How does everyone else feel about songs featured in sitcoms?
Sometimes I like them, but most of the time I just wish they'd get on with the jokes. The main joke with comedy songs seems to be just emphasizing the rude words. It can get pretty boring sometimes.
But occasionally when writing, I think it will be funny/fun to have a musical piece or a whole musical episode. But they are, as mentioned above, never any good.
Know what I mean?
The Mighty Boosh songs are (mostly) good. And Spinal Tap.
Oddly enough, I'm currently writing a musical subplot parody of 'My Fair Lady' for my animated sitcom. I know it's been done in FG and The Simpsons, but I add a twist that the person that is 'changing' was formerly a racist, and learns how to respect other people's cultures. Wouldn't it be prejudice? 
I don't normally like singing.
But I did like Del's drunken version of One Voice.
Two Pints did a good musical episode once. Boosh and Flight of the conchords use songs very well, but usually I'd prefer not to have them.
Flight of the Conchords are good. But something like The Simpsons, where it should work, is in fact, f**king awful.
There have been some great songs in The Simpsons!
"There'll be no accusations, just friendly crustaceons under the seeeeeeeeaaaaaaa!"
I just wrote a musical for The Sitcom Trials. Let's see if they've got the grapes for that!
PS. What does the "FF" in the thread title mean?
Quote: David Bussell @ September 10 2009, 12:47 PM BSTI just wrote a musical for The Sitcom Trials.
That's one less competitor to worry about.
Quote: David Bussell @ September 10 2009, 12:47 PM BSTThere have been some great songs in The Simpsons!
"There'll be no accusations, just friendly crustaceons under the seeeeeeeeaaaaaaa!"
PS. What does the "FF" in the thread title mean?
Yes, of course there have been. But a lot of duds too. Especially when they use the same tune for two different songs. And their musical episodes are unwatchable, by me anyway.
FF = Fast forward
Like most things in comedy, it depends on how good the songs are. However, I would rather have 2 mins of average dialogue than 2 min of an average song as the non-funny ones really do drag on.
I'm probably the ideal target as I've written a lot of songs for NewsRevue and Treason Show. However, I would rather shows didn't decide to always have 1 song per episode on pain of death, as for some reason every show that does this has episodes where the writers seem to have forgotten to add good lines for whole verses, or even at all - normally the idea has crept in that you can justify 2 mins of no good lines simply by dressing up, by doing something in the style of a famous band, or by one or two sight gags.
Flight of the Conchords, Boosh and Klang have all had songs that were brilliant...and bizarrely also some that I wouldn't dare submit to a school play. Based on series 2 vs series 1 of Conchords, I'd rather they scrapped the songs and wrote more dialogue, which I think is now their strength...
I was going to write a sitcom about a musician and a nun, which would lend itself nicely to musical pieces. But at the end of the day, would I watch it myself? Probably not.
Quote: chipolata @ September 10 2009, 12:52 PM BSTThat's one less competitor to worry about.
Hey, if the singing doesn't get their interest the fire juggling will.
Quote: The Producer @ September 10 2009, 12:59 PM BSTBased on series 2 vs series 1 of Conchords, I'd rather they scrapped the songs and wrote more dialogue, which I think is now their strength...
May I point you in the direction of Too Many Dicks On The Dancefloor? 
Quote: Matthew Stott @ September 10 2009, 1:14 PM BSTMay I point you in the direction of Too Many Dicks On The Dancefloor?
I think he's right to imply that the quality of the music is not up to that of the first series, though I have to say on second viewing I've found some of the songs a lot more appealing.
Quote: David Bussell @ September 10 2009, 1:19 PM BSTI think he's right to imply that the quality of the music is not up to that of the first series, though I have to say on second viewing I've found some of the songs a lot more appealing.
Overall the songs aren't as funny, but as a whole I think the second series is better than the first.