# Upstart Crow - anyone else watching? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 1, 2016, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/upstart-crow-anyone-else-watching/756204 "2016-06-01T02:43:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2016, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/upstart-crow-anyone-else-watching/756204/1 "2016-06-01T02:43:21Z")
New sitcom. From Ben Elton. Set in Elizabethan times and about Shakespeare. Sign me up. Honest, it’s pretty funny. Not Blackadder II funny, but I really am enjoying it. Helps that I really like David Mitchell, who is the lead. Anyone else watching? [Here is a clip.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwnMhSRZk5A) ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2016, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/upstart-crow-anyone-else-watching/756204/2 "2016-06-01T02:58:50Z")
Looks awesome. Hope it shows up on Hulu. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2016, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/upstart-crow-anyone-else-watching/756204/3 "2016-06-01T03:27:15Z")
I’ve found it extremely disappointing. ---
**Author:** ![Lo-Slung\_Denim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f6c823/32.png) [@Lo-Slung\_Denim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lo-Slung_Denim)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2016, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/upstart-crow-anyone-else-watching/756204/4 "2016-06-01T04:34:17Z")
I didn’t find it funny at all. Very disappointing. But I did just have a dream about it, so it’s obviously stuck in my mind! ---
**Author:** ![Skara\_Brae](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f0a364/32.png) [@Skara\_Brae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skara_Brae)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2016, 10:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/upstart-crow-anyone-else-watching/756204/5 "2016-06-01T10:24:38Z")
When/where is it airing? ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2016, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/upstart-crow-anyone-else-watching/756204/6 "2016-06-01T18:12:34Z")
Would like to; US viewer here so I don’t think there’s currently a way to obtain it for our viewing purposes. ---
**Author:** ![Ximenean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/aca169/32.png) [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2016, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/upstart-crow-anyone-else-watching/756204/7 "2016-06-01T23:20:13Z")
It’s OK. It’s David Mitchell in the Blackadder series that wasn’t good enough to make it to air first time round. It’s really old-school, and the performances are very broad, but if you look back at Blackadder II, they were even worse. Almost like a pantomime at times. I don’t think 80’s Blackadder has aged well. ---
**Author:** ![araminty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b5e925/32.png) [@araminty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/araminty)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2016, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/upstart-crow-anyone-else-watching/756204/8 "2016-06-02T00:11:28Z")
> [@Ximenean](#): > > It’s OK. It’s David Mitchell in the Blackadder series that wasn’t good enough to make it to air first time round. It’s really old-school, and the performances are very broad, but if you look back at Blackadder II, they were even worse. Almost like a pantomime at times. I don’t think 80’s Blackadder has aged well. I agree with both assertions. The most jarring thing to me about Upstart Crow is the laugh track. I haven’t watched a comedy series with a laugh track for ages. It’s funny to see Yara Greyjoy as an enthusiastic serving wench – she’s got quite good comic timing. I recently tried to rewatch some early Blackadder and got through about two episodes. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2016, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/upstart-crow-anyone-else-watching/756204/9 "2016-06-02T12:26:10Z")
I’m a huge Blackadder and Shakespeare fan, and I liked the trailers I’ve seen for this. Mitchell’s delivery continues to amuse me just as much as anywhere else I’ve seen him. I’ll see when we might get this here. ---
**Author:** ![JohnGalt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johngalt/32/184_2.png) [@JohnGalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnGalt)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2016, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/upstart-crow-anyone-else-watching/756204/10 "2016-06-02T17:07:21Z")
Here I was hoping it was a spinoff from MST3K. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2017, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/upstart-crow-anyone-else-watching/756204/11 "2017-06-03T20:17:19Z")
I asked David Mitchell if they are having another season and he responded to me personally! Second time he and I have interacted. Neat. [Yes, they’re having another season. It’s already filmed.](https://twitter.com/RealDMitchell/status/871058124836413444) ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2017, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/upstart-crow-anyone-else-watching/756204/12 "2017-06-07T06:23:58Z")
I liked this more than I thought I would. The writing was really funny, and I’m not even a Shakespeare wonk so I’m sure I missed stuff. I’m a big fan of Mitchell but my interest has waned some, but I still found him enjoyable. Glad to see there will be more! ---
**Author:** ![Penfeather](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penfeather/32/384_2.png) [@Penfeather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Penfeather)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2017, 9:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/upstart-crow-anyone-else-watching/756204/13 "2017-06-07T09:38:47Z")
Not particularly funny Blackadder-lite, and David Mitchell’s Shakespeare isn’t strongly written or played enough to carry it. ---
**Author:** ![Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiendish_astronaut/32/3295_2.png) [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiendish_Astronaut)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2017, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/upstart-crow-anyone-else-watching/756204/14 "2017-10-01T21:19:44Z")
I think it’s a little bit unfair to compare it to Blackadder but totally inevitable. I found it a bit tough to get into at first but, much like Shakespeare ironically, it really did grow on me. I love how they make fun of the way Shakespeare’s plays and his reputation itself are looked back upon by modern academics. And once I realised that (I think) every episode is about a different play and how this comic version of Shakespeare has written it, I started to really enjoy it more. Plus it’s really quite clever, and Mitchell does bring a good amount of subtlety to the character. There are flaws but it’s still S1 - it will get better. ---
**Author:** ![bonzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/45deac/32.png) [@bonzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bonzer)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2017, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/upstart-crow-anyone-else-watching/756204/15 "2017-10-01T21:45:18Z")
We’re liking it. It probably is being run down as inferior to _Blackadder_. Given Elton’s wildly variable standard of late, that isn’t too surprising. He has had a an awful track record. There is the obvious mismatch with _Blackadder_ that that kept the 20th century references very sparing, while _Upstart Crow_ is amusing utterly flagrant. ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2017, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/upstart-crow-anyone-else-watching/756204/16 "2017-10-02T13:54:06Z")
I’d seen Season 1 on Seeso, but since that streaming service is going under, I’m not sure when I’ll be able to see Season 2. ---
**Author:** ![Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiendish_astronaut/32/3295_2.png) [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiendish_Astronaut)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2017, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/upstart-crow-anyone-else-watching/756204/17 "2017-10-02T21:05:11Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > I asked David Mitchell if they are having another season and he responded to me personally! Second time he and I have interacted. Neat. > > [Yes, they’re having another season. It’s already filmed.](https://twitter.com/RealDMitchell/status/871058124836413444) Isn’t there a user on this board called DaveMitch? Do you reckon it’s him? He probably replied because he knows it’s you. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2017, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/upstart-crow-anyone-else-watching/756204/18 "2017-10-02T21:35:36Z")
> [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](#): > > Isn’t there a user on this board called DaveMitch? Do you reckon it’s him? He probably replied because he knows it’s you. I have no idea. I think he just checks his twitter pretty often. Because he knows it’s me? We don’t know each other. He just wrote me back as a total stranger. ---
**Author:** ![Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiendish_astronaut/32/3295_2.png) [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiendish_Astronaut)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2017, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/upstart-crow-anyone-else-watching/756204/19 "2017-10-02T21:46:19Z")
I don’t think you’ve understood my joke, but never mind.