MovieChat Forums > Grimsby (2016) Discussion > Peter Baynham - excellent comedy writer

Peter Baynham - excellent comedy writer

posted 8 years ago by rabbitmoon
4 replies | jump to latest

I've always liked Peter Baynham ever since he appeared in The Friday Night Armistice with Armando Ianucci and David Schneider. I didn't realise at the time that he actually wrote a lot of Steve Coogan, Chris Morris's and Armando Ianucci's material, also Big Train, Smack the Pony, and later a lot of Sacha's stuff.

Yes Grimsby is pretty extreme and gross in places, but at least there's a decent amount of wit and intelligence behind it. Compare that with something like The Boss which is just absolute pointless tripe.

Keep an eye out for Baynham's cameo as the traffic warden, I doubt not even 1% of viewers will realise the significance of this guy's influence on comedy or notice his cameo.

[–] H_i_the_2nd 8 years ago

Don't forget his Pot Noodle adverts in the '90s!

I was surprised to see his name in the opening credits of this, and was subsequently a little disappointed by the quality of the film. He is a great writer but this script is definitely one of his misses.

As well as his Pot Noodle adverts, you also failed to mention his funniest onscreen appearance(s), as that utterly gross guy he played on Lee & Herring's Fist of Fun, with his home-made Action Man. Remember that?

[–] rabbitmoon 8 years ago

I never made the connection with him and the Pot Noodle ads - that's mental. Also, I never saw Fist of Fun, I have no idea why!

Another face that crops up loads in these things is Kevin Eldon. He was even in Martin Scorsese's Hugo.

[–] H_i_the_2nd 8 years ago

...as was Sacha Baron Cohen!

You should try and find Fist of Fun on YouTube. Aside from Baynham's character, Kevin Eldon does this recurring hobbyist character that is great too.
And obviously Lee & Herring themselves are brilliant in it. The ongoing sketches with the two teachers are class.
If it's not on YouTube, I'm sure I found a torrent of it somewhere a few years back.

[–] bigdaddyboxmeal 8 years ago

Although personally I have to say this film wasn't to my taste and I didn't laugh out loud at all, I absolutely agree entirely with this post.

Peter Baynham played a big part in shaping some of Britain's best cutting edge humour which has been copied ever since, not the least Brasseye, which is one of the all time great TV shows in my humble opinion (and the ones you've mentioned above).

He's a wonderful writer and I'm glad to see him get writing jobs like this, not to mention the odd cameo here and there.