British Comedy Guide

Studio sitcoms - where are they? Page 2

I went to a few Not Going Outs but too difficult getting tickets now.

Quote: ShadowRaichu @ 30th September 2022, 4:40 PM

I wonder if "The Office" was the point where critics decided that non-studio sitcoms were a much better way of doing things and started criticizing studio sitcoms on sight for being dated. Ricky's own mocking of the format on "Extras" probably doesn't help to be honest.

The Office seemed to cement a change that was probably already under way, but I'd say it was much more to do with not having a live audience track than just being a non studio sitcom. In fact The Office is almost a studio sitcom in that it's set in one enclosed location, but with a single camera on them in the mocdoc style. But yes its huge success and RG's popularity from it and his very vocal opinions of trad studio sitcoms signalled the point of no return for most in the business. Alas. ☹

This change may have originated in the US? I think Larry David's excellent Curb Your Enthusiasm started a bit before The Office, and Gervais has cited that as an influence. Then other US comedies followed which also didn't have live or canned audience laughter, like Scrubs and Arrested Development (though I haven't seen much of the latter two examples).

The Royle Family and Operation Good Guys aired in the late 1990s.

The influential one was The Royle Family which definitely paved the way for more, but again it was a one internal set sitcom without an audience, hardly the external location, roving camera transformation which took such a hold a few years later. In fact if you turn the sound off both, the set up looks strikingly similar to 60s trad studio sitcom Till Death Us Do Part, enjoying a rerun now.

I put Royle in but it didn't like it. Changed it back.

Quote: Alfred J Kipper @ 2nd October 2022, 12:31 AM

The Royle Family... ... the set up looks strikingly similar to 60s trad studio sitcom Till Death Us Do Part, enjoying a rerun now.

Yes that occurred to me too as I was watching it the other night.

Quote: Alfred J Kipper @ 2nd October 2022, 12:31 AM

The influential one was The Royle Family which definitely paved the way for more, but again it was a one internal set sitcom without an audience, hardly the external location, roving camera transformation which took such a hold a few years later. In fact if you turn the sound off both, the set up looks strikingly similar to 60s trad studio sitcom Till Death Us Do Part, enjoying a rerun now.

I put Royle in but it didn't like it. Changed it back.

Don't blame you I find most of the Cash oeuvre a bit too schlmaltzy/earnest in its working class yearnings.

Yes it's just on the treacly side for me too. I thought its contemporary, and similar northern working class 'rival' Dinnerladies served them better although it's only thanks to reruns 20years later that I appreciated it as one of the last good trad studio sitcoms. A lot more laughs for your money, despite a slide towards soapy comedy drama that the non studio sitcoms have been guilty of.

Dinnerladies was excellent.

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