Coming Of Age - Pilot & Series 1 Page 14

Quote: hotzappa11 @ October 26 2008, 9:19 PM BST

Hehe. I was watching Points Of View on iPlayer and a very short clip of this show was played because a bunch of teenagers were talking about how they're portrayed unfairly.

View original

They were in all possibility complaining quite rightly that the characters portrayed in Coming of age are wholly unlike themselves, because on the whole, the characters are attractive, clean and reasonably articulate. Unlike most of the teenagers and twentysomethings I have the misfortune to encounter these days.

Regards,

Hilary.

Quote: Hilary Fish @ October 26 2008, 7:30 PM BST

Hello again,

I wish to allay any unsubstantiated assertion that I may be connected to the show in any way or form - either in a professional capacity or as a friend or relative to anyone involved with the show, by stating that most emphatically I am not.

Having said that, I have been involved in the television industry for over 21 years. Any show on the BBC you care to name that has been produced at TVC I have probably worked on it in some capacity or other.

For the record, I am not part of the targeted demographic for the expected audience of Coming of age. I am in my mid forties – although if my arm were to be twisted I would confess to looking 35ish.

Now I hope that puts this particular issue to bed.

Kisses,

Hilary xx

View original

There is nothing wrong, in my opinion, with doing make up with shows Hilary at TVC, apart from the old Black and White Minstrel shows.

Quote: Hilary Fish @ October 26 2008, 9:36 PM BST

They were in all possibility complaining quite rightly that the characters portrayed in Coming of age are wholly unlike themselves, because on the whole, the characters are attractive, clean and reasonably articulate. Unlike most of the teenagers and twentysomethings I have the misfortune to encounter these days.

Regards,

Hilary.

View original

I have to disagree. I find the characters in Coming of Age quite sad. Most people I know/have known in their teens and twenties are living far more interesting and exciting, grown-up - even more glamorous - lives than those portrayed in this sitcom.

Quote: Dolly Dagger @ October 27 2008, 10:25 AM BST

I have to disagree. I find the characters in Coming of Age quite sad. Most people I know/have known in their teens and twenties are living far more interesting and exciting, grown-up - even more glamorous - lives than those portrayed in this sitcom.

View original

The lives of the kids in this are ultimately dull and empty, but so are the lives of most characters in sitcoms. Of course other sitcoms compensate with jokes and believable characters.

This sitcom is just so overly infantile in so many ways that I wonder if it's actually aimed/watched by the 11 - 14 age group?

There was a point made by an earlier poster that just because you don't find something funny it doesn't mean it's no good. There are some shows that I just don't find funny (Green Wing being one) but I don't think it's rubbish; it just doesn't work me, but I can appreciate that others may find humour in it.

Whereas - and I'm sure many would agree - take the jokes in Christmas crackers; they're not funny and they're rubbish. I feel like that about CoA. I don't find it funny, not because I don't 'get it' - but because the quality of the humour is poor, predicatable and infantile (childish is something different).

But it's so mindless and crude that it's brilliant.

Quote: Dolly Dagger @ October 27 2008, 6:03 PM BST

This sitcom is just so overly infantile in so many ways that I wonder if it's actually aimed/watched by the 11 - 14 age group?

View original

It's undoubtedly aimed at that age group. The BBC - and other channels - are acutely aware that young people don't watch television as much as they used to, hence the rush of shows that seek to appeal to that vanishing young demographic.

The irony is, ask any young whipper snapper what comedies they enjoy and it's more likely to be shows like The IT Crowd or The Mighty Boosh than the pap aimed specifically at them.

Check out the comments underneath this youtube vid of Coming Of Age:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYWFI39uKg0

Dear god...it's finding an audience! Maybe we're all too snooty for it.

To paraphrase somebody quite famous, "Nobody ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the average BBC3 viewer."

Quote: chipolata @ October 27 2008, 6:08 PM BST

It's undoubtedly aimed at that age group. The BBC - and other channels - are acutely aware that young people don't watch television as much as they used to, hence the rush of shows that seek to appeal to that vanishing young demographic.

The irony is, ask any young whipper snapper what comedies they enjoy and it's more likely to be shows like The IT Crowd or The Mighty Boosh than the pap aimed specifically at them.

View original

Exactly. The people I know in that age group love Extras, The Boosh and Peep Show.

Quote: Aaron @ October 27 2008, 6:04 PM BST

But it's so mindless and crude that it's brilliant.

View original

It's not the mindlessness and crudeness of the humour that I don't find funny or clever or shocking or surprising. To me, Derek and Clive (which ticks the mindless and crude boxes) is brilliant this is just weak.

Quote: Dolly Dagger @ October 27 2008, 6:29 PM BST

It's not the mindlessness and crudeness of the humour that I don't find funny or clever or shocking or surprising.

View original

I agree. If you're going to be mindless and crude, do it with chutzpah. Coming of Age doesn't do it with chutzpah.

Quote: Flaner @ October 27 2008, 6:20 PM BST

Check out the comments underneath this youtube vid of Coming Of Age:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYWFI39uKg0

View original

Ah, now I get it! It's aimed at the illiterate.

Define "chutzpah".

Jewish for va va voom.

(er, made that up.)