Quote: Walker @ May 14, 2007, 7:15 PMNot fair. You used dictators. Everything sounds bad with dictators. Don't believe me? Yes, Prime Minister with Margaret Thatcher?
You said it sounds better to say inspire. They did do Yes Minster with Margret Tatcher btw. It was shite
Yeah it is annoying when programmes get dropped because they don't pull in the ratings, exactly what Fox did to Arrested Development. Although it won Golden Globes and Emmy's and was a critics smash, low ratings meant it was pulled. Fortunately in the UK that doesn't seem to happen as much because if something is a critical hit then that is enough for it to stay on TV.
Roman's Empire hasn't got the ratings or the critical acclaim and rightly so.
Quote: Martin Holmes @ May 14, 2007, 8:45 PMYeah exactly AD got a rough time on BBC2 shoved on at like 12:30am if not later. I have really high comedy standards, maybe that's a bad thing and makes be sound bitter, but I'm just passionate about comedy and know that it CAN and HAS been so much better than the recent output bar a couple of decent shows. But yeah I urge anyone to check out AD, one of my fave sitcoms ever, its just a beautifully funny show.
That's what I'm like, with films as well. It annoys everyone I know.
I have a 15 minute time period for a film, if I don't like it after that I'll turn it off.
"But it gets better at the end"
Bollocks, it should be good all the way through and I find it insulting as a writer, the amount of crap that gets produced just because they have a got twist at the end.
I do watch crappy films, I love my Kung-Fu and Cheesy 80's sci-fi/action films, but their the only ones I let get away with it.
Quote: Leevil @ May 14, 2007, 7:09 PMWhat is the best new comedy of the year? I can't think of one?
For me, After You've Gone, Gavin and Stacey, and Roman's Empire. In that order.
Quote: ajp29 @ May 14, 2007, 9:49 PMThey did do Yes Minster with Margret Tatcher btw. It was shite
My point exactly.
Quote: Martin Holmes @ May 15, 2007, 11:22 AMYeah it is annoying when programmes get dropped because they don't pull in the ratings, exactly what Fox did to Arrested Development. Although it won Golden Globes and Emmy's and was a critics smash, low ratings meant it was pulled. Fortunately in the UK that doesn't seem to happen as much because if something is a critical hit then that is enough for it to stay on TV.
Roman's Empire hasn't got the ratings or the critical acclaim and rightly so.
I don't know anything about Fox... presumably they're a commercial network though. And if that's the case, low audience ratings are the death knell. How do you justify, to your advertisers, low ratings?
Luckily the BBC doesn't operate in quite the same fashion... which means that there is potentially more chance for a sitcom or, indeed, any programme to develop. Individual opinions on programmes aside, we should all applaud these efforts because it can only mean good things for the entertainment industry.
I'm sure on AD wikis site it explains the whole mess it got into, with one network exec leaving and promising them a new series or something but then the network exec gave them a shorter series, it was a bit of a mess anyway.
There's a bit on Screenwipe, I think? Where they explain about how shows get on the air and then get axed.
I just find this show so horrible and cynical that it makes me really sad to think it ever got off the ground. Who possible thought that ripping one of the greatest sitcoms in recent times (rather than simply screening it) was a wise move. The lack of ambition is dreadful as is the lack of ambition in the writing. "There is no such place as Romania" is a weak joke to start with - but to dilute it even further with a picture of a map showing Romania...beggars belief. And the joke it was stolen from is far superior. (Arrested Development....It's not like there's a book that teaches you to be a parent...and a cut to "Amazon.com has X amount of books on the subject of parenting" with all the books on the page all being little jokes ). I've watched AD numerous times and keep finding new jokes hidden away, obscure references, clever wordplay, call backs, call forwards the whole gamut. Some of the jokes are broad (most plots with Tobias) and some are relatively intellectual (Use your Allusion...I'm thinking of Poe) I found the level of passion in AD awe inspiring - while this...is simply depressing. I know I shouldn't watch it if I don't like it...but the fact that it gets an audience at all beggars belief. I really believe that shows like RE hurt British comedy and should never make it to the air.
Just to respond to the comments earlier in this strand relating to a comment I made. Comparing witless bilge like Romans Empire to Dadf's Army, Only Fools and Horses and The Good Life is ludicrous. And if you really think it has the potential to one day rank alongside them then you know bugger all about comedy.
Quote: naniwaelegy @ May 16, 2007, 12:02 AMI just find this show so horrible and cynical that it makes me really sad to think it ever got off the ground. Who possible thought that ripping one of the greatest sitcoms in recent times (rather than simply screening it) was a wise move. The lack of ambition is dreadful as is the lack of ambition in the writing. "There is no such place as Romania" is a weak joke to start with - but to dilute it even further with a picture of a map showing Romania...beggars belief. And the joke it was stolen from is far superior. (Arrested Development....It's not like there's a book that teaches you to be a parent...and a cut to "Amazon.com has X amount of books on the subject of parenting" with all the books on the page all being little jokes ). I've watched AD numerous times and keep finding new jokes hidden away, obscure references, clever wordplay, call backs, call forwards the whole gamut. Some of the jokes are broad (most plots with Tobias) and some are relatively intellectual (Use your Allusion...I'm thinking of Poe) I found the level of passion in AD awe inspiring - while this...is simply depressing. I know I shouldn't watch it if I don't like it...but the fact that it gets an audience at all beggars belief. I really believe that shows like RE hurt British comedy and should never make it to the air.
How does it 'hurt' British comedy? Even if RE is a pale comparison to AD, the fact that the BBC commissioned a show is good news. Trust me, it really is. If nothing else, it has the potential to be used as a springbobard in an arena where risk taking with new comedy just isn't the norm.
RE has low audience figures, true... but remember, AD, despite it's cleverness didn't fair well on UK screens either.
Look, I found AD very funny... but I also find RE very funny The 'Romania' joke made me laugh... and again when they showed the map. Admittedly, I don't laugh as much (or maybe even as loudly) as I did with AD but I find it strangely compelling. And I'll keep watching until they stop screening it.
Why does it have to be clever? Why does it have to contain 'obscure' jokes? These things don't always make hit comedies (just look at 'My Family').
Quote: chipolata @ May 16, 2007, 9:46 AMJust to respond to the comments earlier in this strand relating to a comment I made. Comparing witless bilge like Romans Empire to Dadf's Army, Only Fools and Horses and The Good Life is ludicrous. And if you really think it has the potential to one day rank alongside them then you know bugger all about comedy.
I have no idea what constitutes 'good' or 'bad' comedy. And I don't really care.
I've said this before, in another thread, but what makes me laugh... makes me laugh. It doesn't get any more simple than that. If so-called 'bad' comedy makes me laugh then so be it.
You can't claim something isn't funny (and therefore not worthy of a show on TV) just because you didn't laugh. It just didn't resonate with you is all.
I personally found 'Only Fools...' to be a very dull show. But I would never call it bad... it's just something I don't like.
Bottom line... humour is not quantifiable.
I think this thread is going to last longer then the show.
LOL! Now THAT'S funny... 
Quote: chipolata @ May 16, 2007, 9:46 AMJust to respond to the comments earlier in this strand relating to a comment I made. Comparing witless bilge like Romans Empire to Dadf's Army, Only Fools and Horses and The Good Life is ludicrous. And if you really think it has the potential to one day rank alongside them then you know bugger all about comedy.
How could you possible know how it would evolve in the future, the only comparison being made with this show and that of the show mention above was they all started with poor ratings.
Quote: chipolata @ May 16, 2007, 9:46 AMAnd if you really think it has the potential to one day rank alongside them then you know bugger all about comedy.
I know what make me laugh isn't that good enough for you
...I just feel that the progressive lowering of standards is bad for the British comedy scene...especially when there is precious little else. If there was a whole host of programmes of the same degree of quality as The Thick of It or Help - which are filled with passion and insight then the occasional dud like RE could be swept aside. But there is very little high quality comedy. And the general...."well that will do" will just drag the bar lower and lower.
I don't demand my comedy be clever or obscure (though I don't mind when it is) - but I would like to feel that some degree of care and passion had gone into it - rather than the ignorant, poorly written waste I see in RN. I know it's extreme - but I'd rather the Beeb commission nothing than commission rubbish. But as we obviously disagree we should probably leave it at that.
Quote: naniwaelegy @ May 17, 2007, 12:16 AM...I just feel that the progressive lowering of standards is bad for the British comedy scene...especially when there is precious little else. If there was a whole host of programmes of the same degree of quality as The Thick of It or Help - which are filled with passion and insight then the occasional dud like RE could be swept aside. But there is very little high quality comedy. And the general...."well that will do" will just drag the bar lower and lower.
I don't demand my comedy be clever or obscure (though I don't mind when it is) - but I would like to feel that some degree of care and passion had gone into it - rather than the ignorant, poorly written waste I see in RN. I know it's extreme - but I'd rather the Beeb commission nothing than commission rubbish. But as we obviously disagree we should probably leave it at that.
One of the things I like about this site (a lot!) is that, in most cases at least, people refrain from the abusive, insulting and downright immature behaviour as seen on other forums.
I take your point about lowering standards... I don't see that myself in the case of RE, obviously... but the idea of someone having a different opinion to me, especially when that opinion is well executed is, frankly, great.
I welcome debate (even heated debate) on these matters. It'd be a sorry world where everyone agreed all the time. Although we'd never know how sorry it was of course... 