Agree
Coming Of Age cancelled Page 2
Another show I never saw and never will, like Big Top, Lab Rats, saw about 3 minutes, and one or two others that bombed in first series. I'd love to see this now to see how bad it was, and I think bad sitcoms can be very useful to the aspiring sitcom writer. Shame. Oh maybe I can view clips on YouTube?! Yes I'll do that.
Quote: zooo @ May 6 2011, 12:49 AM BSTNo, there's a new series on now.
Hopefully Zai Bennett will cancel that too.
It was completely tasteless and insane, badly acted and written, but I still loved it, and I'm nowhere near its target audience.
Even Riley Major, who is target audience, thought it was bad. It won't be missed.
Quote: MTpromises @ May 6 2011, 12:36 AM BSTCould someone please explain to me one thing I never understood about this show... when the one kid does his "rap" every episode, was that meant to be funny or cool?
The joke is supposed to be that he thinks he's cool by rapping, and that it makes him more attractive to display such a 'talent'.
Quote: Vader @ May 6 2011, 12:45 AM BST2 Pints has finished too right? Now we just need to see the end of Will Mellor's career and the victory for basic common sense will be complete.
Not only has Two Pints not finished, but Will Mellor has just had a brand new sitcom on BBC Three, and is about to star in another on BBC One.
I like Will Mellor. The fact that he's in a wheelchair makes him a bit more vulnerable and realistic.
I wonder it there's a parellel thread somewhere, where 15 year old comedy fans pray for the cancellation of Stewart Lee.
Quote: Bomsh @ May 6 2011, 4:28 PM BSTI wonder it there's a parellel thread somewhere, where 15 year old comedy fans pray for the cancellation of Stewart Lee.
It's well active in my head.
Just viewed a few clips on YouTube. Say no more! That it lasted three series is worrying. That it had good viewing figures is very worrying.
Zai Bennett is my new hero. I'm not against BBC Three scheduling crude and rude sitcoms aimed primarily at teenagers - the viewing figures show there is a market for that, but Coming Of Age was patronisingly simplistic with its by-the-numbers 'jokes' - one only needs to look at The Inbetweeners (wildly popular with all age groups) to show how a college-based crude sitcom should be done.
Personally I am a bit gutted by the news that this show has been canned as I was very keen on it. I can appreciate that I may be in the minority here and even as a fan I realise that Tim Dawson struggled in keeping the material fresh and hilarious throughout the entire series. Yes, some of the shows were patchy in places (notably some of the gags involving Matt being stupid were a bit of a cop out), but I think a lot of the snobbery and bad publicity that surrounded this show was not deserved. Coming of Age never tried to be the next Blackadder or the next Only Fools and Horses. It was a show that never took itself seriously and had a warm charm to it. It was one of those shows that creates its own lovely warped world much in the same light as Shooting Stars, Mighty Boosh or Bo Selecta.
In defence of COA it has been suggested that the new controller for BBC Three 'Zai Bennett' cancelled the show on account of it being "low-rent and a bit embarrassing". This is a fair statement as the show is a low budget sitcom as has received a lot of negative feedback since it was first aired, however if we take a look at Zai Bennett's CV according to The Guardian...
"During his tenure at ITV, Bennett has increased audiences and awareness of channels such as ITV2 through celebrities such as Katie Price..."
"Recently real-life soap The Only Way Is Essex proved a digital hit and ITV2 also signed Kerry Katona to an exclusive deal."
"Bennett was presentation scheduler for the launch of Channel 5 in 1997, before joining ITV the following year."
Now bear in mind that it has been reported that COA had an average audience figure of just under 500,000 viewers, total repeat views in excess of 1million and a strong iPlayer rating. Now I haven't got a clue how good these figures actually are as I've yet to do the research, but for a low budget sitcom played at 10:30pm on a Tuesday night on a digital channel I imagine that's pretty impressive viewing. In my personal opinion Zai Bennett's decision to cancel this show was a cowardly one as every time COA got re-commissioned it always provokes controversy and Zai didn't want any critical backlash. You cannot convince me that the man responsible for Katie Price: The Next Chapter & The Only Way Is Essex amongst others actually cares about credible telly.
As a fan it's real pity that Coming of Age has been cancelled now, especially since the end of series three was very anti-climactic. It seemed as if the show was really going places especially with the introduction of 'Robyn Crisp'. It would have been so lovely to see the various characters find some closure / happiness in their love lives and with their ambitions.
Unpleasantness aside, I'd like to end this rant with a few of my fondest memories of the show...
Jaz comforting Chloe: "Me and Ollie have been having loads of sex recently, and the more we have the closer we become."
Chloe: "Awww, that's so sweet."
Jaz: "Recently we've been experimenting with anal, and it's gone a bit wrong, a dog's been put down and Ollie's granddads' been put in a nursing home, but was amazing, like Christmas in my ass. So, what are you going to do?"
Chloe: "I'm going to be sick!"
Matt: "I just want our love life to be loving and intimate."
Chloe: "Me too... WITH A MACE!"
Robyn to Chloe, offended by her homophobia: "Where do you get these twisted ideas from?"
Chloe: "Mummy said I'm very imaginative. So does Dr. Fitzgerald and his team of psychiatric experts."
Robyn trying to ask out Amy: "So, what are you doing tonight?"
Amy: "Kym's having a hot tub, me and some of the girls are just going to frolic around in our swimwear. Why? Do you wanna come?"
Robyn: "Want to, I think I just have!"
Chloe: "I've not been this upset since I caught mummy making a sandwich... with Daddy and the postman."
Matt reassuring DK: "Remember... you're a womble"
... and I could go on forever.
To everyone involved with the making of show, a massive thank you from me. I wish you every success in the future.
Ell 
Don't worry, I'm sure Tim Dawson and his erstwhile script editor Paul Mayhew-Archer will bounce back from this setback and mine a new nugget of Comedy Gold...
"Oh no, Timothy! We've just been cancelled!"
"Don't worry, Paul! I've had an idea for a new show!"
"Great! What is it?"
*LOUD FART*
"We'll call it 'My Rectum Makes Farty Fart-Fart Noise, I'm F**king Farting About'!"
(TOGETHER) "Hahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!! How do you like that Zai Bennett, you f**king donkey ass rapist motherf**ker!?"
Great post, Elliott, thanks for sharing!
I happen to know Tim's already deep in work on another project for the BBC. Can't say much, but what I do know of it is rather tantalising.
Quote: Aaron @ May 10 2011, 2:22 PM BSTGreat post, Elliott, thanks for sharing!
I happen to know Tim's already deep in work on another project for the BBC. Can't say much, but what I do know of it is rather tantalising.
Thanks for the news Aaron. 
) That sounds pretty endearing, I'll be sure to be keeping an eye out for that one. ;o)