Bo! in the USA
Channel 4
Sometimes in life you find yourself defending something you know to be wrong. I’ve often felt that way during the run of Bo Selecta, Leigh Francis‘s garbled take on celebrity culture that has been lurching and gurning its way across our screens for three seasons now like the radioactive remains of a Spitting Image holocaust. Critics call it the most puerile show on TV and it’s hard to argue. But given that they’re generally the kind of people who findBremner, Bird and Fortune funny it’s safe to say that their opinion means nothing and they can all drink donkey’s piss. Among all the drivel there have been enough moments of comic genius to justify its existence. And while the third season was so bad it made your eyes bleed, the Patsy Kensit/Mel B flat share was still funnier than 90 percent of the comedy around at the time.
Much of Friday’s show was crass and unfunny. The Chris Martin skit didn’t raise much of a smile and Avid Merrion has outstayed his welcome as anchor, outrageous and funny as he was to begin with. Bo! in the USA has him owning a hotel with his sister/wife Sasha. This gives him unprecedented access to American celebrities which will no doubt come in useful in his mission to Stalk The World.
Michael Jackson‘s Pimp My Bride was promising but over-egged the pudding with the (actually very funny) punchline spoiled by a seemingly endless set-up. But the show redeemed itself with a superb Pete Doherty sketch with the Peter Lorre looking talent vacuum candidly discussing his biscuit addiction. One of those worth-the-entrance-fee-alone moments without which Bo Selecta would be fucked.
Michael Jackson, Craig David‘s piss sack, Mel B, Destiny’s Child’s Day Off (below), Ant being bummed by Dec, The Bear, Elton John, Lorraine " can you see my growler?" Kelly. All of this adds up to a very fine body of comic work which Leigh Francis can show to his critics and say "eat a dick, bitches" because for all the lows, the smut and repetition very few things make me laugh out loud like Bo Selecta.
The best thing about it: Pete Doherty
The worst thing about it: Fairly lax quality control
The verdict on Bo! in the USA : I’ll be watching again.
Marks out of 10: 7
