A question about ****ing swearing Page 2

Quote: Jonathan21 @ July 6 2008, 3:09 AM BST

Basically, is this still a problem in this day and age? I know shows like The Thick Of It etc. etc. use swearing, but are there rules about how much you can use?

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Just bear in mind that 'The Thick Of It' uses swearing as part of the pacing of the show and contributing to the drama and plot. It also makes a point of using very original phrases containing swearwords. (To such an extent that they even had their own "swearing consultant" for coming-up with entertaining swearword-containing phrases, Iain Martin.)

You only should use swearing if it fits your characters and in is in keeping with the style of the show. Obvious point I know, but hey-ho...

Surely it depends on what market you're aiming for. If it's the 7.30 family slot (!) I think I'd tone it down a tad!

If it's 10.30 on BBC4 then you could have a few more!

Quote: David Chapman @ July 6 2008, 7:09 PM BST

Surely it depends on what market you're aiming for. If it's the 7.30 family slot (!) I think I'd tone it down a tad!

If it's 10.30 on BBC4 then you could have a few more!

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And if it's for BBC3 you can just use swearing and "naughty" words and forget about writing any jokes.

Quote: Tim Walker @ July 6 2008, 5:42 PM BST

Just bear in mind that 'The Thick Of It' uses swearing as part of the pacing of the show and contributing to the drama and plot. It also makes a point of using very original phrases containing swearwords. (To such an extent that they even had their own "swearing consultant" for coming-up with entertaining swearword-containing phrases, Iain Martin.)

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Yes, in other workplace sitcoms the swearing is toned down, whereas in The Thick Of It it is exaggerated for comic effect.

And I don't think it works so well if your sitcom's style is of the more silly, "heightened reality". There it is almost always best used incredibly sparingly.

Quote: Tim Walker @ July 6 2008, 7:30 PM BST

And I don't think it works so well if your sitcom's style is of the more silly, "heightened reality". There it is almost always best used incredibly sparingly.

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Yeah, mine are mostly devoid of swearing. Given how much I swear in real life, that's quite surprising.

The main thing when writing is not to give a f**k.

Quote: Griff @ July 6 2008, 8:02 PM BST

I know the Sitcom Trials has only a distant relationship with sitcom - it's fringe theatre comedy really - but I was advised to put extra swearing in my sitcoms last year "cos the audiences like that kind of thing". They did, too.

Obv. I am not advising this for prodco submissions.

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Thanks for the tip. I'll get Charley in straight away!

Quote: Tim Walker @ July 6 2008, 7:30 PM BST

And I don't think it works so well if your sitcom's style is of the more silly, "heightened reality". There it is almost always best used incredibly sparingly.

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It's not meant to be that kind of tone... it's meant to be quite gritty. The closest I can think of is Ideal, which I did have swearing in but was used sparingly.

It'snot even so much the locale - which is a fairly swear-friendly zone - but it's part of a general attempt to convey the emptiness and futility of the lives of my characters.

I'll try and cut out anything i don't feel adds to the atmosphere, characters, plot or humour.

Intuitively I feel a producer isn't going to reject a script because it's got swearing in... they'll just tell me to take it out, won't they?

Imagine it the other way round - they're hardly going to ask you to add it. So why not try to minimise it to start off with? Porridge is a great example, as others have said.

I generally don't like too much swearing. I don't want my mum watching something like that - although she loved Men Behaving Badly!

(And yes Aaron - she is still alive!)

Have any of you seen Deadwood? That's the sweariest program ever. Not a comedy, mind. But it uses swearing brilliantly to create atmosphere.

Not that that's what i'm going for. i jsut want to avoid my sitcom becoming in any way cutesy.

Deadwood went out on HBO, a subscription only adult channel.

God bless Ian McShane.

Unless the swearing is an integral part of the show (inbetweeners/thick of it) then i would leave it all out.

10 people - 2 will really dislike swearing, 2 will not be keen, 4 wont care, 1 will like it and 1 will want it. In a show with none only the last will be upset, in a show full of it only 2 will be happier....its just has such limited returns and throws up all sorts of barriers...time slots, etc, etc.

Funnily enough, i watched episode 1 of Extras last night (ben stiller) - towards the end i was thinking "oh, no swearing" and then suddenly ben has the line "can you stop going on about your f**king dead wife" .... made me think of this thread and also how pointless it was. "can you stop going on and on about your dead wife" is just as powerful...the insult is the insult not the language and i'm sure an actor like stiller can convey nastiest without swearing. The only person for whom the swear would really pop out is those who dont like it in the first place. Felt like they shoehorned it in for effect (as per the finale of The Office- but here was of no benifit)