seagoat

Hello!

I am new to this forum, and do hope you can help me.

I am writing an essay about British Film Comedy and in particular the trend we have towards drawing our film comedy talent from our TV comedy talent. This talent is generally writer-performer centred and the essay is about where this leaves the non-performing British comedy screenwriter, and indeed the future of the British film industry.

What I'm looking for is people's opinions on this subject. For example, in the US film comedy has more in common with other films than with TV comedy. In the UK our film comedy has more in common with our TV comedy - is this why our film comedy output is flailing. Has a generation of film comedy screenwriters been nipped in the bud because of this emphasis on writer-performers?

Grateful for any opinions. Many thanks!

DB7

Not sure I even agree, US film comedy has in the past decade thrived with big screen versions of The Addams Family, Bilko, Bewitched, Brady Bunch and god knows how many other lamentable comedies that echo the 70s trend for spinoffs over here.

Rather than writer-performers or seperate screenwriters, the likes of Gervais, Coogan and Baron Cohen tend to co-write with the same scriptwriter and forge a lengthy working relationship.

JamesM

The US comedy tradition in film has also been to take popular comics and put them on the big screen sometimes with their material. This happenend with Richard Prior, the Saturday Night Live team and Eddie Murphy. Ben Stiller is in the writer-performer tradition.

intelligence

I think few vulgar British comedy film been critically undervalued though they were good comedy films.

penfold

I think the problem is not just the emphasis on writer-performers on TV at the moment, but their success....I can't think of a good non-writer-performed comedy since Father Ted....and then the writers are Irish and do perform cameos regularly....can you make a suggestion of one?? All the successful, ie funny, not the ability to get recommissioned (My Hero for example), comedies recently have had writer performers.

Bit of a Bay Window, what??

DB7

Probably 'The Thick of It" which is written by Armando Iannucci. He and Coogan seem to have finally parted company. (Coogan's Saxondale on BBC2 is drawing me in as the central character appears to be based on my black sheep brother;))

Steve Crook

Funland (2005)?
Love Soup (2005)?

It's hard to find a comedy drama that's been made here recently. There are some dramas with a few elements of comedy but that are mainly on the drama side like Hotel Babylon. But apart from that it's mainly sketch shows or comedy panel games.

So you're not a fan of My Hero then?

Steve

Steve Crook

I think Saxondale is pretty good. I don't know about the temper thing, I can't relate to that. But the rest of it I can relate to. A man trying to make his way in the world, dodging the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune.

The young lad Raymond (Rasmus Hardiker) seems to be just a bit of a standard gormless teenager at first glance. But he's developing very nicely as a character.

Steve

steereomono

Interesting thread Seagoat. I think that the emphasis here in the UK of writer/performer material comes mainly from the breeding ground of the Edinburgh Festival. Set in motion perhaps by Beyond The Fringe/Footlights nearly 50 years ago.
In recent years that supply from Edinburgh has given us Coogan, The Mighty Boosh, The League of Gentlemen and countless others (good and bad).

It is indeed very difficult to find a contemporary non-performing comedy writer or writing team (in the manner of a Galton & Simpson or a Perry & Croft for instance).
On TV "The IT Crowd" had its moments, but didn't quite hit the mark.

I like "Saxondale" as well, it is a grower and I hope it gets a second series.

DB7

The BBC have both approaches covered this autumn as there's a series of one-off comedy pilots and also writer/performer sitcoms fronted by the likes of stand-ups Jack Dee, Alan Davies and Lee Mack.

Sadly a lot does appear to be 2.4 Children/My Family inspired.

Also, a large number will be nurtured on BBC3 before no doubt crossing over if a second series is commissioned.

Steve Crook

Or should that be "My Family - insipid"?

Steve

penfold

Also the reason I wouldn't watch My Hero if you paid me a lot of money...My Family is written by committee, and it shows...2.4 Children was genius by comparisom.

Actually, I have just thought of one really good recent sitcom, and though Craig Cash appears as a character and co-directs, as well as co-writes, it just about qualifies....Early Doors, a real throwback to the days when you could get involved with a comedy character, and you had just a hint of tragedy lurking beneath the surface...well written and well observed. John Henshaw, Ken the landlord, gives a performance the like of which we havent seen since the golden days of Ronnie Barker and Porridge...and yet, I don't think it even got to BBC1...Saxondale I enjoyed, it needs to come on for Series 2, but I have a soft spot for the Focus soundtrack....Prog Rules!!

Bit of a Bay Window, what??