I don't think he has time to be writing lately, doing a lot of that there acting!
Your favourite comedy writers Page 2
Quote: David Bussell @ September 29 2012, 11:13 PM BSTReading you loud and clear!
You missed off Cotter The Younger.
Chris Morris!
Or do you only mean sit coms?
Sod it. Chris Morris!!!
And if you're including media other than the shit pump, then Viz, Robert Rankin and Carl Hiaasen.
I am re-reading a JB Morton collection of his Beachcomber articles at the moment. If you do see one lurking in a second hand shop as I did, do pick it up! Comic writing at its finest and most imaginative.
My favourite sitcom writer would probably be Roy Clarke. The sheer amount of episodes of great shows he has written over the years is mind-boggling. You have 295 episodes of Last of the Summer Wine; four series of Open All Hours which is considered one of the best British sitcoms; and five series of Keeping Up Appearances, which I think is great. I haven't seen his other shows but those three alone put him at the top for me.
And I have to mention David Croft as well. Dad's Army, Are You Being Served?/Are You Being Served? Again, and 'Allo 'Allo are also some of my favourites.
Quote: FracturedMirror @ October 8 2012, 6:35 PM BSTMy favourite sitcom writer would probably be Roy Clarke. The sheer amount of episodes of great shows he has written over the years is mind-boggling. You have 295 episodes of Last of the Summer Wine;
The last 195 of which were essentially the same script with the title changed.
Not knocking the guy, he did plenty of stuff that held up well in its day, Rosie, Potter etc, and Open All Hours has classic status, but prolificacy is not measure of quality.
Quote: Tursiops @ October 8 2012, 7:04 PM BSTThe last 195 of which were essentially the same script with the title changed.
Not knocking the guy, he did plenty of stuff that held up well in its day, Rosie, Potter etc, and Open All Hours has classic status, but prolificacy is not measure of quality.
I disagree. I can't judge the 2000-2010 years a whole lot because I've only really seen one or two episodes from the post Bill Owen years so far. But having seen everything from the Michael Bates series' up to the first couple with Frank Thornton I find the show to be consistently funny, entertaining, and not really any more repetitious than any other sitcom.
I would really like to see Rosie and Potter.
Quote: Tursiops @ October 8 2012, 7:04 PM BSTThe last 195 of which were essentially the same script with the title changed.
Not knocking the guy, he did plenty of stuff that held up well in its day, Rosie, Potter etc, and Open All Hours has classic status, but prolificacy is not measure of quality.
In the end Clarke was giving the public what they wanted. You've got to admire anyone who could write that many scripts in that setting. Don't get me wrong I think it should have finished when Foggy left the first time, but for sheer hard bloody work I applaud him.