Living together - THE underlying 'situation'?

Yes, isn't it actually the 'living together' thing?

Though this isn't often stated in as many words, it's just the throwing together of different characters into the business of living alongside one another and seeing what comes out.

For those of you with long enough memories, most of Tony Hancock and Eric Sykes's stuff was built around this. In the modern era, I'd make a case for The Young Ones, Only Fools, Men Behaving Badly and Father Ted as being obvious examples.

Even things like Red Dwarf could be said to be of the genre.

After all, isn't it CHARACTER humour which is the essential? Any actual reliance on the 'situation' to keep producing the humour is a blind alley IMHO.

Feel free to add any others of the ilk. Anyone remember The Liver Birds??

a) I like the implication that The Young Ones is "modern".

b) Yeah, living together in one form or another is the basis of any sitcom really. 'Cos you gotta have some kind of conflict or character interaction, otherwise it's just a series of monologues.

Anda home scene is probably cheap and lets the characters "feel at home".

What was the Sam Janus agorophobic one? And of course "Not going out."

Quote: David Chapman @ January 16, 2008, 8:45 PM

What was the Sam Janus agorophobic one?

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Game On.

Your quite right jolanta.
Add:
A) A dysfunctual relationship, to:
B) A Trap - emotional, physical, spiritual, intellectual whatever.

And you have the basis of any sitcom really.

Maybe quirky rather than dysfunctional?

It's just struck me what a misnomer 'situation comedy' actually is. The situation is really only there as a background and very little else. I imagine it has to be one of the primary rules of sitcom writing that you must avoid trying to rely in any serious way on the setting to provide laughs.

It's really just 'charcom' and, as such, has been around for hundreds of years in the theatre. All TV has done is to 'serialise' it.

But the characters need a setting in which to be based and to have that conflict etc etc thrown upon them. No?

I think what we're saying is that virtually every sitcom involves people living together who get on each others nerves.

Apart from Are you being served and Hardware maybe. And they're just transferred to a shop.

Dad's Army.
Mind Your Language.
etc.

Quote: Aaron @ January 18, 2008, 7:57 PM

But the characters need a setting in which to be based and to have that conflict etc etc thrown upon them. No?

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I'll allow that the setting can provide the necessary 'flint' for the character humour to spark off. Carrying the analogy further, I contend that the setting can't be the spark itself nor the kindling! Character and once more character.

Perhaps 'characterisation', rather.

Its right, as someone else mentioned, that the sit in sitcom isnt the important bit, it doesnt make a difference where its set if the characters and the dynamics between them arent right. Get that wrong and its a crap show, even if its set in a nuclear power station or the folicles of a giants hair.

Quote: Jolanta Zofia Nowak @ January 19, 2008, 1:27 PM

I'll allow that the setting can provide the necessary 'flint' for the character humour to spark off. Carrying the analogy further, I contend that the setting can't be the spark itself nor the kindling! Character and once more character.

Perhaps 'characterisation', rather.

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Yeah, but the character's conflict has to be fuelled by something, some outside influence! Otherwise they'd just be sat there in silence, not arguing, not talking, nothing at all, let alone comedy!

Agreed.

Samuel Beckett, please note!

Quote: Matthew Stott @ January 19, 2008, 1:31 PM

Its right, as someone else mentioned, that the sit in sitcom isnt the important bit, it doesnt make a difference where its set if the characters and the dynamics between them arent right. Get that wrong and its a crap show, even if its set in a nuclear power station or the folicles of a giants hair.

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The thing about the SIT though is that some jokes wouldn't mean anything in a different SIT.

Quote: David Chapman @ January 19, 2008, 8:21 PM

The thing about the SIT though is that some jokes wouldn't mean anything in a different SIT.

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Yes, but without the characters there wouldnt be any jokes at all. Obviously you can get some comedy out of whatever situation you have them in, but if you think youve got a sitcom because you think-'wait, no ones set a sitcom in a nuclear reactor!!!' then youre wrong. Its all about crafting character and character dynamics; a good situation can act as a cherry on the cake and obviously add to your show. Red Dwarf is set on a spaceship, but thats not why its funny or why it works, its because of great characters like Rimmer and Kryten, sniping at each other; but the setting itself obviously helps facilitate a lot of extra humour that can be unique to that show. But yeah, as with any fictional drama, comedy, etc; you have to get the characters right.