British Comedy

[scameter]

I know that in America (I can't really speak for other countries), American television comedy shows such as Friends, Everybody Loves Raymond and Seinfeld are/were very popular, but in Georgia on PBS British comedies such as Are You Being Served?, Keeping Up Appearances and Blackadder are shown sometimes and I thoroughly enjoy them, perhaps more than American ones. Anyone else?

[sonrisa]

I don't much care for sitcoms but I loved Blackadder. I remember the 1st time I saw it, I was channel surfing & I happened upon it, & I remember thinking, this show's actually funny. Blackadder's the reason I started watching House. Hugh Laurie is :thumbsup:, whether he's playing George or "Dr Blackadder".

[scameter]

He is pretty funny. I also like Mr. Bean, but they rarely show it on the PBS British comedies.

[sonrisa]

Are You Being Served? is good too. The late great John Inman, rest his crazy soul. And young Mr Grace & his bimbos :D

And Keeping Up Appearances with Hyacinth & Daisy, Onslow, & poor long suffering Richard. Oh yes, & Rose the floozy too! :goodlaugh:

[scameter]

I thought you didn't like sitcoms?:D

[Thomas Knierim]

Are You Being Served? Blackadder?

By golly, that's really old stuff. Of course, Atkinson is always great.

If you have a peek at http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/ you might notice that not much has changed in the British comedy department, except perhaps the faces and the names of the shows.

Cheers, Thomas

[scameter]

True. It seems that whereas only a few britcoms were very good and the rest weren't too hot, the American sitcoms were good like, pre-21st century, and are horrible after that time.

[sonrisa]

Thomas-- By golly that's really old stuff.

-- yeah but it's PBS, the shoe string network :D

the local PBS station here has run (& rerun) Are You Being Served? & Keeping Up Appearances forever. Just over & over & over again. I guess folx are watching or else they wouldn't do it. I myself will tune in if I can't find anything else good on TV.

otoh, they ran the Blackadder installments as they came, then stopped when the installments ended. I heard they're supposed to be doing a new Blackadder. Can't wait to see it.

[scameter]

I haven't heard anything about that. Sounds good though, I'd like to see it. I wish they'd do more Mr. Bean shows.

[sonrisa]

yeah well apparantly that was a false alarm (click below)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/4253203.stm

perhaps it's just as well. They really shouldn't do another Blackadder without George, & he's being Dr House at the moment

[scameter]

I liked George, but I definitely thought Blackadder made the show, as he did in Mr. Bean. Actually, I thought Bolderic (sp) was better than George.

[sonrisa]

of course Blackadder made the show. he was the show. They definitely can't do another series without him! But at the same time, let's not write off the supporting cast. Blackadder can't say stuff like, "George, exactly who is using the family brain cell at the moment?" if there's no George to say it to. He can't rag on Baldrick if there's no Baldrick to rag on. All I'm saying is if they would do another Blackadder, they should do it wth the cast intact. They could bring on another buffoon to replace George, but if that actor isn't as good as Hugh Laurie, the show wouldn't be as funny.

[scameter]

I didn't remove the supporting cast; I merely said I don't like George as much as Blackadder or Balderick. But, honestly, I think that they could have Blackadder with an entirely different cast, and it wouldn't matter, because he made the show, as you said. George was funny and Baldrick was funny, but because of how Blackadder reacted to them.

[sonrisa]

But, honestly, I think that they could have Blackadder with an entirely different cast, and it wouldn't matter.

-- ya think? Let's take a good hard look at some of the characters on that show: Blackadder was an inept obnoxious a-hole. Somebody that we wouldn't want to have hanging around in real life. If another actor had played him, Blackadder may have come off as an inept obnoxious a-hole & the show would of tanked. But Rowan Atkinson was able to make the character funny, & we were able to sympathize with his on-going problem, that he was surrounded by characters even more inept than he was.

Scam-- George was funny and Baldrick was funny, but because of how Blackadder reacted to them.

-- these characters were funny becuz the actors who played them made them funny. George was the show's buffoon. Another annoying person in real life. In the hands of another actor, George may have been as annoying to us as he was to Blackadder, but Hugh Laurie made him funny, so we were able to enjoy the interaction between the two characters. Same goes with Baldrick & the other characters on that show. If other actors had played them, they may not have been funny, & the showed would of been diminished.

Blackadder was one of those outrageous shows that succeeded becuz the right actors were playing the right roles. The show as a whole was greater than the sum of it's parts. This is why I say that if they do another installment they shouldn't mess with the formula & should do it with the cast intact.

[scameter]

You're right.

[Trevor]

I know that in America (I can't really speak for other countries), American television comedy shows such as Friends, Everybody Loves Raymond and Seinfeld are/were very popular, but in Georgia on PBS British comedies such as Are You Being Served?, Keeping Up Appearances and Blackadder are shown sometimes and I thoroughly enjoy them, perhaps more than American ones. Anyone else?

"Three's Company" was an American spinoff of the British comedy "Man About the House".

[sonrisa]

yeah & The Office is a spin off of...... The Office !! ::D