If they did some new material, that would be brilliant – but I doubt they would bother/dare to try. It would probably bomb, whereas they’d get rapturous applause for dishing out the dead parrot sketch by rote.
Agreed – it’s a bit like the old bands, isn’t it? Springsteen, or Macca, or the Strolling Bones might well have a new album when they tour, but hardly anyone wants to hear it – they’re there for the hits. Must be a bit crap for the performers, I always think.
I’d be staggered if there’s any new material to speak of, maybe at best they’ll shoehorn a few vaguely topical references into “classic” routines – or knowingly subvert expectations – I saw footage of one benefit type show where they did the parrot sketch, but he immediately acknowledged that it was dead and offered a refund.
I think for those criticising the material from a 2013 perspective as not funny, it reminds me of comments a few weeks ago on a music thread about Macca and the Beatles – the material isn’t as important as it is simply because of it’s intrinsic qualities, but for it’s impact, and to understand that you have to see it in its historical context.
Much as you don’t have to enjoy listening to Beatles albums to appreciate the momentous effect they had on popular culture in their day, you don’t have to find the Spanish Inquisition skit hilarious to appreciate the role MP had in moving on conceptions of what was possible in the field of television comedy, when you look at sitcoms before MP, and then think about stuff that came after.
