MyReviewer Best of 2012 - Part 1

What better way to start the new year than looking at what we thought was best during the old one? With that idea in mind, we took a look at our reviews for the last twelve months and pulled a list of everything we rated a 9 or 10. A quite high 74 titles made it to these heady heights, so let's look at them on a genre by genre basis.

Today we start with the comedy!

Whilst there was a lot of TV going on, most of our laughs came from the nostalga boat, courtesy of Adrian Mole: The Complete Series on DVD. Adapted from Sue Townsend's bestselling novels, these hit series chronicled the everyday traumas and emotional upheavals of the legendary teenage diarist as he struggles to come to terms with life in the 1980s.

Rich said, "If you buy one comedy DVD this year, make sure this is it. Fabulous stuff", whilst Stuart came to the conclusion the whole thing was, "Dated, but in a good way. Very highly recommended." If those two reviews don't make you check it out, there is no hope for you.

This year also saw the return of classic sci-fi comedy in the form of Red Dwarf X, six brand new episodes with the original cast, written and directed by Doug Naylor.

Rich clearly thought the return was worthwhile, "The slime is back. And the boys from the Dwarf are well and truly back. There was a bit of a mixed reaction when the first episode was broadcast (I remember a few people reacting negatively on Facebook that night) but I’ve always maintained that this was a return to form, and across the six episodes it definitely panned out that way."

Sometimes though, you have to look back to look forward, which is what Jitendar decided to do, visiting where it all began those many years ago, with Red Dwarf: Complete Series 1 on DVD.

"This first season of Red Dwarf isn’t quite as good as I remember it to be, but it’s pretty close. What I do remember is that even better is yet to come. Watching these episodes again after all this time is a blast, but I didn’t realise just how rich these DVD releases were in extras."

Not all good comedy is rooted in the past, as David found out when he went to look at Wilfred: Season 1, also on DVD. Can a show about a man in a dog suit work? Apparently so, even when adapted from an Australian series, and we all know how bad historically the US is at adapting programmes from other regions to their audiences!

"Wilfred is one of the funniest shows that I have seen in a long time and one of the few times when the remake is almost as good as the original. I feel that my heart belongs to the original though as it feels more real. So next time you talk to you dog you'll wonder how cool it would be if they would answer back... or maybe not."

Comedy isn't always just about TV though, stand-up is historically the breeding ground for some of the best talent at making us laugh. Michael McIntyre: Showtime was recorded at the O2 Arena, not a venue we imagine to be great for the intamacy of comedy.

David, on the other hand, found otherwise, "If you are a fan of Michael McIntyre you probably already have this marked to purchase or asked for it as a present. If you are not, this might be the show that finally converts you to the Michael McIntyre world of hilarious comedy."

Films are also another great place for a giggle, and Blu-ray is proving a tempting place for double dipping or getting those classics you missed on DVD for some strange reason. Short Circuit may be on the at-risk list of films that might not be as funny as you remember them. But David thought this light comedy tale still stands up.

"Short Circuit is a film alive with wonderful moments and even if you want to say it looks dated and some of it does, the story and the nuts and bolts at the heart of it still shines through. For those who never experienced it first hand will enjoy this light and comic take on a science fiction story. For those who want to relive the film you will find that it is just as great as you remembered it."

And finally, Stuart looked at how the high definition format treats a very old classic comedy, Passport to Pimlico. And he's had a look at most black and white features this year, so if he rates it, you really should check it out.

"All in all an essential purchase of course. A thoroughly enjoyable film almost on par with my personal favourites from the studio (Whiskey Galore and The Ladykillers) both of historic import and just damn fine entertainment too."

So there we go, in case you missed them, the comedies we rated most highly in 2012. Join us tomorrow when we take a look at foreign cinema.