I think that there will always be a big problem with sitcoms in this country which have a team of writers. The reason this works in America is because the best TV writers in the country can be hired to work on shows. In Britain the best TV writers can create and write sitcoms alone due to the small number of episodes required per series. Most probably wouldn't consider writing for this type of show.
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Fred Barron seems like he knows what he's talking about when he's being interviewed. But he doesn't really have the talent to back it up. Maybe he should just be a script consultant.
I watched the first two episodes and it's just a typical BBC idea. Lyndhurst and Imrie do their best with the material but there's nothing really there for them and the plots are desperately weak. None of these BBC comedies seem to have any characters you can latch onto. They're just people saying lines. And we, as an audience, are supposed to be interested.
When writing sitcoms you are told to let the witty responses flow from the characters. You can't tell me these are the wittiest responses six writers could think of.
I don't think American sitcomes are funny at all. The ONLY one that is a classic in my opinion is Frasier, and in that, Frasier himself seems rather British. What I mean is, American sitcomes aren't funny and this is why:
There are twenty four episodes. This is a mistake. When all sitcoms start, the aim is to continue for, hopefully, eight years. So the plots need to be wafer thin in order to fill out twenty two minutes of twenty four episodes.
I tried Friends out and they had really rubbish sub-plots like: Monica buys a pair of shoes which make her feet ache.
Wow! We're all in hysterics now, aren't we!
Americans can't write and COULD NEVER write.
Becker is amusing but missable and suffers from thin plots and little-or-no jokes, Cheers is dated, Spin City is just plain silly.
British sitcom is about characters and focuses on those central characters. If Only Fools was American, we'd have seen Trigger flat sharing or some other awful storyline. But as it was, we never saw his flat as the show focused on the Trotters only.
So then I guess I've been wasting my time with shite and trite comedies like 'My Name is Earl', 'Ugly Betty', 'Seinfeld' and 'Curb Your Enthusiasm'. I was blind but now I can see the funny side to excellent and tight British sitcoms like 'After You've Gone'. Thank you for pointing that out to me. I am forever in your debt.
Quote: Dave @ January 24, 2007, 12:45 PMAmericans can't write and COULD NEVER write.
You're at it on this thread as well. Good for you. You tell those bloody Yanks. Who do they think they are, thinking they can write when it's clear that they COULD NEVER write.
Can't agree with you saying Americans can't write. The plots in America have to be thin because there are usually three of them packed into 22 minutes. We tend to have one/maybe two in half an hour.
I agree some of the plots aren't great, but Friends, Frasier, Cheers and Seinfeld are very tightly written.
John Sullivan has proved with the later OFAH episodes, Heartbreak Hotel and Green Green Grass that his style of writing and jokes belong to a different time. I've been watching Cheers episodes from the 80's and they are far sharper. Though still good, Only Fools is much more obvious humour.
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Charlie, you're bang on re:
Mark Twain - his letters and articles are stunning. Read them, guys, they're in hardback and paperback and probably all over the Internet. Twain is a masterclass in witty inventive stories that keep you holding on 'til the end. Another great yankee writer is Woody Allen. Add Joseph Heller. And we're talking three giants.
US v UK - different strengths derived from difference in work ethos / finances / etc. Some Frasier and Simpsons episodes must be in the top 100 best sitcom episodes ever (if anyone can be arsed (not a punchline) to compile it.) Add Futurama and Cheers in there. It is completely unrealistic to write off a whole nation of scriptwriters. Comedy is to do with taste. If it doesn't appeal to one it'll appeal to another. So not liking a genre or style does not imply that this genre is dead or dying. The true test is: has this writer made money? If they have then they are doing something right. I can't imagine the Friends / Simpsons and other US writers being on the poverty line. I loathe to use this argument as it opens the door in my mind to others like Abba / Black Lace / Crazy Frig(?)
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Swearing - I'm going to say I love ShoePie's animations. I was amazed that he didn't get on Comedy Shuffle but I also remember a broadcast TV sketch about a cat being told to eff off being slated in the same forum. I can't figure out how that works. However, I do agree swearing isn't a punchline and that there seems to be a proliferation of profanity in TV shows to 'funny it up'.
To the eagle-eyed among you, I'm aware that I'm being a bit hypocritical as there is a Slagg Brothers' sketch that uses a swear word to end on. If i wrote myself down as a character, people would comment "he's unrealistic, he's utterly contradictory" and I'd agree or disagree - depending on my mood.
I have to agree with all of the comments defending American writers. I would nominate the Simpsons' writers at its peak and Steve Martin as evidence of their ability.
Watched the second episode of After You've Gone. I am really enjoying this comedy. Only reason i started watching it is because i'm a really big fan of Celia Imrie, she's a brilliant actress and her comedy timing is perfect, she get's all the great lines, she's a joy to watch. Overall a good comedy.
It's not brilliant, but a solid little comedy which I'm sure will mature nicely! ... you have the characters, so there are possibilities, it's just difficult to get "Rodney" out of your head! 
In answer to all the American sitcom replies:
On mentioning Steve Martin etc, I think he's really funny. In fact, there are so many funny American actors: Billy Crystal, Bill Murray, Steve Martin etc and I enjoy their films. These guys are funny and I've seen their Bio on Biography Channel.
And I have seen all of that Friends episode. But I still stand by my inital opinion that they get two or three wafer thin plots and put them all in. And that's started to happen over here too.
There were some great story-driven episodes. Like "The Longest Night" in Del Boy when they had to spend the night in a supermarket at gun point. Can't imagine seeing that in Friends. But Frasier is just AMAZING - and I mean the early seasons here.
"Frasier Crane's Day Off" is great, when he was ill and Niles had to take over his radio show. Niles steals the show in all of 'em, really. But their paternship really works. Like Del and Rodney's did. Other great eps, are "Moon Dance", "First Date," "Decoy", "The Ski Lodge", "The Matchmaker", "Something Borrowed, Something Blue", "Author, Author", "Shrink Rap", "Travels with Martin," "Dial M for Martin" and many, many more!
Quote: Dave @ January 24, 2007, 12:45 PMThere are twenty four episodes. This is a mistake. When all sitcoms start, the aim is to continue for, hopefully, eight years. So the plots need to be wafer thin in order to fill out twenty two minutes of twenty four episodes.
It isn't a mistake. It's merely a different (and frequently superior) way of doing things. The plots might be thin but they make up for it by loading each episode with several subplots. Seinfeld is a good example of this - in every episode, there is a main storyline, around which Jerry, Kramer, Elaine and George have their own subplots. All four subplots are wrapped up in around 25 minutes thanks to razor sharp writing and great acting. Compare that with After You've Gone which has one storyline per episode (if you're lucky) and struggles to do anything worthwhile with it thanks to lazy writing and bad acting. Or Two Pints which recycles the same old plots and jokes every week. Most of (if not all) the people responsible for My Family, Two Pints, Thieves Like Us, Pulling, Hyperdrive would not survive in the US system.
