Things that have happened with British comedies, but not American comedies:
- Short seasons e.g. 6 episodes per year.
- Year skipping e.g. making a new series once every second year, or just skipping the occasional year.
- Series with few episodes being well known and liked e.g. The Young Ones, Fawlty Towers
Could be that sometimes the Americans don't know when to stop and can do a sitcom to death.
What about things like Last Of The Summer Wine though?
I think what drives the British sitcom like that is a single authorial voice limiting the output, but we are seeing more American comedies which would pass your criteria, the first to spring to mind would be Louie which has had short (for American) seasons of 13 each. Skipping years until Louis C.K. is ready to commit . . . there are more which would probably just turn in to a list countering your claim . . .
Unlike UK sitcoms so much, I think American ones have a short series 'cos the money has been pulled - "Episodes" highlighted this.
Unless it is an instant blockbuster Americans get very twitchy.
Quote: Diversiondo @ 7th February 2015, 12:58 AM GMTThings that have happened with British comedies, but not American comedies:
- Short seasons e.g. 6 episodes per year.
6-8 usually yes. It's mainly a compromise thing, generally just convention now, considered fair to most parties but with a fair dollop of British courtesy and etiquette. If you tie up a star all year it stops them doing most other work. Artists here are still squeamish about big money too, not in America.
Americans don't have these hangups, networks will tie up a star in a contract because money is king there. However, most big US sitcoms make the relatively unknown actors stars, here, they tend to go for established actors more.
British caution. Taking a punt on a 6 ep sitcom won't lose a huge amount if it fails, but if you pay for a 26 ep run and sucks you lose big bucks.
Quote: Diversiondo @ 7th February 2015, 12:58 AM GMTThings that have happened with British comedies, but not American comedies:
- Year skipping e.g. making a new series once every second year, or just skipping the occasional year.
Our lot like to have other projects on the go and often writers and prods will wait for the cast to finish other things rather than rush them or kick them out. all quite laid back and civilised still.
Quote: Diversiondo @ 7th February 2015, 12:58 AM GMTThings that have happened with British comedies, but not American comedies:
- Series with few episodes being well known and liked e.g. The Young Ones, Fawlty Towers
Na, the proportion of classic eps in top sitcoms is high here, and Fawlty Towers must have the highest classic episode rate at about 50%, probably a tad higher than for Friends or Seinfeld.
I generally prefer the British approach, however I think 6 episodes is too few. Curb Your Enthusiasm (which is my favourite American sitcom) has 10 episodes per series. This feels about right to me.
British sitcoms tend to push more boundaries and have more offensive language and subject matter
American TV channels won't air stuff that is going to piss off potential advertising so they have to play it safer
Misery.
Poor people.