Over the hill?

Is it best to leave classics and their creators in the past?

Elsewhere on here I've read that plans are afoot to remake Reginald Perrin with a different writer and wholesale swerving of the original storylines. Not a fan of an idea like that but…

I was thinking what are the comedy writers of past classics, Clement & LaFrenais, Galton& Simpson etc up to? Do they cringe at some of today's output or are they impressed and amused?

One thing I'd love to see for example would be an updating of the Likely Lads. I think that this could be pulled off with very good results. I mean bringing the story up to date.

The writers and cast are still around and importantly they all pulled this trick off once before when the peerless Whatever Happened...was made.

I know that Mssrs Bolam & Bewes aren't on each other's Christmas list but even back then they weren't either.

Would the Beeb unzip the cash to fund this or a similar venture or would it fall foul of the dreaded focus groups?

I seem to remember Carla Lane on a documentary recently being fairly bitter about how her commissions with the Corp dried up.

So once we reach a certain age do we lose the ability to be as funny as we once were? Or is it simply that a new wave of commissioning editors now hold sway and media studies degrees and want to make their own mark?

Look at the changes from To the manor born to Peep show. What folks think is funny has changed.

Good point but "folks" and I include myself as one of them, can like both genres.

Also it's generally regarded that Hancock, Steptoe are timeless classics so the obsession that things must move on puzzles me and that furthermore when they do move on its for the better.

I'm not making an old fart's "it was better back in my day argument" I'm saying that there probably should be room for all aboard the good ship "Funny" and that in common with B&Q, perhaps broadcasters ought to look at the benefit of the more seasoned operative.

Quote: Blenkinsop @ January 11 2009, 10:52 AM GMT

Good point but "folks" and I include myself as one of them, can like both genres.

Also it's generally regarded that Hancock, Steptoe are timeless classics so the obsession that things must move on puzzles me and that furthermore when they do move on its for the better.

I'm not making an old fart's "it was better back in my day argument" I'm saying that there probably should be room for all aboard the good ship "Funny" and that in common with B&Q, perhaps broadcasters ought to look at the benefit of the more seasoned operative.

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UK sitcoms have gone down the hill verses up. Not to witty these days. How many episodes of watching two men act stupid for sex can someone stand.

I am not all that old and lean towards the classics with class verses desperate for a laugh.

Quote: Dr Mato @ January 11 2009, 10:59 AM GMT

UK sitcoms have gone down the hill verses up. Not to witty these days. How many episodes of watching two men act stupid for sex can someone stand.

I am not all that old and lean towards the classics with class verses desperate for a laugh.

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I was'nt a big fan of the likely lads but the nearest modern day version is Men behaving and I could wath that forever.

....Oooops, I mean watch.

Didn't Ant & Dec do a fairly disastrous Likely Lads? I think it was written by the original writers too.

They did.

Quote: Feather @ January 11 2009, 3:08 PM GMT

I was'nt a big fan of the likely lads but the nearest modern day version is Men behaving and I could wath that forever.

....Oooops, I mean watch.

View original

I like watching Men Behaving Badly.

Quote: Lee Henman @ January 11 2009, 4:27 PM GMT

Didn't Ant & Dec do a fairly disastrous Likely Lads? I think it was written by the original writers too.

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They did but it was virtually reading and re-dramatising the original script.

From memory it had the script verbatim so badly delivered that it was an embarassment.

I remember it as possibly one of the lowest moments in British comedy. I still sometimes wake up in a cold sweat if I have been dreaming about it. It was worse than Paul Merton's Hancock outing.

Quote: Blenkinsop @ January 11 2009, 5:10 PM GMT

I remember it as possibly one of the lowest moments in British comedy. I still sometimes wake up in a cold sweat if I have been dreaming about it.

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To be fair, it wasn't really aimed at the same audience who enjoyed the original. ITV were trying to appeal to a young audience that liked Ant & Dec but weren't really into sitcoms and the like. It failed, but at least they tried.

Quote: Blenkinsop @ January 11 2009, 10:28 AM GMT

One thing I'd love to see for example would be an updating of the Likely Lads. I think that this could be pulled off with very good results. I mean bringing the story up to date.

The writers and cast are still around and importantly they all pulled this trick off once before when the peerless Whatever Happened...was made.

I know that Mssrs Bolam & Bewes aren't on each other's Christmas list but even back then they weren't either.

Would the Beeb unzip the cash to fund this or a similar venture or would it fall foul of the dreaded focus groups?

View original

Don't think it's about the beeb finding the cash -it's more about Clement & LeFrenais (multi-millionaires in LA) agreeing to do it.

Most great comedy is written by smart people.
And smart people know when to quit.
Exept for Roy Clarke.

I seem to recall hearing that Clement & la Frenais were keen on the idea (after all, they did it for Auf Wiedersehn Pet), but that Bolam was not interested. The twist was going to be that Terry was the successful one, whilst Bob had fallen on hard times.

I am not too enthused by the idea, though I must say that I thought the first series of the revived Auf wedersehn worked well. (The subsequent series were toilet.)

Yes, sadly I think you are both correct Timbo & Lazzard.

I suppose it speaks volumes for the depth of reality that Clement and LaFrenais put into the characters of Bob & Terry. I and many other millions loved them and I believe that it's just many of the fans would love to see how their story pans out.

There was a similar discussion on the Royle Family special thread where a lot of the people who thought that the special was toilet (quaint), felt let down by the way the characters seemed to have been almost abused by a lack of respect for their past.

It's a writer's prerogative to do what they will with their characters but in this case (RF) I think that long-time fans who had bought into their world just felt that same sense of abuse. (Blimey what is this comedy or life?)

Probably quit while your ahead is the key here and I was sorry in the end that in that case (RF) Ahearne & Cash had gone to the well one time too many. I never thought that they would produce a show like the Christmas one - and with the help of Phil Mealy too, so perhaps it's best that Dick & Ian stay in LA and soak up the sun and leave us fans to wonder what if?

That's livin' all right.