Quote: Gordon Bennett @ August 30 2012, 7:58 PM BSTSo the laughtrack won't extinct...but I think even for a broad comedy it's not forbidden to present the occasional more sophisticated joke.
I agree totally.
Quote: Matthew Stott @ August 30 2012, 9:17 PM BSTThe IT Crowd kept the flag flying!
God bless Linehan and all who sails in him.
Quote: Lee Henman @ August 30 2012, 9:14 PM BSTEspecially since I have a definite vested interest in mainstream studio comedy and I really want it to stick around for a bit
Well, that is more than fair enough. I wish you the best Lee.
Quote: Lee Henman @ August 30 2012, 9:18 PM BSTGod bless Linehan and all who sails in him.
Here, here. The Work's Outing episode of the IT Crowd is the finest half hour of sitcom ever created.
Quote: Matthew Stott @ August 30 2012, 9:17 PM BSTThe IT Crowd kept the flag flying!
If anything did, it was probably My Family - but the fact we're able to so specifically name just these couple of shows rather underlines Lee's original point, I think.
Quote: Lee Henman @ August 30 2012, 7:50 PM BSTBut there's an enormous market for these traditional broad comedies, especially in these times of austerity when a lot of people just want big, physical, colourful comedies that go straight for the LOLs. Mrs Brown's Boys is absolutely huge, as is Miranda. Citizen Khan is in the same family, accessible, broad comedy that appeals to the average Joe, not comedy aficionados. There's room for all comedy and traditional studio sitcom had been left in the wilderness for way too long. And as much as it pains the comedy snobs, its return has spawned some spectacularly successful shows. We've had years of single camera clever-clever smug comedies, I see nothing at all wrong with a return to more trad formats.
Yep, you're right, just like the many others who've been saying this for the last five years. And it seems the Beeb may have now got it. Maybe someone from their accounts dept. finally got their calculator out and worked out that 4 million viewers for most mainstream studio sitcoms makes them a more popular product than the sub million viewers for wobbly camera laugh free 'sitcoms'? But I'd say most 'comedy officianodos' also want the classical studio sitcom back.
I don't care for all this comedy afficianado talk. There's good comedy and there's bad comedy.
As for Citizen Khan, it got decent viewing figures for its first show but let's see how it holds up over the next six weeks. A lot of shows start well and then their viewing figures start to haemorrhage.
When did the Khans move to Birmingham? I watched a clip from Bellamy's People and he's from Leicester in that.
No one's heard of Leicester.
I liked it, it was simple and funny. That is all I require.
Quote: zooo @ August 31 2012, 7:18 PM BSTNo one's heard of Leicester.
Cheese
Quote: David Carmon @ September 2 2012, 2:59 AM BSTCheese
Ooh yes please!
There was a phone-in on the radio last night and the subject of Citizen Khan came up. A young Pakistani guy phoned in and said his Dad was absolutely furious at the show for stereotyping Pakistani men, which was funny to the rest of the family because his Dad is a carbon copy of Mr Khan, even down to buying tons of bog roll from the cash & carry to save money. The DJ obviously hated the show and started going on about how it was stuck in the seventies and asked the young guy what he thought about that. He replied it didn't bother him, and that he loved Amy Winehouse even though her music was very 1960s. DJ was a bit stumped after that.
Apologies for the radio updates but BBC Radio Cleveland are currently debating the show again in a phone-in. An old Asian guy was just on and I had to transcribe what was said for you (or the gist of) while it's still fresh in my mind.
DJ:
Mohammed, you're on the air. What did you think of Citizen Khan?
MOHAMMED:
Well I didn't like it. I mean I only saw it once but I won't be watching it again. You must stay away from religion, it's not nice to have religion in comedy.
DJ:
Okay, so what was it specifically about the show that offended you, religion-wise?
MOHAMMED:
Well. Religion is not something you should bring into a comedy show.
DJ:
Yes but what part of the show offended you?
MOHAMMMED:
(GETTING A BIT UNCOMFORTABLE) Well I'm not going to go into the ins and outs of it here, I don't have time, but I just didn't like it, that's all.
DJ:
(LONG PAUSE) Right...
MOHAMMED:
You know, there was a show years ago that was very good, I'm a senior citizen so you'll probably be too young to remember it. It was called Mind Your Language, that was a great show, very funny!
Thanks Leethat's really illustrative of a couple of points.
Quote: Lee Henman @ September 3 2012, 11:36 AM BSTMOHAMMED:
Well. Religion is not something you should bring into a comedy show.
I bet Mohammed isn't a fan of Father Ted, Rev, Vicar of Dibley, etc. or is it that only certain religions shouldn't be brought into comedy?
Mind Your Language is indeed very funny. But it didn't didn't deal with religion, rather the stereotypical views that we have over different groups.
But right there in that discussion lies the inherent problem with Islam. The religion has such an intrinsic influence over the culture, that it's impossible to extracate the two. I bet he would be complaining just as loudly if there were no brown faces on television.
Yup he doesn't want his faith mocked but is happy to share a joke about his race/culture.
