In the style of the US comedy script writing team I would propose the following team to help save us :-
Andy Hamilton, Guy Jenkin, David Renwick, Bob Larbey, John Sullivan, Jesse Armstrong, Sam Bain amd Graham Linehan.
Not complete but a good starting point :-)
Galton & Simpson, Perry & Croft.
Quote: Jack Massey @ February 9 2010, 10:28 PM GMTGalton & Simpson, Perry & Croft.
They would be in a dream team but not currently writing?
Wright, Pegg and Frost!
(Throw Stevenson in there for good measure)
Who Will Save the British Sitcom?
Why BATMAN of course!
na na na na naaa Batman!! 
Does it need saving? There are still excellent sitcoms being made, such as The Inbetweeners, Peep Show and The Thick Of It. Yes, we struggle to make quality mainstream shows now, boy do we struggle, but maybe we should just accept they're a lost entertainment form, like music hall. And I'm not sure just throwing today's top writers together would necessarily lead to anything of note.
Quote: chipolata @ February 10 2010, 8:44 AM GMTDoes it need saving? There are still excellent sitcoms being made, such as The Inbetweeners, Peep Show and The Thick Of It. Yes, we struggle to make quality mainstream shows now, boy do we struggle, but maybe we should just accept they're a lost entertainment form, like music hall. And I'm not sure just throwing today's top writers together would necessarily lead to anything of note.
I have to agree with most of this. The traditional sitcom is probably a defunct form in this country for the foreseeable future. There seems to be no public appetite to revive it. Unless there is a collapse in reality TV I cannot see any channel taking the risk on what might be an expensive flop.
The BBC should be taking a lead on this, but it has lost all sight of its PSB remit and is now only interested in making superficial and modish late-night fare aimed at a largely undiscerning adolescent audience.
add Andrew Marshall to your list.
I'll have a go as well. What about Danger Mouse?
Quote: chipolata @ February 10 2010, 8:44 AM GMTDoes it need saving? There are still excellent sitcoms being made, such as The Inbetweeners, Peep Show and The Thick Of It. Yes, we struggle to make quality mainstream shows now, boy do we struggle, but maybe we should just accept they're a lost entertainment form, like music hall. And I'm not sure just throwing today's top writers together would necessarily lead to anything of note.
Yes it does (IMHO) and this is a bit of fun - let's pretend they can all work together, yeah?
Quote: chipolata @ February 10 2010, 8:44 AM GMTYes, we struggle to make quality mainstream shows now, boy do we struggle, but maybe we should just accept they're a lost entertainment form, like music hall.
It's not - but it seems that it is plagued with snobby and clueless commissioners, producers, and (to a lesser extent, I expect) writers.
For sake of a bit of fun; the problem with the list is there are too many sitcom-creator-celebrities. In America the "names" supervise the lesser creative types known as "writers". So you have your Jerry Seinfeld or your Bill Cosby and then 20 people no one has ever heard of.
Take your favourite American sitcom and drop it in IMDB and check out the writing credits... Who are these people?
Americans.
Quote: Marc P @ February 10 2010, 9:34 PM GMTAmericans.
My Family and After You've Gone vs. Clone.
Not that clear a saviour.
Quote: deckard @ February 10 2010, 3:05 AM GMTWright, Pegg and Frost!
(Throw Stevenson in there for good measure)
I think you'll find she's contributed a tad more to classic sitcom creating than Frost!
Quote: zooo @ February 10 2010, 9:43 PM GMT
I think you'll find she's contributed a tad more to classic sitcom creating than Frost!
Which makes her bizarre disappearance all the sadder. While Frost, in contrast, has gone from strength to strength since Spaced. And soon to be seen in the BBC adaptation of Martin Amis's Money, which I'm very excited about. Well, mildly excited.
Quote: Aaron @ February 10 2010, 9:41 PM GMTMy Family and After You've Gone vs. Clone.
Not that clear a saviour.
My Family was created by an American, Fred Barron, who applied the American table-writing system to Britain. And After You've Gone was created by the same guy. Fred Barron. An American.
Quote: Aaron @ February 10 2010, 1:30 PM GMTIt's not - but it seems that it is plagued with snobby and clueless commissioners, producers, and (to a lesser extent, I expect) writers.
To a large extent I agree with you. And since I don't think the situation will change any time soon, my original point about mainstream sitcoms being a lost art stands.