The Call Centre - What Do You Think?

[ichkeria]

I know this has been asked before but now that it has been on for a couple of weeks I wondered if people were still watching.
Having read a few lurid reviews I switched on expecting to be either infuriated by it or - in spite of myself - entertained, even hooked.
However I found after about 10 minutes I was utterly bored. The "boss" - far from being the crazed real-life David Brent character I had expected is really nothing of the sort, Just a bit of a sad, overweight middle-aged manager who to give him his due is perfectly self-aware and honest enough to admit that while his management style may not be for everyone it is generally appropriate for the crazy world he inhabits. Certainly offensive to many no doubt but hardly an ogre. Or an idiot.

This is probably fascinating viewing for people who work in call centres but I wonder whether it wouldn't be better (if a whole lot more expensive) to go the whole hog and commission a comedy series which at least could be properly entertaining.

[Octavius]

I think it was worthy of say, one epsiode. But after that its just a filmfest of tv production team suggested 'stunts' for televisual purposes. No doubt the young tea lady will make a spin off career out of it in some way.

[ummmm]

I found it annoying.

[quizzywig]

I can't even watch the adverts for it - cringing! How can people act like absolute idiots - and on tv at that.

[LazyGun]

I watched it because of the "The Killers" soundtrack on the trailer :)

I have worked for firms that operate a very similar practice of a motivational sing-along to galvanise their sales staff; it is not terribly unusual, and I strongly urge anyone who gets caught up in these things to belt out the number at the top of their lungs - management love that sort of commitment :)

I genuinely thought it a fictional series - a kind of "Office2" kind of thing - did not realise for at least 10 minutes that it was actually factual - that there were characters who acted like that in real life...

"Nev", the bossman, comes across on the TV as a likeable and amiable cove, but comments about having a Napoleon Complex make me wonder just how likeable he is off-camera. Not absolutely sure i would enjoy working alongside him - strikes me as something of a despot :)

Worthy of 1 episode, but not a whole series...