BY GEMMA, MEGAN, EMMA

The Mighty Boosh

How Can Television Be Postmodern?

Many television shows illustrate a variety of postmodern views and theorists.

TV is known to provide a constant turnover of images and symbols. Likewise television is seen as central to the explosion of consumer culture unlike modernist art which was thought to be characterised by authenticity and originality.

Jim Collins said that ‘TV is frequently referred to as one of the main kinds of postmodern culture.’

In an essay on Postmodern TV written in 1984, Umberto Eco argued that TV had become so self-absorbed that it had almost turned its back on the real world. dealing with a range of false information given to the audience.

Why Can Shows Be Described As Postmodern?

Shows can be described as postmodern in a variety of ways including:

Parody.Pastiche .Hyper reality.Intertextuality

Many shows can be described as postmodern as postmodernism is made up of many different features.

Institutional Information:

The Mighty Boosh is a British comedy troupe featuring comedians Julian Barratt and Noel Fielding.

Producer: Danny WallaceStation: BBC threeHighest viewing figure: 1 million (Series 3

ep 1)Running time: 2003-2007

LATEST NEWS

Comedy pairing The Mighty Boosh have announced two music-themed London shows – their first UK dates in over four years.Although the Mighty Boosh never officially split, the pair have not worked together since 2009's Boosh Live: Future Sailors tour. Since their last live appearance together, Barratt and Fielding have pursued solo projects, with Barratt concentrating on theatre while Fielding put on exhibitions of his artwork and created a sketch show for E4.

This is the official fan website for the show where there is constant updates on the actors in the show and whether they will be making a new series.

Audiences:

People like postmodern shows because often a lot of thought goes into the production and script writing of them. There is often more to it than we realise and once we know the features of postmodernism, we begin to notice them a lot more and understand shows like The Mighty Boosh. People realise that shows have a lot of meaning behind them rather than just a simple storyline. If people do not understand this type of humour and style of writing, they will not enjoy postmodern shows as it wont make sense.

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Many positive reviews suggest that this show is very popular amongst its British audience. It was often aired late at night meaning it was aimed at the older demographic. Many reviews also say that its suitable for people who enjoy comedy at a deeper level. You have to go below the surface to get the most of it and enjoy the show more. The writers have aimed this to a specific audience that prefer this type of humour.

Define Genre and typical conventions of the show…

The main genre of the show is comedy, they use postmodernism within the show to make people laugh. The show is very spontaneous meaning people find the storyline more entertaining as its always changing and they don’t know what’s coming in the next episode.

The show doesn’t have any typical conventions as its random in the way its structured. However each episode does have specific theme.

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Characters…Julian Barratt

Howard Moon

Noel Fielding Vince Noir

David BrownBollo

Michael Fielding Naboo

Rich FulcherBob Fossil

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Sets…As the show is set in many different locations

and time periods, a green screen is used a lot of the time to represent hyper reality and space. In the sets of The mighty Boosh it has extreme contrast between their normal sets and their green screen sets. This helps to make the theme of postmodernity obvious.

Normal to green

screen

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Mise-en-scene…As we already know the set for the show is very

spontaneous and the changing of time periods allows them to use a wide variety of props. We can tell its postmodern by the types of props they use and costumes they wear as they would not be seen today and are random in the sense that they have very subtle meanings.

For example in the clip of ‘Old Gregg’ Old Gregg is very postmodern.

How does the show work?

The Mighty Boosh is a British comedy written by and starring comedians Julian Barratt and Noel Fielding. It developed from stage shows to radio shows to a TV show. It focuses mainly on surrealism, fashion and complete and utter fantasy in ways that make it into a completely unique show.

Vince Noir and Howard Moon have surreal adventures while working at a Zoo run by the deranged Bob Fossil then they are pursuing a career as musicians and living with the mystic Naboo the Enigma and his ape familiar Bollo.

Every episode starts and ends in Dixon Bainbridge’s dilapidated zoo, the "Zooniverse” then Vince and Howard often depart for other locations these include places such as the Arctic Tundra. In the next series it has an even looser setting with the characters travelling every episode in their van to many different surrealistic environments.

What makes the show Postmodern?

The Mighty Boosh, at first glance is more surreal than anything else, with the main characters two zookeepers - Howard Moon and Vince Noir, the zoo owner - Bob Fossil. Many other minor characters are also played by Noel Fielding and Julian Barrett, which in itself could be considered postmodern, as a form of bricolage (A technique where works are constructed from various materials available), but also because some of the characters they play are direct references to other people, both real and fictional. This is not only intertextual, but it also draws attention to the celebrity-obsessed culture that we live in, as many references are to celebrities such as Slash( lead guitarist from Guns and Roses).

Mighty Booshhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hanO3wnoqJ8&safe=active

‘Old gregg’ -Postmodern elements

• Time and space boundaries are blurred in this clip, specifically space as it flickers from a pub setting to and under water world.

• They also break ‘the fourth wall’ when performing the dance together as this sing straight into the camera. This is self referential as it draws attention to the constructive nature of the text.

• There is parody/nostalgia in this clip, the fishman i.e. Old Gregg could be referencing to the marvel comic would contain ‘mutants’. This parody is further continued with Old Gregg lifting up his tutu saying ‘Ive got a mangina’, with a light beaming at Howard Moon, which then knocks him out. This is imitating the marvel characters powers in a ‘jokey’ way.

• The show also contain narcissism, this is the fascination with some ones self/vanity. The character ‘Vince Noir’ displays this, he can also be seen in one episode illustrating that he is depressed because he is ill to his concerned friend who thinks he is dying, when really he is upset about someone copying his exact looking. He then rants that he has had this look since he was in the womb (Shows an ultrasound picture of a baby dressed like him).

Postmodernism elements throughout the show -