For decades American PBS junkies have been exposed to “classic” [sub]cough[/sub] UK sitcoms - Monty Python, Benny Hill, Red Dwarf, Are You Being Served, etc. Never mind Comedy Central and AbFab. (Not that there is anything WRONG with these series; it’s just that they’re old, for the most part.)
In the past two months or so, however, my local PBS affiliate has begun running more recent series, to include Waiting for God, Chef!, and My Hero (? That the one about a superhero trying to live a real life?).
I, personally, find My Hero (if I’m thinking of the correct program) kinda hokey, but I really do like the other two (especially Waiting for God: Diana and What’s-his-face remind me of people I know).
So my question is: Were/Are any of these programs popular over there? And if not, what (non-American) sitcoms/dramas ARE big over there?
Those sitcoms aren’t generally regarded as big ratings winners, IMHO. I believe they’re still making My Hero, which definitely doesn’t have a particularly good reputation. Waiting for God had some odd scheduling, which would suggest it wasn’t a big hit (early evening on BBC2 competing against the soaps on other channels).
I’m not sure that sitcoms are very ‘in’ a the moment; the only one that springs to mind is the superb Spaced, which was a sitcom in name but not in style (drug references, clever in-jokes, surreal scenes etc) and isn’t currently on. Most comedy seems to involve sketch shows or comedy quiz/talk shows at the moment.
The Office is a mock-documentary (a ‘mockumentary’ if you will) about a sad and pathetic manager and his petty staff. It’s pure genius, and is one of the only current crop of UK comedies that’s any good at all. Before that, Alan Partridge was another brilliant comedy (about a sad and pathetic failing TV presenter - do I note a theme here?).
It bugs me that people put Benny Hill in the same class as other genuinely funny comedy.
I love Spaced and Black Books. My Hero is fun too, but it’s much lighter, more mainstream than the other two. What they do, they do well, though, and it’s a very likeable programme, IMHO.
Waiting for God is a slightly older series - from maybe 5 years ago? At that time, any comedies that weren’t totally mainstream were shown on BBC2 rather than BBC1, so that doesn’t mean it was unpopular. BBC2 always mucks around with the scheduling too, so that’s not significant. I want to be like Diana when I grow old, and I never would have thought I’d be so interested in the romantic relationships of pensioners.
Crusoe, I’ve had a look round for any info on viewing figures and so on for WFG, but not found anything yet. If it was at 7pm, that’s actually not too bad a time, since the soaps mostly start at 7.30, I think. Still, for some reason all the BBC’s ‘good’ shows (ie, ones I like) seem to be badly-scheduled and underpromoted. There’s another well-written, well-performed, completely mainstream comedy - Coupling - that’s still kept on BBC2 at 9.30 on a Monday, which is hardly prime-time, and I’ve never seen any promotions for it. I really have no idea what the BBC are thinking of with their scheduling. Most likely they don’t either.
As soon as I saw this thread, I wondered “What would the US make of Brasseye”. Can you imagine? Of course, I may be talking nonce sense.
I believe The League of Gentlemen and Black Books are both showing in the US, although I’m not sure which channel. I love them both, along with Spaced, The Office and The Book Club. Ricky Gervais and Ian Mackenzie are a comedy geniuses.
Waiting For God, as has been confirmed, is actually quite an old show - it started running in the 80s and had some rather unhelpful scheduling as far as ratings go.
And Father Ted runs the US too, I’m told?
I don’t really rate My Hero - it’s a bit “ITV Saturday Entertainment” for me.
Chef! is, eh, okay. It’s a vehicle for Lenny Henry (married to Dawn French of The Vicar of Dibley, for those who don’t know). It’s the osrt of thing I’ll watch if nothing else is on, but I wouldn’t sit down to watch specifically.
I don’t think any US Network would touch Brasseye. Hell, I’m not sure how Channel 4 feel now. You have to have a lot of faith in your audience to run that, IMHO.
More votes for Coupling and The Office. Though I tired of the man-child stereotype a looooong while ago (probably about mid-point in the Men Behaving Badly run) I do think Coupling is fresher and is more even in its scorn. Have no idea how The Office would travel but I’d guess pretty well – superb characterisations, subtle and harsh…loved it.
If ‘My Hero’ is the one with the Irish comedian as a superhero, it’s not my cup of tea. One of the good things about the BBC in the past has been their willingness to give a show the opportunity to mature - maybe three series/seasons to find it’s stride. I thought those days had gone but – even though not my thing – I hope ‘My Hero’ is indicative of a return to that former mind set.
Don’t seem to catch many US sitcoms at the moment although the old chestnuts like Friends and Frazier are still running. Scrubs looks vaguely interesting from the trailers (though I worry – groundlessly at this point - it tries too hard) and Six Feet Under is difficult to class as a sitcom but has it’s moments and is interesting.
BTW, BBC America runs some interesting stuff in the daytime and you might want to set the video to record one or two of those. For example, I understand ‘This Life’ is shown then. Not a sitcom but do check it out.
There’s also TV To Go, sort of magazine-format thing, currently running after the news on Mondays. Has its moments. (The line-up includes the spectrally thin Mackenzie Crook, from the Eleven O’Clock Show - he might appeal to some Americans, the sort who think Calista Flockheart is too fat…)
Of course, that’s currently on just after the Alan Partridge re-runs, so that makes for one painless hour of a Monday evening.
(I don’t know what America would make of Alan Partridge. Put him in charge of CNN or something, I suppose.)