Pilot Campus (TV series)

the main characters in campus. top row, left-to-right, flatpack (bailey), lydia tennant (wells), imogen moffat (jackson), nicole huggins (pascoe) , jason armitage (adamsdale); bottom row, left-to-right, matt beer (millson), jonty de wolfe (nyman) , george bryan (ryan).

the pilot received mixed reception when broadcast. jane simon in daily mirror wrote that: there funny moments staff @ kirke perhaps little eccentric own good. s if challenge how weird can make these people , still have them breathe oxygen? vice-chancellor jonty (andy nyman) comes on more megalomaniac david brent, while womanising english lecturer matt beer (think it) , speccy maths star imogen moffat (joseph millson , lisa jackson) have big shoes fill if re campus s answer guy [secretan] , caroline [todd, characters green wing].

sam wollaston of guardian disliked campus, saying: ah, see, campus (channel 4) taking path: offensive one. there s nothing wrong that; offence can good, if done artfully. there s plenty of here – jonty s bigotry , english literature lecturer matt beer s (comedy name, beer mat, other way round!) sex pesting. there talk of rape pigs, , odd-shaped anal cavities lead odd-shaped stools. m not convinced being done artfully. seems more offence sake of offence. compare beautifully crafted filth of malcolm tucker in thick of it. if michelangelo of offence, rolf harris.

however, caitlin moran of times praised saying hoped full series made. wrote of pilot: although, green wing, campus works ensemble of freaks, perhaps intriguing mutant vice chancellor jonty de wolfe (andy nyman). initially, looks weakest character – small, bumptious david brent clone keeps attempting jamaican patois make point. end of show has turned more sinister version of shopkeeper in mr benn – wandering around library in floor-length taffeta ballgown, urging depressed students commit suicide and, on 1 occasion, disappearing in middle of monologue, if las vegas floor-show, leaving english lecturer matthew beer (joseph millson) holding madly clattering clockwork monkey, , jaw.