User Reviews

some of the funniest comedy i've ever seen. timing is impeccable. the banter between the two is genius. if only American comedy were able to match the wit of Britain's best like these two. vince's comments on everything from 'knocking out a conservatory' to anything regarding his hair is complimented by howard's ability to carry on a conversation with milky joe (a coconut) about satre and camus. this series relies on nothing more than the comedic abilities of the two protagonists, as the sets are about a step below the artistic level of 'land of the lost' or the 'power rangers'. i've watched this episode many, many, MANY times and laugh at the same jokes over and over again. i hope the series continues and that eventually will be released to the states. bamboo drainpipes = brilliant!

Out of all the episodes of Boosh, this is probably the one I've seen the most times, and it still remains one of my favourites. Full of great surreal imagery that deals with psychosis in a hilarious manner; 'The Nightmare of Milky Joe' is certainly one of the most memorable episodes to grace the series.

Perhaps the strongest element used here is the high focus on dialogue between Vince and Howard, which paves way for the episode's funniest scenes. Then again, I've always been of the opinion that this is what separates Boosh from other shows; not the imagery or the characters or anything else, just the unique style that Noel and Julian employ when writing their dialogue. The chemistry is just fantastic, overshadowing anything else that they do, and this episode is a clear example.

I also loved the character of 'Milky Joe' and the entire concept of the two guys slowly going insane… well, Howard mostly. It allows the characters to become higher versions of themselves, more poignant and hard-hitting than ever before, which is a complete joy to watch. Barratt specifically is hilarious as the exasperated and morbid Howard Moon, who is more disconnected with reality than ever. I'd also like to point out my nomination for one of the best delivered lines in Boosh history when Howard admits to Vince that Milky Joe 'is a complete ARSE!' It's a rather mundane line in itself, but within the context of the story and characterisation I found Barratt's delivery hilarious.

What lets the episode down however is a lack of appealing tunes, and a rather uneven pace as a result of the very dry (pun intended) plot. Nevertheless, 'The Nightmare of Milky Joe' is still a classic episode, full of great laughs and a very memorable set of scenes between Noir and Moon.

Howard Moon and Vince Noir have moved on from the Zoo-niverse and are now trying to make a break of it in the music industry as a two-piece band experimenting with jazz, funk and electronic pop amongst other styles. They now live in a flat with shaman Naboo and his familiar – Bollo the gorilla. While they try to maintain their focus on their art, they often find themselves stumbling into one unfortunate adventure after another – whether it be searching the desert of a faraway planet, summoning bingo-playing demons or marrying creatures from deep in the sea.

Having very much enjoyed the simple creativity of season 1, I pushed on into season 2 looking for more of the same. In some regards I am glad that they did mix it up a bit but in others I found myself a bit disappointed. The budget has clearly been increased per episode and more effort is put into characters and effects. This does help in some scenes but too often I got the feeling that the simple creativity wit and imagination of the first season had been reigned in a bit by the ability to actually do more on the screen and not just on the page. In the first season I had found the musical bits to be funny but generally not as good as the rest of it and this feeling had spread in the second series. Old Greg and Milky Joe are good examples of a good mix of creative characters, funny lines and a touch of music but conversely The Priest & The Beast tended to be an example of an episode being clever and creative without actually being all that much fun. Fortunately most of the episodes are enjoyable and creative and the bigger delivery adds more than it takes away.

The dialogue and imaginative delivery continues to be good but the characters are not as good as season 1. OK some of them are great fun (Old Greg being quite brilliant and the moon being weirdly out of nowhere) but the small turns that worked so well before don't come off as well when more is asked of them. Barratt and Fielding continue to be strong in the lead roles, with the former happily playing more of a straightman while the latter plays his character as one enjoying the stories as well as being part of them. The loss of character Bob Fossil (apart from one scene) is one that I did feel and I didn't think that Fulcher had as much material to work with this time around – unfortunately Berry plays no part, which is a shame and part of moving away from the zoo I guess. Ayoade gives a great turn and totally steals the Nanageddon episode with his scenes with Fielding. Michael Fielding's Naboo is good fun and works better now that he has Bollo to work off.

Overall then, a bigger budget does have an impact and it is not always a positive one but of the six episodes there is only really one that I felt was quite weak, the majority get the mix mostly right. The material will not have you rolling with laughter but it is consistently creative and smart, cumulating to the wonderful Milky Joe that blends reality and imagination in a way that is a good example of what I like about the Boosh.