Unfunny 'comedy'

[Rudi Hedman]

It just shows how hard it is to write good sitcom even for someone who had at least 2 hit shows.

One of the key devices in sitcom is to jam different personalties together so they are stuck with each other e.g. Porridge or the family unit (Steptoe and Son) or work related (The Office, Are You Being Served). Where a sitcom doesn't work is when the viewer starts thinking why on earth do these people put up with each other, that's the moment it has failed.

Auf Wiedersehen Pet was excellent too. Same writers as Porridge. Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais. They repeated a joke in the 2nd series they used in Porridge.

Do you consider yourself working class?

Yes.

Spend a night in Glasgow and you’ll think you’re middle class.

(Done in the company of Mr Mackay)

In Auf Widersehen Pet 2 it was between the 2 coppers at a petrol station without anyone with them and on their way to investigating Ally Fraser. They replaced Glasgow with Newcastle.

 

[Rudi Hedman]

It just shows how hard it is to write good sitcom even for someone who had at least 2 hit shows.

One of the key devices in sitcom is to jam different personalties together so they are stuck with each other e.g. Porridge or the family unit (Steptoe and Son) or work related (The Office, Are You Being Served). Where a sitcom doesn't work is when the viewer starts thinking why on earth do these people put up with each other, that's the moment it has failed.

Camp Marigold didn’t have to remain as Alf Garnett’s carer and I think it was better with those 2 together, but I agree with what you’ve said.

I saw some of it recently and there’s a great episode when the steward at West Ham won’t let him in for free in his wheelchair, which he of course didn’t need, just like the war medals he didn’t earn. Brilliant stuff.

 

[BromleyMonkey]

It just shows how hard it is to write good sitcom even for someone who had at least 2 hit shows.

One of the key devices in sitcom is to jam different personalties together so they are stuck with each other e.g. Porridge or the family unit (Steptoe and Son) or work related (The Office, Are You Being Served). Where a sitcom doesn't work is when the viewer starts thinking why on earth do these people put up with each other, that's the moment it has failed.

That’s why only fools is so good, because they might argue and snipe at each other for comedy value, but you can also feel the love between Del, Rodney, grandad and uncle Albert as written in certain episodes

Good comedy is about the characters but also keeping it real so we can all relate to it.
John Sullivan once said, every character in Citizen Smith and Only Fools were based on people he’d met or observed in real life.