简介：WithJam,theTVfollow-uptohisRadio1seriesBlueJam,ChrisMorrisfocusesmoreonuneasemorethanthesatireofBrassEye.Indeed,it'samootpointwhetherJamcanactuallybecategorisedascomedyatall.Eachsketchissteepedinaheavybrineofdark,ambientmusic(includingBarkPsychosis,DavidSylvianandBrianEno),grainyimagery,fast-cuteditingandslo-motion.Itsmirthless,Kafka-esquescenariosfeellikeanattempttomorphintosomenewspeciesofpost-comedythatismorelikethestuffofnightmares.Thecredits,inwhichMorrisstalksthemovingcamera,utteringLear-esquewordsofforebodingimmediatelyannouncethatthis"sketchshow"isagalaxyapartfromTheTwoRonnies. TheappalledlookonactorKevinEldon'sfaceintheopeningsketchoftheseries,asayoungcoupleinvitehimtoendurebeingbuggeredbyamutualacquaintance("Ineedabreak"),setsthetone.Rape,chemotherapy,wantonurination--asanaked"RobertKilroy-Silk"goesinsaneinasketchfullofdetestationfortheoleaginousTVpresenter--andrecurringsketchesinvolvingcallouslyauthoritarianNHSdoctors,allgotomakeuptheseannalsofthebizarreandperverse. Ultimately,Jamdoesn'tquitework,notonTVanyway.Therepetitionofthesame,smallcastoverandover,brokenuptoobrieflybyMorris'ownappearances(asa"countrygentleman"livingoutsidehishouse,forinstance),coupledwiththegruellingtreatmentofthesketchmaterialmakesforapsyche-probing,jaw-droppingexperience--butinpartsalsoanullifyingandstrangelypredictableone.Morris's"failures"arefarmoreinterestingthanmostpeople'ssuccesses.--DavidStubbs…