They say that humour doesn’t travel, and I guess this is more or less
correct. There are a few exceptions where some shows have been rewritten to
suit a market, such as ‘Steptoe and Son’ and the Office’
Some humour doesn’t need re working: like `Mr Bean’ or `Monty Python’ it
appeals to lots of people. If writers knew what it was, or what the formula was,
we would all be very rich. But we don’t - that’s why in the past here in Britain
we have had the likes of ‘Allo, Allo’ and ‘Terry and June'! These sitcoms were
as funny as herpes! But people watched them and laughed, so who am I to
criticise?
The Americans also have a multitude of dire sitcoms, which for some
reason end up here on British TV. This is a message to all American TV
executives: canned laughter is not, and never has been, needed so stop using it,
now!
To prove a point, watch the American version of the brilliant M.A.S.H
from the seventies. In America, they used canned laughter over the show, while
here in Britain we received it neat. Trust me, the show was three times funnier
without the nauseating and distracting forced laughter.
Another problem for sitcoms on both sides of the pond is the quality of
the writers. When a show is first launched it is usually staffed by writers who
are hungry for success and enjoy the challenge. When a show becomes successful,
other writers are drafted in and the show soon becomes stale and in most cases
of classic American shows, moralising and preachy!
I’m sad to say that I have, over the last few weeks, been watching the
latest episodes of what was once one of the greatest sitcoms ever written, ‘The
Simpsons’ And the unthinkable has happened: they have fallen into this trap.
The shows were once well-written, edgy, fast-paced and extremely funny. They got
away with gags that no other show would have dared to even write. And most of
the Homerisms have gone into everyday use, ‘Every time I learn something new, it
pushes something I knew out of my brain!’
The old Simpsons would start with Bart missing school and end up with
the mob trying to kill Homer, and all this happened seamlessly!
Now, the stories are slow, moralistic and unfunny, Homer has started to
become wise; Bart has turned into the dull ‘Dennis the Menace’ - even Lisa has
been ‘dumbed down' to a pony-loving little girl who likes pink. Where has the
little irritating intellectual pedant gone? And they have turned Marge into a
Lucile Ball type character. I never thought this day would come, but I can’t be
bothered watching the programme anymore.
I know people claim, and with good reason, that ‘Family Guy' is a rip off
of 'The Simpsons', but they are a rip off of the old Simpsons. The anarchic
Simpsons. They don’t want to preach, they want to walk on quicksand. They push
buttons and boundaries.
This is what comedy should be about - comedy has was proven in the past
to be able to change societies by pointing
out and ridiculing the accepted `norm’. Good comedy is thought-provoking, while
giving you a slap in the face. It’s daring to laugh at the unspeakable while
prodding the pompous.
There are comedians out there who tread the line, while others jump over
it and moon at you while they do it!
So, with a heavy heart, it’s RIP Homer Simpson and long live Peter
Griffin!
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