What ITV want Page 2

Thanks Simon - I've extracted this bit:

Extract

"Sketch shows are pretty well covered by a handful of development projects and instead the focus is on broad appeal - something that viewers could grasp if it was summed up in one line, such as the package holidays of Benidorm or the call centres of Mumbai Calling.

While she wants universal ideas, they need to be modern - not things that could have worked on ITV 10 or 20 years ago".

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What do you think she means by "modern"?

Not with lines in it like the James Bond film I was just watching. He gives an Indian man a wad of cash and says 'that should keep you in curry for the next 10 years'.

Quote: Frankie Rage @ August 3 2008, 4:32 PM BST

Thanks Simon - I've extracted this bit:

Extract

"Sketch shows are pretty well covered by a handful of development projects and instead the focus is on broad appeal - something that viewers could grasp if it was summed up in one line, such as the package holidays of Benidorm or the call centres of Mumbai Calling.

While she wants universal ideas, they need to be modern - not things that could have worked on ITV 10 or 20 years ago".

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What do you think she means by "modern"?

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Benidorm - a group of people returning to the same hotel each year. Modern,

Old Fashioned. Duty Free .. twenty years was a group of people returning to the same hotel each year.

Hang on though......?

Quote: zooo @ August 3 2008, 4:37 PM BST

Not with lines in it like the James Bond film I was just watching. He gives an old Indian man a wad of cash and says 'that should keep you in curry for the next 10 years'.

View original

Oh, you mean ..not ageist?

Quote: Marc P @ August 3 2008, 4:40 PM BST

Benidorm - a group of people returning to the same hotel each year. Modern,

Old Fashioned. Duty Free .. twenty years was a group of people returning to the same hotel each year.

Hang on though......?

View original

You mean, it's just more bullshit from some suited telly twat-ess?

By "modern" do you think she means..

1. Would appeal to chavs.
2. Something written recently.
3. Lot's of "street" activity and knifings.

What does she mean???

Quote: Aaron @ August 3 2008, 4:05 PM BST

Considering its channel, I think Respectable (which was excellent IMO, and nothing to do with the nekkidness) actually did alright. Although I forget exact viewing figures. The problem was the controversy stirred up by those who hadn't watched it.

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I caught a few episodes and thought it was quite good too. I think any topic can be done, as long as it's handled correctly.

Agreed. I think that ought to be true anyway.

Quote: Winterlight @ August 3 2008, 5:13 PM BST

I caught a few episodes and thought it was quite good too. I think any topic can be done, as long as it's handled correctly.

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Same here, although I saw the DVD and would feel uncomfortable buying it - the whole brothel thing is spread over the front cover and it would generate the 'he's buying porn' embarrasment factor.

Quote: Frankie Rage @ August 3 2008, 5:11 PM BST

By "modern" do you think she means..

1. Would appeal to chavs.
2. Something written recently.
3. Lot's of "street" activity and knifings.

What does she mean???

View original

Not set in a previous decade? Lots of modern references and connecting to the interweb via your mobile portable telephone kinda jokes?

You might be right.

Something set in 2008 itself perhaps.

Quote: Simon Stratton @ August 3 2008, 6:33 PM BST

Lots of modern references and connecting to the interweb via your mobile portable telephone kinda jokes?

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So something that, factoring in development, production, post-production, scheduling windows, etc, is going to be out of date before it is even broadcast, then.

That article is the usual mumbo-jumbo from people who don't know very much.

'Things that would have worked 20 years ago'. Right, yeah comedy had changed a lot - it's gone shitter.

ALL sitcoms need to be able to be summed up in one line.

And both packed holidays and Indian call centres are are 10 and 5 years out of date respectively.

Given they have Paul Jackson on board, why doesn't she just leave him to it, what with him being one of the most important people in British comedy.

You need the buzzwords in media I guess. Probably do sit around a table and say "It's very good, but is it now enough?" "I see what you mean, scene 10 is a little then don't you think?" etc...

Quote: Griff @ August 3 2008, 6:55 PM BST

Package holidays are probably more like 30-40 years out of date I would think ?
I'm sure Man About The House and On The Buses (and Carry On ?) did movies about going off to the Costa Brava ?

Call Centres have been around for a few years, but at least they feel contemporary, they are a big feature of modern life, and haven't really been tackled before. I'm not saying Mumbai Calling isn't going to be shit by the way. I f**king hated The Kumars.

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Actually, yeah package hols ARE that old. But those cheap in the sun type things seem more recent? maybe I'm wrong. Aren't they a 90s thing - cheap cocktails drank by hoards of red faced fat blokes.

Indian call centres have been around for about 5 years, and it's never been tackled. I can't see me liking it, simply because I have no interest whatsoever in the subject matter.

Quote: Griff @ August 3 2008, 6:49 PM BST

Maybe. But not as out of date.

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More out of date than if you avoid topical references altogether.

A mate of mine wrote a script about video dating; it took so long to get made that he had to update script to make it about online dating.

Interesting point made by Victoria Wood last night in her Dad's Army documentary. if you don't want your sitcom to age, set it in the past.

I'm getting around all this by setting my sitcom as 'now' but in 'a totally ficticious yet modern' world with plenty of references to Earth, or maybe earth.

What's that guys name at ITV, Paul Jackson?? Hope that stuck up suited bint doesn't answer.. *dials*

"Hi, Paul.. yes! yes, that's right (PAUSE) it IS me!"