After todays budget, its plain to see we are skint as a nation. 2.1 million unemployed and companies having to cut costs or go bust. This must also affect TV production companies who produce comedy.
So will the production quality of new comedy suffer in these hard economic times?
Will we end up watching more and more repeats as new productions are scrapped?
And finally (to the older guys) can anyone remember what happened to new comedy productions in other recessions?
Quote: John Killalea @ April 22 2009, 11:01 PM BSTAfter todays budget, its plain to see we are skint as a nation. 2.1 million unemployed and companies having to cut costs or go bust. This must also affect TV production companies who produce comedy.
So will the production quality of new comedy suffer in these hard economic times?
Will we end up watching more and more repeats as new productions are scrapped?
And finally (to the older guys) can anyone remember what happened to new comedy productions in other recessions?
I can't remember other than it was in the 90s that we had a similar recession and house prices plummeted, it took about ten years to recover.
I was busy at a drama school at that time and acting once the equity card was acquired, I didn't really pay much attention as to what sitcoms were on then
I just want to know what to expect. I don't want to be left with a fat man and thin man doing homo-erotic sketches and the beeb telling us this is comedy.
Of course it's affecting new (and existing) productions. Times are hard for everyone.
But just keep writing. Recessions come and go but people will always need laughter.
Quote: Lee Henman @ April 23 2009, 12:20 AM BSTRecessions come and go but people will always need laughter.
I agree entirely. In fact, people need to laugh more in recession. It's a pity the chancellor didn't give a tax break to laughter.
But comedy can be just as funny on the cheap, can't it? Hopefully it will lead to innovation in all the burgeoning alternative medias, and we'll all soon be tuning in to brilliantly original cheap internet-based sitcoms made by reformed Somalian pirates.
Quote: John Killalea @ April 22 2009, 11:01 PM BSTAnd finally (to the older guys) can anyone remember what happened to new comedy productions in other recessions?
It might have been a bit grim for a while, but we did end up with Yosser Hughes and Auf Wiedersehen, Pet out of the last recession.
Although this article does not address television or radio issues it does give hope to live comedy: