John Sullivan not impressed with current comedy
'Old Man Moans' should be the headline.
No-one would have read it...
Dan
I think Nicholas Lyndhurst does make a good point about the obsession with chasing younger viewers.
The fact he doesn't like Peep Show because some of the language is a bit ripe just makes him sound like an old fuddy duddy. Peep Show is far from a lazy comedy.
Quote: Dolly Dagger @ January 17 2010, 11:56 AM GMTI think Nicholas Lyndhurst does make a good point about the obsession with chasing younger viewers.
Yes.
Quote: Matthew Stott @ January 17 2010, 11:57 AM GMTThe fact he doesn't like Peep Show because some of the language is a bit ripe just makes him sound like an old fuddy duddy. Peep Show is far from a lazy comedy.
I don't think Peep Show would work without it.
Quote: Dolly Dagger @ January 17 2010, 11:59 AM GMTI don't think Peep Show would work without it.
It would be a bit weird. I wonder what he makes of The Thick Of It! 
I watched some OFAH over Christmas and although I'd always liked the show, really appreciated how well written and acted it was this time round and yet still managed to be a 'family' show. Not every premise can carry it off, but John Sullivan did manage to pull off a very funny show with great believeable characters without using swearing, etc.
Not every sitcom should be like that, but there certainly is a gap for something 'mainstream' and 'family' that is very funny and not patronsising to the viewers' intelligence.
It's not that there aren't any writers like that any more, it's the commissioners that are at fault.
I agree with the swearing bit, it just becomes boring after a while.
Quote: Griff @ January 17 2010, 12:12 PM GMTAlso does he not realise that Frasier and Raymond finished in 2004 and 2005? Silly old duffer. What a difference between him and someone like Barry Cryer.
They do both have lovely white hair, mind. Although Cryer's is slightly lovelier.
Quote: Griff @ January 17 2010, 12:12 PM GMTAlso does he not realise that Frasier and Raymond finished in 2004 and 2005?
They are very much alive on Comedy Central where they are repeated endlessly - just as OFAH is on G.O.L.D.
By picking on Peep Show for language he has scored a bit of an own goal but, essentially, I believe he is right in what he says.
Quote: bushbaby @ January 17 2010, 12:24 PM GMTIt's not that there aren't any writers like that any more, it's the commissioners that are at fault.
Verrrrrry good point.
I think the only time I have belly-laughed at the F word is when Catherine Tate first came out with it as the grandma character. It somehow sounds funny when a pensioner says it.....I swear like a trooper within my own circle of friends.
It's a bit rich calling other people "lazy" when you've been dining out on the same characters for 30 years.
I think there should be a balance though. I have only watched a few minutes of the Peep show and it's definitely for a young audience but where are the ones for older viewers? I like Green Green grass