American 'comedies'...

[max_tranmere]

How does some of this shit get commissioned? I just watched Channel 4 News at noon and I haven't yet turned the TV over - it is still on in the other room and I can hear it. Some awful US 'comedy' is now on and it is so dire that I can not imagine why any network would have picked it up - or why Channel 4 over here did. The jokes aren't even jokes, the characters are really annoying, and the canned laughter is excrutiating. Does anyone know why American channels commission crap like this?

[Arch Stanton]

America is collectively mentally dearranged.

[Peter]

max_tranmere wrote:

Does anyone know why American channels commission crap like this?

Its cheap to produce, and they need to fill the 24 hr schedule with something. And thats why we buy it, cheaper than making your own stuff, and fills up the graveyard slots.

Does anyone remember when BBC1 used to shut down in the afternoons? Basically, they had nothing worth showing, so hey just stopped braodcasting!

[Floydoid]

I guess stations like Channel 4 only buy this inane drivel because it's cheaper than commissioning decent home grown programs.

[steve56]

Ive never understood American Humour esp Joan Rivers,Sid Caesar etc

[JonnyHungwell]

They get a lot of the drival for free on the back of buying a major series. Programmes are sold in package deals - but one decent series and get the stuff nobody would buy for free.

[Jonone]

What was the greater loss back in the day ? The pubs shutting in the afternoon or the BBC sticking the test card up for an hour and a half ?

[mrchapel]

As opposed to the shite they put on here like Peter Kay, Catherine Tate, Steve Coogan and those other unfunny cancers Mitchell and Webb?

[max_tranmere]

I do remember the days when TV didn't start until about 9.30am, and even then it was only 'schools' programmes until midday. Then they introduced Breakfast TV, this was in about 1982, I remember I was at school then and everyone was talking about it. It was only sometime later that the morning schedules became filled up with very American-style shows like now - daytime 'confessional' programmes, and tabloid style stories about celebrities and their love lives. All made here but copying that American style.

TV still stopped at about midnight until 'Night Network' began in about 1989 (remember that?). Two nights a week on either ITV or Channel 4 (I can't remember) and it was music and celebrity interviews all done in a studio in the UK - nothing was imported. Sometime during the 1990's was when we started having 24 hour TV. The BBC was the last to get into it, I can remember as recently as about 10 years ago when we still got the National Anthem played at about 2.00am and the BBC closed down - but not before the 'dont forget to switch off your set' reminder from the announcer! It then started screening its 24 hour News Channel on BBC1 and something else on BBC2 and that was the end of late night closedowns!

I can't remember when TV stopped in the afternoons. Maybe that was a bit before my time. In some ways it might be good to go back to the days of much more limited television. So much stuff on TV now is crap and is only there to fill up the schedules. I mean what is the point of screening repeats of 'Neighbours' at 4.00 or 5.00 in the morning, if not to just fill up the schedule? They've recently started repeating 'Hollyoaks' at 4.00am aswell and the 'Hollyoaks' omnibus was re-screened at about 2.00am last Sunday morning! What's the point of all this? They may aswell close down the Network late at night if they haven't got anything to put on!

[Deuce Bigolo]

So you dont have TIVO I take it?

We had this argument about American sitcoms eons ago

You'd say for every American Hit show that is memorable there are probably 20+ that are duds because their identical made to fill cable TV channels

I read a while back that even Hit Cop shows that dominate our screens cost USD3million an episode but have been sold for as little as 200,000 to undercut the locals and gain market share.Then once the locals are out of business up goes the price...pure rumour mind you

Lets not forget before kenny Everett exposed canned laughter most of useither never took any notice of CL or thought it was live.Now you have the comedies that dont have it(arrested development -I think)and if the writings not up to scratch the show looks lame