Even After 50 Years, Comedy Writing Is A
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Source: Daily Express {Main} Edition: Country: UK Date: Thursday 17, September 2020 Page: 24,25 Area: 1289 sq. cm Circulation: ABC 251736 Daily Ad data: page rate £20,825.00, scc rate £128.00 Phone: 020 7928 8000 Keyword: W&N T’S BEEN close to 100 degrees Rob Crossan in parts of California over the By Even after past few weeks. But for two Britons, who have spent the best on and having to say, ‘Wait a minute, part of half-a-century living where’s the diversity in this script?’” deep in the Hollywood Hills, it’s One wonders if classics such as The 50 years, aI temperature change of a different Likely Lads would even be commis- kind that’s been making them hot sioned these days. One thing is cer- under the collar. tain, says Ian: “We can’t just write “I just couldn’t believe it. It did white, male parts and that’s a good comedy drive me a bit crazy when I heard,” thing. But I think it looks just as bad says Dick Clement, who with his to specify a character as ‘Asian’, or writing partner Ian La Frenais, ‘Afro-American’ in a script as it created some of the most beloved TV looks forced.” writing is shows and films of the past 50 years The pair were asked to remove a including The Likely Lads, Porridge passage of dialogue in their Porridge and Auf Wiedersehen, Pet. reboot, starring Kevin Bishop, that He is referring, of course, to involved the mention of slavery. “I UKTV’s controver- a ‘woke’ in sial decision (since overturned) to remove the iconic Germans episode of progress… Fawlty Towers from its streaming service amid claims of Likely Lads racism. Now both 83, Clement and La creators Dick Frenais are busier than ever; working Clement and over Facetime from THE LIKELY LADS: James Bolam and Rodney Bewes their homes in Los Ian La Frenais Angeles, and still creating hits – most think that decision was probably the recently the Beatles-inspired musical right one but you have to be aware,” film Across The Universe. But when it says Dick. reveal how comes to the huge sea change in polit- “We have a script ready to go based ical correctness that has resulted in in Heston, all about a VAT scam that ‘cancel culture’ classic TV shows being “cancelled” happened in 2000. The cast of and comedians publicly castigated for characters is hugely diverse because forced them to their historic material, the duo admit of the story. But ultimately, it does the new sense of “wokeness” has have to be the story that guides you affected their writing. on these things.” think again “We’re censuring ourselves all the Asked what makes an appalling time when we write now and thinking character like Basil Fawlty so funny, about their about things differently,” admits Ian. Ian replies: “In two words – social “I have found myself looking through class. Everything is defined by social work a script Dick and I have been working class and every gradation and nuance Reproduced by Gorkana under licence from the NLA (newspapers), CLA (magazines), FT (Financial Times/ft.com) or other copyright owner. No further copying (including printing of digital cuttings), digital reproduction/forwarding of the cutting is permitted except under licence from the copyright owner. All FT content is copyright The Financial Times Ltd. Article Page 1 of 4 497619209 - DEEKUM - D21-1 - 163224671 Source: Daily Express {Main} Edition: Country: UK Date: Thursday 17, September 2020 Page: 24,25 Area: 1289 sq. cm Circulation: ABC 251736 Daily Ad data: page rate £20,825.00, scc rate £128.00 Phone: 020 7928 8000 Keyword: W&N of comedy in this Mary Quant and country is about Roger Daltrey. It class. From feels like a fond, Fawlty Towers final farewell to (pictured right) that decade to Shameless – made by those it’s all about who survived class.” and the pair The kickback admit to feeling such as it is against some sadness this new sensitivity about the genera- has come from an tion that has suc- unlikely source of late ceeded it. “The ’60s was with the BBC’s new director- the first era where the future general Tim Davie admitting there was in the hands of the young is too much Left-wing comedy on rather than the old,” says Ian. “It the network, with content unfairly was a remarkable decade, especially biased against the Tories, Trump and for Dick and I because we were Brexit. It’s a policy which Clement young. It was a remarkable change and La Frenais find more than a from the grey awfulness of the little confusing. Fifties in Britain. “Well, first you’ve got to find “This system that had gone these Right-wing comics,” says unquestioned for centuries was Dick. “Can you pick comedians on suddenly eroded. The sadness is the basis of appeasing the political that, especially with social media at ticket or do you put them on telly their fingertips, the younger gener- because they’re funny? I’d quite like ation should have that same atti- to see an Alf Garnett type on the tude – that the future belongs to us. telly now but I don’t think the BBC “But I don’t see the rebellions would be brave enough to let a coming out of colleges. The reality character like that loose in case is that the US election is going to people took him seriously! People be two men in their late 70s like him were expressing a blue challenging for President.” collar, Right-wing viewpoint which Their entertaining memoir, More was very valuable.” Than Likely, is published today in It all seems a far cry from the paperback and provides an extraor- duo’s first forays into writing back dinary, anecdote-packed sweep in the early 1960s when they through their remarkable career, created Bob and Terry, two with chapters devoted to their working-class Geordies whose main working (and social) relationships hobbies were drinking, arguing and with everyone from Richard Burton attempting to seduce girls in The to Peter Sellers and George Best to Likely Lads. Ava Gardner. It’s an era they recently returned It’s every bit the equal to their to with their My Generation film. My Generation film in terms of Narrated by Michael Caine, the documenting what, with hindsight, documentary featured interviews appears to be a golden age of stage with Paul McCartney, David Bailey, and screen talent. When I ask them Reproduced by Gorkana under licence from the NLA (newspapers), CLA (magazines), FT (Financial Times/ft.com) or other copyright owner. No further copying (including printing of digital cuttings), digital reproduction/forwarding of the cutting is permitted except under licence from the copyright owner. All FT content is copyright The Financial Times Ltd. Article Page 2 of 4 497619209 - DEEKUM - D21-1 - 163224671 Source: Daily Express {Main} Edition: Country: UK Date: Thursday 17, September 2020 Page: 24,25 Area: 1289 sq. cm Circulation: ABC 251736 Daily Ad data: page rate £20,825.00, scc rate £128.00 Phone: 020 7928 8000 Keyword: W&N d who they’d most want to bring back 20th century’s biggest stars have always our safety net – and still is,” t from the grave and work with again, been so productive. In their book, insists Ian. “We moved to LA and in , their answers, surprisingly, aren’t the pair recall a particularly grim the Eighties we weren’t getting far o the usual suspects of Burton, Sellers breakfast meeting with the here at all. So we spent our days e or Brando. notoriously irascible Van Morrison writing Auf Wiedersehen, Pet or e “I’d have to bring Ronnie Barker with a view to his potential Spender or Lovejoy. That was an d back,” says Dick. “Ronnie was such involvement in the movie that incredible advantage and privilege. r a bright man. He was a writer would become The Commitments. “We only did a couple of features g himself and we literally never Presented with a script, based on in the States and came very close to s had a cross word. It was such a the Roddy Doyle novel about a going home. But it was Auf - creative relationship.” struggling soul band in Dublin, the Wiedersehen, Pet that enabled us to - Ian’s choice isn’t for an actor at Irish troubadour briskly described stay in America. Things like that re- s all. “I’d bring back George the content as “s****”and asked if bolster your confidence and that e Harrison,” he reveals. “We worked the fictional band in the movie confidence helped us get The Rock g with his production company would play his music rather than and Never Say Never Again and t Handmade Films and made a film soul covers. Thankfully, Morrison’s then The Commitments.” y called Water with Michael Caine in absence didn’t dent the resulting Now in their seventh decade of e the 1980s. His contribution would movie which was a critical and com- working together, the duo are mercial hit. almost as funny as some of the Dick contin- characters they’ve created. ues: “I remem- When it comes to packing up ber us doing a sticks and moving back to England, screen adaption their conversations could come of Tom Sharpe’s straight out of the mouths of The book Wilt where Likely Lads’ Bob and Terry some the producer half-a-century ago. cast Mel Smith Says Ian: “My wife says the two and Griff Rhys of us can work anywhere in the Jones in the world.