Jam (TV series)
Encyclopedia
Jam was a postmodern British dark comedy
series created, written and directed by Chris Morris
, and broadcast on Channel 4
during March and April 2000. It was based on the earlier BBC Radio 1
show, Blue Jam
, and consisted of a series of unsettling sketches unfolding over an ambient
soundtrack.
Many of the sketches re-used the original radio soundtracks with the actors lip-synching
their lines, an unusual technique which added to the programme's unsettling atmosphere.
The cast, which comprised people who Morris had worked with on his earlier TV work such as The Day Today
and Brass Eye
, included Amelia Bullmore
, David Cann
, Julia Davis
, Kevin Eldon and Mark Heap
, as well as occasional appearances from Morris himself. It was written by Chris Morris and Peter Baynham
, with additional material contributed by Jane Bussmann
, David Quantick
, Graham Linehan
, Arthur Mathews
and the cast.
Morris would then declare "Then welcome", followed by a nonsensical sentence (e.g. "Ooh, astonishing sod ape") before finally announcing "Welcome... in Jam." The word "Jam" would never be said normally; it would either be heavily distorted, said in a strange fashion or just screamed at the viewer, usually repeatedly.
The series consisted of six twenty-minute episodes, and, unusually for a TV show on a commercial channel, had no advert break in the middle. Some reports claim this was because no company would want their products associated with the show. However, Morris has said that he asked Channel 4 to broadcast it without a break in order not to spoil the atmosphere.
When the DVD
of the series was released, the website changed and offered a link to a long sound file containing the thumping sound of heavy artillery
, which it is suggested is played while watching the programme to simulate surround sound.
Sketches often had a documentary
feel to them, with the characters acting as if they were being interviewed about recent events.
The series had a late-night remix version, entitled Jaaaaam. Its audiovisual distortions of the original series introduced the musical remix
concept to British television.
version, a fast forwarded version, the first 19 seconds of the episode and a fast forwarded version expanded to the original running time - the last being the only one reasonably capable of being watched without extreme difficulty).
In addition, the items listed under the "Extras" on the disc are much of the time little more than additional copies of sketches, with the occasional deleted scene
or shot of an audition or rehearsal. The only exceptions are Adam and Joe's
"Goitre" parody of Jam and a link to "Undeleted Scenes" which, when selected, advises the viewer to take the DVD back to the shop they bought it from and complain "loudly and obnoxiously" about the lack of undeleted scenes. The DVD was deleted by suppliers in February 2008 but was re-released in July of the same year.
Despite its content, the broadcast attracted nowhere near the controversy that the following year's Brass Eye Special did.
The show is considered in some circles as much as a horror as it is a comedy, even coming in at number 26 on Channel 4's 100 Greatest Scary Moments,
managing to beat other more famous horrors such as Carrie and The Silence of the Lambs. Despite this success, it is not generally held in as high esteem as Morris' earlier, satirical TV work. In an interview in 2008, Graham Linehan admitted to mixed feelings about contributing to the series: "Jam wouldn’t be my favourite thing of Chris’s, and it was the one where I didn’t really feel like we were contributing a lot. Its mood was so grim that I just found it difficult to join in. I think that Chris was just interested in tying people in moral knots – giving them a moral problem and then just twisting it so they have to do something awful to get out of the first moral problem. Although this is a secondary impulse for him, he’s also interested in pushing buttons that haven’t been pushed in comedy in people; making them laugh in a way that they’re not used to...Personally I just want to make people laugh."http://www.denofgeek.com/television/22098/the_den_of_geek_interview_graham_linehan.html
Other comedians' high regard for Morris and his work saw Adam Buxton and Joe Cornish
parody Jam on their Channel 4 show The Adam and Joe Show
. Entitled "Goitre", the sketch saw the two make a very amateurish attempt at creating unsettling sketches. One such sketch involved a repair man who found a "dead baby" (actually a doll) behind a TV and insisted he would have to bugger it in order to fix the television. The sketch later appeared as an extra feature on the Jam DVD.
The show received a number of complaints when it was first broadcast in 2000, which were upheld in relation to three sketches: "Coffin Mistake", "Sex For Houses" and "Plumber Baby" as they were deemed insensitive to the bereaved and those with learning difficulties. The show was classified "18" by the BBFC for very strong language and sexual content (particularly the "Gush" sketch, which depicts a prosthetic erection and fake semen.)
British dark comedy
British dark comedy refers to a comedy containing gloomy or disturbing elements, produced in Britain. One of the most successful British dark comedies is the League of Gentleman, coming in at number 41 in the BBC Britain's Best Sitcom.-2000s:...
series created, written and directed by Chris Morris
Chris Morris (satirist)
Christopher Morris is an English satirist, writer, director and actor. A former radio DJ, he is best known for anchoring the spoof news and current affairs television programmes The Day Today and Brass Eye, as well as his frequent engagement with controversial subject matter.In 2010 Morris...
, and broadcast on Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
during March and April 2000. It was based on the earlier BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
show, Blue Jam
Blue Jam
Blue Jam was an ambient radio comedy programme created and directed by Chris Morris. It aired on BBC Radio 1 in the early hours of the morning from 1997 to 1999....
, and consisted of a series of unsettling sketches unfolding over an ambient
Ambient music
Ambient music is a musical genre that focuses largely on the timbral characteristics of sounds, often organized or performed to evoke an "atmospheric", "visual" or "unobtrusive" quality.- History :...
soundtrack.
Many of the sketches re-used the original radio soundtracks with the actors lip-synching
Lip sync
Lip sync, lip-sync, lip-synch is a technical term for matching lip movements with sung or spoken vocals...
their lines, an unusual technique which added to the programme's unsettling atmosphere.
The cast, which comprised people who Morris had worked with on his earlier TV work such as The Day Today
The Day Today
The Day Today is a surreal British parody of television current affairs programmes, broadcast in 1994, and created by the comedians Armando Iannucci and Chris Morris. It is an adaptation of the radio programme On the Hour, which was broadcast on BBC Radio 4 between 1991 and 1992...
and Brass Eye
Brass Eye
Brass Eye is a UK television series of satirical spoof documentaries. A series of six aired on Channel 4 in 1997, and a further episode in 2001....
, included Amelia Bullmore
Amelia Bullmore
Amelia Bullmore is an English actress and writer. She was born in London and studied drama at the University of Manchester. Bullmore started working as an actor but turned to writing in 1995...
, David Cann
David Cann
David Cann is a British actor who has had many roles in theatre and television.He graduated from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in 1973 and spent many years working in theatre, including various Shakespeare plays before eventually branching out into television, including roles in the BBC...
, Julia Davis
Julia Davis
Julia Davis is an English comedy writer and performer, best known for writing and starring in the BBC Three comedy Nighty Night.-Background:...
, Kevin Eldon and Mark Heap
Mark Heap
Mark Heap is an English actor. He began his acting career in the 1980s as a member of the Medieval Players, a touring company performing medieval and early modern theatre, and featuring stilt-walking, juggling and puppetry...
, as well as occasional appearances from Morris himself. It was written by Chris Morris and Peter Baynham
Peter Baynham
Peter Baynham is a screenwriter and a British comedian, writer, and performer. He often collaborates with Armando Iannucci and Chris Morris and has worked with Stewart Lee and Richard Herring. He is first heard on Morris' early radio DJ slots, often going out to places...
, with additional material contributed by Jane Bussmann
Jane Bussmann
Jane Bussmann is a comedian and author who has written for television and radio. Her credits include The Fast Show, Smack the Pony, Brass Eye, Jam and South Park, as well as the radio series Bussmann and Quantick Kingsize with David Quantick...
, David Quantick
David Quantick
David Quantick is a freelance journalist, writer and critic who specialises in music and comedy.-Career history:...
, Graham Linehan
Graham Linehan
Graham Linehan is an Irish television writer, actor, comedian and director who, often in partnership with Arthur Mathews, has written or co-written a number of popular television comedies...
, Arthur Mathews
Arthur Mathews (writer)
Arthur Mathews is an Irish comedy writer and actor who, often with writing partner Graham Linehan, has either written or contributed to a number of popular television comedies, most notably Father Ted. He is a graduate of the Dublin Institute of Technology...
and the cast.
Structure
There were no opening titles to the show. Instead, they would begin with a strange and often disturbing monologue by Morris along with appropriate images. They usually concerned someone finding their paranoid fears being made real or some other bizarre happenings, such as a man waking up to find his body is that of a bizarre maggot creature (with Morris's dispassionate dialogue reading "...and when you wake up, wondering where you are, only to find that the rest of you is wondering where you've gone"), or a man visiting his bank's safe deposit vaults in order to feed a baby he apparently keeps in his lockbox ("when dreadful duty leads you to the place where you have stored it").Morris would then declare "Then welcome", followed by a nonsensical sentence (e.g. "Ooh, astonishing sod ape") before finally announcing "Welcome... in Jam." The word "Jam" would never be said normally; it would either be heavily distorted, said in a strange fashion or just screamed at the viewer, usually repeatedly.
The series consisted of six twenty-minute episodes, and, unusually for a TV show on a commercial channel, had no advert break in the middle. Some reports claim this was because no company would want their products associated with the show. However, Morris has said that he asked Channel 4 to broadcast it without a break in order not to spoil the atmosphere.
When the DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
of the series was released, the website changed and offered a link to a long sound file containing the thumping sound of heavy artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
, which it is suggested is played while watching the programme to simulate surround sound.
Sketches often had a documentary
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
feel to them, with the characters acting as if they were being interviewed about recent events.
The series had a late-night remix version, entitled Jaaaaam. Its audiovisual distortions of the original series introduced the musical remix
Remix
A remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
concept to British television.
DVD
The DVD for the series is designed almost as a satire on DVDs themselves, with numerous pointless extras. For instance, each episode has both a normal version and a special version, which is usually the normal one but distorted in such a way as to make it completely intolerable, if not impossible, to watch (respectively: a miniaturised version, a miniaturised moving version, a moving lava lampLava lamp
A lava lamp is a decorative novelty item that contains blobs of colored wax inside a glass vessel filled with clear liquid; the wax rises and falls as its density changes due to heating from a incandescent light bulb underneath the vessel. The appearance of the wax is suggestive of pāhoehoe lava,...
version, a fast forwarded version, the first 19 seconds of the episode and a fast forwarded version expanded to the original running time - the last being the only one reasonably capable of being watched without extreme difficulty).
In addition, the items listed under the "Extras" on the disc are much of the time little more than additional copies of sketches, with the occasional deleted scene
Deleted scene
In Entertainment, especially the film and television industry, Deleted scenes are parts of a film removed or censored from or replaced by another scene in the final "cut", or version, of a film...
or shot of an audition or rehearsal. The only exceptions are Adam and Joe's
The Adam and Joe Show
The Adam and Joe Show was a British television comedy show, written and presented by Adam and Joe, that is, Adam Buxton and Joe Cornish, which ran for four series on Channel 4 between 1996 and 2001...
"Goitre" parody of Jam and a link to "Undeleted Scenes" which, when selected, advises the viewer to take the DVD back to the shop they bought it from and complain "loudly and obnoxiously" about the lack of undeleted scenes. The DVD was deleted by suppliers in February 2008 but was re-released in July of the same year.
Hidden features
- Selecting "Play All At Once" from the "Play All" menu reveals a large red dot; pressing the select button on your DVD remote when this is shown, an audition for a deleted scene is shown.
- At the end of episode three, just before the TalkBack productionsTalkback ProductionsTalkback Productions was formed in 1981 by Mel Smith and Griff Rhys Jones. The company is one of the UK’s leading production companies and part of the RTL Group, a major European broadcast and content company....
credit is shown, a dog's face is flashed up on screen for a few seconds, with a red dot. When the dot appears, pressing select will show the trailer for Morris's 2003 short film, My Wrongs#8245–8249 & 117. The film is an adaptation of a story from Blue JamBlue JamBlue Jam was an ambient radio comedy programme created and directed by Chris Morris. It aired on BBC Radio 1 in the early hours of the morning from 1997 to 1999....
about a dog that takes over the life of its owner. Numerous brief images depicting scenes similar to those in My Wrongs appear in Jam, suggesting there had been a previous aborted attempt to film this story. - Selecting "Play All Once" will obviously show all of them in order, though at the end of episode 2 onto episode 3, a backstage look at the filming of the Gush porn film. It is regarded as an outtake due to the laughter at the end.
- At the end of viewing for the "London/Tokyo Jam Exhibition" a rehearsal for a deleted scene is seen with Kevin Eldon. The scene is similar to the little girl balls sketch in episode 6.
Reception
Unsurprisingly for such an unconventional series, Jam received mixed reaction from reviewers, with views ranging from "the most radical and original television programme broadcast in years", to accusations of it being "adolescent" and "sick." and "self indulgent (yet) interesting and problematic".Despite its content, the broadcast attracted nowhere near the controversy that the following year's Brass Eye Special did.
The show is considered in some circles as much as a horror as it is a comedy, even coming in at number 26 on Channel 4's 100 Greatest Scary Moments,
managing to beat other more famous horrors such as Carrie and The Silence of the Lambs. Despite this success, it is not generally held in as high esteem as Morris' earlier, satirical TV work. In an interview in 2008, Graham Linehan admitted to mixed feelings about contributing to the series: "Jam wouldn’t be my favourite thing of Chris’s, and it was the one where I didn’t really feel like we were contributing a lot. Its mood was so grim that I just found it difficult to join in. I think that Chris was just interested in tying people in moral knots – giving them a moral problem and then just twisting it so they have to do something awful to get out of the first moral problem. Although this is a secondary impulse for him, he’s also interested in pushing buttons that haven’t been pushed in comedy in people; making them laugh in a way that they’re not used to...Personally I just want to make people laugh."http://www.denofgeek.com/television/22098/the_den_of_geek_interview_graham_linehan.html
Other comedians' high regard for Morris and his work saw Adam Buxton and Joe Cornish
Adam and Joe
Adam Buxton and Joe Cornish are British comedy performers known together as Adam and Joe. They are best known for presenting Adam and Joe on BBC 6 Music, and The Adam and Joe Show on Channel 4 from 1996 to 2001.-History:...
parody Jam on their Channel 4 show The Adam and Joe Show
The Adam and Joe Show
The Adam and Joe Show was a British television comedy show, written and presented by Adam and Joe, that is, Adam Buxton and Joe Cornish, which ran for four series on Channel 4 between 1996 and 2001...
. Entitled "Goitre", the sketch saw the two make a very amateurish attempt at creating unsettling sketches. One such sketch involved a repair man who found a "dead baby" (actually a doll) behind a TV and insisted he would have to bugger it in order to fix the television. The sketch later appeared as an extra feature on the Jam DVD.
The show received a number of complaints when it was first broadcast in 2000, which were upheld in relation to three sketches: "Coffin Mistake", "Sex For Houses" and "Plumber Baby" as they were deemed insensitive to the bereaved and those with learning difficulties. The show was classified "18" by the BBFC for very strong language and sexual content (particularly the "Gush" sketch, which depicts a prosthetic erection and fake semen.)