Wordiezett So much average

Executscan Expected more

AshUnow This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

Candida It is neither dumb nor smart enough to be fun, and spends way too much time with its boring human characters.

Bill Polhemus In sooth, the rollicking merriment of this ribald offering hath caused me to strain my vitals till I'm like to fill my puffling-pants with that which doth provide fertilizer but canst be found not at yon Walmart Garden Center, and which doth provide relief when brought forth but not in polite company!'Struth, were it not for the modern blessing of indoor plumbing I fear I'd long since have become the laughingstock of my near neighbors were I observed struggling to gain entry to mine own privy in time to forestall a reeking pant-load!Those other critics here who disavow the comic genius of this arch take on the life of the Bard of Avon canst not have seen the selfsame episodes I've viewed this far; that, or they are in the clandestine pay of that odious scoundrel, the Green-Eyed Robert Greene himself!Have you a secondary-school inmate resident in your abode, pray have them watch an episode or three of this noisome farce! Mayhap their grumblings regarding forcéd tutelage upon "Romeo and Juliet" will turn less nettlesome should they behold the fruitless attempts of Kate to strut the stage in the first female role in English theatre to be played by one who hath the greater weight of Bolingbrooks to her credit, yet not, alas, dangling 'twixt her thighs!

rmemmott-49738 Upstart Crow is one of my current favourites. I particularly like the idea of Shakespeare being a close friend of Christopher Marlowe. There is no evidence that they actually ever met, but who cares? Marlowe is shown as a sort of "Flashheart" type, with all the boozy, womanising style of that great character.The regular speculations of Will on how his work will be seen in history, and allusions to things that could never happen, but that we know actually have occurred, is always fun. The seasoned older actors like Enfield, Tarbuck etc is well mixed with the younger cast.Some of the references to the plays, sonnets etc are no doubt sometimes lost on the average viewer, but, hey, I did Shakespeare at grammar school so I get it, or most of it!

postmaster-195 Just not funny. How anyone here can give this high scores is beyond me, unless they are associated with the show. And the canned laughter is an insult to my sense of humour. Shame. The idea is good, the acting is good, but the scripts weak as water. Whatever happened to the BBC's ability to show great comedies like they did in the past.

dt-81 I find rather hard to believe that folk believe that there is canned laughter in this show. I also find it had to believe that someone who claims to have watched only 30 seconds of it can actually judge. I have attended 2 recordings of this rather clever show and can categorically state that the laughter is real laughter from real people sitting in their bums watching the actors sweating. Ben Elton is there throughout, pointing clues between takes for those not fully versed in Shakespeares. In fact in some of the breaks where characters have to make lengthy costume change he goes into long spiels about have British sit-coms are made and that laughter tracks are never used at the BBC.Second series in now in the can - hopefully there will be a third.