It was definitely one of the best family sitcoms the Beeb have made in the last decade. Shame it got axed so early on.
After You've Gone - Series 1 Page 11
I watched it because Nicholas Lyndhurst is one of my sitcom heroes and because I fancied the girl who played his daughter (am I a paedo?) and especially his hot 15 years younger girlfriend. But I found the whole thing average at best. Lyndhurst's Dumb-Ass-Baldrick-Like colleague was unbearable to watch for me. This could have been a funny character but was lazily written and played on autopilot by the actor. The son was OK, sometimes a bit annoying. The mother in law was good though.
Like David Carmon I'd buy it on DVD if it's cheap.
I agree with everything Gordon said - and I too fancied Dani Harmer! The show's writing always looked a bit tired, but then if you hire people like Ian Brown and James Hendrie that's going to happen. Pity as Nick Lyndhurst was good as always, but I think his 'Rodney' accent would have suited the character better. My Family was similarly hit and miss so I wonder what made that show get constantly re-commissioned and this cancelled.
Quote: Dave @ November 1 2012, 1:40 PM GMTMy Family was similarly hit and miss so I wonder what made that show get constantly re-commissioned and this cancelled.
The sole reason for After You've Gone's cancellation was a new BBC One boss who decided to 'stamp' her mark on the channel by doing so. A new series was being written when it was pulled.
My Family survived because it started and established a large audience when people who weren't complete morons were in charge, and supported it.
Quote: Aaron @ November 1 2012, 3:50 PM GMTThe sole reason for After You've Gone's cancellation was a new BBC One boss who decided to 'stamp' her mark on the channel by doing so. A new series was being written when it was pulled.
Was maybe the premise of the main character being a recovered alcoholic too dark for the then new BBC line?
No. Hate to think of the state of Swiss TV if you reckon that's dark! 
Quote: Aaron @ November 1 2012, 4:04 PM GMTNo. Hate to think of the state of Swiss TV if you reckon that's dark!
The state of Swiss TV is indeed really sad*; Our comedy is complete rubbish.
But, I tried to analyze what's the difference between My Family and After You've Gone. And I don't think the Harper family has such dark (or "dark") background. A comedy series about a family in which the parents are divorced and the father is an ex boozer...could be too much for a head of programme...or easier to get rid of.
* except for our news programmes which are closer to the "truth" than the German news. In Germany the news are not allowed to destroy Angela Merkel's Europa Project.
No, far more simple than that. My Family had already been around for years and established itself as a popular ratings-winner. After You've Gone was quite popular but wasn't a long-established staple in the same way, so far easier to axe.
You'd be lucky to get any TV channels here giving Europe an honest and truthful assessment.
Shows like this one slip by without many people noticing, but that's the way with all sitcoms. I spoke to a girl the other day who didn't even know what a 'sitcom' was but loved soaps. That's the unfortunate reality of modern television. If sitcoms were on twice a week then maybe it would grab more of an audience but people are always going to be more drawn to Corrie and EastEnders because they are more emotionally invested in the show and it is on constantly. I think After You've Gone did a fairly good job in establishing a back-story for audience to care, but I wish the Kev character hadn't been in it as stupid characters are the product of lazy writing.
Quote: Dave @ November 1 2012, 6:42 PM GMTbut I wish the Kev character hadn't been in it as stupid characters are the product of lazy writing.
I think there's nothing wrong with stupid characters If they're well written. Baldrick, Bunny Warren, Pike or Trigger were great imo. But this Kev is so lame and chlichéd that it's almost a caricature of a stupid sitcom character. I mean, he would be even too bad for "When The Whistle Blows" from "Extras". The characters there were more believable and had better lines than Kev, and they were supposed to be badly written characters!
The high points of "After You've Gone" were the scenes whith the Lyndhurst character and his mother in law bickering, the low points were the scenes in the pub with the lads.
I haven't seen the whole series but have caught a few episodes. I thought it was fine, if not riveting but a friend who watched it with me remarked that it seemed more like an American sitcom than a British sitcom.
I wonder if it is less popular -- even among those who really like Celia Imre and Nicholas Lyndhurst -- because the writing, having been done by a group, was just not as good. That's my prejudice, I'll admit.
The British comedies I tend to like best have usually been written by one person or a writing partnership of two.
Quote: Rose2010 @ November 2 2012, 1:05 AM GMTThe British comedies I tend to like best have usually been written by one person or a writing partnership of two.
That.
Quote: Rose2010 @ November 2 2012, 1:05 AM GMTI wonder if it is less popular -- even among those who really like Celia Imre and Nicholas Lyndhurst -- because the writing, having been done by a group, was just not as good.
Yes, I think the writing wasn't that good. And, there were too many unfunny characters/actors...if they concentrated more on the Lyndhurst/Imrie relationship (there was a chemistry between the two actors) it would have been a lot better...instead they constantly destroyed the tension by bringing in other persons like Lyndhursts girlfriend, kids and the barkeeper...and most of all the embarrassing Kev character.
Quote: Rose2010 @ November 2 2012, 1:05 AM GMT...a friend who watched it with me remarked that it seemed more like an American sitcom than a British sitcom.
Yes, I thought that. It was full of Americanisms like "jez, Kev..." and "but hey" and "jerk".
Quote: Gordon Bennett @ November 2 2012, 8:00 AM GMTThat.
Yes, I think the writing wasn't that good. And, there were too many unfunny characters/actors...if they concentrated more on the Lyndhurst/Imrie relationship (there was a chemistry between the two actors) it would have been a lot better...instead they constantly destroyed the tension by bringing in other persons like Lyndhursts girlfriend, kids and the barkeeper...and most of all the embarrassing Kev character.
Agree. The tension between Lyndhurst and Imrie should have led to more interesting situations. I could have done without the whole bar thing.. it really felt like a left turn to nowhere.
I guess we expect an awful lot from our favourites.
So its cancellation was meant to be a spring-clean, they replace it with sitcoms Reggie Perrin, The Old Guys and Life of Riley which also get cancelled.
So what's the problem with the modern sitcom? Is it simply scheduling, the fact everyone's obsessed with soaps or just because they aren't as funny anymore?