Green-eyed monster? Page 2

Absolutely - but a stimulus would help

I'm never consciously aware of jealousy as a reason for disliking a show. In fact, I've often avoided posting honest but negative comments on TV comedies because I'm worried that my post will be seen as inspired by jealousy.

When I don't like a comedy it's not through jealousy but disappointment and frustration; disappointment because I'm a viewer and love it when comedy can make me laugh out loud, make me feel good, make me think and surprise me and frustration because I'm sure I could often do better (along with other new writers) if only I was given the chance!

I was watching an old Man About the House today - and it confirmed my memories. Some very funny lines, a lot of it predictable and some of it forced - like a lot of ITV sitcoms.

And it also confirmed to me what a crap actor Brian Murphy was/is.

This is not jealousy - even though it's been commissioned and I haven't - but like Dolly says it's disappointing because I wanted to laugh.

Still worth it all though for a young Paula Wilcox.

I praise writers who make it with something I like and deride those who make it with something I don't. I am not jealous of either. I want to like stuff on the telly, that's why I switch it on. I don't feel any need to be kind to writers who have stuff on the telly just because I do a bit of writing as a sideline. That's like being kind to Nazis just because I happen to like wearing jack boots of a Friday night!

Quote: Blenkinsop @ December 7 2008, 5:39 PM GMT

As I trawl through these boards every so often I find myself surprised at the amount of knockers (tee-hee ) there are for the following:

Gervais & Merchant
Gavin & Stacey
Peter Kay
Lead Balloon

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Thought much the same myself at times!

I rate 'em all (apart from Lead Balloon as I've still not got round to watching it yet)

I thought it might be worth adding that, having spent a deal of time among writers(especially comedy writers), you will not find a bitchier bunch, who rarely have anything good to say about other people's work - taking great pleasure in other's fall from grace.

You're right of course, it is the green-eyed monster rearing it's ugly head.

So, we're in good company, really!

I think it's actually healthy to feel jealous of another writer's good writing. The flip-side is that one tends to take pleasure in another writer's bad writing. I recognise that whatever's broadcast/filmed has obviously been worked-on hard and the writer et cetera was not trying to write unfunny stuff. The fact that I think it might be the work of the Devil's least favourite anal slave is neither here or there.