Bob and Andrew S02E06 “The Decision” | A Web Series on The Watch List

A Comedy Web Series

5 Swirlies

“Con: Amy often hides certain articles of clothing that she doesn’t want me to wear. Like my scarf.”

I’m loving this new season of the web series Bob and Andrew.

The first season was mostly episodic, and this season has much more of a serialized story. Which makes it a little less sitcomy, but not any less funny.

This episode is pretty much perfect - and it is all Bob and Andrew. They both come to a deep realization about their relationships… after much eating of sandwiches and playing of RockBand.

There’s some brilliantly funny dialogue here, but the “breaks” are the funniest parts as the guys desperately devise ways to make the decision process more bearable. There’s only two more episodes - a two-parter - and then season two is done. Dare I start hoping for a season three?

From YouTube Description:

Bob and Andrew process their relationship problems in a marathon strategy session that includes RockBand, sandwiches, dogs and long speeches delivered while looking out the window.

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Bob and Andrew S02E05 “The Realization ” | A Web Series on The Watch List

A Comedy Web Series

4 Swirlies

“The only thing I’ve ever been taught about the world is that it is against me. And that it is covered by 14% water. And nobody can prove that dragons aren’t real.”

A stellar episode of the web series Bob and Andrew. The guys double date with their respective current significant others - Amy and Spencer. Much gin is consumed.

There’s a bunch of stuff I like about this episode. First of all, it makes an almost perfect balance between the wackiness of Andrew’s banter and the reality of the scene. Often I feel like Andrew’s comment are cartoony and kind of out of context of the reality - but it is forgivable because they’re so funny. Other times, less often, Andrew’s dialogue fits in the scene and is less wacky. Here, he’s at his wacky best and it feels well integrated to the scene. I like (in a ‘I’m glad it’s not me’ kinda way) how the evening quickly devolves into Bob and Andrew hanging out while their “others” bond with the guys watching from afar. I guess neither of their relationships are headed for “happily ever after.”

Shooting something set in a bar or night club can be tough, production wise. Pulling off a location like that on a ultra-low or no budget shoot is all but impossible. You can’t really shoot in an actual nightclub - it’s way too dark and noisy. But trying to recreate the look and feel of a night club in full swing is really tricky - it often ends up feeling…flat. Bob and Andrew try to blend the two, and it just doesn’t really match up. Pulling off a location like that on a ultra-low or no budget shoot is all but impossible. In contrast, check out the bar scenes in Casual to see it done flawlessly.

But back to the things I like, it is fun that dialogue is contained to three specific conversations through the night. And there’s tons of very smart, funny dialogue. Gin!

From YouTube Description:

Bob, Andrew, Spencer and Amy go on a double date to a night club. Bob realizes his true feelings for Spencer while Amy is actually kind of nice to Andrew… in a wierd, sadomasochistic kind of way.

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Bob and Andrew S02E04 “The Advice ” | A Web Series on The Watch List

A Comedy Web Series

4 Swirlies

“I don’t read a lot into Christian medicine.”

Andrew misses the signals, and Bob runs up on the limits of rainbows, in this new episode of the Vancouver web series, Bob and Andrew.

This one feels a little less broad and sitcomy than many previous episodes, much more like a cable dramedy than the almost-network sitcom it usually is. It is good, just in a slightly different way. Both the guys are having relationship troubles, but I suspect that Andrew has more troubles to come from Lauren.

From YouTube Description:

Andrew seeks relationship advice from Lauren while Bob helps Spencer and his friend James design a Pride float.

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Bob and Andrew S02E03 “The Meeting” | A Web Series on The Watch List

A Comedy Web Series

4 Swirlies

“You could get raped. That would make your day worse. Getting raped.”

Another hilarious episode of Bob and Andrew, the Vancouver based web series in it’s second season.

Now reconciled, Andrew helps Bob with a job interview with a scheme. Not a plan, a scheme.

This episode is a little more broad than the usual Bob and Andrew fair, but still has some very funny bits – and the three actors of “The Cincinnati Five” are really strong and they do feel like they come from Andrew’s world, who really is the zany one to Bob’s straight man.

It is beautifully shot, too. Last episode I mentioned the narrow depth of field as distracting to me, but in this episode it really works – it’s the “dirty” over the shoulder type shooting, soft in the foreground, sharp on the subject, soft on the background, that really makes the style shine. So, the same thing I didn’t love about the previous episode I do love here. It’s great to be an anonymous, faceless, critic on the internet.

From YouTube Description:

In this episode Bob has reached the end of his unemployment and needs to find a job. Feeling a bit nervous about his impending interview, Andrew decides to enlist some of his most trusted confidants to help.

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Bob and Andrew S02E02 “The Meeting” | A Web Series on The Watch List

A Comedy Web Series

4 Swirlies

“I’ve been seeing this guy, Spenser. He lacks facial hair but he’s a pretty nice fellow.”

YAY!

At the risk of a spoiler alert: Bob and Andrew reconcile!

The second episode from the second season of web series Bob and Andrew really brings it. It is set entirely at a coffee shop, as they try to convince each other, and themselves, that their lives are going great.

My one, minor complaint about this episode is the super narrow depth of field that they use in the close ups (foreground sharp, background fuzzy) made it a little too self consciously filmy for me.

What slams it out of the park, as always, is the writing and the chemistry between them. The quick cuts revealing the truth about their lives are hilarious, and I love the confident one liners that snap back and forth. Some of my favourite moments are the subtle taps at the fourth wall, like Andrew commenting on his imagined cut scene.

I feel like the previous episode was sort of a prologue to this season. Now that the boys are back together, will they be able to get their lives back on the rails? Structurally, the creators of Bob and Andrew, Bob and Andrew, just might have done something brilliant to refresh the stories they tell this season. I wonder if they will take advantage of it? Only episode three will tell.

From YouTube Description:

Bob and Andrew meet up to discuss their lives apart from each other.

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Bob and Andrew S02E01 “Fallout” | A Web Series on The Watch List

A Comedy Web Series

4 Swirlies

“I understand a lot of things. Science, Kodiak bears, etc.”

One of my favourite buddy sitcomy comedies is back!

This episode of the Vancouver based web series Bob and Andrew pulls back on the wacky comedy of many of the episodes in the first season. It’s funny, but funny in a more dramedy, character based way. After the blow up of the last episode of the first season, Bob and Andrew aren’t on speaking terms, and they both seem to have messed up their lives.

The production seems to have stepped up a notch, with some really nice lighting and great sound work. It feels very crisp and sharp. The bar ambient sound background is nice when you take a moment to listen to it, which takes a lot of work to sound full without intruding on the dialogue.

While I think the writers, Bob and Andrew, did something smart in introducing new character dynamics, I miss the interaction between Bob and Andrew, It was their clear chemistry and back and forth – ‘we’re friends even though we almost never agree’ – that really drew me in. I miss them being together as much as they do, which makes me want to know what’s going to happen next, but I hope that it doesn’t take them the whole season to reconcile.

As with the first season, the writing is the real stand out in the show. Like I said, less pure out zany situational and more edging toward drama, but still strong.

From YouTube Description:

We pick up Bob and Andrew a while after the first season ended. They haven’t spoken in a while and so they’ve had to find a way to cope without the support of each other.

You can find us on Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/pages/wwwbobandandrewcom/30448589791 And you can also find us on Twitter @bobandandrew

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Bob and Andrew Ep.5 | A Web Series on The Watch List

In the finale episode of the first season, Bob goes to speed dating with Lauren. Things get a little complicated when Henrietta, the biggest gossip at work shows up.

4 Swirlies

“I am edgy and irreverent. But I don’t get out much. I am a servant of lord Satan after all”

And here it is, the season finale of the great web series, Bob and Andrew. This one may have the highest concentration of one liners and out and out gags.

Bob and Andrew is a rare find on the internet, or anywhere for that matter. At it’s best, it is a well written, funny sitcom-esque web series comedy that feels at once both wacky and honest. A couple of the episodes didn’t grab me, but the majority of them are among my favourites.

Bob and Andrew Ep.4

Andrew gets dumped by a girl he’s not even dating while Bob must deal with a traumatic childhood memory.

http://www.bobandandrew.com

4 Swirlies

“What’s this about? Did you read the secret again?”

In case you missed the good news, Bob and Andrew is shooting episodes for a whole new season.

In the meantime, we have these great season one episodes to watch.

There were so many good lines in this one I had a hard time deciding on a pull quote.

This characters are so sharp, so precise – which means that there’s so much that could be done with them. The dynamic between these two characters is legendary and seemingly effortless.

Oops! A message at the end of the episode says there’s only one left! Come on, season two! Come on!

Friday Playlist – Jan 21, 2011

It’s a new Friday Night Playlist!

Dim the lights, kick your feet up, and forget all about the troubles of your week.

Total Running Time: 32 Minutes

We’re going to try to send these out Friday mornings, so that those of you following along via email subscription can have them waiting in your inbox for your evening enjoyment. Yeah, I know, we weren’t very good at putting them out Friday evening to begin with, but we’ll give it a try.

This weeks list is a little short, but fun. First up is a new show, The Variants, about a bunch of folk that work in a comic shop. It was the ending that really got me. I hope I’m not giving it away by saying I think they are going for a Tim and Dawn (from the U.K. Office) vibe.

Second is Bob and Andrew. Usually you have to get 4 or 5 swirlies to get on the Friday Night Playlist, but why have your own blog if you can’t do whatever it is you want? You’ll be seeing Bob and Andrew a lot on future Friday Night Playlists, and the list was rather short, so I figured it would be a good idea to put this one in. Despite it being not quite up to the previous two episodes, there’s still a few good jokes in there.

Oh – next is Co-Op of the Damned. One of the most tragically overlooked web series there is. This is one funny series, and this episode is no exception. And I think we have all lived with this guy, right?

And a new episode of Space Hospital. It seems like we’re into a lot of #3 episodes this week. Again, this one isn’t quite as funny as the first two, but still pretty awesome. Who doesn’t love a Jamie Summers reference? I love the way it gets those Star Trek-esque science cliches so damned perfect – lovingly paying homage to them while at the same time ripping them to shreds as only the wacky Space Hospital crew can.

And then we have a double barreled Untitled Fiction Project. I often try to end on a comedy, but nothing is going to follow that last scene – the look in her eyes will haunt me until the day I die.

Have a great Friday, a great time watching, and an awesome weekend.

Friday Playlist | Jan 16, 2011 – The Best of The Watch List from this week!

http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=640BCDE5DDDB51D9

Welcome to our first Friday Night Playlist of 2011!

I know, I should start calling it the Sunday Afternoon Playlist, but Friday Night Playlist has such a nice ring to it!

We have 9 videos for you today, from 5 different series. There’s a lot of familiar faces on this list. j2 in particular can’t stop watching Little Cat Version of Me.

Up first is the Return of Heather! Old Timey readers know that Heather The Vampire is one of my all time favourite shows from back when I first started posted videos, before the Great Interruptim when I stopped posting for a while. I was disappointed when we started up again that Heather didn’t have any new episodes – but she’s back! And I couldn’t be happier.

Then there’s the latest Untitled Fiction Project episode. I’ll get into it more in a later post, but I’ll mention that there’s been a slew of nominations for web series from different blogs and podcasts, and as far as I know, these guys haven’t gotten a lot of love. If you don’t think this is the best web drama out there – well, I don’t think we can be friends anymore. You may have noticed it is one of the few straight out dramas that we even cover on The Watch List

Third… I have discovered Space Hospital! I know that science fiction comedy is a bit of a niche market – you either love it or hate it. It’s like there’s this idea you need to be extra geeky to think that science fiction can be funny. I dunno. I happen to be one of those who love it. And I love this series.

Bob and Andrew is another series I’m glad I stumbled upon. The set up, the characters, the banter and the chemistry are all genius. Sure, there’s a couple of things I think could be improved, but the stuff they do well they do really fucking well. And, again, no nomination love for them, as far as I know. I could be wrong, though.

We come to the now traditional Little Cat Version of Me marathon! If there’s anyone out there who doesn’t love it like we do here at The Watch List, you’ll be happy to know we have run out of episodes. We hope they make more – and soon. We’re starting to go into withdrawal.

Last up is the second episode of Space Hospital. You’ll probably be seeing a lot of Space Hospital over the coming weeks. This is their Christmas episode – sing along with the carols of the future!

Are you enjoying the Friday Night Playlists? How do you like to watch them? Let us know by leaving a comment!