British Comedy Guide

Ghosts - Series 1 Page 18

Quote: Sitcomfan64 @ 8th October 2019, 9:04 AM

According to Laurence Rickard on Twitter, this has been recommissioned not just for a second, but a third series as well! Fair enough some people liked it, in fact looking over my posts it seems I found it funny on first viewing, however I rewatched the first two episodes recently and I didn't find it funny at all, aside perhaps from Charlotte Ritchie and Simon Farnaby.

Sad state of affairs!

British TV is changing but one thing remains constant: viewers still have plenty of choices.

There's some cracking stuff on the main channels but there's also some appalling dross: the same difference in programme quality is true of streaming services like Netflix, Amazon, etc.

At the end of the day, however, for a couple of quid a week you can avail yourself of a virtual infinity of televisual entertainment by subscribing to a streaming service.

Most of my viewing these days is done on Netflix but I still revert to "normal" TV to watch programmes I like.

In short, people who like Ghosts can watch Ghosts and people who don't like it might as well be philosophical and simply watch something else.

As I say, there's never been more choice when it comes to watching TV.

Quote: Rood Eye @ 9th October 2019, 11:42 PM

British TV is changing but one thing remains constant: viewers still have plenty of choices.

There's some cracking stuff on the main channels but there's also some appalling dross: the same difference in programme quality is true of streaming services like Netflix, Amazon, etc.

At the end of the day, however, for a couple of quid a week you can avail yourself of a virtual infinity of televisual entertainment by subscribing to a streaming service.

Most of my viewing these days is done on Netflix but I still revert to "normal" TV to watch programmes I like.

In short, people who like Ghosts can watch Ghosts and people who don't like it might as well be philosophical and simply watch something else.

As I say, there's never been more choice when it comes to watching TV.

That's nearly a reasonable point, Rood Eye.

However, Ghosts is made by the BBC, a publicly funded broadcaster, so the quality of its product should be, and is in this case, up for heavy-duty critique. How much public money has gone towards making this very average, and relatively unfunny, programme just so that I can have the pleasure of switching to something I have paid additionally for?

Of course, the Beeb can still produce excellent, mirth-inducing classics such as Question Time.

Quote: garyd @ 10th October 2019, 2:11 PM

That's nearly a reasonable point, Rood Eye.

Thank you, Gary.

I owe it all to my therapist who has suggested I might like to try being reasonable after hearing of my plans to rent cellar space under Broadcasting House and therein to store a great many barrels, the contents of which I am not at liberty to divulge to BCG members.

I know I cannot remove Ghosts from our screens by peaceful means and so, for as long as I am able to remain reasonable, I intend to treat it like any other program I don't like - I'm going to ignore it and watch something else.

I know it makes sense. Cool

Quote: Rood Eye @ 10th October 2019, 2:32 PM

Thank you, Gary.

I owe it all to my therapist who has suggested I might like to try being reasonable after hearing of my plans to rent cellar space under Broadcasting House and therein to store a great many barrels, the contents of which I am not at liberty to divulge to BCG members.

Sounds like the makings of a good plot, mate.

Though I don't think you'll have a Ghost of a chance! (just to keep the post on topic)

Quote: garyd @ 10th October 2019, 2:11 PM

That's nearly a reasonable point, Rood Eye.

However, Ghosts is made by the BBC, a publicly funded broadcaster, so the quality of its product should be, and is in this case, up for heavy-duty critique. How much public money has gone towards making this very average, and relatively unfunny, programme just so that I can have the pleasure of switching to something I have paid

Are we saying the BBC shouldn't be allowed to produce anything which some people might not like because its publicly funded?
'Very average ' is an odd criticism to make anyway. Everything is 'very average .' On average.

Reading the article from the Commissioner of this, it's both illuminating and worrying. She's gushing about it and calls it a brilliant sitcom. I wonder what she'd call Fawlty Towers or OFAH or a few other classics?

I doubt if she's read a single review of it, let alone the less than complimentary ones on this forum.
They seem to be influenced purely by viewing figures now at BH, as witnessed with the even less brilliant Hold The Sunset. A bit of a snobbish snub to comedy er snobs if you ask me. Pleased

Quote: Alfred J Kipper @ 13th October 2019, 11:12 PM

I doubt if she's read a single review of it, let alone the less than complimentary ones on this forum.

Perhaps she just watched the programme?

Quote: Alfred J Kipper @ 13th October 2019, 11:12 PM

Reading the article from the Commissioner of this, it's both illuminating and worrying. She's gushing about it and calls it a brilliant sitcom.

There are several countries in the world where gushing articles are published on a regular basis to extol the virtues of the leaders of those countries.

Similarly, in Britain, you will find gushing articles and gushing posts on Internet comedy forums in which the virtues of Ghosts are extolled.

In some cases, the writers believe what they're writing: in other cases, it's clear that the writers have assessed very accurately the sociopolitical environment in which they are obliged to live and, accordingly, they're very interested in (cue music) . . . "stayin' alive".

Quote: Alfred J Kipper @ 13th October 2019, 11:12 PM

Reading the article from the Commissioner of this, it's both illuminating and worrying. She's gushing about it and calls it a brilliant sitcom. I wonder what she'd call Fawlty Towers or OFAH or a few other classics?

I doubt if she's read a single review of it, let alone the less than complimentary ones on this forum.
They seem to be influenced purely by viewing figures now at BH, as witnessed with the even less brilliant Hold The Sunset. A bit of a snobbish snub to comedy er snobs if you ask me. Pleased

If I remember correctly it got pretty decent reviews. And it would be a pretty weird commissioner who wasn't enthusiastic about a show they'd just commissioned.

Quote: chipolata @ 14th October 2019, 2:03 PM

it would be a pretty weird commissioner who wasn't enthusiastic about a show they'd just commissioned.

I agree entirely and I have absolutely no problem with anybody at the BBC (or anywhere else) being enthusiastic about Ghosts.

There is, however, a difference between being enthusiastic about a sitcom and saying it's "brilliant".

Alfred's point, as I understand it, is simply that if Ghosts is "brilliant", how good were the very best British sitcoms that existed before it?

If Ghosts is "brilliant", the English language, as rich and diverse as it may be, contains no word capable of describing such programs.

Quote: Rood Eye @ 14th October 2019, 2:17 PM

I agree entirely and I have absolutely no problem with anybody at the BBC (or anywhere else) being enthusiastic about Ghosts.

There is, however, a difference between being enthusiastic about a sitcom and saying it's "brilliant".

Alfred's point, as I understand it, is simply that if Ghosts is "brilliant", how good were the very best British sitcoms that existed before it?

The English language, as diverse as it may be, contains no word capable of describing such programs.

It's promotional puff, pure and simple, hardly worth having a coronary over (unless of course you're predisposed to want to have a coronary over every little thing).

Quote: chipolata @ 14th October 2019, 2:23 PM

It's promotional puff, pure and simple, hardly worth having a coronary over (unless of course you're predisposed to want to have a coronary over every little thing).

You are correct, Chip! Laughing out loud

Maybe there should be a referendum on whether it gets recommissioned. Then if the referendum shows that people want it recommissioned maybe there should be a second referendum and more until people get fed up voting and they get the result that the minority who think they know better want.

Quote: Chappers @ 15th October 2019, 10:42 PM

Maybe there should be a referendum on whether it gets recommissioned. Then if the referendum shows that people want it recommissioned maybe there should be a second referendum and more until people get fed up voting and they get the result that the minority who think they know better want.

Just to be clear, in this scenario Series 2 and 3 of Ghosts are Brexit.

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