Wench Trouble
Encyclopedia
"Wench Trouble" is the first episode of the first season of the comedic sword and sorcery
series Kröd Mändoon and the Flaming Sword of Fire
. It originally aired on Comedy Central
in the United States on April 9, 2009, then on BBC2 in the United Kingdom on June 11, 2009. The episode was written by series creator Peter Knight
and directed by Alex Hardcastle
. "Wench Trouble" introduced the protagonist Kröd Mändoon, played by Sean Maguire
, as well as the other regular characters played by cast members Matt Lucas
, India de Beaufort
, Steve Speirs, Kevin Hart
and Marques Ray.
Kröd is a freedom fighter resisting the evil Makonian Empire. In the episode, Kröd and his friends try to free Kröd's imprisoned mentor General Arcadius, who believes Kröd is the part of a prophecy that will overthrow the empire. Meanwhile, the evil Chancellor Dongalor unveils the Eye of Gulga Grymna, the deadliest weapon of the ancient world, which he has recently unearthed. "Wench Trouble", like all future episodes, was filmed in Budapest
, Hungary
, and the producers had authentic medieval-style
costumes and weapons build to maintain a realistic fantasy setting.
"Wench Trouble", which premiered back-to-back along with the episode "Golden Powers
", received generally mixed reviews. According to Nielsen ratings
, it was viewed by 1.6 million households in its original American broadcast, about average for that time period; it had slightly less viewers than the episode of The Daily Show
that aired later that evening.
) has continued to resist, striking out at the enemy and releasing slaves and political prisoners.
Kröd enters a tavern and threatens a soldier to get the keys to a dungeon where Kröd’s mentor, the rebel leader General Arcadius (Roger Allam
), is locked up. The soldier hands over the keys when he sees he is surrounded by Kröd's allies; his girlfriend Aneka (India de Beaufort
), his pig-like 'Grobble' servant Loquasto (Steve Speirs) and his sorcerer friend Zezelryck (Kevin Hart
). But when the guard tries to stab Kröd, Loquasto uses a crossbow to fire an arrow into his back, accidentally catching Kröd's hand as well. A fight breaks out with other soldiers in the tavern. Meanwhile, Aneka pulls aside a soldier to have sex with him to get the dungeon keys. The fight ends and the four escape the burning building with the keys.
Meanwhile, the evil Chancellor Dongalor (Matt Lucas
) is told by his advisor Barnabus (Alex MacQueen
) that the emperor demands to know how he will deal with the rebellion, particularly with Kröd. Dongalor claims they have nothing to fear from Kröd, who used to beat Dongalor up in the military academy with as a youth. Later, Dongalor reveals he has found the Eye of Gulga Grymna, the deadliest weapon of the ancient world, which had been lost for a millennium but was unearthed by "the finest child labor to ever feel the lash": he also ignores the warning the Eye's power once destroyed an entire kingdom, and has the bearer of bad news killed. Meanwhile, Kröd and his friends unlock the dungeon doors and liberate the prisoners. There they find General Arcadius and his new lover, the flamboyant Bruce (Marques Ray). Before the group can leave, Loquasto accidentally locks the door shut behind them, trapping them all in the dungeon.
Dongalor wants to use the Eye of Gulga Grymna to destroy a random village, but Barnabus tells him they have not yet figured out how to unlock the weapon's power, although he says decoders are working to decipher hieroglyphics on the Eye to learn its secrets. They are then informed that the dungeon has been breached and call for the guards. Meanwhile, Kröd angrily threatens a nearby guard, who tells him about a recently patched tunnel in the wall from a previous prisoner escape attempt that was recently thwarted , and then argues with Aneka when he learns how she obtained the dungeon keys. She insists that as a pagan warrioress, "sex is just another weapon in my arsenal”: when Krod reacts badly to this, Aneka storms off (prompting Dongalor to sneer the titular line
, "Wench trouble, Mandoon?"). Dongalor and the guards arrive and he fire an arrow at Kröd, but Arcadius dives in front of it and is shot instead. (Humorously, Arcadius survives the arrow and just as Krod yells, "It will take more than one arrow to kill the greatest general [Arcadius] who ever lived!", several more arrows come flying into Arcadius' chest along with a spear, and an axe smashes into his head.) Just before Arcadius dies, he says the word Engamora. Kröd and the others escape through the tunnel. Barnabus tells Dongalor that Engamora refers to a prophecy that chronicles the overthrow of an empire at the hands of a "low-born swordsman", which they believe to be Kröd.
At a nearby lake, the group give Arcadius a Viking funeral
, (after two failed attempts with a crossbow by Loquasto to set the boat alight, Aneka makes the shot, using her bow in an extremely provocative way), then prepare to continue their battle.
and directed by Alex Hardcastle
. It originally aired April 9, 2009 in the United States on Comedy Central
, then on June 11, 2009 in the United Kingdom on BBC2. In both cases as part of the one-hour series premiere along with the episode "Golden Powers
". The episode was filmed in Budapest
, Hungary
. The producers strived to create the fantasy setting with an authentic medieval-style
tone. In keeping with the time period, the costumes were created with no zippers or velcro, and the weapons were created by an armorer who specializes in creating ancient weapon replicas. Actress India de Beaufort had read the script to this episode and none of the others when she agreed to take on the role.
", was viewed by 1.6 million households in its original American broadcast. It received a 0.7 Nielsen rating
, which is about Comedy Central's average for that time period. It had slightly fewer viewers than the episode of The Daily Show
that aired later that evening.
The episode received generally mixed reviews. Reuters
writer Daniel Carlson said the show was "exactly as bad as you would fear". Carlson said the jokes were bad and that delivery from the actors is too exaggerated; although he praised Matt Lucas, he said Maguire and Lucas were inappropriately over-the-top. Matthew Gilbert of The Boston Globe
called the show a "relentless, mediocre spoofery that so desperately wants to remind us of Monty Python and the Holy Grail
". However, Gilbert said the show might work better in half-hour increments, rather than in the one-hour premiere with "Wench Trouble" and "Golden Powers". Kate Ward of Entertainment Weekly
said although the show's premise had promise, she did not particularly like the execution. Ward said Matt Lucas's character "came off as Dr. Evil
light", but said Sean Maguire was charming and that she laughed at some of the "juvenile jokes", including Horst Draper, the name of a prisoner accused of raping horses. Boston Herald
reviewer Mark A. Perigard complimented the show's high production values, but said, "What was spent on sets didn't go into the script." He also said the concept of a comedy swords-and-fantasy show is redundant because even serious shows, like Hercules: The Legendary Journeys
and Xena: Warrior Princess
, are comedies to an extent.
Joe Amarante of the New Haven Register said he "laughed several times during this cable comedy", and described it as "'Monty Python' meets a Mike Myers
' movie with a lead who looks like Ben Stiller
". Curt Wagner of RedEye
said he enjoyed the episode and the jokes that combined old and modern elements, like when Loquasto calls Krod master and he replies, "You're making a PR nightmare for me". Wagner said of the show, "The rest of the time the humor is just juvenile, but it somehow works for this show, and this network, and apparently the mood I was in when I watched it." Scott Thill of Wired
magazine called the episode a mix between Rowan Atkinson
's Blackadder
and Mel Brooks
' Robin Hood: Men in Tights
, and described it as "a cable comedy perfectly suited for the male demographic". Thill also compared it to Korgoth of Barbaria
, the cult hit Adult Swim
pilot television episode parodying Conan the Barbarian
, Matt Fowler of IGN
said the show was "not uproarious, (but) it's not painful to watch either", but said the characters had a "one joke" feel to them and expressed doubt as to whether they could sustain an entire series. Fowler identified Lucas as the stand-out cast member. Verne Gay of Newsday
gave the episode a "thumbs sideways", and praised the performances of Hart and especially Lucas. But the review also said the show needed to become funnier to laugh: "there's definitely some funny here, but not nearly enough".
Sword and sorcery
Sword and sorcery is a sub-genre of fantasy and historical fantasy, generally characterized by sword-wielding heroes engaged in exciting and violent conflicts. An element of romance is often present, as is an element of magic and the supernatural...
series Kröd Mändoon and the Flaming Sword of Fire
Kröd Mändoon and the Flaming Sword of Fire
Kröd Mändoon and the Flaming Sword of Fire is a British-American comedic sword and sorcery series created by Peter A. Knight, co-produced by Hat Trick Productions and Media Rights Capital for Comedy Central and BBC Two, which premiered on April 9, 2009 in the USA and on June 11 in the UK. It began...
. It originally aired on Comedy Central
Comedy Central
Comedy Central is an American cable television and satellite television channel that carries comedy programming, both original and syndicated....
in the United States on April 9, 2009, then on BBC2 in the United Kingdom on June 11, 2009. The episode was written by series creator Peter Knight
Peter Knight
Peter Knight is a folk musician, member of the electric folk group Steeleye Span.Peter Knight was born in London on 27 May 1947. As a child he learned the violin and mandolin before going to the Royal Academy of Music from 1960 to 1964. The recordings of the Irish fiddler Michael Coleman inspired...
and directed by Alex Hardcastle
Alex Hardcastle
Alex Hardcastle is a television director and producer, who has worked on numerous television specials, series and documentaries in both England and the United States...
. "Wench Trouble" introduced the protagonist Kröd Mändoon, played by Sean Maguire
Sean Maguire
Sean Maguire is an English actor and singer, who rose to fame in 1988 when at the age of eleven he took on the role of "Tegs" Ratcliffe on the BBC children's drama Grange Hill, in which he remained until 1992...
, as well as the other regular characters played by cast members Matt Lucas
Matt Lucas
Matthew Richard "Matt" Lucas is an English comedian, screenwriter and actor best known for his acclaimed work with David Walliams in the television show Little Britain; as well as for his portrayals of the scorekeeping baby George Dawes in the comedy panel game Shooting Stars, Tweedledee and...
, India de Beaufort
India de Beaufort
India de Beaufort is an English actress and singer/songwriter from London whose appearances include roles in Basil Brush and Run Fatboy Run. She played Aneka, a pagan warrior maiden, in the 2009 series Kröd Mändoon and the Flaming Sword of Fire...
, Steve Speirs, Kevin Hart
Kevin Hart (actor)
Kevin Hart is an American actor and stand-up comedian.-Early life and career:Hart was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was raised by his single mother...
and Marques Ray.
Kröd is a freedom fighter resisting the evil Makonian Empire. In the episode, Kröd and his friends try to free Kröd's imprisoned mentor General Arcadius, who believes Kröd is the part of a prophecy that will overthrow the empire. Meanwhile, the evil Chancellor Dongalor unveils the Eye of Gulga Grymna, the deadliest weapon of the ancient world, which he has recently unearthed. "Wench Trouble", like all future episodes, was filmed in Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
, Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, and the producers had authentic medieval-style
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
costumes and weapons build to maintain a realistic fantasy setting.
"Wench Trouble", which premiered back-to-back along with the episode "Golden Powers
Golden Powers
"Golden Powers" is the second episode of the first season of the comedic sword and sorcery series Kröd Mändoon and the Flaming Sword of Fire. It originally aired on Comedy Central in the United States on April 9, 2009...
", received generally mixed reviews. According to Nielsen ratings
Nielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
, it was viewed by 1.6 million households in its original American broadcast, about average for that time period; it had slightly less viewers than the episode of The Daily Show
The Daily Show
The Daily Show , is an American late night satirical television program airing each Monday through Thursday on Comedy Central. The half-hour long show premiered on July 21, 1996, and was hosted by Craig Kilborn until December 1998...
that aired later that evening.
Plot
The episode opens with a voice-over narration explaining that the Makonian Empire, commanded by Emperor Xanus rules the land with an iron fist and has crushed the leadership of an upstart rebellion, but that freedom fighter, Kröd Mändoon (Sean MaguireSean Maguire
Sean Maguire is an English actor and singer, who rose to fame in 1988 when at the age of eleven he took on the role of "Tegs" Ratcliffe on the BBC children's drama Grange Hill, in which he remained until 1992...
) has continued to resist, striking out at the enemy and releasing slaves and political prisoners.
Kröd enters a tavern and threatens a soldier to get the keys to a dungeon where Kröd’s mentor, the rebel leader General Arcadius (Roger Allam
Roger Allam
Roger Allam is an English actor, known primarily for his stage career, although he has performed in film and television. He played Inspector Javert in the original London production of the stage musical Les Misérables....
), is locked up. The soldier hands over the keys when he sees he is surrounded by Kröd's allies; his girlfriend Aneka (India de Beaufort
India de Beaufort
India de Beaufort is an English actress and singer/songwriter from London whose appearances include roles in Basil Brush and Run Fatboy Run. She played Aneka, a pagan warrior maiden, in the 2009 series Kröd Mändoon and the Flaming Sword of Fire...
), his pig-like 'Grobble' servant Loquasto (Steve Speirs) and his sorcerer friend Zezelryck (Kevin Hart
Kevin Hart (actor)
Kevin Hart is an American actor and stand-up comedian.-Early life and career:Hart was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was raised by his single mother...
). But when the guard tries to stab Kröd, Loquasto uses a crossbow to fire an arrow into his back, accidentally catching Kröd's hand as well. A fight breaks out with other soldiers in the tavern. Meanwhile, Aneka pulls aside a soldier to have sex with him to get the dungeon keys. The fight ends and the four escape the burning building with the keys.
Meanwhile, the evil Chancellor Dongalor (Matt Lucas
Matt Lucas
Matthew Richard "Matt" Lucas is an English comedian, screenwriter and actor best known for his acclaimed work with David Walliams in the television show Little Britain; as well as for his portrayals of the scorekeeping baby George Dawes in the comedy panel game Shooting Stars, Tweedledee and...
) is told by his advisor Barnabus (Alex MacQueen
Alex MacQueen
Alexander Tulloch MacQueen is an English actor. He has appeared on television, film and radio in the UK in productions such as Holby City, Hut 33, The Thick of It, and Keeping Mum....
) that the emperor demands to know how he will deal with the rebellion, particularly with Kröd. Dongalor claims they have nothing to fear from Kröd, who used to beat Dongalor up in the military academy with as a youth. Later, Dongalor reveals he has found the Eye of Gulga Grymna, the deadliest weapon of the ancient world, which had been lost for a millennium but was unearthed by "the finest child labor to ever feel the lash": he also ignores the warning the Eye's power once destroyed an entire kingdom, and has the bearer of bad news killed. Meanwhile, Kröd and his friends unlock the dungeon doors and liberate the prisoners. There they find General Arcadius and his new lover, the flamboyant Bruce (Marques Ray). Before the group can leave, Loquasto accidentally locks the door shut behind them, trapping them all in the dungeon.
Dongalor wants to use the Eye of Gulga Grymna to destroy a random village, but Barnabus tells him they have not yet figured out how to unlock the weapon's power, although he says decoders are working to decipher hieroglyphics on the Eye to learn its secrets. They are then informed that the dungeon has been breached and call for the guards. Meanwhile, Kröd angrily threatens a nearby guard, who tells him about a recently patched tunnel in the wall from a previous prisoner escape attempt that was recently thwarted , and then argues with Aneka when he learns how she obtained the dungeon keys. She insists that as a pagan warrioress, "sex is just another weapon in my arsenal”: when Krod reacts badly to this, Aneka storms off (prompting Dongalor to sneer the titular line
Titular line
The titular line is a line in a film, book or song which includes the name of the film, book or song.- External links :* at TV Tropes...
, "Wench trouble, Mandoon?"). Dongalor and the guards arrive and he fire an arrow at Kröd, but Arcadius dives in front of it and is shot instead. (Humorously, Arcadius survives the arrow and just as Krod yells, "It will take more than one arrow to kill the greatest general [Arcadius] who ever lived!", several more arrows come flying into Arcadius' chest along with a spear, and an axe smashes into his head.) Just before Arcadius dies, he says the word Engamora. Kröd and the others escape through the tunnel. Barnabus tells Dongalor that Engamora refers to a prophecy that chronicles the overthrow of an empire at the hands of a "low-born swordsman", which they believe to be Kröd.
At a nearby lake, the group give Arcadius a Viking funeral
Viking funeral
Burial customs of Viking Age Norsemen are known both from archaeology and from historical accounts such as the Icelandic sagas, Old Norse poetry, and notably from the account of Ahmad ibn Fadlan....
, (after two failed attempts with a crossbow by Loquasto to set the boat alight, Aneka makes the shot, using her bow in an extremely provocative way), then prepare to continue their battle.
Production
"Wench Trouble" was written by Peter KnightPeter Knight
Peter Knight is a folk musician, member of the electric folk group Steeleye Span.Peter Knight was born in London on 27 May 1947. As a child he learned the violin and mandolin before going to the Royal Academy of Music from 1960 to 1964. The recordings of the Irish fiddler Michael Coleman inspired...
and directed by Alex Hardcastle
Alex Hardcastle
Alex Hardcastle is a television director and producer, who has worked on numerous television specials, series and documentaries in both England and the United States...
. It originally aired April 9, 2009 in the United States on Comedy Central
Comedy Central
Comedy Central is an American cable television and satellite television channel that carries comedy programming, both original and syndicated....
, then on June 11, 2009 in the United Kingdom on BBC2. In both cases as part of the one-hour series premiere along with the episode "Golden Powers
Golden Powers
"Golden Powers" is the second episode of the first season of the comedic sword and sorcery series Kröd Mändoon and the Flaming Sword of Fire. It originally aired on Comedy Central in the United States on April 9, 2009...
". The episode was filmed in Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
, Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
. The producers strived to create the fantasy setting with an authentic medieval-style
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
tone. In keeping with the time period, the costumes were created with no zippers or velcro, and the weapons were created by an armorer who specializes in creating ancient weapon replicas. Actress India de Beaufort had read the script to this episode and none of the others when she agreed to take on the role.
Reception
The one-hour premiere of Kröd Mändoon and the Flaming Sword of Fire, which included the back-to-back episode "Wench Trouble" and the episode "Golden PowersGolden Powers
"Golden Powers" is the second episode of the first season of the comedic sword and sorcery series Kröd Mändoon and the Flaming Sword of Fire. It originally aired on Comedy Central in the United States on April 9, 2009...
", was viewed by 1.6 million households in its original American broadcast. It received a 0.7 Nielsen rating
Nielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
, which is about Comedy Central's average for that time period. It had slightly fewer viewers than the episode of The Daily Show
The Daily Show
The Daily Show , is an American late night satirical television program airing each Monday through Thursday on Comedy Central. The half-hour long show premiered on July 21, 1996, and was hosted by Craig Kilborn until December 1998...
that aired later that evening.
The episode received generally mixed reviews. Reuters
Reuters
Reuters is a news agency headquartered in New York City. Until 2008 the Reuters news agency formed part of a British independent company, Reuters Group plc, which was also a provider of financial market data...
writer Daniel Carlson said the show was "exactly as bad as you would fear". Carlson said the jokes were bad and that delivery from the actors is too exaggerated; although he praised Matt Lucas, he said Maguire and Lucas were inappropriately over-the-top. Matthew Gilbert of The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe is an American daily newspaper based in Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Globe has been owned by The New York Times Company since 1993...
called the show a "relentless, mediocre spoofery that so desperately wants to remind us of Monty Python and the Holy Grail
Monty Python and the Holy Grail
Monty Python and the Holy Grail is a 1974 British comedy film written and performed by the comedy group Monty Python , and directed by Gilliam and Jones...
". However, Gilbert said the show might work better in half-hour increments, rather than in the one-hour premiere with "Wench Trouble" and "Golden Powers". Kate Ward of Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
said although the show's premise had promise, she did not particularly like the execution. Ward said Matt Lucas's character "came off as Dr. Evil
Dr. Evil
Dr. Evil is a fictional character, played by Mike Myers in the Austin Powers film series. He is the antagonist of the movies, and Austin Powers' nemesis. He is a parody of James Bond villains, primarily Donald Pleasence's Ernst Stavro Blofeld . Dr...
light", but said Sean Maguire was charming and that she laughed at some of the "juvenile jokes", including Horst Draper, the name of a prisoner accused of raping horses. Boston Herald
Boston Herald
The Boston Herald is a daily newspaper that serves Boston, Massachusetts, United States, and its surrounding area. It was started in 1846 and is one of the oldest daily newspapers in the United States...
reviewer Mark A. Perigard complimented the show's high production values, but said, "What was spent on sets didn't go into the script." He also said the concept of a comedy swords-and-fantasy show is redundant because even serious shows, like Hercules: The Legendary Journeys
Hercules: The Legendary Journeys
Hercules: The Legendary Journeys is a television series, filmed in New Zealand and the United States. It was produced from 1995, and was very loosely based on the tales of the classical Greek culture hero Heracles...
and Xena: Warrior Princess
Xena: Warrior Princess
Xena: Warrior Princess is an American–New Zealand supernatural fantasy adventure series that aired in syndication from September 4, 1995 until June 18, 2001....
, are comedies to an extent.
Joe Amarante of the New Haven Register said he "laughed several times during this cable comedy", and described it as "'Monty Python' meets a Mike Myers
Mike Myers (actor)
Michael John "Mike" Myers is a Canadian actor, comedian, screenwriter, and film producer of British parentage...
' movie with a lead who looks like Ben Stiller
Ben Stiller
Benjamin Edward "Ben" Stiller is an American comedian, actor, writer, film director, and producer. He is the son of veteran comedians and actors Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara....
". Curt Wagner of RedEye
RedEye
The RedEye is a daily publication put out by the Chicago Tribune geared toward 18 to 34-year-olds. RedEye was created due in part to the loss of readership among young people of the Chicago Tribune and other major newspapers...
said he enjoyed the episode and the jokes that combined old and modern elements, like when Loquasto calls Krod master and he replies, "You're making a PR nightmare for me". Wagner said of the show, "The rest of the time the humor is just juvenile, but it somehow works for this show, and this network, and apparently the mood I was in when I watched it." Scott Thill of Wired
Wired (magazine)
Wired is a full-color monthly American magazine and on-line periodical, published since January 1993, that reports on how new and developing technology affects culture, the economy, and politics...
magazine called the episode a mix between Rowan Atkinson
Rowan Atkinson
Rowan Sebastian Atkinson is a British actor, comedian, and screenwriter. He is most famous for his work on the satirical sketch comedy show Not The Nine O'Clock News, and the sitcoms Blackadder, Mr. Bean and The Thin Blue Line...
's Blackadder
Blackadder
Blackadder is the name that encompassed four series of a BBC1 historical sitcom, along with several one-off instalments. All television programme episodes starred Rowan Atkinson as anti-hero Edmund Blackadder and Tony Robinson as Blackadder's dogsbody, Baldrick...
and Mel Brooks
Mel Brooks
Mel Brooks is an American film director, screenwriter, composer, lyricist, comedian, actor and producer. He is best known as a creator of broad film farces and comic parodies. He began his career as a stand-up comic and as a writer for the early TV variety show Your Show of Shows...
' Robin Hood: Men in Tights
Robin Hood: Men in Tights
Robin Hood: Men in Tights is a 1993 French-American adventure comedy film and a parody of the Robin Hood story. Produced and directed by Mel Brooks, the film stars Cary Elwes, Richard Lewis, and Dave Chappelle in his film debut...
, and described it as "a cable comedy perfectly suited for the male demographic". Thill also compared it to Korgoth of Barbaria
Korgoth of Barbaria
Korgoth of Barbaria is a pilot episode for what was originally planned as an American animated television series created by Aaron Springer, storyboard writer and director for Dexter's Laboratory, The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy and SpongeBob SquarePants. The pilot episode first aired in the...
, the cult hit Adult Swim
Adult Swim
Adult Swim is an adult-oriented Cable network that shares channel space with Cartoon Network from 9:00 pm until 6:00 am ET/PT in the United States, and broadcasts in countries such as Australia and New Zealand...
pilot television episode parodying Conan the Barbarian
Conan the Barbarian
Conan the Barbarian is a fictional sword and sorcery hero that originated in pulp fiction magazines and has since been adapted to books, comics, several films , television programs, video games, roleplaying games and other media...
, Matt Fowler of IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
said the show was "not uproarious, (but) it's not painful to watch either", but said the characters had a "one joke" feel to them and expressed doubt as to whether they could sustain an entire series. Fowler identified Lucas as the stand-out cast member. Verne Gay of Newsday
Newsday
Newsday is a daily American newspaper that primarily serves Nassau and Suffolk counties and the New York City borough of Queens on Long Island, although it is sold throughout the New York metropolitan area...
gave the episode a "thumbs sideways", and praised the performances of Hart and especially Lucas. But the review also said the show needed to become funnier to laugh: "there's definitely some funny here, but not nearly enough".
External links
- "Wench Trouble" at TV.comTV.comTV.com is a website owned by CBS Interactive. The site covers television and focuses on English-language shows made or broadcast in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and Japan...