From the British Broadcasting Corporation, Mr Timothy Dawson writes for the benefit of the uninformed, his thoughts on that complex subject which is situation comedy...

'Sitcoms are a uniquely theatrical television experience, and I want Coming of Age to celebrate that.'

'...sitcom acting isn't easy - it takes skill to stop a performance getting too big for the camera and to know when to pause for laughs...'

'Bawdy jokes and visual comedy demand a big reaction, and if you sanitise that you can end up with something a bit flat and unconvincing.'

'If I'm sat in the gallery and we go without a laugh for more than about fifteen seconds, I know that sequence needs to be cut down. Unless it's deliberate of course - when there's a moment of genuine drama it can be fun to play with the form and leave things hanging...'

Oh well, here's the obligatory link to the guide... https://www.comedy.co.uk/tv/coming_of_age/

Never fear, fans, they're all back, all your favourite characters - Slutter, BJ, Titch, Peepee, Jizzy, Merrytits, Louis Farrakhan - they're all there, don't worry.

I've seen the first two episodes already, and the humour is very much toned down; it's still recognisably the same bawdy, teen sitcom that it has been since Series 1, but it's far less crude this time around (I only recall one particularly crude joke over the 2 programmes), and they look to be working on more substantive plots again, and more realistic relationships and dialogue between the characters.

If you already have an ingrained loathing of the show, Coming Of Age Series 3 is not going to change your mind, but if you can sit down and give it a chance you should be able to see that Tim Dawson can write more than jokes about cunnilingus and anal sex. Anyone coming to the show freshly or with relatively little experience of it, however, is likely to wonder what all of the fuss is about.

Looking forward to this!

Quote: Aaron @ January 14 2011, 2:49 AM GMT

They look to be working on more substantive plots again, and more realistic relationships and dialogue between the characters.

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I'm really, really trying not to pre-judge this, but preview clips like this fill me with deep apprehension.

That scene made me laugh out loud. I'm amused just remembering it.

Quote: Aaron @ January 16 2011, 5:29 PM GMT

That scene made me laugh out loud. I'm amused just remembering it.

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We really like very different things, clearly. That scene is deeply un-funny on every level in my opinion, even levels that haven't yet been invented - extremely childish, vulgarly juvenile and lacking even the merest semblance of any wit. I'm desperately trying to approach the third series with optimism but if that clip reflects the general 'improvement' this show has apparently gone through I'm going to need to reinforce my TV screen so I don't put my foot through it on Tuesday.

Having now watched the clip on the BBC site, it does make a little less sense - and lose some of the humour accordingly - without the context of what'd happened earlier in the episode. But I still love the absurdity of DK's insistence that the SGV is a chair, and vice versa.

I just watched the clip

Why would somebody want to make that?

I don't even want to know why.

That clip certainly doesn't look as bad as the CoA stuff I've seen before. I liked the teacher jumping through the window. Doubt I'll watch the series through.

Quote: Griff @ January 16 2011, 6:26 PM GMT

*doesn't watch clip for fear of having an aneurism*

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I wotched itt butt I havnt nottisssed annnyny illl effex yetwo fdsgk

Quote: Aaron @ January 14 2011, 2:49 AM GMT

but if you can sit down and give it a chance you should be able to see that Tim Dawson can write more than jokes about cunnilingus and anal sex.

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Yes, I'm being unfair. He can also write jokes about wanking, menstruation, wee, poo and blowjobs. My sincerest apologies.

I think this show really brings out the TV snobbery in some people. If people find nob gags and anal jokes funny then let them be.

Could someone help me please, I can't seem to find this show in the Cbeebies schedule.

I'm assuming this is pitched at teens?

If TD is writing from a basis of making teens laugh he's being incredibly patronising.

If he's writing from a basis of making older people laugh he's just rubbish.

How gauche

But in fairness I didn't realise TD was 19 when first series was commissioned.

Well done to him from that perspective.

http://www.thisisoxfordshire.co.uk/news/1322812.scriptwriter_pens_bbc_sitcom_at_19/

Quote: Jammy Jim @ January 19 2011, 11:35 AM GMT

I'm assuming this is pitched at teens? If TD is writing from a basis of making teens laugh he's being incredibly patronising. If he's writing from a basis of making older people laugh he's just rubbish. How gauche But in fairness I didn't realise TD was 19 when first series was commissioned. Well done to him from that perspective.

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Meh. Mary Shelly wrote Frankenstein when she was 18. And that was actually good.