Dreadful Sitcoms?

[Scarlett]

At the moment there seems to be a glut of non-challenging, old-school 70s-type sitcoms. Things like Arthur Strong, Badults, Big School.. shows that are so broad and easy that they could easily star the Chuckle Brothers and be on CBeebies. I miss the days of The Office, Alan Partridge, Nighty Night.. even Hancock was bitter sweet as well as funny. Family Tree is so gentle it's barely funny. What has happened to new and exciting comedy? Brass Eye? The Comic Strip? Is the BBC only commissioning 'safe' family entertainment because David Cameron has instructed them too, alongside his porn ban on the internet and attempts to force family values back in?!

[carrust]

I'd like to see a new series of Early Doors, written by Craig Cash. The 1st series of Pheonix nights was a work of genius.

[murraymints]

The trip tonight BBC2 10pm...coogan and brydon...good stuff !

[carrust]

Thanks for the heads up MM, I've been watching the series.

[Buenchico]

I rarely watch TV but, when I do, my main moan about current comedy shows is that commissioning editors seem to have got the idea that successful stand-up comedians will automatically be good comic actors. From what I've seen, they rarely are. (Lee Mack, for example, is quite good with his stand-up routine but 'Not Going Out' is dire, largely because he can't act).

Most of TV's greatest sitcoms employed actors of a high pedigree (such as Wilfred Brambell, Harry H Corbett, David Jason, Nicholas Lyndhurst, Michael Crawford, Arthur Lowe, John Le Mesurier, Richard Wilson, etc). Those that gave employment to comics generally succeeded best when their previous experience was in sketch comedy, rather than with stand-up. (e.g. John Clees, Ronnie Barker and Rowan Atkinson).

We need more actors and fewer stand-up comedians in our sitcoms!

[VHG]

Don't blame the BBC.

The BBC have a great comic heritage, but I think they passed that on to C4 a few years ago.

Many of the great comedies of the recent past have been C4 and other channels, like Father Ted, IT Crowd etc.

Brass Eye and Comic Strip were both C4 (though Comic Strip did have some time on BBC).

[Buenchico]

VHG:
When the BBC does get hold of a real gem they seem determined to bury it away in the schedules and not tell anyone about it. 'Still Game' was absolutely brilliant but plenty of people never even knew that it was on.

[VHG]

btw You mention Alan Partridge.

Well the Gold channel (I think it is) are currently repeating the series Knowing Me Knowing You, where "Alan Partridge" has a series of 6 chat shows.

I thought these were brilliantly written, with "Alan Partridge" being toe curlingly awful.

The "guest stars" were also terrific with Patrick Marber, Rebecca Front, David Schneider and others all playing the guests.

The other night they showed the "French" episode which I think is one of the best 30 minutes comedies around.

Alan, totally out of his depth, trying to cement Anglo French relations but failing miserably.

He tries to interview fashion designer Yvonne Boyd and finishes up insulting her...I did not know you were in pantomime......is that the distributer cap on a Ford Mondeo!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DtL8peM8P-U

[VHG]

This section of Knowing Me Knowing You follows on from the clip above in the "French" episode.

Alan totally losing it and finishing up insulting all the guests.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWENUcEKE1s&list=PL9E4FCE2E7E55A450

[Mattk]

Knowing me Knowing you was far and away the worst Partridge venture.

With the proper sitcom series they did exactly what some of the best loved shows have done which is do 2 series then stop. They also achieved the rarity of the 2nd series being better than the first.

Agree most (if not all) current sitcoms are terrible but can only judge by the poor clips they show.

[boxtops]

Partridge is appalling, I wouldn't watch him if you paid me. I'd include in my Awful list - Mrs Brown's Boys, anything with Miranda Hart in it, Arthur Strong (dire). Bring back Victor Meldrew!

[DaisyNonna]

Given up watching sit coms.
Must have lost my sense of humour.
They are just not funny. Embarrassing usually.

[boxtops]

Cringingly so, daisy

[dave50]

It's a pity that none of the current sitcoms aren't anywhere near as good as the classic 70's sitcoms.

[factor-fiction]

I don't think that's not what you didn't mean to write, dave

[Tilly2]

We watched Big School, BBC 1, last night. It was absolutely dire.

[EvianBaby]

America are producing much funnier sitcoms than we are at the moment. The only problem with them is they almost always have some deep, underlying meaningful life message behind each episode. Blah!

I watched Badults the other day, only because the BBC had shoved it between family guy and American dad. It was shockingly unfunny!