British Comedy Guide

Citizen Khan - Series 1 Page 13

Zooo's post is off topic and Mr Khan wouldn't approve as his character is very to the point.

Quote: Punk Anarcho @ September 4 2012, 10:17 PM BST

Explain?

Shooting Stars I will agree with you on, but dismissing Rev and Friday Night Dinner as being mass-pandering, "not modern" series suggests you are from a time some distance in our future.

Quote: Punk Anarcho @ September 4 2012, 10:17 PM BST

It's about Creation.. Which is what BBC should be doing not pandering to viewing figures becauser a chimp can do that!

So listen.. The BBC should not be guided by veiwing figures, that should be the mainstream of commercial television.. which I support

But NOT THE BBC

Actually, the BBC should provide a mixture for all audiences or it will programme itself out of relevance, and in course out of existence. It should mix creative, inventive programming with big audience-pleasers.

Which, funnily enough, is more or less what it does do.

Mm, it's not very good I agree. But I don't think people are appreciating just how risky this actually is. As Alfred Kipper said, the image of Muslims is they don't do humour. Life is too serious. The BBC should be applauded for running this. The Muslim guy behind it deserves credit; must be like walking through a minefield writing this, wondering just how far you can push it and not end up like Salman Rushdie! It's not very good as I say, but that's not the point. It's a landmark, just like Goodness Gracious Me was. That show definitely influenced how non Asians in UK saw Asians (at least Indian/Hindus anyway) in a v positive way. Ditto when Father Ted first appeared. It presented a whole other side of the Irish that had never really been publicly aired before - that is, the Irish don't all bow down the worship the Catholic church etc. Now, we cannot expect a sitcom to do the same with Islam because, let's face it, there would be serious repercussions for those behind it if it ripped the piss out of Islam as Father Ted did with Catholicism. But this is still a start. There was a scene on tonight's show where a married man and a married woman (not to each other) were locked in a toilet together. Believe me, that was risky stuff.

And this alleged backlash by conservative Muslims needs to be taken with a pinch of salt. From the Guardian: "The TV regulator has received about 20 complaints about the sitcom, which debuted on BBC1 in Monday night, and is now assessing them". The BBC say 185 complaints. There's 1.7m Muslims in Britain.

And what about this: Former Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain, Yousuf Bhailok, said the show was "the best thing the BBC has done recently".

"It is good to change the stereotyped image of Muslims always being serious and shouting that has appeared so often in the media," he said.

Watched it for the first time last night, it was lol stuff...

Quote: zico @ September 5 2012, 12:21 AM BST

It's a landmark..

No, it isn't.

Quote: zico @ September 5 2012, 12:21 AM BST

..just like Goodness Gracious Me was.

No, it wasn't.

Quote: zico @ September 5 2012, 12:21 AM BST

That show definitely influenced how non Asians in UK saw Asians (at least Indian/Hindus anyway) in a v positive way.

No it didn't. It's a myth that TV changes people's inherent xenophobia: racists don't morph by watching TV. Alf Garnett never caused any sea change.

Quote: zico @ September 5 2012, 12:21 AM BST

Ditto when Father Ted first appeared. It presented a whole other side of the Irish that had never really been publicly aired before - that is, the Irish don't all bow down the worship the Catholic church etc.

Thanks for that. You've made me realise that I must have hallucinated all that Dave Allen stuff.

Quote: zico @ September 5 2012, 12:21 AM BST

"It is good to change the stereotyped image of Muslims always being serious and shouting that has appeared so often in the media," he said.

Nothing has changed.. and neither will it.

Quote: Aaron @ September 5 2012, 12:15 AM BST

Shooting Stars I will agree with you on, but dismissing Rev and Friday Night Dinner as being mass-pandering, "not modern" series suggests you are from a time some distance in our future.

Actually, the BBC should provide a mixture for all audiences or it will programme itself out of relevance, and in course out of existence. It should mix creative, inventive programming with big audience-pleasers.

Which, funnily enough, is more or less what it does do.

Surely the point of the BBC is to Entertain educate and inform?

To quote Reith it is a potential social menace of the first magnitude..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nrg8p8ed44w

It's not a question that the BBC should produce programmes that are ratings pleasers.

The gripe comes when they seem incapable of producing programmes that are also challenging and innovative.

Citizen Khan is not the worst example of what they are currently producing but given its 10:30pm slot I can't help thinking it could have gone a little further with the shock value.

AP Scene

Quote: Punk Anarcho @ September 4 2012, 10:34 PM BST

Also create a BBC fund that neuturres and finaces new talent as did John Peel

Why do you want to neuter new talent?

Quote: Punk Anarcho @ September 5 2012, 11:22 AM BST

Surely the point of the BBC is to Entertain educate and inform?

I said nothing about the point of the BBC.

In any case, those were Reith's aims. They have never been enshrined in any kind of charter for the BBC's existence. So no, that is not the point of the BBC -sadly.

Although, even if it was, it's still managing to fulfil the 'entertain' - just not for you. Reith never said that all programmes should do all 3 things at the same time, all of the time.

Quote: Aaron @ September 5 2012, 11:44 AM BST

I said nothing about the point of the BBC.

In any case, those were Reith's aims. They have never been enshrined in any kind of charter for the BBC's existence. So no, that is not the point of the BBC -sadly.

Although, even if it was, it's still managing to fulfil the 'entertain' - just not for you. Reith never said that all programmes should do all 3 things at the same time, all of the time.

But the BBC is unique in that it is funded by a direct tax rather than advertising. And that gives us the right to question its output for big instant ratings.

And if its job is to challenge social perseption's isnt that a political roll that is also not defined?

My view is that it should be a platform for creativity and innovation. Otherwise the politicians who would like to see it gone will eventually get their way..

By the way I'm not disagreeing with you about balance, just frustrated at what I see as safe comedy

AP Scene

Has your production comedy made any sitcom PA and how does it differ in terms of content and presentation from a traditional situation comedy like Citizen Khan. Citizen Khan seems pretty classical in it's contraction and is clearly meant to be mainstream, so seems hard to criticise it for that at least?

Quote: Marc P @ September 5 2012, 12:52 PM BST

. Citizen Khan seems pretty classical in it's contraction and is clearly meant to be mainstream, so seems hard to criticise it for that at least?

I guess it is pretty classic construction. And the gags are bye and large fairly safe. And as I've said before its not the worst of the BBC output..

Infact if this was schedualled at 7 O'clock you probably wouldnt blink but at 10.30 at night I'd like it pushing some more boundaries..

And my gripe is not that the BBC are making this stuff its that they appear to be making this stuff while not producing something more original and challenging. Which used to be its fortie.

AP Scene

I think you are in a bit of a circular argument there AP - by it's nature Sitcom isn't supposed to be original and challenging, there are other forms for that. Sometimes something will be out of the mould but it will never break it. The ones that do stray most from the form are comedy dramas - like Psychoville I guess.

I can't help but get the nagging feeling that Adil Ray has created this character because, at the core, he has a bee in his bonnet about something to do with Islam. That being said, I don't think anyone's perceptions or preconceptions about Pakistani muslims are going to be changed by this very unfunny (imo) sitcom. It's only TV light entertainment - not "groundbreaking", not "lifechanging", however much the media hype would have us believe. A mountain is being made out of a molehill.. and here's me, adding to it.

Quote: Marc P @ September 5 2012, 1:56 PM BST

I think you are in a bit of a circular argument there AP - by it's nature Sitcom isn't supposed to be original and challenging, there are other forms for that. Sometimes something will be out of the mould but it will never break it. The ones that do stray most from the form are comedy dramas - like Psychoville I guess.

Surely that depends what you class as Sitcom? isnt Black Adder a Sitcom? what about One Foot in the Grave?

There is often a fine line between Comedy drama and Sitcom..

APS

Quote: Punk Anarcho @ September 5 2012, 11:22 AM BST

Surely the point of the BBC is to Entertain educate and inform?

To quote Reith it is a potential social menace of the first magnitude..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nrg8p8ed44w

It's not a question that the BBC should produce programmes that are ratings pleasers.

The gripe comes when they seem incapable of producing programmes that are also challenging and innovative.

Citizen Khan is not the worst example of what they are currently producing but given its 10:30pm slot I can't help thinking it could have gone a little further with the shock value.

AP Scene

The BBC make plenty of shows that educate and inform and that are challenging and innovative. There are science, nature, history, social issue shows all across BBC1 and the BBC as a whole.

BBC1 however, is meant to appeal to a mass audience, therefore shows are meant to appeal to everyone and thus get high viewing figures (on the whole). The BBC don't chase ratings but the best way to judge BBC1 is thorugh it's ratings. BBC2, BBC3 AND BBC4 are different beasts as they are intended to cater for more niche audiences.

Citizen Khan is just a silly, little sitcom meant to make people laugh. If it doesn't get enough viewers then it won't be recommissioned, however it's doing ok so far.

Share this page