ACUSmember
Sunday 17th June 2012 11:08am
Wimbledon
23 posts
Quote: Nick @ June 3 2012, 3:01 PM BST
Having recently watched the whole of Series 5, I wouldn't be surprised if part of Tim Vine's decision to leave is the fact that the show's writing seems to be about ticking off one 'controversial' topic after another:- porn, masturbation, prostitution, drugs, lesbianism etc. Andrew Collins has commented in the past about having little interest in writing about this kind of stuff and as Tim is a very straight-laced Christian it wouldn't be a shock if he wasn't happy about some of the storylines in the show.
I think I would be surprised if this is the case; I am both a Christian*, and I confess most people would probably describe me as fairly straight-laced, and I love Not Going Out, and don't have a problem with the story-lines or topics.
For example, Lee and Tim weren't actually trying to use prostitutes - it was all a misunderstanding, nor were they actively seeking to use drugs, etc. etc. I would have had a problem if using drugs/visiting prostitutes was seen in some way to be admirable.
In terms of storylines, I have always been more uncomfortable with various popular American sitcoms (Friends, The Big Bang Theory etc.) and the sheer amount of extremely casual sex/one night stands they all seem to have.
*Not frankly that this will have much to do with it - Frank Skinner is, after all, Catholic, and most of his material is not exactly family friendly. Not all Christians are Mary Whitehouse, after all!