What world do BBC sitcom writers live in?

[Detroit City]

Do you get our version or a US version?

we get the UK version but on special pay cable (BBC America)...

 

[teuchter]

It looks fake in the show. It might even be real made to look fake, but it looks fake.

He was also in Garth Marengi's Dark Place.

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=nNfQ0ORwSDM

Which is moderately amusing.

 

[scifisam]

I quite like the vampire behind the red door, because at a couple of my previous workplaces there were also a couple of mysterious doors behind which odd people used to work (one was a disused lift shaft). Also, one of my old exes was an (Irish) IT tech in the late nineties - it seems to me that this is written from those times.

 

[scifisam]

This episode is all about the girl having a period and getting angry at that time. OH, HOW CLEVER!

 

[Augie March]

IT crowd also pays serious homage to the X-Files, which I like.

But it's also just a bit badly acted. Bad. It could improve. The Irish guy's fine. They just need to stop the guy that - for some reason - they've given a fake afro - sounding like Rimmer.

I really like Richard Ayoade. Moss and Dean Lerner are two brilliant comedy characters and he plays them really well for my money.

His hair's real btw.

 

[_angel_]

I've seen all that because I had a huge crush on Charlotte Coleman when I was younger. That makes two of us!

How do you want me, written by Simon Nye. Loads better than anything else he's written IMO.

 

[Augie March]

i thought the writing for Coupling was pretty good...and Ab Fab

I hate Ab Fab, but I have to admit, I do have a fondness for Coupling. Steven Moffatt is a really great writer and of course, is now head honcho on Dr Who.

Incidentally does anybody else remember his other sitcoms, Chalk and Joking Apart? I liked them too when I was a young 'un.

 

[rollinder]

Chalk was supposedly crap according to critics at the time but I like I liked it too.

 

[Detroit City]

Incidentally does anybody else remember his other sitcoms, Chalk and Joking Apart? I liked them too when I was a young 'un.

no, we didn't get those over here....we pretty much only get the best of the brit coms

 

[monkeyhead]

I used to fancy Charlotte Coleman too, I was gutted when she died. I used to like How Do You Want Me and 15 Storeys is one of my favourites ( you can find most of it on Youtube)

 

[upsidedownwalrus]

It's not just the sitcoms.

How on earth do the characters in Eastenders manage to pay rent etc, while working 2 hours a week in the pub and so on? In today's East End?

What a joke!

 

[zoooo]

I might still give the other shows another try, though. It does take time, sometimes.

Yes it does. Like the best albums!
They grow on you without you realising it, and then suddenly it's your favourite.

(and Ayoade's hair is very real.)

 

[nino_savatte]

It's not just the sitcoms.

How on earth do the characters in Eastenders manage to pay rent etc, while working 2 hours a week in the pub and so on? In today's East End?

What a joke!

What I like is the way they can drink loads (all soap characters are like this) and show no ill effects.

 

[Orang Utan]

But it's also just a bit badly acted. Bad. It could improve. The Irish guy's fine. They just need to stop the guy that - for some reason - they've given a fake afro - sounding like Rimmer.

It's not fake. Unless he wears it about in public.

 

[The Unseen]

The pubs they visit are all lifted from the 1970s. Probably reused from Only Fools and Horses, where the pubs looked outdated even then.

Most pubs round here still look like that! Some don't, i prefer old style one's!

Its a programme with Nicholas Lindhurst in it, and thats all it needs to be to drag in the sentimental types who just want to look at his image on the screen.

Why try harder?

Also, shout out to the Office Afro guy who was in Darth Merenghi, his character in that was quite wooden, intentionally i believe. In The IT crowd, he plays the charactor a bit like a robot. Which is really well done imo, considering a IT person i know

 

[scifisam]

I loved the first episode of season 2 of the IT crowd! It kinda reminded me of Coupling, in the way it had ordindary situations spiralling out of control.

However, it took fecking ages to fnd that episode online and I can't find episode 2 anywhere.

 

[IC3D]

I loved the first episode of season 2 of the IT crowd! It kinda reminded me of Coupling, in the way it had ordindary situations spiralling out of control.

However, it took fecking ages to fnd that episode online and I can't find episode 2 anywhere.

try t v - l i n k s . e u its on there

 

[scifisam]

Oooh, ta! I used to use that website a lot, and then when it went down it never occured to me to add a different region thing. Doh!

 

[scifisam]

Chris Morris's character is CJ from Reggie Perrin, but I suspect everyone knew that already.

 

[PacificOcean]

I know it's not the BBC, but has anyone else noticed on Corrie that the toilets are where Ken & Dedries house should be?

 

[wiskey]

Outnumbered is awwwwesome. I love it!

I watched this because there was a thing on R4 about the kids in it and I thought I'd check it out. As I understand it the adults believe the scene is going to go one way and the kids are told to subvert it - what you end up with apparently looks ultra realistic and is very funny.

I might need to watch another episode before I get it completely.

 

[zoooo]

It's fandabbydozie.

There are VERY few kids on TV that you don't want to kill, or at least shut in a cupboard, but the makers of the show have really hit on the perfect way to work with them.

 

[Homeless Mal]

I watched this c4 thing the other morning where this girl was blasting Eastenders for having it's characters never progress in education or career. How long has Gus been sweeping the square for now?

This is really funny. This girl from Kent I work with told me she can't stand EastEnders because noone ever looks outside of the Square to find a job. She got quite red in the face talking about it and at one point stood up and started bawling them out for never going to proper shops and not using enough public transport. You Brits

 

[panpete]

BBC Sitcoms

 

[rollinder]

I hate Ab Fab, but I have to admit, I do have a fondness for Coupling. Steven Moffatt is a really great writer and of course, is now head honcho on Dr Who.

Incidentally does anybody else remember his other sitcoms, Chalk and Joking Apart? I liked them too when I was a young 'un.

Series one of Chalk's getting a web only dvd release right now
http://www.replaydvd.co.uk/chalk.htm

 

[xenon]

Prime time TV entertainment's not like real life?

I'm shocked.

 

[Augie March]

Series one of Chalk's getting a web only dvd release right now
http://www.replaydvd.co.uk/chalk.htm

And Joking Apart too. Good find rollinder!

 

[rollinder]

found it via a post on roobarb's dvd forum last night
talking about Chalk - don't rembember it having two series but cool series one's coming out, ordered it.

Don't remember Joking Apart at all tbh, when was it on?

 

[Augie March]

I like that site, I'm impressed that they managed to get a DVD release purely through people's requests.

Joking Apart was about before Chalk I think, early nineties. I can't remember much about the show itself now, I remember liking it though.

 

[scifisam]

I watched this because there was a thing on R4 about the kids in it and I thought I'd check it out. As I understand it the adults believe the scene is going to go one way and the kids are told to subvert it - what you end up with apparently looks ultra realistic and is very funny.

I might need to watch another episode before I get it completely.

I find it hard to believe that a 5-year-old girl is making up teddy bear games about Nigella and Gordon Ramsey.

That child also really needs her hair brushed!