Carla Lane - Sitcom Scripts

Hope this is a good place to mention this to you all, Carla will be appearing as a guest on London's Smooth FM on Tuesday 25th September at 6pm. She will be choosing her 6 favourite records, but the primary purpose is to announce that she will be auctioning 2 original hand typed and then pen altered scripts for 2 of her best loved sitcoms, 'Bread' and 'The Liver Birds'. Both are the very first original drafts to be sold from any of her sitcoms and it is not planned to repeat this so it will be a unique opportunity to own a piece of British comedy history. Although not specifically offered due to the complex nature of the script Carla will sell just one original script from 'Butterflies' if someone makes a good offer. Carla still writes but devotes most of her time to her animal charity 'Animaline' in East Sussex.

As a side note if you would like to see another series of Bread and how Joey and Avoline got please tell the BBC or you will never know

She really annoyed me with her snobby attitude towards modern comedy and I shudder whenever I see her or any of her so called sitcoms.

'Butterflies' was very popular and we used to watch it in our house all the time. 'The Liver Birds' was a very big hit too. 'Bread' I didn't like.

It's not surprising that older comedians and writers are disdainful about a lot of modern comedy as it's grassroots are very different than in their day. Things change, they have to live with that.

It's best to try and keep an open mind about all comedy, old and new. I have to keep reminding myself of that.

Quote: Leevil @ September 23, 2007, 11:17 PM

She really annoyed me with her snobby attitude towards modern comedy and I shudder whenever I see her or any of her so called sitcoms.

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I just want to come back on that, comedy is all about personal preferences 'Bread' was a very successful sitcom and you cannot knock that whether you liked it or not. Its not my favourite but when you realise that she has written or co written a staggering amount of successful sitcoms you have to respect her place in British sitcom history.

For the record she is actually a very nice person and very approachable not at all a snob. I do share her view about modern comedy you would be hard pressed to find many in the all time top ten, one or two at a push maybe?

On a personal note my own comedy preference is Tony Hancock and best modern comedy (post Only Fools) would be Father Ted!

I don't think she is a snob, it was just the comment she made. I really don't enjoy her comedies, but I can't deny their success, I don't think I ever questioned that?

But I'm sure when she was in my position, she heard the same thing from somebody else.

I grew up in the late 80's and early 90's I enjoyed many comedies old and new, from Fawlty Towers to Red Dwarf, it all depends on what you grew up on and what reflects that nostalgic feeling of watching it with the family or whatever memory you relate.

Garghhh it's too late, I'm not making sense to even myself and I will stop, but I stick by the first paragraph.

And as a sign of good will, good something? I'll thank you for the original post.

I'd like to win a copy of the 'Bread' script - so I could burn it!! I grew up in Liverpool, in the 80s, and that programme did a MASSIVE amount of damage to the reputation of Scousers. Yes, there were a lot of Scousers out of work, and on the dole, in the 80s, but it was the way Carla Lane portrayed them as almost being proud of the fact, that did the damage, and pissed so many Liverpool people off (especially as the show was getting about 22 million viewers a week, at one point!).

I actually met Carla when I was a finalist in a BBC comedy writing competition -I chose to write the ending to one of her scripts. I chose her script because I think she is still one of the best comedy writers the UK has seen.

I absolutely loved Bread, and anyone who takes any TV comedy seriously enough to think it represents "real people" is a moron. Comedies create larger-than-life characters and situations. Do you actually 'know' a family like the Harpers in My Family, for example? I very much doubt it.

Carla made me welcome in her home and even gave me her telephone number and told me to call her anytime if I wanted any help or advice, and she even presented me with a huge bunch of flowers and a goody bag full of gifts, which she paid for from her own pocket.

Whether or not you like her comedy, I want people to know that she's a lovely lady with a good heart. She is a little eccentric and she does have a problem with modern comedy, but I think it's more a problem with the people behind the comedy than the comedy itself. I don't think any of us would disagree that there is too much crap to go through these days before anyone will even entertain your script - too many cooks and all that.

Rustle, that's a great story. Wish I had been in that position! (That was The Last Laugh, no?)

Anyway.

I can definitely see Carla's frustration re modern comedy, but for what it's worth (although I haven't seen/heard her comments), I would guess she means the whole industry and 'machine' of making a sitcom now, rather than the finished products.

As for me, I found Butterflies depressing. Bread I've not seen much of, and apart from making me hate the working classes (), I thought it was ok. Not brilliant, but ok. Don't think I've seen any other of her own shows, but I've enjoyed her episodes of Bless This House.

Quote: Rustle T Davis @ September 24, 2007, 8:27 AM

I actually met Carla when I was a finalist in a BBC comedy writing competition -I chose to write the ending to one of her scripts. I chose her script because I think she is still one of the best comedy writers the UK has seen.

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Was that the Last Laugh thing? Did you win? I didn't hear anything.

I used to really like her stuff - Liver Birds, Butterflies, Bread. She's a scouser herself isn't she? So what was wrong with Bread. Wayne Rooney and Joey Barton do more harm for Scousers than her. What about Oz in Auf Weidersehn? Did he harm Geordies? No - he was just one character.

I don't know much about her more recent stuff. It became a bit samey in my opinion.

I used to love Bread!
I think I watched a couple of Butterflies repeats when I was a kid, but it was too depressing. Wasn't it all about divorce and a cheating husband?

A cheating wife!

I gasp!

They do exist you know!

Now look - I've done enough posts. I'd better let my alter ego do some.

I refuse to believe it!

Actually, it's all coming back to me now. Was bloody depressing...

You'd probably have an affair too if you were married to Geoffrey whatisname.