport predicaments and sundry family and social issues. The acting is also excellent and I await future series with great expectation, including seeing smoke coming from Will and Anne's pipes.

I did not discover this comedy series until series 2, but it became a series to watch. The characters are so well portrayed by the actors. Some knowledge of Shakespeare's works does help. Very clever script writing by Ben Elton. I particularly enjoy the created words by "Will." They are always funny and make me giggle.

Upstart Crow is and always will be BRILLIANT. The humour remains subtle and topical yet totally related to Shakespeare. If you have never seen this series, start with series 1 and go for it.

It's the funniest thing since General Horatio Funny, The Mayor of Funnytown, wore his funny clothes and did some very funny things. I laughed so much I was close to choking. I have series 1 and 2 - Can't wait for series 3.

Brilliant script by master writer Ben Elton. Some knowledge of the plays is essential in my view but the characterisation is amusing.

Really excellent stuff. If you liked Blackadder you'll like this. Ben Eltons' scripts are a delight & the cast is uniformly superb. Hope they DVD the Christmas special broadcast last year.