British Comedy Guide

Jam and Jerusalem Page 8

Hi Ceel, welcome to the site. Do you actually find Jam & Jerusalem funny, or just enjoyable, watchable, whatever? 'Cos I'm finding it to be the latter, with an occasional good line or exchange, but the sitcom labelling just seems insulting IMO.

"I'm meant to have five fruits a day, yes?"
"Yes."
"And is apples a fruit?"
"Yes."
"So is cider apples?"

I'm sure that's an excuse quite a few people would like to use!

I actually do find it quite funny, not hilarious but a good watch with good characters.

My sentiments are the same as Matthew Stott.

I'm sorry Ceel - and welcome. (You're not JS in disguise are you?)

Basically it's just like a soap - story lines with very small bits of humour thrown in. It can't call itself a sitcom.

No, I am not JS and thanks for the welcome but not quite sure why you are sorry. Jam and Jerusalem is not Phil Silvers, I agree. It is all filmed and not in a studio with an audience, which gives it a different feel. I supect some of the WI scenes done with a studio audience might seem more focused and like a standard sitcom; howevver, I enjoy it's freewheeling format. Maybe it should be banished from this site!

I really enjoy it actually. Being a Devonshire Scone myself, i get the humour a lot more and there are a lot of small towns and villages just like it and the WI do play a huge role in most of them. Despite living in one of the "Cities" now, I did live in a small town before and I have met people just like the charecters on the show. I can see a lot of my Mum actually in the Maggie Steed Character!

It just isn't funny and has a cast that is frankly wasted.

It's almost like JS has said to all her mates "I've written this TV show. Do you want to be in it?" and then dozens of them turned up and she had to write them some lines.

I do think it is a little aimed and a certain audience. Sometimes I will get a joke that I know someone who may have lived all their life in London won't.

I have family in the area and spend a lot of time there and JS's observation of many aspects of life there today is very accurate and hilarious, if not universal. Maybe it's docu-sitcom

Quote: Ceel @ January 20, 2008, 8:19 PM

Maybe it's docu-sitcom

Maybe it's just docu-sit!

I managed to stop myself adding the "h".

8 pages and it's only really the same people posting over and over and over again. If people don't like the show then why, oh why do you seem to have a sadistic behaviour in watching it every week religiously? Admit that you like it in some way, despite that you may not find it funny.
Obviously desensitising yourself from comedy does not help yourself and trying to find the perfect comedy will become a harder and harder feat. Accept the show for what it is, instead of tearing it apart layer by layer. And if you think you can do better then what the writers have produced, then get off your backsides and produce something that you and others on this site may enjoy.

Meanwhile, I do enjoy the show. Especially from it's quirky laugh out loud humour to it's on going likeable characters set in a small rural village life. It's a shame I don't get to watch it as often as I would like to, due to working long hours but I hope they continue into another series as well.

Time for the backlash... I probably wont actually get the read it as I only stumbled across this website looking at the episode guide.

It's grown on me. I'm not a huge fan, and I don't for a moment believe that it should be labelled as a "sitcom", but I've been finding it reasonably easy viewing this series.

It's kind of ... Well I don't know really. I can't really think of a genre for it. It's too light-hearted to be a drama in any real since of the word I think, but I don't consider there to be enough humour (failed or realised) to be classed as a sitcom either. Very light-hearted comdram, maybe?

I enjoyed the final episode. A happy and humourous light-hearted ending I thought.

One of the major plusses of J and J is that there are lots of work for actresses in it and it is written and directed by women, which goes a little way to readdress the balance.It also seems from this forum that it is enjoyed by women more than men.....

Hello Cat. I haven't watched it again. I can't be bothered.

It does seem funny though that so many people come on to only post once or twice to stick up for Saunders or PM those who slag it off.

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