[SimeSublime]

Out of curiosity, what about Coupling? Thats an excellent British sitcom based around relationships. Granted, they're yet to have a wedding.

[Chyld]

You know what's ironic? I was talking to a friend of mine about this, at approximatly the same time as this must have been written, and I think we came to exactly the same conclusion.

Keep that there for a couple of days, I need to point everyone in the Universe there, because I seem to be the only person in Hull that THINKS FRIENDS IS A LOAD OF HAMSTERS HANGERS. Ahem.

(Incidently, we're going to enter a sitcom script-writing contest for the BBC, one of those BBC Talent jobbies. He claims his entry is going to be about the hilarious comedy of coroners playing with corpses. Don't ask.)

[Yahtzee]

I sent a script to that BBC Talent sham once. It was a sitcom about a vigilante crime fighter. They told me it was incomprehensible.

[Chyld]

Honestly, you try and pump a little originality into the genre...

Oh yeah, we're talking 'bout the BBC. Good point. Still, I'm young and optimistic...

[Corasan]

You are aware that your conclusion was just what you critized throughout your entire text, right? A morally lecturing sarcasm disguised as a joke.

Seriously, man, take your own advise.

Oh, and I happen to like sarcasms diguised as jokes. Blackadder, for an instance, pulls those of perfectly (Though I suppose you could argue some of those are jokes disguised as sarcasms). I do agree that most American sit coms are of lousy quality, though. But there are exceptions, I do, for example, like Friends very much, but you are entitled to your own opinion, no matter what I think about it.

Point of the post: be a little less agressive, and your point gets sold to more people - those who already think, say Friends, are lousy agree with you already anyway. So the purpose of the text logically would be to try make other people see the light. Openly badmouthing shows they might like is not the way to do this, as they then will stop reading, or read the rest with a hostile position towards your opinions.

I do agree American shows could learn a hell of a lot from the British ones. I do not agree that American sit coms are only good when they copy that exact formula. Variation is important, or all shows would start being more and more alike each other, and that would just be plain boring. This is (one of the) the trap(s) most American shows have fallen into, and your suggestions would just make all the potentionally good shows fall into the same trap, only in the other end of the genre.

[Chefelf]

Being someone who has been reading Yahtzee's work for close to five years now, I think he finds pleasure in using techniques such as exaggeration to make a point. I'm sure Yahtzee would agree that Blackadder is a great show. If he wouldn't then he is NO FRIEND OF MINE!

One thing I have never understood is America's obsession with remaking shows. If there is a good show made elsewhere, let's just see it! Do Americans really need to hear people with American accents recreating scenes? From what I've heard, Coupling is pretty close to the original (as far as the actual script goes). So why not just show us the original?

It seems like an awful waste of time to go through all of the trouble of casting and re-filming shows with new actors. I've never understood remaking movies for the same point. If you want to create something, then make something new.

[SimeSublime]

Hang on, you've never seen the actual Coupling? You have my sympathies.

[Chyld]

Blackadder is good, and I've lost the point I was going to make already.

My aforementioned mate read that, and raised a very good point. Only Fools and Horses was good, there is no debate there, but they got on well. I proposed, no they didn't. He said, yes they did.

So, how does Only Fools and Horses fit in there? They hate each other? Or they get on with merely a few sarcastic retorts?

[Earion]

You could say that Spaced is based around relationships, and that is my favourite comedy program ever.

It's not entirely based around relationships and isn't American, so it probably has no bearing on anything on this subject.

Bugger.

[Dr Lecter]

You know alot of American producers would save alot of money if they just made a machine that Americanized the accents. It would be alot cheaper than paying actors to reinact them.

[Dark Templar]

A machine that Americanizes the accents? We're talking about weapons of mass destruction here, aren't we?

[Magicman]

Red Dwarf & Only Fools And Horses For Life!!!!

Forget all that 'Everybody Loves Raymond' Crap!!!

Everybody wants to stab Rammond in his stupid whiney american face! :angry:



Now i feel concerened for my own sanity

This post has been edited by Magicman: 11 February 2005 - 06:48 PM

[Chyld]

Don't worry, that happens. You've spent too much time with me and Jane. It'll pass. I think...

[Jane Sherwood]

Or not.

Just sit back and enjoy the homicidal rage.

[Dark Comet]

So where would something like Frasier fit into this? It contains many of the elements Yahtzee despises... but it's done in a much wittier, far clever way.