Hamilton I will give you. But there is some serious floundering after that. Even you must realise that now. Curis oxford sure. But Ben Elton Birmingham. It's not a question of speculation I could go on Benidorm etc etc. most sitcoms are simply NOT written by Oxbridge grads which was the point re closed shops and etc. Roy Clarke has never been out of Bunnington in his life.
So Cabin Pressure isn't a successful sitcom? I see! I see it all now.
Quote: Marc P @ 23rd August 2014, 12:48 PM BSTWhat are your top three fave sitcoms Beaky?
Blackadder, written by Richard Curtis(Oxford)and Ben Elton(Oxford) starring Rowan Atkinson(Oxford), produced by John Lloyd(Cambridge)
Fawlty Towers, written by John Cleese(Cambridge)
Rising Damp, written by Eric Chappell(Eton and Cambridge)
Well I was talking about TV but ok. Cabin pressure . You certainly put forward a powerful case it's a veritable Oxbridge closed club. I suspect you will continue to see what you wish to see. I don't like to blame my lack of success on the horrible truth you have on covered but maybe you are right and I am a comedy genius. And yes I know sarcasm is the lowest form of wit.
Quote: beaky @ 23rd August 2014, 6:32 PM BSTBlackadder, written by Richard Curtis(Oxford)and Ben Elton(Oxford) starring Rowan Atkinson(Oxford), produced by John Lloyd(Cambridge)
Fawlty Towers, written by John Cleese(Cambridge)
Rising Damp, written by Eric Chappell(Eton and Cambridge)
Elton went to Birmingham. Did you prefer it when he replaced Oxbridge Atkinson as millions did on the subsequent series? Good shows though.
And are they honestly your three favourite sitcoms?
Quote: gappy @ 23rd August 2014, 5:07 PM BSTThere are far more windows than there are TV channels.
Indeed there are - but there are supposedly many ways to earn money through comedy without needing TV channels.
My main annoyance there isn't that there are more windows, so more window cleaners are needed, but that a substandard window cleaner can still make a decent living. Whereas to make money at comedy you need to be a lot better and lucky on top of the hard work & persistence.
You look at the fringe and other areas of comedy and people can see/read something that makes them really laugh but you take zero money from it (the people enjoying it may be unwilling to cough up or it all goes to a third party). If you're really lucky you may get a few pounds that really goes towards expenses.
In window washing I've seen practitioners who seem to just smear the muck around, sometimes even leaving windows looking worse than when they started, but they still get their £10 (or whatever) every couple of weeks.
I suspect it's largely down to comedy (especially stand-up) being undervalued by the masses as 'it's just saying funny shit innit'. Anyone can do that...
Admittedly this is from the viewpoint of someone who does writing and stand-up - and so maybe the world of stand-up performance has an influence that it may not have on other (pure) writers.
Quote: Alfred J Kipper @ 23rd August 2014, 6:05 PM BSTTo simply deny it has any bearing at all is fruit n' nuts.
Frank Muir
I'd thought Sue Perkins got a sitcom because she hosts one of the most successful shows on BBC two. I expect the channel controller just asked her what she'd like to do next.
Quote: Marc P @ 23rd August 2014, 6:39 PM BSTWell I was talking about TV but ok. Cabin pressure . You certainly put forward a powerful case it's a veritable Oxbridge closed club. I suspect you will continue to see what you wish to see. I don't like to blame my lack of success on the horrible truth you have on covered but maybe you are right and I am a comedy genius. And yes I know sarcasm is the lowest form of wit.
Elton went to Birmingham. Did you prefer it when he replaced Oxbridge Atkinson as millions did on the subsequent series? Good shows though.
And are they honestly your three favourite sitcoms?
Rumbled!
Lol. Still brilliant shows. They were given a chance at some stage but they delivered again and again.
Another serious point. You don't have to be 18 to go to Oxbridge. Lots of mature students go to uni. I was ripe when I did my MA in making TV and stuff. Three years isn't a long time if you wish to retrain, as many do. If you absolutely believe it is a closed shop else, then why not go to Oxbridge and do that? Not sure how many years it takes to be a barrister for example but I imagine it is longer than that.
If you already have a degree then only a year to upgrade it there too.
How many clowns does it take to write a sitcom?
Ripe? I'm just about to fall off the tree!
Quote: Shandonbelle @ 23rd August 2014, 9:50 PM BSTHow many clowns does it take to write a sitcom?
Best ask Amanda Holden. I did once.
Did she custard pie?
Filth! She didn't do what I asked but wanted to do it differently 
I don't blame her, even Amanda Holden couldn't carry off a yellow wig.