Comments on: Sitcom Law http://samstrong.me.uk/2009/10/01/sitcom-law/ A Writing Blog Fri, 12 Mar 2010 22:46:10 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Sam http://samstrong.me.uk/2009/10/01/sitcom-law/comment-page-1/#comment-1494 Sam Fri, 02 Oct 2009 23:09:55 +0000 http://samstrong.me.uk/?p=329#comment-1494 Aha! I didn't realise there were different categories. My education continues daily! :) You can pick up pretty much any episode and find it funny. The storylines aren't exactly epic. I'd try the double length episodes, especially the fun-run one from the start of season four. So far as I remember, there's only ever been one episode that re-created the discomfort of the British show. Aha! I didn’t realise there were different categories. My education continues daily! :)

You can pick up pretty much any episode and find it funny. The storylines aren’t exactly epic. I’d try the double length episodes, especially the fun-run one from the start of season four. So far as I remember, there’s only ever been one episode that re-created the discomfort of the British show.

]]> By: Dave Rayment http://samstrong.me.uk/2009/10/01/sitcom-law/comment-page-1/#comment-1493 Dave Rayment Fri, 02 Oct 2009 17:26:46 +0000 http://samstrong.me.uk/?p=329#comment-1493 One of the jumping the shark categories (I think there are 18 or so) is when two leads get together, which is why I thought it relevant. Possibly most famously, Moonlighting did this and promptly ruined the show forever. Sorry, I wasn't trying to suggest that the American Office was past its prime - I have yet to see it, but I think Steve Carrell is excellent, so I must catch it at some point. One of the jumping the shark categories (I think there are 18 or so) is when two leads get together, which is why I thought it relevant. Possibly most famously, Moonlighting did this and promptly ruined the show forever. Sorry, I wasn’t trying to suggest that the American Office was past its prime – I have yet to see it, but I think Steve Carrell is excellent, so I must catch it at some point.

]]> By: Sam http://samstrong.me.uk/2009/10/01/sitcom-law/comment-page-1/#comment-1491 Sam Thu, 01 Oct 2009 20:49:50 +0000 http://samstrong.me.uk/?p=329#comment-1491 Jumping the shark is from Happy Days when the Fonz literally did jump a shark. It just means the show goes beyond what is believable and into the ridiculous. I don't think the American Office did that. I just think they should seriously think about wrapping it up at the end of the current season. Jumping the shark is from Happy Days when the Fonz literally did jump a shark. It just means the show goes beyond what is believable and into the ridiculous. I don’t think the American Office did that. I just think they should seriously think about wrapping it up at the end of the current season.

]]> By: Dave Rayment http://samstrong.me.uk/2009/10/01/sitcom-law/comment-page-1/#comment-1490 Dave Rayment Thu, 01 Oct 2009 19:10:52 +0000 http://samstrong.me.uk/?p=329#comment-1490 Gervais and Merchant judged it perfectly imo. The delightful tension in the final show wouldn't have been half as effective if you didn't sympathise with Brent. And he was never just a cock you couldn't care about. At the very end, you wanted him to just not fuck it up for once, so he'd get the girl and be happy. As for other shows, the reason why Friends messed up was because the protagonists changed too much (and got hooked up, too). Watching re-runs of the first season shows how tight the writing was, too. Such a shame things went downhill... And there's a reason why "jumping the shark" is common parlance for when a show tries too hard to move forward... ;) In other news, Family Guy S8 E1 is great. The Cleveland Show S1 E1 is pretty poor :( Gervais and Merchant judged it perfectly imo. The delightful tension in the final show wouldn’t have been half as effective if you didn’t sympathise with Brent. And he was never just a cock you couldn’t care about. At the very end, you wanted him to just not fuck it up for once, so he’d get the girl and be happy.

As for other shows, the reason why Friends messed up was because the protagonists changed too much (and got hooked up, too). Watching re-runs of the first season shows how tight the writing was, too. Such a shame things went downhill…

And there’s a reason why “jumping the shark” is common parlance for when a show tries too hard to move forward… ;)

In other news, Family Guy S8 E1 is great. The Cleveland Show S1 E1 is pretty poor :(

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