Just noticed this forthcoming pilot from Baby Cow:
Lizzie and Sarah - A new dark comedy written by and starring Julia Davis and Jessica Hynes - BBC Two Saturday 20th March 11.45pm.
https://www.comedy.co.uk/tv/lizzie_and_sarah/
Sounds interesting.
Lizzie And Sarah
I find that "dark comedy" can often be called "humourless". But we'll see...
Hmmm, can't wait, hmmm, Thelma and Louise in Surbiton. What will Margot make of them?
Quote: Matthew Stott @ March 14 2010, 6:27 PM GMTLizzie and Sarah - A new dark comedy written by and starring Julia Davis and Jessica Hynes - BBC Two Saturday 20th March 11.45pm.
Mark Heap and Kevin Eldon too! It sounds very much along the lines of Series 1 of Nighty Night... which, if so, is a positive in my book!
Dirty as it makes me feel, I agree with Aaron. Dark comedy, especially the self consciously dark variety, can be a bit yawny.
Quote: chipolata @ March 14 2010, 9:56 PM GMTDirty as it makes me feel, I agree with Aaron. Dark comedy, especially the self consciously dark variety, can be a bit yawny.
Well, depends entirely on the show, doesn't it. Human Remains and The League Of Gentlemen were both purposefully 'dark', and bloody brilliant too.
Of course. And something like Nighty Night was tedious in the extreme.
I do like a dark comedy series if it's done well, well done to the LOG team for making this sort of thing popular. Really not sure if you can class it as sitcom though.
Quote: chipolata @ March 14 2010, 10:40 PM GMTOf course. And something like Nighty Night was tedious in the extreme.
Well you can say that about any genre of comedy. Not that Nighty Night was tedious, that there are good shows and bad shows.
Oo, this sounds good.
But I'm slightly miffed as I've been repeatedly told that no one wants 'dark' comedy and that my sitcom about two suburban 50-something women (played by younger actors) who are involved with stuff like the amateur dramatics, is not what commissioners want.
Quote: Matthew Stott @ March 15 2010, 9:26 AM GMTWell you can say that about any genre of comedy.
Granted. But "dark" comedy seems to attract a higher than everage number of arses with their, "Ooooh, look at me with my jokes about paedos and cancer! Aren't I dark!" No, you're an arse.
Quote: chipolata @ March 15 2010, 10:12 AM GMTGranted. But "dark" comedy seems to attract a higher than everage number of arses with their, "Ooooh, look at me with my jokes about paedos and cancer! Aren't I dark!" No, you're an arse.
Can you give an example of some 'dark' comedy that was just rubbish and not funny and just used the shock tactics?
Nighty Nighty (series 1 at least) was enjoyed and found funny by lots of people. Personally I thought it was great.
Quote: Dolly Dagger @ March 15 2010, 10:17 AM GMTCan you give an example of some 'dark' comedy that was just rubbish and not funny and just used the shock tactics?
Nighty Nighty (series 1 at least) was enjoyed and found funny by lots of people. Personally I thought it was great.
Nighty Night series 2 was atrocious. You also get it a lot in low budget films like The Cottage, or that awful piece of crap starring McKenzie Crook as a train driver. And you get it a lot in stand ups, typified by the likes of Frankie Boyle.
I actually think the really interesting dark stuff is stuff like The Office or I'm Alan Partridge, which deals with failure and frustrated ambition in a way that we can all relate to.
Quote: chipolata @ March 15 2010, 10:30 AM GMTI actually think the really interesting dark stuff is stuff like The Office or I'm Alan Partridge, which deals with failure and frustrated ambition in a way that we can all relate to.
I agree - though you could say that is more pathos than dark. I just couldn't think of any sitcoms/narrative comedies where it didn't work (i.e wasn't funny) and was just there for the sake of it. I imagine most writers don't set out to be dark - it's just what they find funny and then other people label it dark or sick.
Quote: Dolly Dagger @ March 15 2010, 10:35 AM GMTI agree - though you could say that is more pathos than dark. I just couldn't think of any sitcoms/narrative comedies where it didn't work (i.e wasn't funny) and was just there for the sake of it. I imagine most writers don't set out to be dark - it's just what they find funny and then other people label it dark or sick.
I think the stuff I find most annoying is probably the stuff from wannabe writers. You'll see it in Critique ocassionally, stuff that's just nasty or meanspiritied for no real reason.