Workplace Satire and Training Films.

[Really Ancien]

I was thinking about my favourite workplace comedies. Stuff like The Britass Empire, Fawlty Towers, The IT crowd et al. There's a surprisingly high educational content in them. Then I remembered Video Arts, the management training film producers. It's striking how much crossover there is. Here's Rebecca Front, currently playing a Minister in 'The Thick of It', in a film about interview techniques.

   Video Arts / Titles / Behavioural interviewing


Damon.

[Rapples]

You missed out  this one, brilliant

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/HnReqwF9YAI&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/HnReqwF9YAI&rel=1</a>

Not sure about the educational content though

[Really Ancien]

You missed out  this one, brilliant

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/HnReqwF9YAI&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/HnReqwF9YAI&rel=1</a>

Not sure about the educational content though

I don't know, the 'Teach Yourself Scots' aspect would have been useful for many of the bemused LEL foreigners.
A lot of it probably still needs sub-titling, even for most of the English.
Nice to see a young Alan Cumming, he's one of the few celebs who's competent with a chainsaw you know.

Damon.

[eck]

I was thinking about my favourite workplace comedies. Stuff like The Britass Empire, Fawlty Towers, The IT crowd et al. There's a surprisingly high educational content in them. Then I remembered Video Arts, the management training film producers. It's striking how much crossover there is. Here's Rebecca Front, currently playing a Minister in 'The Thick of It', in a film about interview techniques.

   Video Arts / Titles / Behavioural interviewing


Damon.

Jeeze, I'm old enough to remember the original version of that, "Manhunt" with John Cleese playing a variety of incompetent interviewers. The straight man was an actor who played a detective in Softly Softly or some similar. Upbraiding one of Cleese's characters, who boasted he'd never picked a wrong 'un, he had a very telling line. He said, "Nobody ever admits to being a bad driver, a bad lover or a bad interviewer."

I can't remember if Cleese replied, "Well, two out of three insn't bad." 

[Really Ancien]

It's probably the secret weapon of the British, and I do include Ireland in this, We do trust those who are funny to guide us. The idea that our greatest comedians are the most suitable people to dispense management advice is a strength. The US are catching on though. 'Parks and Recreation' looks like a show to watch.

Damon.