Planetarion Forums - Britain's Best Sitcom

Evergreen · 12 Jan 2004, 20:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrL_JaKiri

I don't see why you're still labouring under the misconception that 'Infinity Welcomes Careful Drivers' was written before the series, given it's been pointed out at least twice.

Mark who wrote the series, who wrote the books.

queball · 12 Jan 2004, 20:46

My Family is utter shit. I agree with The Young Ones and Red Dwarf, don't really know the others well enough to comment.

MrL_JaKiri · 12 Jan 2004, 20:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by Evergreen

Mark who wrote the series, who wrote the books.

That gestalt entity Grant Naylor.

And in my copy of Infinity (in the preface, which describes them getting Red Dwarf made), it specifically states that it was always written as a sitcom, not as a book.

In fact, the entire premise was 'What if you just had the most slovenly individual alive as the last member of the human race?'

MrL_JaKiri · 12 Jan 2004, 20:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by Evergreen

I'll admit some of the examples were more superficial, some were more serious, Compare the addition of colin the dog to Kryten or the changing of holly ta.

Again, that's INTER-series, not INTRA-series.

Strawman is

duder.

Dante Hicks · 12 Jan 2004, 20:47

The book was after the (start) of the TV series. That's the point.

Evergreen · 12 Jan 2004, 20:48

Which is a good premise.

What's the premise of Black Books that makes it a top ten show that belongs up there with such sitcoms as Dad's Army, Blackadder and Red Dwarf....

MrL_JaKiri · 12 Jan 2004, 20:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by Evergreen

Which is a good premise.

I'm not saying it's a bad premise. You said it was more plausable, which it quite clearly isn't.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Evergreen

What's the premise of Black Books that makes it a top ten show that belongs up there with such sitcoms as Dad's Army, Blackadder and Red Dwarf....

Personally, I think it should be a top 10 show because it's very funny.

You know, sitcom.

Evergreen · 12 Jan 2004, 20:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrL_JaKiri

I'm not saying it's a bad premise. You said it was more plausable, which it quite clearly isn't.

Personally, I think it should be a top 10 show because it's very funny.

You know, sitcom.

And I guess that's why Only fools and Horses and Porridge and Dad's Army made the top ten because not only where they funny they were also well situated with the viewing public at the time.

Somebody can't get sitcom....

Black Books and Spaced aren't good enough for the top ten cause they were good comedy but they weren't excellent situation.

The other top 10 titles many have mentioned were and are at the time v well situated to Britain or notable trends, (Sci-fi is still a much bigger thing than bookshops or student humour mark), on top of being funny.

It's like arguing that because a car has an excellent top speed but crap aerodynamics it should be one of the best cars around even though their are cars that perform better than it in it's intended purpose.

MrL_JaKiri · 12 Jan 2004, 20:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by Evergreen

And I guess that's why Only fools and Horses and Porridge and Dad's Army made the top ten because not only where they funny they were also well situated with the viewing public at the time.

Somebody can't get sitcom....

I don't think Only Fools and Horses or Dad's Army (and to a lesser extent porridge) are very funny. Definitely not as funny as Black Books or Spaced.

Evergreen · 12 Jan 2004, 21:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrL_JaKiri

I don't think Only Fools and Horses or Dad's Army (and to a lesser extent porridge) are very funny. Definitely not as funny as Black Books or Spaced.

I never said very funny, I said funny. They were nicely complimented between situations the public can relate to and humour. Perhaps it was too subtle to you or perhaps you jsut don't make up the complete demographic of the UK viewers. It's well known that stuff like Black Books and Spaced are only really relateable amongst people of our generation that are currently going through or just through uni or a teenager with the odd exception of niche viewers in the older age bracket.

Stuff like Dad's Army is funny and relevantly situated for all age groups. Some more than most but it has a greater broader appeal and hence is meritable of a top 10 position. Spaced and Black Books are hardly popular as in mainstream mark and there's a reason why they aren't mainstream and don't start piling out lot's of crap against it, it's not arguable against when you are talking about something that is broadcasted on a domestically available channel for the whole nation to see.

MrL_JaKiri · 12 Jan 2004, 21:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by Evergreen

Perhaps it was too subtle to you or perhaps you jsut don't make up the complete demographic of the UK viewers.

Perhaps the definition of the word 'opinion' may have passed you by duder :coolio:

Evergreen · 12 Jan 2004, 21:07

Opinion with reference to being aware of what makes a good sitcom perhaps

If you can't make an opinion based on the topic matter then naturally you are going to get argued with.

I ask again if this was a debate about what is the best cars made with regards to speed and handling and you argued for a dragster to be in the top ten you'd get laughed off the topic.

MrL_JaKiri · 12 Jan 2004, 21:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by Evergreen

If you can't make an opinion based on the topic matter then naturally you are going to get argued with.

Well, the topic matter is 'What are your 3 favourite sit coms?' Admittedly, I chose 5, but that's no need to get angry duder.

Anyway, it's not like I even mentioned opinion before a couple of posts ago.

Most of your argument was just factually inaccurate.

Evergreen · 12 Jan 2004, 21:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrL_JaKiri

Well, the topic matter is 'What are your 3 favourite sit coms?' Admittedly, I chose 5, but that's no need to get angry duder.

Anyway, it's not like I even mentioned opinion before a couple of posts ago.

Most of your argument was just factually inaccurate.

Or you just don't see how it all applies eh?

MrL_JaKiri · 12 Jan 2004, 21:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by Evergreen

Or you just don't see how it all applies eh?

No, this time you're factually inaccurate, not just hideously irrelevent.

Evergreen · 12 Jan 2004, 21:13

No, this time you admitted you don't see how it all applied and you've been fishing ever since.

Maybe next battle sweetheart

MrL_JaKiri · 12 Jan 2004, 21:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by Evergreen

No, this time you admitted you don't see how it all applied and you've been fishing ever since.

Maybe next battle sweetheart

Go back to scottishland and club some children or whatever you people do.

Evergreen · 12 Jan 2004, 21:21

Bastard you've made me miss the first 16 minutes of john doe.

Stew · 12 Jan 2004, 22:12

BTW - dunno if its been said, but The Times says Fawlty Towers is atm winnin by a mile.

MrL_JaKiri · 12 Jan 2004, 22:38

It did last time too.

Dante Hicks · 13 Jan 2004, 00:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by Evergreen

Or you just don't see how it all applies eh?

Your comments about the foundations of Red Dwarf and the continuity of Spaced were merely wrong.

Your comments on the situation aspect of sitcom is perfectly valid, although not one I've considered particularly, tbh. If we expand this slightly and look at the most popular American shows, the situation doesn't really seem to indicate the quality. Is a show about : "A group of New York friends adventures and misadvenutres in love and life" good or bad? Seinfeld or Friends? etc, etc. How about "the zany adventures of the staff in a hospital" (Nurses or Scrubs?)

If we look at the top ten given in the original post most British shows seem to have more original or distinct premises, the only one which is really unique is Blackadder. The rest could have been horrid given their premise.

MrL_JaKiri · 13 Jan 2004, 00:05

Blackadder's basic premise was a Shakespeare spoof, remember, and originally Baldrick was the clever one.

How things change.

Dante Hicks · 13 Jan 2004, 00:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrL_JaKiri

Blackadder's basic premise was a Shakespeare spoof, remember, and originally Baldrick was the clever one.

There still aren't many historical sitcoms though. In retrospect the concept is a lot cleverer than it really was at the time (I don't think they had thought about doing a series going through history). The concept they ended up with is genius, the one they started with was still fairly special (compared to a lot of tripe at least).

Mushroom · 13 Jan 2004, 00:21

I think it's a dreadful state of affairs when Last of the Summer Wine comes higher than Red Dwarf
i mean, fs...

Dante Hicks · 13 Jan 2004, 00:29

There are a lot of old people in this country though.

Mushroom · 13 Jan 2004, 00:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dante Hicks

There are a lot of old people in this country though.

Good point.

cressa · 13 Jan 2004, 00:35

I'm Alan Partridge @ 43...now that truly is a disgrace....

Mushroom · 13 Jan 2004, 00:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by cressa

I'm Alan Partridge @ 43...now that truly is a disgrace....

Absolutely
Should have been much lower!

(sorry, i don't really like that programme, he gets on my nerves)

cressa · 13 Jan 2004, 01:09

Thats ok your entitled to an opinion

(even tho its wrong )

Deepflow · 13 Jan 2004, 12:27

i was quite shocked by alan partridges poor showing as well actually

it was a disgrace. more untraditional comedy seems to have done less well than it should imo. I think the office only got so high because he did a stupid dance that amused the proles.

Demon Dave · 13 Jan 2004, 12:37

i only have four things to say:
"naff off nurk"
"don't mention the war"
"don't panic mr mainwearing"
"smell my cheese"