Which current radio comedies would work on TV? Page 2

I've got the videos and seen him live but, to me, the glory of the show is in the use, or otherwise, of words.

I think that this would have a time limited appeal on TV.

'Don't you think so Malcolm?'

Not current but I would love to see an animated version of The Goon Show :)

Quote: Aaron @ April 17 2012, 12:58 AM BST

I think the character of Count Arthur could work well on TV, but a direct adaptation of the radio sitcom I would have a few reservations about.

I think Graham Linehan is working on a TV show for the character, isn't he?

Quote: Matthew Stott @ April 17 2012, 9:08 AM BST

I think Graham Linehan is working on a TV show for the character, isn't he?

I think so, but I don't know what's become of it.

Quote: Bob Hicks @ April 17 2012, 2:02 AM BST

Not current but I would love to see an animated version of The Goon Show :)

I know there was a TV version of it using puppets.

Quote: Matthew Stott @ April 17 2012, 9:08 AM BST

I think Graham Linehan is working on a TV show for the character, isn't he?

I suspect that one is now dead. I have a vague recollection of another project more recently though.

Thing about radio, it's similar I guess to the way "reading a book" is more enjoyable than the "film" because with radio, you have to imagine what's going on and you can add imagine something funnier going on than there actually is, when it's on TV if it's not what you imagined because you can now see it, it's not as funny, it's our own imaginations that allow it to be funny and reality shows what we imagined to be a bit of a let down.... it's not as funny.

:D Def 'Fags Mags and Bags' perfect, a modern Rab C Nesbit very fast and funny, my favourite.

Interesting discussion about Cabin Pressure (on the last page, sorry I'm slow to catch up)... I see what you mean about the characters, but in my head they look exactly like this...

Image

I don't think it would need adapting that much. Episodes like the one in which they've got an illegal bar on the airport would transfer perfectly, and The High Life shows it is possible to make aeroplane sets without too much trouble.

We actually asked Finnemore about a TV version when we interviewed him in advance of the second series. He said the following in response to the question as to whether it could transfer to a visual medium:

Quote: John Finnemore

I think the scene in which twelve Scottish cricketers in swimsuits carry a fire engine across a Saharan airport, after which an aeroplane drives along a desert road, would maybe present some budgetary problems. But in general, yes, I suppose it could

Quote: dellas @ April 18 2012, 10:45 AM BST

:D Def 'Fags Mags and Bags' perfect, a modern Rab C Nesbit very fast and funny, my favourite.

They've already filmed some web videos so we've got a flavour of what that show would be like. BBC Two Scotland seems up for making new sitcoms from time to time.

https://www.comedy.co.uk/radio/fags_mags_and_bags/videos/

I was listening to Radio 4 Extra today and they had an old recording of Steptoe and Son.

I wondered about Steptoe and Dad's Army which I have both heard on the radio.

What I wondered was were these re-recorded for radio or did they use the TV soundtracks and use additional pieces to make them work on radio?

I'm pretty sure they recorded them again for radio.

Yes. Both were re-recorded for radio. The original Steptoe scripts had to be "padded out" by 5 minutes to fit the radio timings and different actors/actresses often played the supporting roles. There were also the inevitable rows over their fees before Wilfred Brambell and Harry H Corbett agreed to do them.

The Dad's Army scripts were adapted for radio by Michael Knowles and Harold Snoad. Walker was played, firstly, by Graham Stark and, latterly, by Larry Martin on radio. And there are various subtle differences. For example Godfrey's sister, Cissy, was featured in the radio scripts but never Dolly. And, occasionally, the same lines were said but by different characters.

Quote: Tursiops @ 16th April 2012, 6:10 PM

Claire in the Community was originally developed for television and would transfer easily.

The fact it didn't make it to TV even after a very good run on radio tells you how hard it is to make it to TV. That certainly doesn't mean it's easy to get a show on radio, it's still off limits to everyone who hasn't had a stage career of some sorts or previous proper broadcast credits (ie. not Newsjack or whatever it's called - people who think that credits on this'll get them a sitcom commission are terminally deluded :S). Morning.

Clare in the Community was originally a strip in the Guardian, which is a good way into being broadcast.

Edit - Or publishing credits. Yes and a very good strip it was, not that I was ever a Guardian reader :$

That's why I can't understand why it didn't make it to TV, already existing in a visual medium. Personally I think they should've gone for an animated production in the exact style of the cartoon, as happened in the past with others like The Perishers for example (which was brilliant btw).

I think it's one of the best strips of recentish times anyway. And there was quite a similar looking strip that got an animated TV run a while back probably the 90s, Pondlife which I thought was pretty good.

Worth downloading some of the scripts of Clare, they're beautifully written.