The Career of Benedict Cumberbatch

I spent my winter break catching up on the work of the amazingly talented actor Benedict Cumberbatch. I do this. I find some thing that captures my attention (Boy Meets World, typewriters, Harry Potter) and then collect everything I can about it like trading cards. Benedict is my most recent victim, so, accordingly, I’ve been hunting down everything he’s ever done. I can’t really help it. In a few months I’ll probably be freaking out about Downton Abbey or ravenously consuming the complete works of Sylvia Plath (or something), but for now it’s Mr. Cumberbatch. The happy result of these random obsessions is they lead me to finding all sorts of interesting things that teach me something, make me think, or at the very least bring a little joy into my life, and now I’m going to share these discoveries with you (aren’t you lucky?). So, here’s a (sort of) annotated list of (some of) the works of Benedict Cumberbatch.

Top 5 David Mitchell Soapboxes

I’ve recently re-stumbled on my affection for the United Kingdom. It appears to be a seasonal thing, or perhaps a result of them hosting big events every year (last year with the royal wedding, this year with the Olympics). As a result of this renewed fascination I’ve returned to watching British TV and, through that, become aware of David Mitchell.

I am not referring to the author David Mitchell, of Cloud Atlas fame (although I did recently read Cloud Atlas and while I enjoyed the prose, by the end I didn’t get what the point was–read my review at goodreads.com). No, this is a different David Mitchell, and he does write, too–he writes a column for a newspaper and has co-published a comedy book and his memoirs are coming available soon.

The David Mitchell to which I am referring is a comedian. He writes and performs in sketch comedy shows, stars in a popular British sitcom, appears on a myriad of panel shows, and was one of four personalities involved in a show that many referred to as the British Daily Show.

One thing he is known for (in addition to all those things I just mentioned) is going on little rants. Not in a Lewis Black sort of way, I would defend. He’s more jovial than Black, and less self-righteous–he is British after all. But he rants nonetheless, about little things that bother him or seem silly or confusing. Some of these rants happen more or less organically on panel shows, but many of them have been captured in little 3-4 minute videos on YouTube in the form of SoapBoxes.

Here are 5 of my favorites:

Brief Thoughts on the Films of Hugh Grant

Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994): Their entire relationship is based on two sexual encounters, monologues about previous sexual partners, and wedding dress shopping, and I’m supposed to be happy when they get together in the end? I’m supposed to find it sweet and romantic? The rest of the movie is cute and funny (and sad when it should be) but I can’t get past the fact that the A-story is so superficial.

TV Lookback: Outsourced – Ep. 1×06, Bolloween

A couple of months back I applied for a job at a really neat TV recap website, CharacterGrades.com. For the application I wrote a recap of the 6th episode of Outsourced in the style of the other recaps on the site. I’m posting it here in lieu of writing a new recap of the same episode. Next time I’ll be back with another free-form installment of TV Lookback: Outsourced.

Halloween has arrived in India, and everyone at Mid America Novelties gets in on the fun. Plus, Todd and Asha kiss! The fact that they do this outside, almost in public, while I’m pretty sure they should both be working is not addressed, nor is why these two are at all interested in each other. But if you ignore that gaping hole in believability there’s a some mild amusement to be found in seeing our favorite TV Indians trying to make sense of a holiday that involves both putting on ridiculous costumes and terrifying people.

TV Lookback: Outsourced – Ep. 1×05, Touched by an Anglo

In Outsourced‘s 5th episode Todd is confronted with cultural differences in a big way when a member of his staff accuses him of sexual harassment. Because the complaint is made anonymously and without giving many details as per what has precipitated the complaint, poor, bumbling Todd is left to figure it out for himself.

First he assumes it’s the bachelorette party novelties that recently arrived. “Bachelorette parties are just a lot of penis-shaped novelties,” he says, in an attempt to explain the crude contents of a box the whole staff opens together (it’s convenient how at times everyone is on the phones and others no one is. I’d love to work some place where actual tasks only come my way only when I actually feel like working). Todd is assured by Jerry the box of penises is not responsible for the sexual harassment complaint, nor is the video Todd plays as part of the required sexual harassment training which itself offends many of the employees, so Todd tries other tactics to find out who he’s offending and how. 

TV Lookback: Outsourced – Ep. 1×04, Jolly Vindaloo Day

“Jolly Vindaloo Day” has a lot of fun and sweet moments in its two main stories. Raj tries to prove his worthiness to marry his beloved Vimi, and Manmeet, Gupta, and Madhuri attempt to get revenge at some stuck-up meanies from another call center in the building.

TV Lookback: Outsourced – Ep. 1×03, Party of Five

The mind is a fickle thing We’ll overlook small annoyances in things we love and find those same things to be glaring issues in things we don’t. You overlook Tyra and Landry murdering that guy, arguing it was executive meddling (even though I’ve read that it wasn’t) but you’ll get super annoyed with the mockumentary format on that one show because it’s too derivative, even though you love The Office, which itself wasn’t the first of its kind (my own ridiculous bias here–I’m working past it).

Outsourced is in a precarious position. Only 3 episodes in, there are a lot of things to like but also many reasons to be weary. Add to that the general negative attitude directed at the show in its early days and there’s a lot that could derail people’s perception of the show. The show hasn’t had enough time to win people over so silly little things can become big things. Sadly, “Party of Five,” Outsourced‘s third episode is full of tons of little things that bother me and make me think my positive outlook last episode was a bit premature.