Al Murray The Pub Landlord: Barrel Of Fun Live

Don't be too apprehensive about the dumbed down ITV prime-time reputation that might precede Al Murray. Cynics might see the pub landlord character as nothing but an appeal to the lowest common denominator, but it's much more enigmatic than that.

True, he does mock foreigners, posh people, the sexual nuances of modernity, and even (in an all too rare air of courage) religious fundamentalists - all in a grunting, monosyllabic rant mode. But this in itself is satire within satire, a playful mockery of the dismissive thuggishness of the average pub-going Briton.

Nor is it even as simple as that, as attested to by the range of his audiences. He is loved as much by those he parodies as he is by his peers. Above all, he is a celebration of the imperfect, eccentric and self-deprecating nature of the British. Even without the timeless character of the pub landlord, Murray is a quick wit and a very shrewd writer with a knack for dissecting cultural quirks and concentrating his observations into meaty but manageable chunks.

With over two hours of material plus extras, this is a truly entertaining gem, to be appreciated on far more levels than meet the eye.



Released on DVD on 22nd November 2010 by Anchor Bay.

Reviewed by Mike Stephenson.