Comedy Status Quo

Am I the only person here who thinks that the current comedy climate [on TV] is just too predictable, boring and derivitive of hit comedies such as the Office and Little Britain. Why is it that new writers (and, of course, i mean me) can't get anything on? Do you think TV is just too scared to change or put something challenging, intelligent on.

I'm mainly writing this because i've just watched Family Guy and is was as predictable as the time i used an old joke to string two sentences together. Now I know its American but I can see us going that way. We'll either have comedies which are so 'real' that we'll cry or so 'surreal' and hilariously tabboo breaking and racist/homophobic/ageist/disablist(is that a word?)/ minority tauntingist (thats definitely not a word) that we'll start laughing at the news.

Also does anyone find it annoying that people are using taboos in comedy but are not necessarily highlighting the stupidity of the character doing it but are playing it for laughs. I think you can say whatever (and i mean whatever) you want as long as its clear that the comedy is in the attitude of the character who is being prejudice and not the fact that a minority are a minority. I think the test is if a 70s audience would find it funny it is probably a prejudice sketch.

we have had tiff's in the past ajp and Im not going to start another but I LOVE FAMILY GUY granted its not the smarties of programmes on TV but its gag after gag and I love it.

back onto the main subject again yes and no the mitchell and webb look I found to be a beautifully crafted piece of comedy with some smart sutff in there e.g. the waiter.

and on the other side of the coin theres crap like "pulling" I couldn't sit through an episode I just found it dull.

and your right on the 70's audience front the comedy then was the golden age, porridge, only fools and horses, open all hours the list goes on.

Quote: ajp29 @ December 2, 2006, 1:49 AM

I'm mainly writing this because i've just watched Family Guy and is was as predictable as the time i used an old joke to string two sentences together. Now I know its American but I can see us going that way. We'll either have comedies which are so 'real' that we'll cry or so 'surreal' and hilariously tabboo breaking and racist/homophobic/ageist/disablist(is that a word?)/ minority tauntingist (thats definitely not a word) that we'll start laughing at the news.

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There's nothing wrong with predictability. Some people love it. But it has its place amongst other forms and style of comedy.

I agree with the general point you're making though. The channels and production companies are going in the completely wrong direction, letting things get stale and, quite frankly, boring. They don't take risks, and they rely too much on established writers, names and faces, no matter how utterly shite what they're producing now is. (Mentioning no names, Jennifer Saunders.)

AJP, totally agree. It seems that comedy has become the tiger that chased its tail around the tree. It's so locked into a perpetuating cycle of big-names-with-bollocks-for-comedy-brains, shrinking budgets (on shows that should be given a fighting chance), and a desire for either repeating a formula or going so far out on a branch that you worry for the state of the minds it came from. Oh, plus throw as many eff words into it, to 'funny it up' seems to be the way to succeed.

We are caught in a Catch-22 because we can see the problem but can't change it, but if we join them to change it from within (Comedy Guerillas) will we find that everyone else started with the same attitude and are trapped writing crap that they have no faith in. The alternative, that they really believe in their output, is too frightening to contemplate.

I can only carry on writing what i perceive to be comedy and hope that the tiger comes full circle.

Everybody pray for me to win the lottery tonight. I'll form my own TV channel and commission you all. The only way that 'new' writers can get their stuff out there is going to be by producing it themselves. And that's a scary enough prospect in itself.

TV comedies are probably more diverse now than they've ever been.

If you look at shows like Darkplace, Man 2 Man, High Spirits, Director's Commentary, Look Around You, Marion and Geoff, Sensitive Skin, Annually Retentive, 15 Storeys High etc. then you'd have to say that there has been a wide variety of comedy shows made over the last couple of years.

Has it ever been easy for new writers to get into TV? Even very successful writers such as John Sullivan, David Renwick, David Nobbs etc. had to start by writing sketches before they created their own sitcoms.

I have a the first sketch for your company to produce me and the other writers get whats left of your winnings put it on your 30ft yacht and send it out to sea soaking in petrol while a man with an arrow set alight shoots it onto the boat BOOM! instant laughs!

I don't know if its me but lead balloon feels like a very "safe" sitcom and I think it could have had alot more put into the script and money... just a gut thing

Nick - diversity doesn't automatically mean that the state of comedy is healthy. There's always been a time when you could point to diversity as new shows appeared (I am ignoring the blight of poor comedies of the 80s usually featuring anton 'sodding' rodgers). New shows / new ideas always appear.

You seemed to ignore AJP's opening post. You cannot deny that there are now a lot of familiar 'clones' trying to be the next big thing. Plus the woeful condition of the sketch show - if it was a horse, it'd have the tent pulled around it and a vet administering a lethal dose.

It is increasingly harder to break into TV. The names you gave as examples had at least a chance of open submission policy programmes in which to lodge sketches. There are very few of these opportunities today. Is the lottery of Sketch Factor competitions soon to be the only available route? To me its a corporate case of "let them eat cake". So that avenue looks to be closed / closing.

Aaron is onto a point re: self-production. Someone told me to submit video / dvd to companies as the readers / producers are now from a generation that like to see a product rather than read it. I know of one mainstream broadcaster that also confirmed this idea. Since then the Slaggies have been building a collection of sketches, specifically to send in with our submissions in paper. We hope to film at least the opening 10 minutes of this new sitcom project. It's not the way i envisaged going but if it gets that toehold, I'll take it.

Quote: Nick @ December 2, 2006, 3:01 PM

TV comedies are probably more diverse now than they've ever been.

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If only that were true. Unfortunately the shows that you list completely contradict your argument.

I agree totally with Karl!

I don't have any particular problem with modern shows as such, but as someone who prefers more "comfortable", "middle-of-the-road" programmes like those that were on in the 70s, those ones you've listed are all very similar to me; very "niche", even. Yes, the direction they take varies, but the underlying humour does not.

I think that TV has a problem with innovation. its the old saying that 'revolution is impossible until it happens then it becomes inevitable.' TV is designed to repeat itself unless a show breaks through to the mainstream but when this happens it becomes the main stream.
I agree with SlagA its a Catch-22 situation. By the way where do I sign up to become a Comedy Guerilla it sounds fun.
So in conclusion i have joined the long line of people who higlight a problem but has no solution.
P.s. i also like Family Guy, i think it was my sleep deprevation which was imparing my judgement.