Steptoe and Son set the benchmark.
Instead of having comedians acting they instead got professional actors to do comedy. It only worked because of how top notch the writing was though.
>My GFs grandma has dementia and everytime she sees me, she forgets who I am and refers to me as 'Basil Fawlty' whenever she speaks about me to her family. >When i told my family about this, they said they could see it.
What can they see that I don't? Could it be my personality? It has left me thinking why am I referred to as Basil.
I've always been confused by this. He says naggers but not in any way I've ever heard it used. What is he talking about like.. did they just used to refer to anyone not white as nagger back then or what?
>did they just used to refer to anyone not white as nagger back then
he quite specifically tells you in that very speech that they don't, because there is a correct term for each type of nonwhite
The entire point of the major's character is that he says outrageous things but he's so innocent and obviously not mean-spirited so he comes across as lovable.
The took the quality over quantity approach. They worked on 6 excellent episodes for the first series, and another 6 for the second which was years after the first one.
They took their time on it and it shows. Even the 2nd best sitcom, Seinfeld, has a bunch of duds in it. But every single episode of Fawlty Towers is a classic.
Ads. Fawlty Towers was made by BBC, they're 100% public owned and taxpayer funded so they don't depend on commercials. US TV shows need to hammer out episodes so they can stack commercials in the ad breaks and squeeze as much money as possible out of them, also the longer the seasons and the more seasons there are the more money a studio can make from syndication. It's fundamentally the difference between making TV shows and making money by making TV shows.
For me this is the best language related joke: >Manuel there is too much butter on those trays. >Nono senor, Uno dos tres >Manuel, mucho burro alhi >Nono, senor, burro is como IA IA
for me it's his constant physical comedy. the over-expressive jumping and pouting behind people's backs and immediately stopping the second they look.
I know it's low form slapstick tier but there's something so skilled about his comically large presence being used liked that when no one else does.
>his constant physical comedy
One of the running physical gags is him running up and down over the stairs >Perhaps I shall insert a large garden gnome into you. >When he attacked the car with a twig.
>come on... >come On... >coME ON! >do it you vicious bastard come on! >oh my god! >I'm warning you, if you don't start... >I'll count to three >one >two >three >RiGHT! >that's it, I've had enough, you've tried it on just once too often! >RiGHT! >well don't say I haven't warned you, I've laid it on the line to you time and time again! >RiGHT! >well, this is it, I'm going to give you a damn good thrashing! > >*commences thrashing* >!
I like Brit comedy but I just watched an episode of this and it was extremely dated and unfunny
Why does everyone speak and act like a compete retard? >dude farting hamster lmao
>What makes this the absolute apex of situation comedy?
It was maybe the apex for it's time, even Only Fools and Horses is funnier.
In current year 2023 the 'apex of sitcom' remains 30 Rock.
great writing and acting.
Steptoe and Son set the benchmark.
Instead of having comedians acting they instead got professional actors to do comedy. It only worked because of how top notch the writing was though.
>My GFs grandma has dementia and everytime she sees me, she forgets who I am and refers to me as 'Basil Fawlty' whenever she speaks about me to her family.
>When i told my family about this, they said they could see it.
What can they see that I don't? Could it be my personality? It has left me thinking why am I referred to as Basil.
>Could it be my personality?
Sure, it's your "personality".
>my GF
stopped reading right there
Are you a tall, balding man with a moustache
baldybaldybaldybaldy
baldy balderton
Have you ever beaten up a spanish manlet in her presence?
Are you tall and white? Perhaps a bit uptight?
Next time you meet her you should introduce yourself as Basil. She'll probably get a good laugh out of it.
Do you look anything like the 30-something John Cleese?
It pushes the wackiness just to the edge of credibility while retaining authentic believable characters
let's be honest, Cleese carried the acting. He co wrote it too so I guess that's your answer
>What makes this the absolute apex of situation comedy?
The Germans
>What makes this the absolute apex of situation comedy?
Indians?
I've always been confused by this. He says naggers but not in any way I've ever heard it used. What is he talking about like.. did they just used to refer to anyone not white as nagger back then or what?
>did they just used to refer to anyone not white as nagger back then
he quite specifically tells you in that very speech that they don't, because there is a correct term for each type of nonwhite
The entire point of the major's character is that he says outrageous things but he's so innocent and obviously not mean-spirited so he comes across as lovable.
In the skit he explains that only the WEST Indians are naggers, and the rest are wogs
He says west indians are naggers, ie the Caribbean not western India
west indians?
It's a farce, which could be stupid but it's very well written
>british people think loud=funny
Yes dear.
>yanks need a laughter track to tell them when to laugh and shart
Rent free.
The took the quality over quantity approach. They worked on 6 excellent episodes for the first series, and another 6 for the second which was years after the first one.
They took their time on it and it shows. Even the 2nd best sitcom, Seinfeld, has a bunch of duds in it. But every single episode of Fawlty Towers is a classic.
Why do British networks allow this approach but American networks always insist on endless renewing regardless of quality?
Ads. Fawlty Towers was made by BBC, they're 100% public owned and taxpayer funded so they don't depend on commercials. US TV shows need to hammer out episodes so they can stack commercials in the ad breaks and squeeze as much money as possible out of them, also the longer the seasons and the more seasons there are the more money a studio can make from syndication. It's fundamentally the difference between making TV shows and making money by making TV shows.
Tell that to the bbc the past 10 years
Budget and customer base
We have only 70 million people in the UK and most of them don't speak English as a first language
For me this is the best language related joke:
>Manuel there is too much butter on those trays.
>Nono senor, Uno dos tres
>Manuel, mucho burro alhi
>Nono, senor, burro is como IA IA
Burro is butter in french (Buerre)..
It is the best joke.
Quicker to train a monkey.
>Because he's cheap and keen to learn.
for me it's his constant physical comedy. the over-expressive jumping and pouting behind people's backs and immediately stopping the second they look.
I know it's low form slapstick tier but there's something so skilled about his comically large presence being used liked that when no one else does.
>his constant physical comedy
One of the running physical gags is him running up and down over the stairs
>Perhaps I shall insert a large garden gnome into you.
>When he attacked the car with a twig.
>come on...
>come On...
>coME ON!
>do it you vicious bastard come on!
>oh my god!
>I'm warning you, if you don't start...
>I'll count to three
>one
>two
>three
>RiGHT!
>that's it, I've had enough, you've tried it on just once too often!
>RiGHT!
>well don't say I haven't warned you, I've laid it on the line to you time and time again!
>RiGHT!
>well, this is it, I'm going to give you a damn good thrashing!
>
>*commences thrashing*
>!
It's the second best Brit comedy after Father Ted.
I like Brit comedy but I just watched an episode of this and it was extremely dated and unfunny
Why does everyone speak and act like a compete retard?
>dude farting hamster lmao
I'm tired of having to advocate 'Green Wing'.
Yes, yes, 'The Office' is good.
>Here comes the bride
>Seven inches wide
>Green Wing
I haven't got to that yet, why does it have hour long episodes?
It's a Ben Elton comedy, of course it's shite.
Blackadder is kino though
>Why does everyone speak and act like a compete retard?
It was a different time, that had genuinely not been done before.
Mike , The dude on the lower middle is normal though
>not liking the young ones
wydm? It's a perfect parody of the social cancer that destroyed the western world.
watch this one
watch Bottom instead that's timeless.
Bottom is still great after all these years
Most Brits would agree that this doesn't hold up.
Young Ones was maybe leaning a little too hard into being "alternative youth comedy". Bottom is where Rik and Ade perfect their act.
AHAAAA! anon is STILL a VIRGIN!
>What makes this the absolute apex of situation comedy?
It was maybe the apex for it's time, even Only Fools and Horses is funnier.
In current year 2023 the 'apex of sitcom' remains 30 Rock.
You’re below mid, all the way down to sub.
>i mentioned it once but i think i got away with it
The Thick of It is peak Brit comedy.
>dude he's scottish and he swears a lot lmao
Wrong.
I used to watch this in the car on a portable DVD player while we drove to our vacation to Italy, we rented the DVD at our local library
>zero (0) Connie webms ITT
it really is the goat. endlessly rewatchable.
good comedy writing, a rarity now.