Sitcom
Jun082006
Filed Under Sitcom
Lucky Louie
Premieres Sunday, June 11th at 10:30PM on HBO
I’ve been fortunate enough to see three episodes of Lucky Louie and I’m impressed. It’s not so much a reinvention of the sitcom but a updated return to greats like All in the Family or Roseanne. Here’s part one of the things I think this show does right.
Language
Much is going to be made of Lucky Louie using swears, more than really should be made. The characters toss them off casually and there’s no emphasis on filth for filth’s sake. None of the swearing is excessive, it’s actually honest. It’s not just how a man who works at a muffler shop would talk with his weed-dealing friend, it’s how almost everybody talks. It’s jarring but not because it doesn’t fit the scene, but because you’re not used to seeing it on something that looks like a traditional sitcom. Americans say “fuck”, “shit” and “Jesus” (and not in the reverent way) and it’s time the three camera sitcom format used those words.
They’re Broke
The first episode of Lucky Louie revolves around money - an issue that central to so many marriages. Louie even tells his wife he’s unwilling to have sex with her because he’s “aware her pussy is a chamber of financial ruin.” The trend towards sitcoms revolving around glamour - where the viewer has no idea how they afford where they live or sometimes even the main characters are just rich - destroys such a mine for storytelling. It’s a whole avenue of human experience that’s completely ignored almost everywhere on TV (save strangely for cartoons like The Simpsons). We shouldn’t be wishing we were the characters in a comedy… we should be laughing and cringing at situations that are so close to our own lives.
To see for yourself, watch the first episode here.
May232006
Filed Under Sitcom
From across the pond comes news of the early 90s britcom “Joking Apart” coming to DVD thanks to a fan’s efforts (and money). Created by Steven Moffat, prior to his success with Coupling, the show darkly plays with the divorce of a stand-up comedian and his wife (with one of the issues being, according to a fan website, that his constant attempts at humor have become grating).
Craig Robins, the fan who put up the money for the DVD rights, is apparently a TV editor himself, so the whole package will still be well-presented. Not that a fan outisde of the profession couldn’t put together something equally as well, considering the tools that are available now.
As I’ve never seen Joking Apart, I can’t attest to its quality. But any premise which sounds less than wacky sounds intriguing enough for me to give a go. My theory: if it’s not obvious where the humor is going to come from, the surprise of the jokes will land that much harder. I’ll definitely scour the web to see if I can find a clip or two (or episode) to test it.
I imagined that this would happen eventually, but always expected it would be for a cult sci-fi show first before a comedy. Inspired by this, perhaps a well-to-do fan might want to buy up the rights for making DVDs of The State, The Dana Carvey Show or perhaps seasons 2 and 3 of the Upright Citizens Brigade. Here’s hoping.
Mar282006
Filed Under Sitcom
Variety reports that creator of “Arrested Development” Mitch Hurwitz will not return as showrunner for a fourth year. Though as many point out, Fox still hasn’t officially cancelled the show, the main hope for it continuing was a deal for two more seasons on Showtime. Their main condition was Hurwitz coming along. With him saying no, it’s likely the final stretch of episodes burned off for the Olympics will be the last seen.
The pressures of maintainly the quality of a show that’s so tightly plotted, edited and layered must be enormous. I’ll miss what he, his writers and the amazing cast did, but really the finale capped the series so perfectly, I couldn’t see how anyone would want to crack it back up again. When you think about Michael walking away from his family in the last episode, you can’t help but think Hurwitz was telling us his intentions from the beginning. The story was told.
I’d be curious to see a feature film of “Arrested”, as Hurwitz suggests. But I’d prefer to see a brand new show from him. He’s a creator to follow. Hopefully the conversations with Showtime were friendly enough that they’ll offer him a chance to do something else that he’d be willing to do that could fit into their budgets. Whatever the case, Mitch, thanks for making something truly great.
Mar172006
Filed Under Sitcom, Stand-Up Comedy
Louis C.K. will be performing at Caroline’s in New York all weekend with two shows Friday and Saturday and one on Sunday. I talked to him today for a short time about podcasting, commitment in comedy and his upcoming HBO show “Lucky Louie.”
When you do your jokes about your kids you don’t do a lot of qualifiers on them like “I love my kids” or “My kids are great.” How did you come to that?
I just found that I didn’t need to.
Really? It seems a lot of comics feel like they have to do that.
It depends on what you’re doing on stage. I find that audiences, especially audiences with children, are refreshed by the honesty. I think that if I said something like that, that I love my kids, that it would ruin it. It would make it seem disingenuous and like I’m nervous about what I’m saying. If you think you have to qualify it that means that you find the things that you are saying to be wrong. I think that what people like about what I’m saying on stage is that I clearly mean it. Whether they agree with it or not, the fact that I’m 100 percent (chuckles) committed to it makes it work. You qualify stuff, you de-commit it and you ruin it.
So if you don’t hold up the taboo, they don’t sit there and think about it.
Exactly. Fuck it. What taboo. The kids aren’t there. They’re not in the club. So who gives a shit. And anyway I do enough for my kid. I raise my kid and I keep her from dying. So she can just fucking kiss my ass. (laughs)
More>>
Feb152006
Filed Under Comedy Writers, Sitcom
Yesterday the California Supreme Court finally heard the case of Amaani Lyle, a former writers’ assistant on “Friends” who has sued Warner Brothers for an environment of sexual harassment. Among the conditions mentioned in the lawsuit were drawings of vaginas, ruminations on the sexual habits of Courtney Cox and Jennifer Aniston and, my favorite, the character of Joey as a rapist. Smoking Gun has the full complaint. According to this article in the LA Times, the justices seem to be favoring the writers right now.
I’ve been firmly on the writers’ side, allbeit queasily at times, but one fact mentioned in the court makes me absolutely certain that the claim is without merit: she was told she would be working in an environment where sexual explicit talk would occur. Two of the Supreme Court justices noted it during arguments. Warner Brothers lawyer also makes a compelling point that breaking a story can require “going down blind alleys”, making it difficult to know what will finally make an episode work. In fact, one anecdote about sex with a prostitute ultimately created material that found its way into a script. (The case itself perhaps even made fodder for Lisa Kudrow’s ill-fated “The Comeback") The lawsuit never alleges, to my knowledge, that Amaani was directly sexually harassed, i.e. propositioned or asked to perform sexual favors. Even in a free writing environment like a comedy show, I would expect that form of sexual harassment to still be prosecutable.
Hopefully here’s where the lawsuit will get nipped in the bud. The Supreme Court is only deciding whether a lower courts decision to let the case continue on to a jury is correct. Though I think a jury trial would ultimately fall Warner Brothers way, I imagine it would be hard for a jury to sort out why an uncensored writing environment is necessary. The California Supreme Court has 90 days to decide.
Update: The NY Sun covers the story as well, detailing more of the arguments. In particular, there’s mention that sitcoms stay white and male because this behavior is allowed. I agree with the ideal of more balanced staffs, but the job of comedy writing requires people to say taboo things. I have several comedy writing friends who actively make jokes about each other religions, sex lives, etc. It’s part of the gig. A level of decorum needs to be set, but it can’t be set by the courts. When a joke goes to far afield of the writer process is the head writer’s job, not a lawyer’s. (Also, adjusted post title - the actual lawsuit is getting a poor reception from judges - hence unfriendly.)
Jan032006
Filed Under Sitcom
Last night’s episode of Arrested Development “Save Our Bluths” was the most brilliantly self-referential comedy I’ve seen since the last episode of Strangers with Candy (which saw Flatpoint High nearly replaced with a Strip Mall). References included winks to Showtime saving them, to the common complaint that the characters aren’t “sympathetic and relatable” and, of course, to the “Save Our Bluths” campaign, unfortunately ending the url with .org, which is currently unoccupied, rather than the real renewal drive’s .com.
Though the episode played with a ton of gimmicky twists TV shows attempt for viewers, including 3-D, broadcasting live, and teasing a death that later turns out to be one of an inconsequential character, the refutation of such desperate ploys in the coda was so perfect. The Bluths were rescued from their financial troubles because they weren’t desperate, almost a promise from the show writers were not going to compromise in these potentially final episodes. They’ll keep making the wonderfully and playful layered stories they’ve been doing since the beginning. They aren’t going to flail for an audience. They’re going to enjoy the one they got, even if it’s only for the four episodes remaining in their order. “Save Our Bluths” was the perfect argument for why that enjoyment shouldn’t stop now.
Arrested Development airs Mondays at 8PM on Fox, except for the next two weeks, when Fox preempts it for other shows. Sigh.
Dec142005
Filed Under Sitcom
Arrested Development seems to be close to finding pay cable salvation, if Fox actually finally decides to cancel the damn thing. Showtime as well as ABC, seem to be very serious about acquiring Arrested. It’s previously been suggested that Showtime would be interested so they could pair it with Weeds, which was just renewed for a second season. ABC is a new name in this (A myspace campaign had targeted NBC along with Showtime). ABC seems to want to expand its drama success into comedy (although I can’t tell which of the upcoming shows they’d imagine would be a good pairing for Arrested Development).
Of course, Fox has not cancelled the show yet, only cut the order for Arrested’s third season to thirteen episodes. With Arrested taking up two spots in the schedule after Kitchen Confidential’s demise along with clips being available via Verizon vCast, the aforementioned myspace campaign actually wonders if Fox is considering renewing the show. Considering how the new video-compatible iPod and iTunes TV store has brought a rash of stories about how shows like Arrested might survive sans networks, I can see Fox actually considering keeping the show. Looking today at the TV Shows section of the iTunes store (which might need a name change soon), half of the top 20 episodes downloaded were of NBC’s The Office - another comedy that doesn’t get the ratings of Lost or Desperate Housewives. Seeing the money NBC is making by taking this leap must make Fox wonder if Arrested could do the same, particularly considering DVD sales of the show for both season 1 and season 2 are consistently strong performers.
My hope is that no matter who has the rights to broadcast the show over TV, they also begin digital distribution of the show. No matter what Arrested’s ratings are, I think internet sales would be the real proof that the show deserves a long life. With The Office and Arrested Development successful TV-on-demand downloads, maybe networks might focus on creating sitcoms for audiences who want funny rather than comfort - you know - “niche” audiences.
comedy.com | 
Digg |
del.icio.us |
Stumble It!
