Ed Parnell
Tuesday 8th May 2007 6:24pm
LONDON
360 posts
Quote: Godot Taxis @ April 14, 2007, 1:11 AM
Anyone who wants the world to see more of jam & Jerusalem should be shotdrowned.
Crap. Though not strictly speaking a sitcom. Jennifer Saunders is really milking her t1ts out to be funny these days. Hasn't really been funny for years. Jam and Jerusalem seemed to me to be a vastly inferior Dinnerladies. And it has Dawn French in it. The opportunity to destroy them all in one 'moment of madness' is *so* tempting.
After You've Gone was poor, trying to be a pithy commentary on modern life whilst also trying (in vain) to be funny. Imrie is a good performer, and to some extent so is Nick Lyndhurst, although this is a poor vehicle. Personally I think he should try another character. Kris Marshall from My Family had the right idea, moving out before he became Nick forever, and doing something completely removed from Nick.
Not seen Not Going Out but heard good reports.
I think the idea of a semi-improvised sitcom is a bad idea, simply because they are trying to ape Curb is poor. They don't have th talent or the vision Larry david and co have, few people do. And look at the shows they have tried to remake from America. And visa versa.
What I do note from all this is that most of these shows, regardless of quality or ratings are from known writers, people with a track record. It depresses me to some extent that there are not more 'new' writers coming up, although with BBC3 and 4 now doing more this is changing.
I'm kind of cautious about damning things too soon. When Two Pints first came out it was awful, really poor, and I was one of the riotious mob who berated it. I'm glad to say I was wrong. It actually became rather good, one of the best of its' kind.
So I am careful not to dismiss things before I have given them a fair chance. French and Saunders have been working in comedy for thirty years.