What happened to British sitcoms?

donfers

They had a real golden age in the 70's and 80's and started to die out in the 90's.

What happened? Is it a lack of writers or is it the politically correct age we live in and interference from above?

Do free to air channels take risks on commissioning interesting comedies anymore? Is anything allowed to be funny anymore or are we too sensitive?

Or perhaps people just aren't watching tv anymore with an ever more entertainmen options available to them.

not going out is ok but you can tell it was written by stand up comedians, heavy on the gags, light on the situations

bbc2 had a decent comedy with samantha janus a while back (forget what it was called), but it didn't last long

last great british sitcom (and maybe technically it wasn't even a sitcom) was the office....and that was maybe 10 years ago, (father ted had irish actors and writers even though it was shown on british tv)


And yet for all the points raised above that may explain the decline of the british sitcom - well they are invalidated by the fact that America is still producing good sitcoms in arguably a more politically correct environment, with more "entertainment" competition and more studio interference.

So what's going on?

mike65

Up The Women, London Irish, Moone Boy, Family Tree, Bluestone 42, Count Arthur Strong, Peep Show, Miranda, Toast of London, Episodes, The Wrong Mans, Not Going Out etc oh I forgot Vicious which was VERY trad and terrible.

Many that are on air don't really adhere to the traditional "three wall" style and touch points. Of that lot only a few can be considered trad sitcom. Actually maybe not thinking about it.

viztopia

I thought gav and Stacey was a classic. The IT crowd also? Thought black books was good as well though overall I think the op is right.

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar

father ted was british, deal with it.

also peep show rivals or surpasses blackadder in british sitcom badassery

efb

Vicious an homage to the traditional three wall sitcom

zoobizoo

Peep Show
IT Crowd
Fresh Meat

Would have thought they were some of the best.

tvercetti

I suppose alot comes down to what generation you were brought up in. I'd have no interest in watching episodes of Porridge or Open All Hours. And although I think Fawlty Towers and Only Fools are great shows I would much rather sit down to the noughties shows such as The Office,The Inbetweeners, Extras, Peep Show(its an acquired taste), The IT Crowd.

From the shows still been made, I watch Fresh Meat but its only okay IMO. I quite like Episodes and Friday Night Dinner but there not in the same league as the other shows I mentioned.

aN.Droid

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar wrote: »

father ted was british, deal with it.

British produced however written by two irish writers Arthur Mathews and Graham Linehan.

moc moc a moc

Spaced

AlfaZen

The Inbetweeners, classic.

AlfaZen

The Inbetweeners, classic.

jenjenten

donfers wrote: »

They had a real golden age in the 70's and 80's and started to die out in the 90's.

What happened? Is it a lack of writers or is it the politically correct age we live in and interference from above?

Do free to air channels take risks on commissioning interesting comedies anymore? Is anything allowed to be funny anymore or are we too sensitive?

Or perhaps people just aren't watching tv anymore with an ever more entertainmen options available to them.

not going out is ok but you can tell it was written by stand up comedians, heavy on the gags, light on the situations

bbc2 had a decent comedy with samantha janus a while back (forget what it was called), but it didn't last long

last great british sitcom (and maybe technically it wasn't even a sitcom) was the office....and that was maybe 10 years ago, (father ted had irish actors and writers even though it was shown on british tv)


And yet for all the points raised above that may explain the decline of the british sitcom - well they are invalidated by the fact that America is still producing good sitcoms in arguably a more politically correct environment, with more "entertainment" competition and more studio interference.

So what's going on?

Nothing happened, alive and well....now reborn into the great Irish comedy - Mrs, Browns Boys

Paul Guevara

The Thick of It

Ralf and Florian

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar wrote: »

father ted was british, deal with it.

also peep show rivals or surpasses blackadder in british sitcom badassery

No one said it wasn't.Calm down Dear.