Review: Brazil, BBC1 (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Review: Brazil, BBC1

5:09pm Friday 9th November 2012 in Reviews By John Anson, Features editor

THERE are certain areas of the Beeb’s output which seem impervious to criticism.

No-one, it would appear, dismisses EastEnders as lacking in humour, appearing to be shot by the light of a candle and full of people shouting at each other.

Nor does anyone else believe that there is a major amount of emperor’s new clothes regarding Michael McIntyre, host of the popular Comedy Roadshow.

Now to add to the list of sacred cows which I feel I must raise, fearful of instant condemnation, is the unsatisfactory nature of Michael Palin’s new series Brazil.

In the past the former Python has been a genial guide to exotic areas of the world, using his unassuming nature to engender trust with locals and produce documentaries which have been enlightening and amusing.

Brazil, with its sheer vastness, diversity and colour, should have been a shoo-in for several weeks’ quality viewing.

But is it just me who has found the whole thing at best disappointing and — dare I say it — even a little boring?

Poor old Palin appears to have been told to up the jokes content, turning many of his little ‘meetings’ with interesting characters into sub par Monty Python skits. The accompanying book and DVD will shift thousands of copies, but perhaps the time has come to let Michael have a rest.