Comedy drama or sitcom...? Page 2

Quote: Griff @ October 10 2008, 1:57 PM BST

Minder was often described as a comedy drama and I used to enjoy that.
Buffy could be described as one also, which is brilliant IMHO.
Desperate Housewives was a comedy drama too I think.
I don't think new Doctor Who is a million miles away from it either.

But the shows which do get described in the Radio Times etc as "comedy drama" eg Mutual Friends aren't usually my cup of tea.

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I'm a massive fan of Buffy, but would never have called it a comedy drama in a million years, despite it having a lot of funny in it. Some of the best funny writing I've seen on TV ever was in the West Wing, and I don't think that anyone would call that comedy drama either. I think if something is good enough in its own genre, it can safely include comedy and the best examples of any genre often do. When writing is good, there's no need to pigeonhole it. If it's gripping, people will watch it, whatever you call it. The writing just needs to be good and consistent. Stop worrying about defining your work and concentrate on making it good.

I think the diference between Minder and Buffy (other than one it's ok to watch with a dirty grin).

Is that the primary purpose of Buffy is dramatic. Once More with Feeling was one of the funniest episodes, but it's main purpose was to advance a lot of dramatic plots.

Minder on the other hands primary purpose was comedy. So dramatic plots existed to advance the comedy.

I mean Clocking Off was very, very funny but no one would call it a comedy.

I think there were a lot of pure comedy episodes of Buffy. Like that ace one where Buffy drinks the magic beer and turns into a cavewoman, that's hilarious and can't possibly be described as a serious drama.

There were of course some ace dramatic episodes too.

When's Whedon's new show coming out?

Bad Beer was very funny, but all the plot stuff it pushed was about the arc stuff around her life in college. The creepy older pupils, the sense of isolation etc.

That Whedon can write drama as comedy is why he's such a double brained genius.

http://www.dollverse.com/trailer/

Trailer for the show, damn that looks cool!

What about the longer, later episodes of "Only Fools..."?
Wouldn't you say they were more comedy drama than sitcom?
The thing about drama is you 'care' about what happens to the characters so, sometimes, the humour can have a bit more depth.
And what about something like "Abigail's party" - a classic sit-com set-up, yet a searing piece of drama with a laugh a minute.

To say a comedy drama is simply a sit-com that's not funny enough is a little OTT in my opinion.

Quote: Lazzard @ October 13 2008, 12:43 PM BST

What about the longer, later episodes of "Only Fools..."?
Wouldn't you say they were more comedy drama than sitcom?

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Not in the slightest. They were just long episodes.

Long joyless arid episodes.

Like getting 20 years for a crime you didn't commit.

You do know that you don't have to watch them, right?