..........when actors go away from a comedy role they've played and say 'it wasn't my cup of tea' or something?
You hear so many effusive about their comedy characters, delighted to have been a part of it and proud to be in some way connected to such a great show. While others, like Robert Lindsay and Zoe Wannamaker in My Family for instance, have stressed that they're not that keen on it.
Wouldn't you want actors who love the comedy they're in instead of kinda just going through the motions?
Quote: David H @ October 2, 2007, 3:23 PM..........when actors go away from a comedy role they've played and say 'it wasn't my cup of tea' or something?
Johnny Vegas?
Lindsay appears to think he is Laurence Olivier. In fact he is just a wanked-out penis.
Quote: Godot Taxis @ October 2, 2007, 4:37 PMIn fact he is just a wanked-out penis.
Is that from Shakespeare? 
Two Gentlemen of Verona - act III, scene VI (The cubicle scene).
I think you're being too harsh on Robert Lindsey, he's a great actor and a great comedy actor. And My Family would have only been a success if he and Zoe Wannamaker hadn't thrown themselves into with gutso. As for not being effusive about it, Lindsey's an intelligent guy who recognises that My Family isn't up there with the comedy greats and never will be. He's just being honest... Sad is an orphanage burning down or a small puppy dying of hypothermia.
Christ better not tell Chipolata about the hypothermic puppy orphanage which burnt down
Talking of distrsssing, there's a show on Channel 5 at the moment about the RSPCA, and whenever I happen across it it features some poor cat whose had a rusty spike shoved up its bum by a child. Even Two Pints of Lager isn't that harrowing.
Is it me or nearly all the best sitcoms/comedy dramas performed by the writers or written by the perfomers?
There are exceptions to this (ummm Father Ted for one...oh, Steptoe, Porridge another couple) but generally they seem to work better - these days at least. I include cast ad-libbing and adding input too (like The Thick of it)
Of course if it then flops or is not a critical success the actor can't blame the writing.
You may not agree with these choices but here's loads of examples;
The Office
Extras
Spaced
Nighty Night
League of Gentlemen
Royle Family
Early Doors
Human Remains
Mighty Boosh
Alan Partridge
Fawlty Towers
Ripping Yarns
I'm sure I could go on, but I'm even boring myself now...
Quote: chipolata @ October 3, 2007, 10:00 AMI think you're being too harsh on Robert Lindsey, he's a great actor and a great comedy actor. And My Family would have only been a success if he and Zoe Wannamaker hadn't thrown themselves into with gutso. As for not being effusive about it, Lindsey's an intelligent guy who recognises that My Family isn't up there with the comedy greats and never will be. He's just being honest... Sad is an orphanage burning down or a small puppy dying of hypothermia.
I've got nothing against old baggy face, it's just he has a reputation for getting involved at a writing level.
His condition for appearing in 'Jericho' for example was that he help create a back story that unfolded over the four shows showing his trauma over his bent (corrupt) plod dad being shot by a villain. Like most writing suggestions by actors, it was melodramatic, clichéd and existed only to allow them to do lots of 'acting' - ie Shakesperian levels of grief/vengeance/emotion etc. Jericho was cancelled after four shows. I thnik Lindsay's over-involvement was the reason. He turned an interesting new show into a seen-it-before soapy wank-opera.
Quote: Dolly Dagger @ October 3, 2007, 2:13 PMIs it me or nearly all the best sitcoms/comedy dramas performed by the writers or written by the perfomers?
"Dolly Dagger, her love's so heavy gonna make you stagger"
---James Marshall Hendrix
It is true. The best sitcoms are usually written for or based on a starring actor. This is why I have stopped creating sitcoms until I'm higher up the tv foodchain. Unsolicited sitcom scripts & ideas rarely get produced. Rarely. So rarely that it's a waste of time to put in the hard work of creating one if you don't know anyone in the business.
Better to write sketches and build up a reputation and network of contacts.
A TV sitcom is a big gamble involving lots of money and people. So if you're a producer you're gonna think smart and build sitcoms around available stars rather than take a good idea out of the slush pile and then go looking for a lead actor.
Get the star; sell him on an idea; get the writers to cook up a pilot script and a story arc, and hope the star is still interested.
He's quite fit for an old bloke.
But his face is quite baggy, isn't it?
Imagine how baggy his sex face is.
And that's ruined it for me.