Quote: Ned1984 @ December 17 2008, 3:43 PM GMTWait untill we start throwing our footwear at world leaders.
Oh but your House of Commons is famous for such great behavior.......right? 
Crap comedy observations you hate Page 6
Guy Fawkes had the right idea about that place.
Quote: Dr Mato @ December 17 2008, 3:47 PM GMTOh but your House of Commons is famous for such great behavior.......right?
A minor lapse. It was dress down Friday, the atmosphere was jovial, the coffee was flowing and the security took their eye off the game for a few seconds, but they recovered wonderfully.
Quote: zooo @ December 16 2008, 9:56 PM GMTMy dad says his number when he picks up the phone!
He is MENTAL.
It's a generational thing for a reason - the old phone system relied on the rotary dial.... if you put your finger in "8" for example, and wound the dial to the stop and released it, then a series of 8 crappy, noisy pulses were sent up the line to the telephone switch.... it was very unreliable compared to the push button, tone-based dialing today - it was not unusual for those 8 pulses to be interepreted as 7 or 9 or whatever. End result, many wrong numbers... hence it was standard practice to answer with your number, thereby avoiding wasting a lot of unnecessary time. The wrong number is much less frequent today - kind of like the busy (engaged) tone, which is becoming obsolete with call forwarding to voicemail etc etc....
Hope you didn't fall asleep reading this crap... sorry.
Ha! No that's Quuuite Interesting.
I used a dially phone like that once, it was fun!!
I really want one in a retro-y way.
But I guess they wouldn't work now...?
Quote: zooo @ December 17 2008, 4:19 PM GMTHa! No that's Quuuite Interesting.
I used a dially phone like that once, it was fun!!
I really want one in a retro-y way.
But I guess they wouldn't work now...?
Probably not, unless you live in the Outer Hebrides or something. However, I do believe there are some companies selling retrofitted antique phones that will work... I'll see if I can find some for you...
Quote: SlagA @ December 17 2008, 10:51 AM GMTThat's because we're watching the edited highlights of a life on TV. It'd be terrible TV if the character stood at the phone in silence for 45 seconds and then said "No answer." It would be more realistic but I wouldn't be watching it.
Ditto goes for tedious talk about the weather, it happens in real life but a writer's job is to give the impression of real life while extracting the key dialogue to get the thing moving.So although it can be a bind, just think of all the five seconds writers have saved you over the years and count your blessings eh?
I don't expect a character to wait in silence for 45 secs, that would be silly. However, if a character has dialled a number and the plot dictates that he will get an answer, I as a viewer would like to see a realistic time lapse. I don't count my blessings because I think directors should take into account the (realistic) amount of times a phone will ring before the owner answers*. I'm not asking for much, just a few realistic seconds. If it's a cartoon then fine take as long and or as short a time you want, I don't care because it's not real. But EastEnders, The Bill etc...
Speaking of which: what's with the same baby cry I hear in all the British soaps, dramas, radio dramas?
It's always the same old recording of the same cry.
*Unless the recipient is sitting nervously by the phone waiting for [insert reason] therefore s/he will answer after the first ring. Even then you still have to wait a few seconds. You can't dial a number and then go "hello".
Sake.
I'm not anal. Oh no!
Edited by Aaron.
Quote: oldcowgrazing @ December 17 2008, 4:27 PM GMTI don't expect a character to wait in silence for 45 secs, that would be silly. However, if a character has dialled a number and the plot dictates that he will get an answer, I as a viewer would likek to see a realistic time lapse. I don't count my blessings because I think directors should take into account the (realistic) amount of times a phone will ring before the owner answers. I'm not asking for much, just a few realistic seconds. If it's a cartoon then fine take as long and or as short a time you want, I don't care because it's not real. But Eastenders, The Bill etc...
Speaking of which: what's with the same baby cry I hear in all the British soaps, dramas, radio dramas?
It's always the same old recording of the same cry.I'm not anal. Oh no!
Though it's better when it's a recording. I get upset when I hear and/or see real babies and toddlers crying (and obviously not acting) in soaps. It must be really distressing for the little mites. I don't believe in leaving babies to cry at all. I also get annoyed that all soap/TV babies are bottle-fed - giving the impression that that is the norm.
Quote: Dolly Dagger @ December 17 2008, 4:35 PM GMTThough it's better when it's a recording. I get upset when I hear and/or see real babies and toddlers crying (and obviously not acting) in soaps. It must be really distressing for the little mites. I don't believe in leaving babies to cry at all. I also get annoyed that all soap/TV babies are bottle-fed - giving the impression that that is the norm.
To be honest I'm glad Viv bottle fed her twins in Emmerdale, but Roxy in Eastenders, I wouldn't mind at all if she chose the natural option
Quote: Dolly Dagger @ December 17 2008, 4:35 PM GMTThough it's better when it's a recording. I get upset when I hear and/or see real babies and toddlers crying (and obviously not acting) in soaps. It must be really distressing for the little mites. I don't believe in leaving babies to cry at all. I also get annoyed that all soap/TV babies are bottle-fed - giving the impression that that is the norm.
Well of course no one likes to see babies crying but they cry they do, and whilst they all sound the same, they do have different pitches, and rhythms and patterns etc. So why not send a minion out to go get some recordings of a baby crying? We all have children, nephews, nieces, godchildren etc. The point is there is a particular baby sound effect that's been doing the rounds for far too long now and it's time for a new one.
Babies get well paid for being on TV. They'll get no sympathy from me.
Quote: Lee Henman @ December 16 2008, 9:51 PM GMTI HATE it in sitcoms when the phone rings and the character picks it up and instead of going "Hello?" like all normal people, they go "Hello, Stephen Bainbridge." (Especially if they're not called Stephen Bainbridge). Or sometimes they pick the phone up and go "452644". NOBODY does that in real life!!
My biggest pet hate though isn't just in comedy, it happens in all TV fiction. It's where one character is plainly trying to impart a very important piece of information to another character, who isn't listening because they're much to busy doing the housework or whatever. This is a device to build tension until the big revelation in the scene but I f**king hate it with a passion because it's so bloody unrealistic. And nobody's more guilty of it than the EastEnders writers.
Fry and Laurie did a brilliant sketch about that very thing but I'm buggered if I can find it.
YOu know the type of thing though...
PHIL:
Mum, I've got something to tell you...PEGGY:
(INTERRUPTING) Here son, hold this washing will you, I'm rushed off mmy feet I am.PHIL:
What? oh, sure...look Mum, I really need to tell you some...PEGGY:
(INTERRUPTING) I mean I've not had chance to sit down all day, if it's not one thing it's another.PHIL:
Yeah...Mum, I really need to tell you this. I've been to the doctors and he says I've got canc...PEGGY:
(INTERRUPTING) I mean like I was saying to Dot earlier on, a woman's work is never done...etc etc etc
You missed the bit at the end that comes more often than not, where the person trying to speak has had enough time during the delay to realise it would be better not to say anything after all.
PEGGY:
Now, what were you saying?
PHIL:
Nothing. Doesn't matter. (SIGHS, WALKS OFF)
CRAP CHARACTER 1:
Listen Crap Character 2, you MUST sing at the company Karaoke party.
CRAP CHARACTER 2:
No way, not now, not ever. Not if you paid me a million pounds.
CUT TO
COMPANY KARAOKE PARTY. CRAP CHARACTER 2 IS BELTING OUT A BAD TUNE.
CRAP CHARACTER 1:
I'll pay you the million pounds later.
EVERYONE LAUGHS.
You get the idea...
(Edit)...just realized it's strictly off topic.. oh well.
Quote: Dolly Dagger @ December 17 2008, 3:08 PM GMTAh, but the Irish are seen as 'good' terrorists now.
Depends how deluded the person you're talking to is.
Quote: zooo @ December 17 2008, 4:19 PM GMTHa! No that's Quuuite Interesting.
I used a dially phone like that once, it was fun!!
I really want one in a retro-y way.
But I guess they wouldn't work now...?
Only once? Blimey.
They do them as novelty things, and also ones for Skype etc (USB), things like that.
Quote: chipolata @ December 17 2008, 4:56 PM GMTBabies get well paid for being on TV. They'll get no sympathy from me.
My cousin was in some BBC drama when he was a few months old. Crying was involved.
Quote: Dolly Dagger @ December 17 2008, 4:35 PM GMTIt must be really distressing for the little mites. I don't believe in leaving babies to cry at all.
That's what they do! They get paid to just act normal!