Does anyone else love it when writers write about writing in their work? The new series of Extras has me hooked even more than the first because of the Andy's sitcom aspect. And the male lead in the recent comedy-drama Love Soup was a comedy writer, and there are other examples...I appreciate the extra little insights into the writing business - even though it's fiction and filtered through the eyes of the characters. Is it just me?
I love films about writing/writers too. 'Wonder Boys' especially is a great one.
And Woody Allen manages to put writers in a lot of his films, I love 'Bullets Over Broadway'.
And 'Misery' too!
I must hire Wonder Boys, I've never seen it. Curb Your Enthusiasm has loads of writing references too. The ones where Larry acts inappropriately in production meetings have me in stitches!
Personally, I hate it. I can't really explain why, but I do. I suppose it feels tacky. Kind of lazy or 'backwards' or something. Sorry!
Some people also hate that whole "TV being fascinated by TV" thing, don't they? Drop the Dead Donkey, Sports Night etc...I tend to like those too!
Quote: Aaron @ October 9, 2006, 12:53 PMPersonally, I hate it. I can't really explain why, but I do. I suppose it feels tacky. Kind of lazy or 'backwards' or something. Sorry!
It is always interesting to see writers discussing their craft in their own work. Seinfeld did this really well in the episodes where Jerry and George get their sitcom commissioned and there is a running debate about whether anyone would want to see a show about nothing. I also watched the Nicolas Cage film Adaptation last week and that is worth a view if only to get an insight in to the messed up mind of Charlie Kaufman.
I'd forgotten about the Seinfeld example, that was funny! If I remember rightly, George tried to use writing a sitcom to impress women in a bar in one episode, to no avail of course!
Larry David messing up meetings and generally offending TV execs in Curb Your Enthusiasm also makes me laugh.
Quote: Miranda Walker @ October 9, 2006, 1:28 PMSome people also hate that whole "TV being fascinated by TV" thing, don't they? Drop the Dead Donkey, Sports Night etc...I tend to like those too!
Drop the Dead Donkey I love, even though it's kind of the same thing again. Brilliant show. 
Quote: Thomps74 @ October 9, 2006, 1:59 PMSeinfeld did this really well in the episodes where Jerry and George get their sitcom commissioned and there is a running debate about whether anyone would want to see a show about nothing.
I can't recall ever seeing those episodes. Now I know where Gervais stole that idea from though.
It was the two episodes at the end of season four. They also resurrected the idea in the last couple of episodes of the final season where Jerry and George come close to stardom, only to have their hopes dashed when they don't come to the aid of a fat bloke being mugged.
Includes a scene that always makes me laugh - where Marla (the virgin, played by Daphne from Frasier) is watching the sitcom with John Kennedy Jnr.
MARLA: John, what are you doing? Come back to bed.
JOHN: This show looks interesting. Isn't he that Seinfeld fellow you went out with?
MARLA: Ooh, he's horrible! Horrible!
JOHN: Nevertheless...