Snuff Box

It works when you think of it more as a demo reel, a proof-of-concept of the style and humor Berry would end up perfecting in Toast of London six years later by adding premise, characters and pathos. After all, you'll notice music, character names and even actors from ToL appear here first. Its a fascinating exercise to watch.

First off, I want to say that "Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!" and "Mr. Show with Bob and David" are two of my favorite shows. And now another alternative comedy, "Snuff Box," is a new favorite. The show features comedians Matt Berry and Rich Fulcher. They played Dixon Bainbridge and Bob Fossil respectively on another marvelous show, "The Mighty Boosh." Berry was additionally on the brilliant "Garth Marenghi's Darkplace" as well as "The IT Crowd."

Like any alternative comedy, "Snuff Box" does not adhere to any familiar format. It is not completely a sketch comedy, sitcom, or a dramedy. What is discernible is the outrageous humor. There is an ongoing storyline, which focuses on Berry and Fulcher as a hangman and his assistant. As foils, Berry and Fulcher are hilarious. Nonetheless, the show is strewn with unforgettable bits that display Fulcher's zaniness. There is never a slow moment, and much of the material is genuinely unique. Lastly, the music provided by Berry is a wonderful addition.

I cannot guarantee that those who liked Berry on "The IT Crowd" will enjoy "Snuff Box," as "The IT Crowd" was more mainstream. However, if you are a fan of "The Mighty Boosh," "Garth Marenghi's Darkplace," or alternative comedy in general, I am sure that you will like "Snuff Box."

This show is a high point in the British tradition of sitcoms which give the most oblivious, selfish and lewd male characters free reign to inflict hurt upon the world. The boors also suffer but there is little justice or fairness to be found. More often the cruelty just mounts and no one escapes some awful fate. I am reminded of absurdist theater but with better jokes. I agreed with dschmeding that Mr. Show and the Tim and Eric Awesome Show from the USA are comparison points. But those shows exhibit some sense of balance and compassion. Perhaps dschmeding's low rating reflects his desire for this sort of ethical balance in a comedy story. That is a more popular approach, certainly in feature films. As for me, I find the laughs in Snuff Box harder for their sheer offensiveness and unfairness. The lack of ethical logic keeps the jokes from being predictable. In real life no one could never get away with doing anything that happens on this show. If you weren't killed on the spot you would be quickly locked away. Lovers of Peep Show, the original British The Office and Extras will enjoy this show though they should expect a heightened level of offensiveness. I call it offensive because I realize it is often seen as offensive, but I have not been offended by anything on Snuff Box. I haven't seen anything from American television that can compete for sheer low taste. But if you go out and watch stand-up groups like New York City's UCB perform live without censorship and advertiser pressure, you'll find some of the same type of funny, and it's more shocking and satisfying live.

I'm a big fan of Matt Berry from IT Crowd and Dark Place, but this one wasn't quite as on par with them. The music turned me on to Berry's albums which I think are all great, he truly is an enlightened musician with infectious tunes. There is a grace to it that I don't think filters into this show's comedy the same way. I see it like when H. Jon Benjamin had his own show, I'm all for dark humor but his and Berry's humor are better off seeing some balance, instead of leaning almost completely on dark / being a dick (or maybe I'm not into that level of dark humor). I think Berry totally accomplished this in the scenes where he acts like a gentleman with a girl, until she mentions she has a boyfriend and he lashes out. That shows a bit of vulnerability which makes it believable. I'm not saying to lighten up on the dark humor, but I'd like to have seen more depth with it to keep me tuned in.

Fulcher playing the American idiot had its moments, but it got old pretty fast for me born and raised in the US, assuming maybe it'd be more funny if I was a critical Brit. This might be why Mr. Show worked better for me too, an American take on dark humor.

Back to IT Crowd, I think one of the best things about it is there is more balance with the character, Jen (who is brilliant in that show). In addition to the testosterone and geeky computer humor, Moss and Roy have to share their office with a woman with her own problems, which adds tension and levels the playing field.

Overall I'm always excited to see Matt Berry in any production, with his hilarious, ironically fine-tuned manner of speaking (whiskaaayy!). Rich Fulcher, not really sure this is him at his best for me, but I'd be interested to see his other work.

I love British comedy, everything from "Fawlty Towers" and "Are You Being Served?" to the Boosh, "the Office", and "League of Gentlemen". Snuff Box probably leans more towards LOG in terms of menacing atmosphere and milking hateful interactions for laughs. It definitely is not as episodic as Mighty Boosh or those other shows mentioned. Plot and defined story lines are more incidental than anything else, but there are a number of repeating jokes and/or obnoxious characters which become funnier as you come to anticipate what's going to happen. Berry is not as strong an actor as Fulcher (who has one setting; crass obnoxiousness), and sometimes his delivery is a little flat, but it almost becomes charming after a while. I laughed out loud a few times but mostly found myself smirking internally. I also like the music and catchy theme tune, and it's fun when all the characters start going into a song and dance routine. My favorite sketches are the ones with Berry smooth talking random ladies until he finds out they already have a boyfriend, at which point he performs some violent act of property destruction. I do find myself returning to this show over and over, mostly late at night. There's only 6 episodes anyway so you've not wasted much time in watching the whole series.