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Post by beckettologist on Dec 12, 2009 20:30:10 GMT -5
Wow. You could have knocked me over with a feather today. Tom appeared in the finale of The Thick of It today. Ineko (thank you) tweeted about it with this article I watched and sure enough. They have introduced Cal Richards played by Tom. I am still in shock from how surprising this was although I had hoped for it when Armando said there would be some surprises in Series 3. No kidding! If you can get it watch. The role is the exact opposite of Simon Foster and makes Malcolm Tucker seem tame by comparison.  |
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sobriquet
Abingdonian
"Aww, well you can't fire me Cal 'cuz, wouldya, wouldya..."
Posts: 141
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Post by sobriquet on Dec 13, 2009 0:54:29 GMT -5
If we had an emoticon for Screaming-Hysterically-Like-A-Chick-In-The-Crowd-On-The-Tarmac-When-The-Rolling-Stones-First-Landed-At-JFK , THAT'S the kind of noise and general flipping-out that you would hear me doing in this post right now, you guys!
What a SPECTACULAR SURPRISE tonight!!!! I still have goosbeumps all over my arms! That was f*****ng HILARIOUS!!!!
From this day forward, my signature line will read thusly: "Stop saying 'Abingdon' to me! I want a FUCKING chocolate biscuit!!!!"
Frigging GENIUS, MM. Iannucci, Blackwell, Martin, Roche and Armstrong!! THANK YOU FOR NOT GIVING US THE HEADS-UP!! It made the surprise all the more delicious, delectable, amazing, magnificent, spectacular (used that one already)... 'pulchritudinous' comes to mind - haven't used that word in over 20 years - and all-around OUTSTANDING!!!! Thank you-thank you-thank you, you crazy "Thick of It" people!!!!!
Eeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!! Still screaming and squealing with sheer delight! ("In my mind," whispering and pointing to my head like Eddie Izzard)
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Post by beckettologist on Dec 13, 2009 13:37:29 GMT -5
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Post by beckettologist on Dec 13, 2009 13:47:25 GMT -5
If we had an emoticon for Screaming-Hysterically-Like-A-Chick-In-The-Crowd-On-The-Tarmac-When-The-Rolling-Stones-First-Landed-At-JFK , THAT'S the kind of noise and general flipping-out that you would hear me doing in this post right now, you guys!!!!!! What a SPECTACULAR SURPRISE tonight!!!! I still have goosbeumps all over my arms! That was f*****ng HILARIOUS!!!!From this day forward, my signature line will read thusly: "Stop saying 'Abingdon' to me! I want a FUCKING chocolate biscuit!!!!" F****ng GENIUS, MM. Iannucci, Blackwell, Martin, Roche and Armstrong!!!! THANK YOU FOR NOT GIVING US THE HEADS-UP!! It made the surprise all the more delicious, delectable, amazing, magnificent, spectacular (used that one already)... 'pulchritudinous' comes to mind - haven't used that word in over 20 years - and all-around OUTSTANDING!!!! Thank you-thank you-thank you, you crazy "Thick of It" people!!!!! Eeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!! Still screaming and squeeling with sheer delight! ("In my mind," whispering and pointing to my head like Eddie Izzard) And I loved how part of his first lines were "I wanted it to be a surprise..." That was great. |
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Post by beckettologist on Dec 14, 2009 1:16:58 GMT -5
Added 14 Dec: BBC Comedy- Out of The Thick of It They have extras (interviews and clips) from The Thick of It Series 3. Episode 8 is now up. Check it out. Sounds like there WILL be a next series including the "focused ball of fury."  |
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Post by ukelelehip on Dec 15, 2009 1:24:21 GMT -5
I do not get the Abingdon quote... why would they say Abingdon to Cal?
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Post by beckettologist on Dec 15, 2009 1:29:48 GMT -5
I do not get the Abingdon quote... why would they say Abingdon to Cal? I wondered about that too. Maybe it is a reference to something political there...constituents oro something? |
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sobriquet
Abingdonian
"Aww, well you can't fire me Cal 'cuz, wouldya, wouldya..."
Posts: 141
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Post by sobriquet on Dec 15, 2009 16:18:19 GMT -5
Well, I laughed so hard at it because I thought it was just indicating how quickly the staff were scrambling to suck-up to Cal by name-dropping the upper-class prep school, Abingdon, and such. (Could have been any school, but being an Abingdonian himself, Tom probably gets a lot of people in his face who make more out of it than what it is). I think the exchange was either: 1. Implying that Cal Richards attended Abingdon and that since it was common knowledge in their political world that he was an Abingdonian, the staff were using the name as often as they could in their first conversations with him to try and get on his good side, (like Cal Richards will HAVE a freaking good side!! Muh-huh-hahaha!), or... 2. They were letting Cal know that they were Abingdonians and that he should take notice of their "specialness" etc., as they tried to make good first impressions on their new boss. Regardless, I thought it was an outburst to let all the wannabes in the office know that he didn't give a damn about any of them and to get out of his face because they are ALL less significant in his eyes than a mere chocolate biscuit. That's just how my humor works... I'm sure it will mean something different to all of us.  |
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Post by Redwine on Dec 16, 2009 14:33:16 GMT -5
...I thought it was just indicating how quickly the staff were scrambling to suck-up to Cal by name-dropping the upper-class prep school, Abingdon, and such. (Could have been any school, but being an Abingdonian himself, Tom probably gets a lot of people in his face who make more out of it than what it is). Is it, though? I mean, is it an upper-class prep school? (Californians want to know...) It's not like they aren't above making snarky jokes about snooty school-boys (see the "as my nephew says" exchange) but I didn't realize Abingdon was a name-brand upper-crust school. But what do I know. I thought it was odd they used that name, rather than "Quit saying Bovey Tracey to me", or "Quit saying Matlock to me" -- but maybe it's only odd because the fact of Tom's school is the ONLY reason *I* have for knowing Abingdon as a name of any kind. For the regular ITTOI audience, maybe it's about like me (a Californian) saying "Quit saying Fresno to me, I want a chocolate cookie". In other words, just a regional place name of no particular secret-meaning. |
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Post by beckettologist on Dec 17, 2009 2:35:12 GMT -5
...I thought it was just indicating how quickly the staff were scrambling to suck-up to Cal by name-dropping the upper-class prep school, Abingdon, and such. (Could have been any school, but being an Abingdonian himself, Tom probably gets a lot of people in his face who make more out of it than what it is). Is it, though? I mean, is it an upper-class prep school? (Californians want to know...) It's not like they aren't above making snarky jokes about snooty school-boys (see the "as my nephew says" exchange) but I didn't realize Abingdon was a name-brand upper-crust school. But what do I know. I thought it was odd they used that name, rather than "Quit saying Bovey Tracey to me", or "Quit saying Matlock to me" -- but maybe it's only odd because the fact of Tom's school is the ONLY reason *I* have for knowing Abingdon as a name of any kind. For the regular ITTOI audience, maybe it's about like me (a Californian) saying "Quit saying Fresno to me, I want a chocolate cookie". In other words, just a regional place name of no particular secret-meaning. It is hard to say... I asked on Twitter and was told that Abingdon was a "marginal constituency" but I can't help but wonder if it was not an ad-lib on Tom's part. Maybe it was an inside joke, which according to Armando there are a lot of. |
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sobriquet
Abingdonian
"Aww, well you can't fire me Cal 'cuz, wouldya, wouldya..."
Posts: 141
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Post by sobriquet on Jan 9, 2010 17:06:33 GMT -5
...I thought it was just indicating how quickly the staff were scrambling to suck-up to Cal by name-dropping the upper-class prep school, Abingdon, and such. (Could have been any school, but being an Abingdonian himself, Tom probably gets a lot of people in his face who make more out of it than what it is). Is it, though? I mean, is it an upper-class prep school? (Californians want to know...) It's not like they aren't above making snarky jokes about snooty school-boys (see the "as my nephew says" exchange) but I didn't realize Abingdon was a name-brand upper-crust school. But what do I know. I thought it was odd they used that name, rather than "Quit saying Bovey Tracey to me", or "Quit saying Matlock to me" -- but maybe it's only odd because the fact of Tom's school is the ONLY reason *I* have for knowing Abingdon as a name of any kind. For the regular ITTOI audience, maybe it's about like me (a Californian) saying "Quit saying Fresno to me, I want a chocolate cookie". In other words, just a regional place name of no particular secret-meaning. I was never going to respond to this, because I just was not sure how I was intended to take it, but for the sake of continuity I will explain my previous logic because Hollanderia is a global community. Abingdon School is not a public/"tuition free" school, (like what Malcolm Tucker pressured Nicola Murray into transferring her daughter to), and as of the '09-'10 class, tuition at Abingdon is at or above £10,000 per child, not including fees, books/supplies, musical instruments, additional tutoring, sports, uniforms, etc., and 10-15% of the boys are boarded there as young as 11yrs of age. As private/"pay" schools go, Abingdon is one of the oldest ( 850yrs) (750yrs) but it still is only in the lower 30-40% price range. The most elite and costly schools are close to £30,000 per child/annum. It is absolutely true that I was able to catch Tom's curious choice of words - perhaps an actual little joke/jab, perhaps not, but we will never know - ONLY because I hang out here and have learned so much about him, and I sincerely did not mean to imply that was not the case. So, given the stigma inherent in a private education, and the fact that Tom could have used any word he liked but that, I only started inferring from there - drawing on my extensive experience in politics and campaign strategy and what happens when I'm also working at a corporation and there is a huge power/regime change, creating the vacuum wherein people start making a mad dash to "align" themselves with the New Boss. (The Who's "meet the New Boss, same as the Old Boss" lyrics won't stop running through my head ). As much as we may like to believe that Tom is "just another regular guy" the fact remains that he did grow up in relative privilege and comfort and opportunity. What's cool and beautiful and refreshing about Tom (and just another of hundreds of reasons why I spend so much time dialoguing about and following the career of the only actor I've ever joined a "fan club" for), is that while he makes no apology for it, (nor should he, EVER), he does not allow it to define him, nor does he seem to define others by their status, either, in any way, let alone in the way that many of his societal peers may be prone to do....on all sides of all our Ponds.* Is it, though? I mean, is it an upper-class prep school? (Californians want to know...) It's not like they aren't above making snarky jokes about snooty school-boys (see the "as my nephew says" exchange) but I didn't realize Abingdon was a name-brand upper-crust school. But what do I know. I thought it was odd they used that name, rather than "Quit saying Bovey Tracey to me", or "Quit saying Matlock to me" -- but maybe it's only odd because the fact of Tom's school is the ONLY reason *I* have for knowing Abingdon as a name of any kind. For the regular ITTOI audience, maybe it's about like me (a Californian) saying "Quit saying Fresno to me, I want a chocolate cookie". In other words, just a regional place name of no particular secret-meaning. It is hard to say... I asked on Twitter and was told that Abingdon was a "marginal constituency" but I can't help but wonder if it was not an ad-lib on Tom's part. Maybe it was an inside joke, which according to Armando there are a lot of. Well, Armando and his people are not going to give us any fuel that might start a fire and get Tom in trouble with his friends or Alma Mater. Abingdon, the town, does not have the demographic composition that larger areas would have (low population and virtually no industry/mfg, etc.) and there really isn't much there other than the school. In a snapshot analysis of such a place, it's safe to gamble that it probably qualifies as a marginal segment of the voting body. As such, Cal Richards is not going to want someone harping in his ear about strategy concerns over a tiny piece of the massive pie that statistically isn't going to change the entire election results. Marginal groups are always subsets and secondary targets, and way down on the list of things anyone can do anything about in a campaign. You have to focus on the primary set that the marginal group fits into. This makes it a BEAUTIFULLY cheeky and cute "official response" for the TTOI gang to give you to use for us - which I'm positive they've gotten used to having to do about all the places whose constituents' toes they've stomped on throughout the series. I LOVE IT!! I love those writers! I think they're geniuses... comedy is NOT easy to write. All that said, I think the only thing that is safe to say is that a comment made in TTOI certainly had to be "handled" (in the most adorable, political/spin sense of the word) by Armando's team. I'm still getting just the biggest kick out of that!  We are so fortunate, Deb, that you have access to the TTOI folks for the little quandries that our Gang needs help with from time to time! 'Mmwuah!'  *late edit, 11-Jan: Google Alerts popped this up today about Toby Jones attending Abingdon with Tom, et al, and it not being as much, it seems, like the eponymous "St. Trinian's" movie he stars in... "...His school background came in handy while making the film. Mr Jones said. “I was able to draw on the experience of being a boarder at Abingdon. Schools can be a little bit like ships or villages. “They are little microcosms, worlds within worlds, with their own rituals and their own rules. Abingdon, however, was never all that traditionalist. It always struck me as more of an ex-direct grant kind of school.” |
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Post by beckettologist on Jan 9, 2010 18:42:50 GMT -5
Tom could have used any word he liked but that, I only started inferring from there - drawing on my extensive experience in politics and campaign strategy and what happens when I'm also working at a corporation and there is a huge power/regime change, creating the vacuum wherein people start making a mad dash to "align" themselves with the New Boss. (The Who's "meet the New Boss, same as the Old Boss" lyrics won't stop running through my head ). Well, it could have been scripted that way but I can totally see Tom throwing *Abingdon* in. I would lay money on the chocolate biscuit part coming from the *pen* of Ian Martin though. When I said I asked about the Abingdon ref and got an answer it was not from any of the writers of Loop. It was from someone else but I have asked Armando if he will divulge if it was scripted or an adlib by Tom. Who knows, he may answer. Added: Got the answer today! Straight from Armando himself. Several days ago I sent Armando a direct message asking him if the *chocolate biscuit...* line was scripted or an ad lib by Tom. I told him he could help settle a discussion. This morning I got a message back from him! Here it is: @aiannucci: Ad libbed. Happy to help. AArmando is the nicest man. He has over 32,000 followers and he took time to answer little old me. I feel so lucky that I got in as one of the people he follows when he first joined twitter. He's been very gracious and I am sure he is a very busy guy. It's the little things in life that make me happy. |
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