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[TV] Which one was the worst.. Love thy neighbour or On the buses



Questions

Habitual User
Oct 18, 2006
25,504
Worthing
I think you'll find it was Club International, you pervert.
if you are into shagging drunk girls whom are incapable of saying no then maybe you would find it amusing :shrug:
A Cherry B or some Pomagne loosened them up back in the day.
You’ve got to remember we didn’t have access to rohypnal in those days.
 




Stato

Well-known member
Dec 21, 2011
7,367
Putting aside discussions in cultural attitude changes over time, there is a more obvious criticism of both shows: They were crap. Even at the time they were hacky, by numbers rubbish, poorly written, terribly acted pantos with no character depth beyond catchphrases and stereotypes. They were, in short ITV sitcoms.

I've never understood why, while the BBC gave us Hancock, Steptoe, The Likely Lads, Fawlty Towers, Porridge, Yes Minister, Dad's Army, The Young Ones, Blackadder, Only Fools, The Royal Family, The Office, Partridge, The Thick of It Etc. etc. etc. The only things that ITV can be (a little) proud of are Rising Damp and The New Statesman. (Both of these were quite patchy too). This is Wiki's list of ITV sitcoms: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:ITV_sitcoms. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?. It is a list of underacheivement, wasted opportunity, and mediocrity. It got so bad, that in the nineties they would repeatedly put up the comedy-drama 'Cold Feet' in the sitcom category at awards because it was the nearest thing they had that they weren't thoroughly ashamed of making. They don't even try to make sitcoms anymore. These two shows are just a snapshot of decades and decades of failure.
 




Putting aside discussions in cultural attitude changes over time, there is a more obvious criticism of both shows: They were crap. Even at the time they were hacky, by numbers rubbish, poorly written, terribly acted pantos with no character depth beyond catchphrases and stereotypes. They were, in short ITV sitcoms.

I've never understood why, while the BBC gave us Hancock, Steptoe, The Likely Lads, Fawlty Towers, Porridge, Yes Minister, Dad's Army, The Young Ones, Blackadder, Only Fools, The Royal Family, The Office, Partridge, The Thick of It Etc. etc. etc. The only things that ITV can be (a little) proud of are Rising Damp and The New Statesman. (Both of these were quite patchy too). This is Wiki's list of ITV sitcoms: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:ITV_sitcoms. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?. It is a list of underacheivement, wasted opportunity, and mediocrity. It got so bad, that in the nineties they would repeatedly put up the comedy-drama 'Cold Feet' in the sitcom category at awards because it was the nearest thing they had that they weren't thoroughly ashamed of making. They don't even try to make sitcoms anymore. These two shows are just a snapshot of decades and decades of failure.
Isn't it simply that ITV was more marketised whereas the Beeb could take more risks on talent with its public service mandate.

While I totally agree it's a poorer roster I guess the Rag Trade would be regarded as a classic, and they extended Hancock's career.
I also liked Agony, Whoops Apocalypse and Brass also for being a bit more original than the usual fodder
 


sydney

tinky ****in winky
Jul 11, 2003
17,965
town full of eejits
surely its objective , some people find things funny that other people find offensive or just don't get at all , surprisingly Are You Being Served hasn't had a shellacking yet , probably one of the unfunniest shows ever but John Inman and Molly Sudden carried it , Dads army shite , ......Freddy Starr Dick Memory Dave Allen still funny George and Mildred shite ....fawlty towers monty python brilliant ....i can remember the furore when Life Of Brian came to worthing back in the 80's ffs banned for blasphemy...and its a bloody classic now.:lolol: :lolol:
 




Stato

Well-known member
Dec 21, 2011
7,367
Isn't it simply that ITV was more marketised whereas the Beeb could take more risks on talent with its public service mandate.

While I totally agree it's a poorer roster I guess the Rag Trade would be regarded as a classic, and they extended Hancock's career.
I also liked Agony, Whoops Apocalypse and Brass also for being a bit more original than the usual fodder
But even the more 'lowest common denominator' sitcoms that the BBC did were of much better quality. Are You Being Served, Hi De Hi, It Ain't Half Hot Mum, Last of the Summer Wine, Miranda etc. were formulaic, but in a different class to On the Buses etc.

Brass was good in parts, but it doesn't compare to even the second/third string of BBC stuff: Bottom, Waiting For God, Vicar of Dibley etc. Channel 4 was in a commercial market, but could do Father Ted, Green Wing, Black Books, Nightingales, Peep Show, Desmonds, Drop the Dead Donkey, Nathan Barley etc. ITV comedy generally felt like it was being made by TV executives, not by writers and directors. It could be connected to the regional company split.
 


carlzeiss

Well-known member
May 19, 2009
6,234
Amazonia
Watched On the Buses with my parents and they both loved it and as my Dad was then a Bus Driver just assumed it was mostly authentic .
Personal favorite sit com of the era for me though was Man about the House , must dig out my copy of Straw Dogs for another viewing .
Don't watch any comedy now since I learned about the Muppet Show cultural appropriation scandal , just too risky and best left alone .
 








worthingweird

Well-known member
Mar 8, 2023
358
I suppose you prefer the trendy leftie unfunny conformers...
Well, to be honest I'm not expecting many people to vote on these two piles of utter shite as most of the viewers of both these 'shows' (aired in the early 70's) are no longer with us

Mum and Dad would never have them on the tele, and even at the tender age of 12, I realised just how bad and unfunny they were. People talk about 'from another age' which these two shows certainly were. For anyone under 60 they are available on you tube, it's a tough, cringewor
 










carlzeiss

Well-known member
May 19, 2009
6,234
Amazonia
Yes I saw that. I just don't understand why you wrote "just too risky and best left alone

Who knows what damage has been caused by viewing material which was once considered the norm but is now deemed to be inappropriate and more to the point what else is there out there that is still waiting to be discovered and reclassified . It's a real minefield and making amends for past indiscretions is difficult enough so probably best to give current comedy a wide berth until better educated people than me can provide guidance .
 




Simster

"the man's an arse"
Jul 7, 2003
54,952
Surrey
Who knows what damage has been caused by viewing material which was once considered the norm but is now deemed to be inappropriate and more to the point what else is there out there that is still waiting to be discovered and reclassified . It's a real minefield and making amends for past indiscretions is difficult enough so probably best to give current comedy a wide berth until better educated people than me can provide guidance .
I see. I thought it was because you were having a flounce because those nasty lefties are calling out dated, racist shite.
 




BLOCK F

Well-known member
Feb 26, 2009
6,723
Who knows what damage has been caused by viewing material which was once considered the norm but is now deemed to be inappropriate and more to the point what else is there out there that is still waiting to be discovered and reclassified . It's a real minefield and making amends for past indiscretions is difficult enough so probably best to give current comedy a wide berth until better educated people than me can provide guidance .
What kind of damage, and to whom, do you envisage has been caused by viewing this material?
Just interested.
 


Cheshire Cat

The most curious thing..
If you did not find Dave Allen funny then you really are a humourless human being.
Dave Allen - yes.

The rest - no.

ITV "comedies" were generally terrible. A lot of the BBC wasn't much better, but they seemed to avoid most of the casual racism (possibly by avoiding any black actors).

The Black and White Minstrel show being a particular nadir (although it wasn't a comedy).
 




Pavilionaire

Well-known member
Jul 7, 2003
31,263
I agree with most of the comments about ITV but do not forget it gave us a classic character in Arthur Daley from 'Minder'.
 


Harry Wilson's tackle

Harry Wilson's Tackle
NSC Patron
Oct 8, 2003
56,103
Faversham
Putting aside discussions in cultural attitude changes over time, there is a more obvious criticism of both shows: They were crap. Even at the time they were hacky, by numbers rubbish, poorly written, terribly acted pantos with no character depth beyond catchphrases and stereotypes. They were, in short ITV sitcoms.

I've never understood why, while the BBC gave us Hancock, Steptoe, The Likely Lads, Fawlty Towers, Porridge, Yes Minister, Dad's Army, The Young Ones, Blackadder, Only Fools, The Royal Family, The Office, Partridge, The Thick of It Etc. etc. etc. The only things that ITV can be (a little) proud of are Rising Damp and The New Statesman. (Both of these were quite patchy too). This is Wiki's list of ITV sitcoms: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:ITV_sitcoms. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?. It is a list of underacheivement, wasted opportunity, and mediocrity. It got so bad, that in the nineties they would repeatedly put up the comedy-drama 'Cold Feet' in the sitcom category at awards because it was the nearest thing they had that they weren't thoroughly ashamed of making. They don't even try to make sitcoms anymore. These two shows are just a snapshot of decades and decades of failure.
The main reason I hated ITV when it started was the programmes were shit. This is long before I became irritated by TV adverts, and turned into a woke lefty, obsessed with culture wars.

The absolute worst was that one with the language teacher, the Swedish 'totty' in hot pants, the dopey Indian who got all the words wrong, etc. And if any of you are nodding sagely, I made all that up because I never watched it (only the trailers). Being a sit com writer for ITV in the 60s and 70s was simply a chance for embittered hack gammon to vent, while drinking Teachers whiskey and smoking Rothmans. In the afternoon. Shortly after having got out of bed. The ****s.
 


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