Quote: Ben @ January 8 2011, 8:31 PM GMTIt made me laugh and was full of great gags, but I do wish there was a bit more depth and emotion to the characters. They come across as clothes horses for jokes.
I don't see any problem with that.
They're almost like real life cartoon characters and again I've got no problem with that either.
I wonder if sales of Ariel Actilift will go up now? That was blatant product placement! 
Ruddy Marvellous!
I really enjoy Not Going Out, and was very happy to hear it was coming back.
As usual, the show didn't disappoint! Gag after Gag after Gag, each one a Laugh Out Loud moment.
"It's all kicking off in Narnia"
He did a Narnia gag before I seem to remember.
Yeah, he did;
"It's none of your business, Lee!"
"Actually, it's Narnia business."
Quote: Chappers @ January 8 2011, 9:26 PM GMTI don't see any problem with that.
They're almost like real life cartoon characters and again I've got no problem with that either.
I find it more satisfying and enjoying if there's some depth. You could say Father Ted was cartoon-like, but Ted had a lot of depth and the comedy came from that rather than just gags.
Why must they all be the same though?
This show reminds me a lot of Miranda, they have both gone straight in for very blatant laughs by the bucketful and avoided the usual or classic sitcom method of building a believable (or semi believable) world to house them in. Not an approach you will find in most text books, this is what you are supposed to avoid doing.
These are cartoon sitcoms but are very obviously made to be that way, the decision has been made by producers to dispense with the time consuming process of creating that world and so we get a sort of flat pack assembly world with cartoon characters and dialogue which is free from any constraint that comes with a more real world: We know this is a cartoon and so we can expect the jokes and visual gags be as big and funny and silly as possible. Of course there is no basis in reality for that staple gun doing what it did, it is a cartoon scene to get big larfs.
It was a very funny episode. I still want to see conventional sitcoms being made (they're becoming a bit rare now) but if these new type of stripped down, for laughs only sitcoms continue being this funny then they can keep making these too, imo. This method means you should get a lot more jokes in, as there's no real pretence world, it's absolute minimal, just a sketch outline for the machine gun humour.
I did get to NGO very late in the day, and the first couple I saw put me right off, being a purist, but I now think it's fine for this very funny stuff to coexist with the more usual type, it just took a little while for me to realise this. The sitcom genre is expanding quite rapidly, which is no bad thing really.
Quote: Alfred J Kipper @ January 8 2011, 10:40 PM GMTThis show reminds me a lot of Miranda, they have both gone straight in for very blatant laughs by the bucketful and avoided the usual or classic sitcom method of building a believable (or semi believable) world to house them in. Not an approach you will find in most text books, this is what you are supposed to avoid doing.
These are cartoon sitcoms but are very obviously made to be that way, the decision has been made by producers to dispense with the time consuming process of creating that world and so we get a sort of flat pack assembly world with cartoon characters and dialogue which is free from any constraint that comes with a more real world: We know this is a cartoon and so we can expect the jokes and visual gags be as big and funny and silly as possible. Of course there is no basis in reality for that staple gun doing what it did, it is a cartoon scene to get big larfs.
It was a very funny episode. I still want to see conventional sitcoms being made (they're becoming a bit rare now) but if these new type of stripped down, for laughs only sitcoms continue being this funny then they can keep making these too, imo. This method means you should get a lot more jokes in, as there's no real pretence world, it's absolute minimal, just a sketch outline for the machine gun humour.
I did get to NGO very late in the day, and the first couple I saw put me right off, being a purist, but I now think it's fine for this very funny stuff to coexist with the more usual type, it just took a little while for me to realise this. The sitcom genre is expanding quite rapidly, which is no bad thing really.
Sorry Alf can you read this post through yourself and deconstruct it - I am going to bed. But as usual you really liked it but feel guilty for some reason for doing so - are you a comedy catholic?
Quote: Chappers @ January 8 2011, 10:35 PM GMTWhy must they all be the same though?
Why have cotton when you can have silk?
I'm not really bothered by the cartoon aspect of Not Going Out. As I've said, it makes me laugh which is the main thing, but I think some more rounded characters would make it a great sitcom.
Quote: Ben @ January 8 2011, 10:57 PM GMTWhy have cotton when you can have silk?
Sometimes cotton is more appropriate for the purpose than silk.
Quote: Tony Cowards @ January 8 2011, 10:58 PM GMTSometimes cotton is more appropriate for the purpose than silk.
When? 
Quote: Tony Cowards @ January 8 2011, 10:58 PM GMTSometimes cotton is more appropriate for the purpose than silk.
Have you seen me in a thong?
Quote: Marc P @ January 8 2011, 10:59 PM GMTWhen?
Silk's no good for nose bleeds.
Quote: Marc P @ January 8 2011, 10:56 PM GMT- are you a comedy catholic?
No, that's the Pope's job. But I see what you mean, I do do that don't I.
