Think you're the saviour of British comedy?

It is pretty clear to me if no-one else that British Comedy at the moment is going through a bit of a barren patch. People seem to want studio audience sitcoms, which do not challange or offer any real orginality, an example of this is Miranda and in my experience, when presented with cleverer pieces of work, producers are scared that audiences are too thick to get what is going on.

This means there is a chance sometime in the next two or three years for someone to come up with not even a totally original piece of writing but just something or high quality that will get it back on its feet.

Do you think this is a rocky patch for comedy? And do any of you think you will be that person responsible for saving? I am going to sound like a twat now bt I reckon if this barren patch goes on long enough I will have developed my style enough (it will take a while) to be that person.

It's only because of the filming style, Peep Show isn't studio based. Their previous sitcoms (Hippies, etc were) And the same reason a lot of new sitcoms are narrative is because it's cheaper to use just one camera.

I agree that you could argue that a lot of them are dumbed down, but only because they're trying to reach a larger audience (and justify the cost).

I'm a big fan of narrative, but I wouldn't want to miss out on studio based especially since it allows more jokes to be pumped out, and not worrying about shoehorning sentimental crap into it.

No, I don't think there is any more of a rocky patch then there has ever been, for whatever reason. We as the viewers are just more aware of the backstage antics now and it may seem as the TV companies are falling apart.

Who'd want to become the saviour of British comedy anyway? Sounds awful.

Quote: Ronnie Anderson @ December 26 2009, 12:08 PM GMT

I am going to sound like a twat now bt I reckon if this barron patch goes on long enough I will have developed my style enough (it will take a while) to be that person.

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And lo, on the day of St. Stephen, did our Lord Ronnie emerge from the moutain top carrying two stone tablets, each inscribed with a sitcom based around a mini-cab firm set in Margate starring Michael McIntrye and Amanda Holden.

With fire in his voice, comedy in his heart and an obvious disregard for spell checking, our new saviour spoke thusly 'If they don't make better comedy fings on the telly, then I'm going to have to become really good at writing jokes and shit, and then they'll have to put my stuff on. I mean, it's bound to happen.'

Unfortunately for Ronnie, the BBC's new head of comedy, a Doctor Victor Von Doom had other plans - 'Gavin and Stacey Go To Euro Disney, a Catherine Tate Shakespeare adaptation and a remake of Dad's Army starring Horne and Corden! Muwahahahaha!'

Renegade I expect some degree of mockery for claiming to be a potential saviour of British Comedy but with your post (which did make me laugh) you are basically agreeing with me.

Quote: Leevil @ December 26 2009, 12:23 PM GMT

I agree that you could argue that a lot of them are dumbed down, but only because they're trying to reach a larger audience (and justify the cost).

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But therein lies the problem as shows which try to keep some artistic credibility and reach mainstream audiences are often too much of a crossbreed to work and as a result neither gain a mainstream or a cult following whereas shows such as the Royle Family and The Office stuck to their guns creatively and had such quality that the masses came to them.

Quote: Ronnie Anderson @ December 26 2009, 12:08 PM GMT

Do you think this is a rocky patch for comedy?

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Are you excluding live performances?

And are you talking primarily about TV? Radio isn't rocky at all, it's (arguably) as good as ever, if a bit traditional. Then there's this internet thingy which is supposed to be up-and-coming.

Quote: Nogget @ December 26 2009, 12:50 PM GMT

Then there's this internet thingy which is supposed to be up-and-coming.

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Is that still around?

The saviour of British comedy?!? For a start, if it was in a bad way, one person writing one sitcom isn't going to change things, is it?

I'm an agreeable chap.

When it comes to comedy, which is a very subjective medium, you cannot have a single 'saviour'.

After the success of shows like I'm a Celebrity, Strictly Come Dancing and X Factor, the British public have shown themselves to be a bunch of f**king morons who'll watch any old shit on the television, so why should broadcasters bother putting any effort in?

Hence Catherine Tate, Gavin and Stacey and The Royale Family all shown at prime time on Christmas Day. Is that wrong? Possibly, but I wouldn't expect fans of those programmes to fall head over heels for Peep Show or The Thick Of It.

The only way you can change the viewing attitudes of the British public and become it's 'saviour', is to get a top job at the BBC and you won't get that by writing ha-has on a sitcom script.

Good luck nonetheless your holiness.

Quote: Renegade Carpark @ December 26 2009, 12:56 PM GMT

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After the success of shows like I'm a Celebrity, Strictly Come Dancing and X Factor, the British public have shown themselves to be a bunch of f**king morons who'll watch any old shit on the television, so why should broadcasters bother putting any effort in?

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I think it was more a case of a couple of these shows doing well and then the broadcasters just repeating the formula. They're also nothing new; Strictly is just a variety show meets Come Dancing meets The Generation Game and X Factor is New Faces/Opportunity Knocks. Broadcasters are concentrating on these shows and soaps to the detriment to drama and comedy and are over-looking how much audiences would enjoy them if they were given more money and support and put on at prime time.

Quote: Renegade Carpark @ December 26 2009, 12:56 PM GMT

Good luck nonetheless your holiness.
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Thank you my humble disciple renegade. I do think there is an opportunity for there to be a saviour in Comedy.

I am a fan of the Royle Family as well as the thick of it and peep show. Part of th reason for me despairing for comedy is The Royle Family changing itself so much to try and pander to the masses when it has no need to

Quote: Matthew Stott @ December 26 2009, 12:55 PM GMT

The saviour of British comedy?!? For a start, if it was in a bad way, one person writing one sitcom isn't going to change things, is it?

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IMO Caroline Ahern and Craig Cash in the creation of the Royle Family were saviours of British Comedy and many of the shows that proceeded had their sutbetly and realism.

There must be someone else who believes they have the potential to change British Comedy but just hasn't got the bollocks to admit it.

Quote: Ronnie Anderson @ December 26 2009, 1:16 PM GMT

There must be someone else who beleives they have the potential to change British Comedy but just hasn't got the bollocks to admit it.

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I think most writers just want to create good stuff, they aren't thinking about being some sort of 'saviour', really.

Quote: Ronnie Anderson @ December 26 2009, 1:16 PM GMT

There must be someone else who believes they can change British Comedy but just hasn't got the bollocks to admit it.

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Well, I just haven't got bollocks. At least, none that even a field mouse would be ashamed to admit to owning. But apart from that, I don't believe I can save my own comedy let alone anything further afield.

And Ronnie, the first thing you need to develop before style is an ability to post without Zooo or I having to correct it for typos. Please take more care.

@ RC's post.

Comedy comes in cycles and there's a lot of good stuff out there.

There will always be great sitcoms around, shining like little diamonds within the larger slag heap of decent, mediocre and downright dreadful sitcoms. Like with history in general, it's hard to give an objective opinion of the current situation until quite a few years down the line.

I'd guess that the the last few years have been a bit of a fallow period in the world of sitcom, but who knows what's around the corner? New writers and performers will emerge, but I doubt any of them will rightly be called "the saviour of British comedy", I wouldn't consider, say, Ricky Gervais & Stephen Merchant to have been saviours, and The Office was the best sitcom of the decade, imo.

The next ten years...? Who knows? It would be nice to think that a change in thinking at commissioning and controller level might lead to more risks being taken on both selection of commissions and with scheduling. But I'm not holding my breath. On a personal note, I was told by the Head of Comedy at a very big production company that it was only a matter of "when, not if" something of mine makes it to screen, such was the standard of my work. But again though, who really knows? If I'm here making pretty much the same points in 2019 then it didn't work out the way I planned... Showbiz, darling, it's a tough business...

Best of luck to all the writers for 2010 though. Here's to getting paid, at the very least!

I think it a noble thing to think oneself can be the saviour of anything. I'm sure there are others who really would like to be British TV comedy's saviour. It is a noble cause and right now, a just one. But I don't think even the most scintilating new manuscript sent in by an unknown will get a look in - most channels, especially the BBC, don't seem able to take a punt on anyone without an established name, these days! It seems to be even more of a closed shop than in the bad old days. So the very best of luck to any unknown who wants to be the one. I think if you manage to get a second reading or a meeting then you can consider yourself a success at the moment, just don't expect your script to make it to air!