You realise that all the old classic sitcoms were usually filmed before an audience, and therefore had a laughter track? As for the new versions, I know for a fact that the new episode of Are You Being Served was. 20,000 people applied for 250 seats. I have no reason to doubt that the others were.
If they aren't equal to the originals in quality they shouldn't be aired. But I bet BBC One trumped all in the ratings war last night due primarily to the name ''Porridge'' and giving a glimmer of hope to those of us who are starved of good comedy. The BBC seem obsessed with ratings over quality and are using a name to chase them.(I switched to Father Ted after 5 mins as even though I've seen it countless times it still makes me laugh, which is the only point of a Sitcom).
The BBC is not a Commercial Station and should not be chasing viewing figures like ITV have too.
Did those 20,000 believe that they were watching something as good as the original or are they like the rest of us yearning for a time when the BBC would produce good quality Sitcoms? Why were the original runs ended? Don't you think it's because the original producers had realised they'd run their course and were unable to keep the standards.
The originals had a natural ''laughter track'' as they were funny, the current sitcoms add canned laughter as they are not. The original runs of the best Sitcoms often had low budgets, very low viewing figures and were on the verge of ending, but built their popularity over time due to the fantastic writing and abilities of it's actors.
The current trend is to use a big name, employ well known actors, get the sets and then wright the scripts then after the money's been spent have no choice but to air it.
New Open all Hours was cringingly terrible it's a cheap rip-off of the original. The BBC seem desperate and are willing to rip-off all it's back catalogue due to it being unable to produce anything original anymore. Even when it does produce a new sitcom they tend to be either aimed at American sitcom fans or rely on being rude and vulgar for the sake of it.''Mrs Browns Boys'' is more like the forgotten sitcoms of the 70's and 80's that were written to fill a slot and got canned as soon as something decent came along.
''My Family'' was just an American style sitcom where quantity over quality prevailed. The sketch shows have followed a similar trend. Catherine Tate & Little Britain are remembered for the vulgar, rude characters, the more extreme the better remembered. While the much funnier ''Come Fly with me'' has been forgotten or sent to the ''dead time'' slots on UKGOLD.
Is David Jason skint? He has been in some awful series lately almost as if he'll do anything for a few quid regardless of the consequences to his legacy.
I shudder to think what will happen if John Cleese gets divorced again as he's already allowing rip-offs of Fawlty Towers to appear in Commercials to earn a few quid.
