A big hole

It's not necessary, in order to write a successful sitcom, to get every element right. Of course, how you define success is a matter of opinion. But a sitcom that runs for two or three series on either television or radio is a huge achievement. Anyone who manages this should be extremely pleased.

Making mistakes along the way is inevitable.

The whole point of a pilot episode and, to a lesser extent, the first series of a show is to test and establish it. It's not unusual to realise that a character is not quite working or a relationship dynamic...