Commissioning Brief - BBC
Commissioning Brief - BBC
Commissioning Brief - BBC
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‣ DOCUMENTARIES & MUSIC FEATURES continued<br />
Recent highlights have included…<br />
History Of British Comedy<br />
David Mitchell traced the history of British humour from Music Hall to the modern day. Stand up<br />
comedy, funny songs, blockbuster films, and superstar performers - it might seem like the world of<br />
today, but as David learnt, we've hardly travelled any distance at all.<br />
In the first of a four part series, David took us from 1913 to 1938. We learnt about the cutting edge<br />
innovation that was the Music Hall 'comedy turn'. And the programme also looked at the early days<br />
of the movies - silent at the start, but virtually entirely comedy based.<br />
Programme two traced the history of British humour from World War 2 to the dawn of the 1960s.<br />
From the cosy world of ITMA to the new wave represented by The Goons - here more than<br />
anywhere else, the path of modern British comedy changed.<br />
This episode looked at how the Variety Theatres were briefly closed - and then opened again to<br />
boost morale - and how Radio became a nation's lifeline.<br />
Programme three looked at 'Round The Horne' - Innuendo has been there in every programme so<br />
far, but never in the field of British comedy has anyone pushed as hard as Julian and Sandy did!<br />
He examined the big screen too. Everyone knows what is meant by the phrase "Carry On humour",<br />
but as the films moved through the 60s, they became freer and laced with sexual innuendo. But by<br />
their demise in the late seventies, the double entendre was more forced and attempts to shock<br />
were creeping in.<br />
Programme four traced the history of British humour from the 1980s to the present day.<br />
70s escapism gave way to 80s cynicism, and this final episode in the series explored why comedy<br />
changed suddenly instead of gradually - and the role Channel 4 played in that change.<br />
This was the era of The Young Ones and Blackadder, but was alternative comedy really something<br />
new - post World War 2 the old order was actively challenged by those seeking a new approach -<br />
and even before that, the Crazy Gang had almost set the template for 'alternative'?<br />
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