Silly costumes and comedy vegetables: writing broad comedy

It's fair to say that broad comedy is out of fashion - with television executives, if not with audiences. As a general rule, television critics have never really liked it - and still don't.

Not so long ago, when the BBC made substantial amounts of broad comedy, producers and executives simply acknowledged that such shows would be poorly reviewed, shrugged it off and worried about the audience instead.

Ultimately, nobody who enjoys these sorts of productions cares what reviewers say anyway. Their opinions are irrelevant.

As Lee Mack - creator and star of joke-filled juggernaut Not Going Out - put...