This is a great little debate, could you possibly moce it into Writers forum?
Mikey J has put his script up to get feedback not for you all to have a chat about how everyone is reinventing everything else.
First bit of my sitcom... Page 3
Yes, this thread has got interesting. 
I don't mind that the convo has changed to the "similar show" debate, as I got all the critique I needed earlier.
Quote: Mikey J @ July 24 2008, 6:52 PM BSTYes, this thread has got interesting.
I don't mind that the convo has changed to the "similar show" debate, as I got all the critique I needed earlier.
Fair enough Mikey, if I get time I might throw in my 2 cents (but I'm behind every thread in this forum by about 2 weeks).
But regardless, debates like this should be for Writers forum, not Critique.
you should all read Micheal Jacob's blog, he lists types of sitcoms being written/acceptable these days
Quote: bushbaby @ July 25 2008, 8:25 PM BSTyou should all read Micheal Jacob's blog, he lists types of sitcoms being written/acceptable these days
Probably true, but that shouldn't put anyone off writing whatever they like - unless Micheal Jacob suddenly becomes the only person who ever commissions comedy in the country, and for an extremely extended period.
Put it this way: if you were to believe some people, there were no office-based or moc-doc sitcoms before The Office, and there can't be any now because of its shadow. I believe that all you need to do is be aware of the shadows, and if you have a great idea it will soar if "sold" appropriately.
Quote: Badge @ July 26 2008, 12:19 AM BSTProbably true, but that shouldn't put anyone off writing whatever they like - unless Micheal Jacob suddenly becomes the only person who ever commissions comedy in the country, and for an extremely extended period.
Put it this way: if you were to believe some people, there were no office-based or moc-doc sitcoms before The Office, and there can't be any now because of its shadow. I believe that all you need to do is be aware of the shadows, and if you have a great idea it will soar if "sold" appropriately.
It's original characters and perspective people are interested in. Not situation.
Of course it is useful to have an understanding of one's millieu and genre,to a certain extent, but to thine own self be true as Jeffrey Archer wrote and that is probably the best way to go about things.
This is an extract from Micheal's blog
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But, with apologies for references which may be strange or unknown, here's the bit about essentials, which I hope may be of interest. And by the way, my conclusion is that, Nightingales and a very few other shows aside, sitcom is more about reinvention than invention.
Sitcom themes and essentials
From The Goldbergs, Amos 'n' Andy and I Love Lucy to The Office and Not Going Out, there is a strong and lengthy strand of shows being created by writer-performers. From Pinwright's Progress to Peep Show, there is an equally lengthy strand of shows being created by writers, sometimes in collaboration with performers or with performers in mind, sometimes not.
So what are the recurring genres? They are the two-hander (from Amos 'n' Andy to Peep Show), the family sitcom (from The Goldbergs to After You've Gone), the workplace sitcom (from Pinwright and Bilko to The IT Crowd) and, closely linked to the workplace show, the ensemble sitcom set outside the workplace, a more recent innovation, of which Dad's Army is an example.
Of course, genres are fluid. Is Cheers, for example, a workplace show or an ensemble show?
And finally there is the show built around a star, essentially a one-man or one-woman show with support, ranging from Jack Benny via Alan B'Stard to Alan Partridge and possibly David Brent. Was The Office a workplace ensemble or a show about an embarrassing boss? It's impossible to be doctrinaire about these things.
Is it possible to join the sitcom dots and find areas in common? Well, one common theme of hits across the years has been a connection with real life. Sam and Henry's move from rural America to the city reflected a reality. As we have seen, Hancock, Steptoe, The Likely Lads, Till Death, The Good Life, Only Fools and Horses, and Men Behaving Badly, to pluck a few from the list, were all inspired by their writers' experiences of the world.
Yeah he does go on, doesn't he!
And staying on the Micheal theme. This from Broadcast yesterday, re ITV situation comedy from Micheala Hennesy-Vass
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Sitcoms are the key priority for Hennessy-Vass, who has spent the past year refining what works for ITV in scripted comedy.
Sketch shows are pretty well covered by a handful of development projects and instead the focus is on broad appeal - something that viewers could grasp if it was summed up in one line, such as the package holidays of Benidorm or the call centres of Mumbai Calling.
While she wants universal ideas, they need to be modern - not things that could have worked on ITV 10 or 20 years ago.
The available slots, almost exclusively 30 minutes, are post-watershed, but that doesn't mean the shows need to be rude, Hennessy-Vass says. She's open-minded about single camera shows or studio sitcoms, despite the latter being out of fashion.
She is clearly enthused to have Peter Fincham's strong comedy reputation guiding the network, but says he is still taking stock, rather than setting out new parameters for commissions.
One area in which he may be able to help is with talent. Hennessy-Vass says it is essential that the ITV1 audience already recognises a show's lead, with ITV2 providing more opportunities to break new faces.
The Friday slots of 9pm, 9.30pm and 10pm are up for grabs and are seen as distinct, with more opportunities to take risks for a dedicated comedy audience at 10pm rather than the Corrie fans who make up the lead-in at 9pm.
Five may be poised to revive Minder, but she is unlikely to raid the network's archive.
"It's easy to see things through rose-tinted spectacles and classics need to be treated carefully. If they work, they can be fantastic, but they have to be absolutely right."