With his sex offender specs and wiry frame, Sam Fletcher is a high-octane Jarvis Cocker. That’s OK though. Geek chic is in right now. We can laugh at geeks. With them. Whatever. Right?
Not this geek.
Fletcher’s between-joke banter is good; his chatter’s fine. All that’s missing is the jokes. The LOL ones. The ROFL ones. Or even the mildly titillating ones. Our host may be amiable and upbeat, but he’s about as funny as a two-star comedian.
When does the show start anyway? Sam Fletcher’s preamble seems to have its own preamble. During the course of an hour, we’re treated to sketches involving Siri, graphology and Morgan Freeman, whose name is inserted into such songs as More Than a Feeling and Flashdance’s What a Feeling. The comic then segues into a sequence about quitting his job to go freelance. Morgan Freelance of course. Only we never get to laugh at that joke because Sam Fletcher never thinks to use it. it’s a missed opportunity – one of many.
The final sketch sees Sam Fletcher speed type an overdue report on laser surgery for his boss. It’s actually more amusing than the premise might sound. Just. There’s nothing more damning than the sound of faint laughter.
Drawn-out Jokes isn’t a bad show. It’s just not that great either. After 60 minutes of passable entertainment, the audience file out, still searching for a drawn-out punchline that never comes.
