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programmes that haven't aged well


leemond2008

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I loved only fools and horses, but I watched it more recently and couldn't help but notice how old it had come to look, and it was a later episodes from the 90's. Brilliantly written, brilliantly acted, superb characters - but the UK has changed. Two brothers living with their old grandad, in poverty, I don't think it would be written today.

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  • 8 months later...

Bump

Got a few DVDs from amazon the other day

One that has aged well - The fast show, found it as funny as I thought it was years ago (Caroline o'hearns scorchio sketches. Aside)

then I got big train

What a load of bollocks that was. (stareout contests sketches aside)

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Saw an episode of Seinfeld late one evening last week. Not funny at all. Cant believe I used to like it.

 

I saw a pretty good article which kind of explained why that is, I'll try to paraphrase;

 

Essentially, when Seinfeld first aired, it was revolutionary, it broke all the rules of being a sitcom, which is what made it so great because it was so different. A lot of the things they did on the show broke the norm and it's what set it apart from all the other sitcoms of the time.

 

However, since then, what Seinfeld did has become the norm, because every sitcom since has tried to copy them as it was a winning formula. When you go back to watch Seinfeld now, it seems outdated and cliché. But the reason it seems like that was because it wasn't at the time and they have been copied ever since because it was so brilliant at the time.

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Saw an episode of Seinfeld late one evening last week. Not funny at all. Cant believe I used to like it.

I saw a pretty good article which kind of explained why that is, I'll try to paraphrase;

Essentially, when Seinfeld first aired, it was revolutionary, it broke all the rules of being a sitcom, which is what made it so great because it was so different. A lot of the things they did on the show broke the norm and it's what set it apart from all the other sitcoms of the time.

However, since then, what Seinfeld did has become the norm, because every sitcom since has tried to copy them as it was a winning formula. When you go back to watch Seinfeld now, it seems outdated and cliché. But the reason it seems like that was because it wasn't at the time and they have been copied ever since because it was so brilliant at the time.

Did Larry David write the article? ;)

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Mind your language and Love Thy Neighbour spring to mind.

 

Culturally 'Love thy Neighbour' is an important piece of TV history.

 

By making a fool of the white, loud mouthed bigot it sent a message to young people in the 70's about just how ridiculous racist attitudes were and was one of the small things that helped lay the foundations of the racially tolerant Britain that we are today.

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All comedies age because they reflect the time they were made but they are still very watchable.

 

I thought Only fools and horses was better early on with the grandad Leonard Pearce in! Seinfeld i haven't watched in 10 years but i liked it and the only other US sitcom i like is the big bang theory. Of course i know we are not talking about what we like. Programmes that have dated ... Time Tunnel, land of the giants, the equaliser which i used to love.

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One that does hold up well - watched it this evening - "Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?". The episode where they were trying to avoid the England-Bulgaria result. Classic. 

 

has to be my favourite all time comedy, although i tired of that episode. I love the cycle race to Berwick and the night before Bobs wedding when they ended up in a launderette and prison.

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Same as Till Death Us Do Part/In Sickness and in Health.  The joke was always on Alf.

Shame not everyone got the joke though. Saw an interview with Warren Mitchell and he said the most soul destroying thing about the role was the number of people who used to come up to him and spout bile and prejudice believing that it would please him/Alf.

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Saw an episode of Seinfeld late one evening last week. Not funny at all. Cant believe I used to like it.

 

I saw a pretty good article which kind of explained why that is, I'll try to paraphrase;

 

Essentially, when Seinfeld first aired, it was revolutionary, it broke all the rules of being a sitcom, which is what made it so great because it was so different. A lot of the things they did on the show broke the norm and it's what set it apart from all the other sitcoms of the time.

 

However, since then, what Seinfeld did has become the norm, because every sitcom since has tried to copy them as it was a winning formula. When you go back to watch Seinfeld now, it seems outdated and cliché. But the reason it seems like that was because it wasn't at the time and they have been copied ever since because it was so brilliant at the time.

 

You see I never watched Seinfeld.

 

But last year they showed more or less ever episode of it on Sky Atlantic. 2 episodes a week, and I watched pretty much all of it.

 

I loved it.

But I do take the point that you can see the blueprint laid out for other sitcoms.

 

And as it went on it got a bit... formulaic. Which is the same way I felt about Curb Your Enthusiasm (unsurprisingly). You could predict what was going to happen becase of the situations occurring early on in the show. 

 

Still liked it though, but maybe it was because I never saw it the first time round.

 

(Although, the actual standup bits at the start of every show were very much the worst parts)

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One that does hold up well - watched it this evening - "Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?". The episode where they were trying to avoid the England-Bulgaria result. Classic. 

 

Personally, I think if you want to find out about the 1970s, WHTTLD is a much better source than just about every so-called documentary you are ever likely to see.

 

The beginning of social mobility and increasing wealth (Bob) as compared with the fixed values of the 1960s (Terry).

 

Brilliantly funny script and a fantastic cast. 

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