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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Business
Steve Busfield

First Night: No Signal on FX

No Signal on FX: Cop Swap
No Signal on FX: sketches include Cop Swap, in which New York cops go on patrol in a sleepy English village. Photograph: FX

Over the past five years, FX has become one of the canniest US TV programme acquirers in the UK market: The Wire, Generation Kill Dexter, Underbelly, Breaking Bad, The Corner, Family Guy.

But last night the channel launched its first original commission: No Signal.

No Signal is a comedy sketch show, parodying TV genres. So, episode one featured Cop Swap (a couple of NY policemen in a sleepy English village), Pimp Up My Wife, 24-hour rolling news on New News Now, and phone-line porn channel Granny Chat XXX.

Sadly much of the show relied upon Epic Movie/Scary Movie/Date Movie-style recognition comedy, which failed to reach true parody or original humour.

However there were some standout moments: The Real Adolf Hitler, featuring home movie footage of Der Führer and an interview with his stylist. And America's Next Serial Killer is a genre with endlessly dark possibilities.

What did you think?

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