Nothing is lazy if it gets a laugh.
What comes out easiest and fastest is usually the best.
A good sign of inspiration.
Slow and strained creativity is usually a sign of desperation to get finished rather than having a joyous ride of lunacy thus creating funny results.
Fish out of water is often a way of providing a "normal" viewpoint in a world of crazies, e.g. Northern Exposure, Hi-de-Hi, etc.
Quote: Winterlight @ September 27 2008, 10:21 PM BSTI don't think he means that.
I think he means that.
Yes, I see that! 
Quote: Daddy Maz @ September 27 2008, 9:54 AM BSTthose lame, over cooked too easy situations that have mass appeal.
I was responding more to this.
I get you Frankie, you make sense.
I don't think 'fish out of water' is lazy, as has been pointed out, most sitcoms derive comedy from their key characters being placed in situations they are unfamilair and uncomfortable with.
What I do find lazy, which I originally thought this thread was going to be about, is "pull back and reveal" gags (unless there is a clever and funny twist on them), you know the typical "Guy talks about the problems of his relationship...camera pans out and reveals he is talking to his dog"...it really is the most remarkable thing. 
Lee and Herring explain it better... http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=2j9yBOXyPVc
Does that link contain "And then I got off the bus"?
I for one love pull back and reveal sketches, but only if they have a clever twist. As Martin said.
Quote: Winterlight @ September 28 2008, 5:42 PM BSTDoes that link contain "And then I got off the bus"?
I for one love pull back and reveal sketches, but only if they have a clever twist. As Martin said.
Yeah it does. 
Pull back and reveal sketches can work, like we've said, if they have a clever twist on them. But usually they are very lazy
Lazy Comedy Slags.
Quote: zooo @ September 28 2008, 6:11 PM BSTLazy Comedy Slags.
Three words that best describe me.
Haha!!
Never. 
I'm trying to think of a first episode of something where the story isn't 'a new person enters the universe, showing up it's/their foibles' - Black Books (Manny), Father Ted (A film crew), Fawlty Towers (new guest), Dinnerladies (work experience girl...)
Arrested Development is the only one I can think of, except with the narration, the viewer is the fish out of water, meeting the gang for the first time. Peep Show? Again, the POV camera is the newbie. Hmm. Must be loads, of course, I'm probably just being slow.
Quote: willie garvin @ October 2 2008, 12:21 PM BSTI'm trying to think of a first episode of something where the story isn't 'a new person enters the universe, showing up it's/their foibles' - Black Books (Manny), Father Ted (A film crew), Fawlty Towers (new guest), Dinnerladies (work experience girl...)
Arrested Development is the only one I can think of, except with the narration, the viewer is the fish out of water, meeting the gang for the first time. Peep Show? Again, the POV camera is the newbie. Hmm. Must be loads, of course, I'm probably just being slow.
If I understood this correctly, the only possible not fish out of water sitcom according to your definiton would be me watching myself on the telly watching telly? I hope they pay me well, despite the disastrous viewing figures.
Well if you're going to count the viewer as a new person, it's going to be tough finding an episode where that doesn't apply, except maybe Joey which never had any viewers.
I don't think there was a "new character exploring the sitcom world" in the opening Curb Your Enthusiasm - it was just Larry, Cheryl, Richard Lewis, Jeff and Susie, all the regulars?
Father Ted.
Willie reckons the Father Ted pilot used the film crew as a fish-out-of-water device. I'm unconvinced by this, I must say. Nonetheless I'm trying to think of a sitcom pilot where there was no-one but the regulars.
Even better, a sitcom pilot where the regulars weren't meeting for the first time (ie Rachel appears in the Friends pilot and has never met half the gang before.)