Quote: Mr Krinkle @ March 23 2011, 12:40 AM GMTAs for newer comedies being too cynical... it's called progression. Nothing to do with slipping standards, just some innovative writers pushing boundaries and changing the medium. If that didn't happen, we'd still be watching Are You Being Served? and tittering at the "edgy" jokes about Mrs Slocombe's pussy.
More's the pity.
Quote: Aaron @ March 23 2011, 11:58 AM GMTMore's the pity.
I wasn't having a pop at that particular brand of humour, just trying to illustrate that the same jokes and formats will eventually get stale.
A large part of comedy is about shock and surprise- if we don't expect a joke we will inevitably laugh the hardest. Of course, there is a flip side to that. People pay good money to go and watch Peter Kay say garlic bread, and talk about eighties television. There is a lot to be said for humour that we expect- in many ways it can be comforting. I still love to watch Monty Python, despite being able to quote most of the lines before they are said, and it's still enjoyable.
I do agree that the glut of reality and panel shows are killing the traditional sitcom though. However with the expansion of channels, television now, more than ever, is a business and it makes good business sense to produce those shows. The only thing that will change that is if the consumers vote with their feet and stop watching, which won't happen any time soon.
Quote: Aaron @ May 13 2009, 2:51 AM GMTRicky Gervais.
How did RG do it
Quote: Mr Krinkle @ March 23 2011, 12:40 AM GMTAs for newer comedies being too cynical... it's called progression. Nothing to do with slipping standards, just some innovative writers pushing boundaries and changing the medium. If that didn't happen, we'd still be watching Are You Being Served? and tittering at the "edgy" jokes about Mrs Slocombe's pussy.
Haha - When watching the (admittedly imperfect) "Filthy, Rich and Catflap" recently I laughed so hard at a scene where Richie was on a game show with Molly Sugden and John Inman lookalikes. Molly kept doing the pussy gag to which Richie hissed "Don't milk it love, you've already done that gag three times and it wasn't even that funny on that stupid sitcom you used to do!". When he later interrupted John doing his "I'm feeling queer" routine, John rebukes him and Richie abruptly says "Shut-Up, you poof!" before punching him. I had to laugh. Those old shows do look a bit laboured now. 
Quote: ToddB @ March 23 2011, 12:58 PM GMTHaha - When watching the (admittedly imperfect) "Filthy, Rich and Catflap" recently I laughed so hard at a scene where Richie was on a game show with Molly Sugden and John Inman lookalikes. Molly kept doing the pussy gag to which Richie hissed "Don't milk it love, you've already done that gag three times and it wasn't even that funny on that stupid sitcom you used to do!". When he later interrupted John doing his "I'm feeling queer" routine, John rebukes him and Richie abruptly says "Shut-Up, you poof!" before punching him. I had to laugh. Those old shows do look a bit laboured now.
Some of them are untouchable. I can watch Porridge, Dad's Army etc now and still laugh. Even Are You Being Served? had some very funny moments. But things have to move one, otherwise they become hackneyed. Never seen "Filthy, Rich and Catflap", but that does sound funny.
Since the mockumentary style of comedy that The Office made huge has now become de rigeur, what other options are there for comedy writers?
Quote: Mr Krinkle @ March 23 2011, 2:42 PM GMTNever seen "Filthy, Rich and Catflap", but that does sound funny.
It's not.
I certainly laughed at that bit.
Certainly, past decades have had some sitcom belters , but there were also some shockingly bad stuff like Hi-De-Hi! and Last Of The Summer Wine.
The 2000s so far have produced some of my favourite ever shows: such as Peep Show, The IT Crowd, The Office, Phoenix Nights etc.
Quote: TopBanana @ March 23 2011, 3:36 PM GMTbut there were also some shockingly bad stuff like Hi-De-Hi! and Last Of The Summer Wine.
Neither of those are bad, let alone shockingly bad.
I dislike them intensely. This may be because they remind me of school days or bad times, or whatever.
Quote: TopBanana @ March 23 2011, 3:36 PM GMTCertainly, past decades have had some sitcom belters , but there were also some shockingly bad stuff like Hi-De-Hi! and Last Of The Summer Wine.
In fairness Last of the Summer Wine would be fondly remembered if it had not lasted beyond the decade in which it began.
Quote: TopBanana @ March 23 2011, 3:49 PM GMTI dislike them intensely. This may be because they remind me of school days
You went to school with three extremely old men?
Quote: chipolata @ March 23 2011, 4:12 PM GMTYou went to school with three extremely old men?
Wahey! 
They just remind me of Sunday nights getting ready for school. I was a very unhappy child 
Quote: Mr Krinkle @ March 23 2011, 2:42 PM GMTSome of them are untouchable. I can watch Porridge, Dad's Army etc now and still laugh. Even Are You Being Served? had some very funny moments. But things have to move one, otherwise they become hackneyed. Never seen "Filthy, Rich and Catflap", but that does sound funny.
Since the mockumentary style of comedy that The Office made huge has now become de rigeur, what other options are there for comedy writers?
Plenty! There's My Family, hated by reviewers but adored by the public; Not Going Out, also hugely popular and broadly so with critics too; and Miranda, another big silly sitcom that audiences adore. (They're also the shows that'll be remembered and loved in future decades.) If anything, I think we're perhaps now starting to see the decline of the mockumentary and the hyper-realism: I don't recall the last one that wasn't ripped apart by half of the audience?
