Quote:
Originally Posted by Oswald
In a word, yes.
These days television companies want to spend money on the cheapest form of entertainment and that is currently what is known as 'Reality TV'. Add to that these so-called 'talent shows' which are also cheap to produce. TV companies don't want to spend money on developing new writers', directors' and actors'. The process is, in their view, too long and too expensive.
In the UK our main commercial TV company, ITV, hasn't produced a credible or watchable sitcom since 'Rising Damp' and that was over 30 years ago! They have attempted others since, but they've been appalling rubbish. I agree that 'On The Buses' was terrible - old musical turns shouting their lines at each other.
The BBC have faired better with sitcoms such as 'Porridge', 'Open All Hours', 'Dad's Army' and although not to everyone's taste, 'Last Of The Summer Wine' which closed after being broadcast for over 35 years!
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Oswald,you seem to be forgetting about George And Mildred(which would have carried on for at least a few more series but for the untimely death of Yootha Joyce),Only When I Laugh,A Fine Romance,Never The Twain,Duty Free,After Henry,Is It Legal,Men Behaving Badly(which started out on ITV)and The Grimleys(which was rubbish in its final series but wholly decent for all of the previous episodes).
I agree that much of ITV's output in this area from the 80's until they just gave up the sitcom ghost altogether,a few years back,was poor.But they didn't have the luxury of sticking with shows that failed to rate well from the outset,where the BBC did and does.Only Fools And Horses being a model example of a sitcom now hailed as a classic but rated poorly for its first two or three seasons.