Whatever Happened to the Britcom? (Part Two) An
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SITCOM Whatever happened to the Britcom? - Part 2 In issue 36 of ScriptWriter, Joseph Reaney discussed the change in sitcom production and form, and looked at how the American market influenced British sitcom trends. In this issue he looks at how British sitcom has changed more over the last fifteen years than ever before in its history, and speculates on what the future holds for situation comedy. Multi-channel environment opening night, The Comic Strip Presents… fortunes around with flagship programmes 'Sitcom has become a form actively showcased many up-and-coming like The Simpsons and exclusive rights to used by minority channels to target alternative comedians such as Dawn French, several sports broadcasts including the specific audiences.' (Brett Mills, Jennifer Saunders, Rik Mayall, Adrian football Premier League. Terrestrial Television Sitcom) Edmondson and Alexei Sayle. The first night television in the UK was severely threatened also showed the popular Australian import for the first time in its history. Since the launch of ITV in 1955, television The Paul Hogan Show. Channel 4 continued With the gradual launch of digital has been a competitive medium. However, to gain a reputation for comedy with television services from 1998, minority while there was unerring competition American imports such as Cheers, and channels began to pop up across the between the BBC networks and ITV, the two released its first sitcom Little Armadillos in television landscape. Classic sitcoms were companies also had pacts, such as an 1984. shown on UKGold, and American shows that agreement never to go head-to-head on More competition arrived in 1986 with weren't otherwise on British television were their popular Soap operas. All this changed, British Satellite Broadcasting. It was a now shown on enterprises like The though, with the launch of a fourth channel failure and was haemorrhaging millions of Paramount Channel, MTV UK & Ireland and towards the end of 1982. pounds a week when it merged with Sky E4. Sitcom was suddenly becoming a Channel 4 began with an immediate in 1990. The now re-branded British Sky minority phenomenon, though few new intention to shake up British comedy. On the Broadcasting (BSkyB) gradually turned its British sitcoms were developed on these 34 November 2007 The internet has dealt a big blow to commercial channels. Plummeting ratings mean that they cannot justify charging the same amount for advertising space as they did fifteen years ago. : BBC Blackadder II Woof! channels. BBC Choice then began to show The Times) states that the BBC 'quickly Sitcoms are notorious for needing to new sitcoms like Two Pints and used this grasped the idea that BBC Three and BBC grow and attract an audience, and this success to launch BBC Three in 2003, with a Four can [sic] incubate material' and so began to cause problems for commercial large remit for producing new comedy. BBC began to use these channels as a middle channels. When Men Behaving Badly came Four also began to produce new 'high-brow' ground between radio and terrestrial out on ITV in 1992, it was dropped after two sitcoms like The Thick of It and Lead Balloon, television. In this way, a programme could series of disappointing ratings. However, as well as importing US sitcoms like Curb reach a small, cult audience and, through the BBC picked up the programme - without Your Enthusiasm. publicity and word-of-mouth, grow this having to worry about attracting advertisers BBC Three manages an average audience audience to a suitable level as a basis for its - and the show ran successfully for a further of one million for new programmes, so has release on terrestrial television. The most four series plus specials. Nowadays, this type been forced to experiment with new money- successful example of this approach so far of programme would probably be 'bred' on saving ideas and techniques. The Smoking has probably been Little Britain, which a minority channel until audiences were Room was recorded on a single set, while moved from BBC Radio 4 to BBC Three to large enough to guarantee a good start The Mighty Boosh used back-projection to BBC Two (re-runs) and finally to BBC One. on terrestrial television. With some achieve many of its shots. Dan Sabbagh The progression from radio to mainstream programmes, there may be no intention for (Claims of the Sitcom's Death are Laughable, television took almost six years. a move to a mainstream slot so they can November 2007 35 SITCOM episodes of sitcoms like Extras and Two Pints shown online a week prior to the television broadcast. BBC Three also launched an exclusively online sketch show called Cowards to rival the UK's first online sitcom Acting Up. Broadband has brought about a huge surge in illegal downloading, which as well as being a significant threat to film and music, was also a threat to television. Despite applications like iTunes making downloading generally more legal, the price of these is still a considerable worry for broadcasters. At the end of 2006, Channel 4 : BBC attempted to hit back with the launch of 4oD, which allows customers to buy Red Dwarf programmes for download from the archives Smegheads of Channel 4, E4 and More4. There is some consequently be more risqué or divisive than Computing and the internet free content available but the standard would be viable for mass consumption (such 'Have you tried turning it off and on charge is 99p per programme, which means as Nighty Night). For some viewers, the fact again?' (Roy in The IT Crowd, Yesterday's that a sitcom series can usually be that they are in a minority is part of the Jam, 2006) purchased for under £6 (compared to a new appeal. DVD release for a cost of between £10 and Despite this new climate, mainstream Although the internet had been around as a £20). This was also a means to combat the comedy is still very much in demand. It university system in America for eight years, new online rental concept, where customers achieves large audiences and successfully it was only in 1991 that CERN and Tim can have unlimited DVD rentals per month enters the national consciousness (with Berners-Lee gave it a public face and, ever for as little as £9.99. Channel 4 has also the possible exception of The Office). since, the technology has had a profound embraced the growing phenomenon of Continued attempts at mainstream influence on television ratings and content. podcasting by offering free clips of Garth comedy, such as My Family and The Green Children are being drawn away from Marenghi's Darkplace to advertise the Green Grass, show that there is still a television and towards the varied choices of sitcom's imminent DVD release and the BBC demand from broadcasters. However, the entertainment that computers now offer. is due to launch their iPlayer to allow radio number of sitcoms shown in 'mainstream' The CITV slot on weekday afternoons, which and television content to be downloaded slots has fallen dramatically in the last five began in 1983, was discontinued in early and viewed for seven days. years, with commercial networks tending 2007, and Michael Grade recently conceded The internet has dealt a big blow to to favour minority sitcoms. Paul Mayhew- that there would be no more weekday commercial channels. Plummeting ratings Archer argues that writers are increasingly afternoon children's programming on ITV1 mean that they cannot justify charging the wary of going into mainstream comedy in the foreseeable future. same amount for advertising space as they 'because they know they are going to be The launch of broadband in 2000 allowed did fifteen years ago. Advertisers also need very exposed'. the internet to embrace new forms of to spend money selling their products on the Sitcoms are difficult to create and most entertainment. Previous technologies - from internet (through pop-ups and banners) so fail, and with so few currently being computer games to music to video to live less of their budget is put aside for produced, any attempts will be scrutinised radio/television - became available through television. If this trend continues it is likely by audiences and critics alike. Armando PCs, as well as new and updated media such that commercial channels will have to give Iannucci (co-creator and writer of The Day as interactive novels and games, shopping up on expensive and risky formats like the Today, I'm Alan Partridge and The Thick of It) and even online gambling. This new wealth sitcom. backs up this argument by saying that of entertainment means that television minority sitcoms give writers a chance to audiences are in serious and perhaps On Demand: Gimme Gimme Gimme create shows that allow them to comment irreversible decline. 'Watch what you want, when you want.' on certain aspects of society, rather than Broadcasters, rather than trying to go (4oD slogan) having to create broad comedy for mass head-to-head with this new threat, have appeal. With minority comedy offering the tried to utilise it by launching sitcom The release of the Video Home System (VHS) opportunity to win critical success and loyal, websites featuring clips, quotes, pictures format in 1976 posed a big threat to niche audiences, will writers really want to and interactive games/puzzles. The BBC television. However, rather than sweating return to the mainstream? began a 'See It First' campaign, with new about its audience-sapping potential, 36 November 2007 television decided to embrace the new Who's watching? Sitcom has a history of reflecting Britain technology and release programmes Social commentary: Are You Being Served? and in recent years there have been further (including sitcoms) on the format.