When is a tv comedy not a comedy?

Richard Dower · 17-01-2012 12:44am #1

When it's on premium cable it seems....you've got these half hour shows on HBO and Showtime, claiming they are comedies.......

Uh, Enlightened is not a comedy....it's a drama, same as United States Of Tara and Nurse Jackie, Califormication is a drama too, Hung.....comedy?, hell no.

I know there are different forms of "comedy", but imo these shows + more are more dramas then what i personally consider comedy.

[i expect Darko to roast me on this....]

amacachi · 17-01-2012 12:49am

That Curb Your Enthusiasm has some dark moments.

expectationlost · 17-01-2012 3:26am

they are called dramedys

TiGeR KiNgS · 17-01-2012 3:40am

When is a tv comedy not a comedy?

When Mrs Brown's Boys is considered comedy.

Duiske · 17-01-2012 4:00am

TiGeR KiNgS wrote: »

When is a tv comedy not a comedy?

When Mrs Brown's Boys is considered comedy.

When a comedy based on a family from the northsdie of Dublin can attract over 3 million UK viewers per episode, it must have something going for it.

TiGeR KiNgS · 17-01-2012 4:06am

Duiske wrote: »

When a comedy based on a family from the northsdie of Dublin can attract over 3 million UK viewers per episode, it must have something going for it.

Whatever it is it ain't the comedy.

(I am from Northside Dublin)

Elohim · 17-01-2012 6:06am

Alan Partridge.

nkay1985 · 17-01-2012 6:24am

Duiske wrote: »

When a comedy based on a family from the northsdie of Dublin can attract over 3 million UK viewers per episode, it must have something going for it.

Yep it's about as broad as humour can be. How anyone watches this tripe beggars belief.

Also 3 and a half men.

But I get the point of the thread. It is a bit strange to see some shows categorised as comedies.

Biggins · 17-01-2012 9:31am

Richard Dower wrote: »

When is a tv comedy not a comedy?

When its The Royal Bodyguard!

Basq · 17-01-2012 12:30pm

Back on topic..

Dramas that have comedic dialogue, played for laughs and often have comedic situations are referred as "dramatic-comedies".

Simply really!

Californication features all the above, as does Nurse Jackie and United States Of Tara.

Would I call them "comedies"? No... but I wouldn't call Glee a drama either - as it's often billed.

PS - couldn't get past the first episode of that dreadful show Enlightened however.

Sam V Smith · 17-01-2012 12:36pm

Apparently the movie 'Juno' was supposed to be a comedy. I thought it was ****e, whatever the hell it was.

pickarooney · 17-01-2012 3:29pm

When it's on Showtime?

Posy · 17-01-2012 3:32pm

Biggins wrote: »

Richard Dower wrote: »

When is a tv comedy not a comedy?

When its The Royal Bodyguard!

Dear God. Please don't mention that.. abomination! :eek:

Technocentral · 17-01-2012 7:52pm

When the words "an RTE/BBC co-production" appear on the end credits.

Anachrony · 17-01-2012 8:30pm

Most comedies have some degree of drama. Pure, unrelenting farce can get old quickly. Some dramas have comic relief. It's more common to fall somewhere along the spectrum than to be the apotheosis of a single genre. Some fall so close to the line that classifying them according to "drama" or "comedy" feels like the wrong distinction to be making. That classification is more important when you're dealing with more extreme examples that clearly fall into one category or the other.