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Campus, Channel 4

Campus, Channel 4

Clever, absurd, rude, perhaps even edgy - but is it funny?

by Tuesday, 05 April 2011
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'Campus' follows the staff of Kirke University, led into battle by Jonty de Wolfe (Andy Nyman)

Let us begin with the nots. Fashionably weird is not enough. Edgy, whatever that means, is not enough. The repeated use of the word “vagina” is not enough and semi-improvised ensemble acting is not, in itself, quite enough. These were just some of the many not-thoughts which ran through my mind during the opening episode of the much-touted Campus. So what did picky me want? I wanted funny.

Let us begin with the nots. Fashionably weird is not enough. Edgy, whatever that means, is not enough. The repeated use of the word “vagina” is not enough and semi-improvised ensemble acting is not, in itself, quite enough. These were just some of the many not-thoughts which ran through my mind during the opening episode of the much-touted Campus. So what did picky me want? I wanted funny.

Professor Beer was one of those men whose "To Do" list is breathing and has breasts

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Comments

Submitted by Mario Cavalli (not verified) on Tue, 05/04/2011 - 21:37
Agree completely.

Submitted by Jamie Rush (not verified) on Wed, 06/04/2011 - 01:43
I managed about 10 minutes before I switched off, normally I'm prepared to give something the benefit of the doubt but I could not find one single funny moment, likable character, or just any reason to care at all. A massive faux-pas from the makers of Green Wing

Submitted by Emily (not verified) on Wed, 06/04/2011 - 06:18
It felt forced and poorly executed. Jonty's character was so blatantly out to shock that it was boring. I turned over to South Park which was a masterclass in how to successfully approach the cruder elements of Campus's scatalogical and 'offensive' humour. Won't be watching again.

Submitted by Lionwillow (not verified) on Wed, 06/04/2011 - 07:15
I agree...this was filmed where I work so I was eager to see the programme...but it was dire. I lasted 10 minutes..most of which time I was looking at the "extras" to see if I knew anyone.....

Submitted by Katie (not verified) on Wed, 06/04/2011 - 10:42
I loved it, but maybe it's the comedy equivalent of marmite.

Submitted by CampusSucked (not verified) on Wed, 06/04/2011 - 12:39
How did they get away with such racism? Hopw it get's cancelled. However nice to Bath University again as I used to go there.

Submitted by Starspiral (not verified) on Wed, 06/04/2011 - 12:40
I thought it was brilliant - laughed all the way through.

Submitted by AlisonCG (not verified) on Wed, 06/04/2011 - 14:15
So many missed opportunities for humour: - job titles such as 'director of interdisciplinary studies', 'reader in pornography' (I made that one up but there probably is one) - PhD theses such as Prostitution in the Bahamas (I didn't make that up) - attempts to embrace diversity with LGBT societies and cross-dressing academics - efforts to go green by making students park their cars 3 miles away - Knowledge Transfer Partnerships ?!!? "A Very Peculiar Practice" - the 1986 series by Andrew Davies, did campus idiocy much better.

Submitted by BBL (not verified) on Wed, 06/04/2011 - 14:49
I also lasted ten minutes before switching over. I loved Green Wing but Campus seemed a pale and irredeemably awful imitation. Not funny. Not edgy. Just plain bad.

Submitted by Ricky Callan (not verified) on Wed, 06/04/2011 - 16:44
Quite easy to make a comparison really. Green Wing was genius, this is crap!! Sorry.

Submitted by Jamiee33 (not verified) on Wed, 06/04/2011 - 20:31
What an utter load of shite. Hate it

Submitted by Paul (not verified) on Wed, 06/04/2011 - 20:51
I thought it was alright. I've never seen 'Green Wing' so I didn't really know what to expect. But it's worth watching again - it did give me a few good laughs.

Submitted by JT (not verified) on Thu, 07/04/2011 - 10:11
I found most of the characters in Green Wing loveable and most of the characters in Campus hateful. Big disappointment.

Submitted by Ally (not verified) on Tue, 12/04/2011 - 20:51
"the vogue in TV comedy for near-fatal doses of faux-naturalistic awkwardness is becoming as hackneyed as the laugh track an on old episode of Terry and June." Nail on head.

Submitted by Rachael (not verified) on Wed, 13/04/2011 - 12:41
It is so unfunny it actually hurts.

Submitted by M J (not verified) on Mon, 18/04/2011 - 13:22
You're all so wrong I feel rather bad for you. Campus is, and this is a proven fact, hilarious. :)

Submitted by Offology (not verified) on Mon, 18/04/2011 - 14:07
Seems that you`re in the minority here.No use trying to put the silk hat on the pig.And I apologise to the pigs.

Submitted by Ken Ward (not verified) on Sat, 24/09/2011 - 17:14
Publication! Publication! Publication! More like Shit! Shit Shit! Poorly acted and badly written. All characters cloned from other major series from the last 5 or so years. This 1st show should be leaving me wanting more. Unfortunately it was more silence or more entertainment. Certainly not more of this. Poor, Poor, Poor!

Submitted by Sarah Billany (not verified) on Sat, 08/10/2011 - 17:39
didn't enjoy the first episode...first time, however, recently managed to work my way through all six episodes and loved them! I was a massive fan of the Green Wing, and the similarities are obvious (I may have even loved Capus because it filled the Green Wing shaped hole in my life, but I don't care), but I still loved Campus. I am now quite devastated to see that there will be no second series. Loved the characters and wanted to see more of them...

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