10 Best British TV Comedy Film Adaptations from the Past 30 Years
2. In the Loop (2009)
TV: The Thick of It
Out of the whole list, In The Loop is the closest fit to the stereotype of Britain’s reputation for intelligent and witty humour, but this irreverent film cannot be pinned down by mere labels.
The excellence of this Armando Ianucci (The Personal History of David Copperfield) film is immediately evident as we are quickly transported to the long ago days of dying New Labour (back when Tories wanted to hug hoodies and politicians seemed to experience consequences to their actions), but the most distinctive aspect of the film is its pure catharsis.
Like its television counterpart ‘The Thick of It’, In The Loop is a work of acerbic satire that functions to tear apart the often self-serving individuals who, to our frustration, are forever attracted to positions within mainstream politics, despite displaying the worst characteristics of humanity: lacking in integrity and loyalty, being completely cowardly, and more often than not being unforgivably stupid. For those who are eternally enraged by the immoral individuals that fill parliament, In The Loop provides the conduit of our anger in the only unchanging characters from the TV show, namely one Malcolm Tucker.
In times of strife, some films may offer you rest; in the case of In The Loop, sit back and experience your working class fantasies as sweary and angry Scotsmen destroy representations of the silver spoon twats we all hate.
1. Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (2006)
TV: Da Ali G Show
Sacha Baron Cohen is unofficially crowned the King of the Film Adaptations of British TV Comedy owing to his works dominating this list; but his 2006 release Borat is more than just a good adaptation, it is proof that Cohen has irrevocably changed cinema as a whole.
Borat redefined the offensive comedy and filled the genre with pretenders for the following decade.
One of the journalist alter-egos featured in ‘Da Ali G Show’ gets the feature-length film treatment as Borat Sagdiyev is sent to the United States by the Culture ministry for “Cultural learnings of America for make benefit glorious nation of Kazakhstan”; but then also gets side-tracked on a mission to find Pamela Anderson and marry her after watching her in ‘Baywatch’.
Borat can often be dismissed as merely crass and without substance, just like many of its wannabes, but Cohen does in fact use his duplicity for good. At the height of post 9/11 Americana cinema, Borat provides the antithesis to the nationalistic and the Christian extremism that was beginning to flourish alongside America’s campaigns of hostility in the Middle East. He may be deceptive and controversial, but the fact that the real-life individuals feel comfortable enough to spout their hate is far more alarming than anything Cohen does.
It’s not all serious though – Borat is jam-packed with set pieces that remain iconic and unforgettable still more than ten years on. A lot of us had our innocence shattered when we sneaked into the cinema to see a butt naked wrestle-and-run in a busy hotel, and Cohen’s legacy has only evolved from then on.
Sacha Baron Cohen, you are a madman and we have so much to thank you for.
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British comedy is a unique beast, especially when adapted for the silver screen. But what do you make of our list? Have we missed any out? Let us know in the comments below, and be sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter for updates on more articles like this one.
Great read!