The British Sitcom Spinoff Film

The British Sitcom Spinoff Film
Author: Stephen Glynn
Publisher: Springer Nature
Total Pages: 273
Release: 2023-12-07
Genre: Performing Arts
ISBN: 3031412222

This book constitutes the first full volume dedicated to an academic analysis of theatrically-released spinoff films derived from British radio and television sitcoms. Regularly maligned as the nadir of British film production and marginalised as a last resort for the financially-bereft industry during the 1970s, this study demonstrates that the sitcom spinoff film has instead been a persistent and important presence in British cinema from the 1940s to the present day, and includes (occasional) works with distinct artistic merit. Alongside an investigation of the economic imperative underpinning these productions, i.e. the exploitation of proven product with a ready-made audience, it is argued that, with a longevity stretching from Arthur Askey and his wartime Band Waggon (1940) to the crew of Kurupt FM and their recent People Just Do Nothing: Big in Japan (2021), the British sitcom spinoff can be interpreted as following a full generic ‘life cycle’. Starting with the ‘formative’ stage where works from Hi Gang! (1941) to I Only Arsked! (1958) establish the genre’s characteristics, the spinoff genre moves to its ‘classic’ stage where, secure for form and content, it enjoys considerable popular success with films like Till Death Us Do Part (1969), On the Buses (1971), The Likely Lads (1976) and Rising Damp (1980); the genre’s revival since the late-1990s reveals a more ‘parodic’ final stage, with films like The League of Gentlemen’s Apocalypse (2005) adopting a consciously self-reflective mode. It is also posited that the sitcom spinoff film is a viable source for social history, with the often-stereotypical re-presentations of characters and events an (often blatant) ideological metonym for the concerns of wider British society, notably in issues of class, race, gender and sexuality.

British Comedy Cinema

British Comedy Cinema
Author: I. Q. Hunter
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 242
Release: 2012
Genre: Performing Arts
ISBN: 0415666678

This work explores the history of British comedy from silent slapstick and satire to contemporary romantic comedy. The essays include case studies on prominent personalities, and exploration of production cycles and studio output. Films discussed in the work include Sing As We Go, The Ladykillers, Trouble in Stone, The Carry Ons, Till Death Us Do Part, Monty Python's Life of Brian, Notting Hill, and Sex Lives of the Potato Men.

Are You Being Served?

Are You Being Served?
Author: Jeremy Lloyd
Publisher: Samuel French Limited
Total Pages: 66
Release: 2002
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 9780573019630

Based on TV comedy series Are you being served?

British Comedy Cinema

British Comedy Cinema
Author: I.Q. Hunter
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 242
Release: 2012-05-04
Genre: Performing Arts
ISBN: 1136508376

British comedy cinema has been a mainstay of domestic production since the beginning of the last Century and arguably the most popular and important genre in British film history. This edited volume will offer the first comprehensive account of the rich and popular history of British comedy cinema from silent slapstick and satire to contemporary romantic comedy. Using a loosely chronological approach, essays cover successive decades of the 20th and 21st Century with a combination of case studies on key personalities, production cycles and studio output along with fresh approaches to issues of class and gender representation. It will present new research on familiar comedy cycles such as the Ealing Comedies and Carry On films as well as the largely undocumented silent period along with the rise of television spin offs from the 1970s and the development of animated comedy from 1915 to the present. Films covered include: St Trinians, A Fish Called Wanda, Brassed Off, Local Hero, The Full Monty, Four Lions and In the Loop. Contributors: Melanie Bell, Alan Burton, James Chapman, Richard Dacre, Ian Hunter, James Leggott, Sharon Lockyer, Andy Medhurst, Lawrence Napper, Tim O’Sullivan, Laraine Porter, Justin Smith, Sarah Street, Peter Waymark, Paul Wells

British Film Culture in the 1970s

British Film Culture in the 1970s
Author: Sue Harper
Publisher: Edinburgh University Press
Total Pages: 337
Release: 2013-01-28
Genre: Performing Arts
ISBN: 0748654283

This volume draws a map of British film culture in the 1970s and provides a wide-ranging history of the period.

Writing the Comedy Movie

Writing the Comedy Movie
Author: Marc Blake
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA
Total Pages: 272
Release: 2015-12-17
Genre: Performing Arts
ISBN: 1501316346

"A practical guide to creating the comedy movie, referencing its subgenres, history, and tropes, along with exclusive interviews with craft practitioners"--

A Companion to Ancient Greece and Rome on Screen

A Companion to Ancient Greece and Rome on Screen
Author: Arthur J. Pomeroy
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
Total Pages: 553
Release: 2017-06-01
Genre: Literary Criticism
ISBN: 1118741447

A comprehensive treatment of the Classical World in film and television, A Companion to Ancient Greece and Rome on Screen closely examines the films and TV shows centered on Greek and Roman cultures and explores the tension between pagan and Christian worlds. Written by a team of experts in their fields, this work considers productions that discuss social settings as reflections of their times and as indicative of the technical advances in production and the economics of film and television. Productions included are a mix of Hollywood and European spanning from the silent film era though modern day television series, and topics discussed include Hollywood politics in film, soundtrack and sound design, high art and low art, European art cinemas, and the ancient world as comedy. Written for students of film and television as well as those interested in studies of ancient Rome and Greece, A Companion to Ancient Greece and Rome on Screen provides comprehensive, current thinking on how the depiction of Ancient Greece and Rome on screen has developed over the past century. It reviews how films of the ancient world mirrored shifting attitudes towards Christianity, the impact of changing techniques in film production, and fascinating explorations of science fiction and technical fantasy in the ancient world on popular TV shows like Star Trek, Babylon 5, Battlestar Galactica, and Dr. Who.

The 50 Greatest British Sitcoms

The 50 Greatest British Sitcoms
Author: Roger Barker
Publisher: BookRix
Total Pages: 107
Release: 2022-05-30
Genre: Performing Arts
ISBN: 3755414880

Britain is famous for its sitcoms. Many have been been made and numerous sitcoms are regarded as all time classic British television shows. In the past sitcoms were ubiquitous on television - particularly in the 1970s - making up a key part of programme schedules. In later years sitcoms have become rarer, but are still shown. It is common for comedies today to have a modern take on the sitcom and have no laughter track and be almost like a comedy drama. What are the greatest British sitcoms? This is a subjective opinion as people have different senses of humour; this book is the author's opinion, taking into account some other factors such as impact on popular culture, production values and so forth. There is a consensus on the best British sitcoms. These appear on greatest sitcom lists, or a critically acclaimed today. Another way to determine to the British sitcom can be to note which old sitcoms are repeated on British television channels. Hopefully this book will be of interest to those interested in British sitcoms and comedy and hopefully the reader will be introduced to some new comedy classics.

The Holiday and British Film

The Holiday and British Film
Author: M. Kerry
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 258
Release: 2011-10-27
Genre: History
ISBN: 0230349668

A refreshing insight into a previously neglected area of popular British cinema – the holiday film - including historical information about the British holiday and analyses of key films from the 1900s to the recent past.

Offbeat (Revised & Updated)

Offbeat (Revised & Updated)
Author: Julian Upton
Publisher: SCB Distributors
Total Pages: 748
Release: 2022-04-07
Genre: Performing Arts
ISBN: 1909394947

For years there has been consensus about the merits of Britain’s ‘cult films’ — Peeping Tom, Witchfinder General, The Italian Job — but what of The Mark, Unearthly Stranger, The Strange Affair and The Squeeze? Revisionist critics wax lyrical over Get Carter and The Wicker Man, but what of Sitting Target, Quest for Love and The Black Panther? OFFBEAT redresses this imbalance by exploring Britain’s obscurities, curiosities and forgotten gems — from the buoyant leap in film production in the late fifties to the dying days of popular domestic cinema in the early eighties. Featuring essays, interviews and in-depth reviews, OFFBEAT provides an exhaustive, enlightening and entertaining guide through a host of neglected cinematic trends and episodes, including: • The last great British B-movies • ‘Anti-swinging sixties’ films • Sexploitation — from Yellow Teddy Bears to Emmanuelle in Soho • The British rock ‘n roll movie • CIA-funded British cartoons • Asylums in British cinema • The Children’s Film Foundation • The demise of the short as supporting feature • Val Guest, Sidney Hayers and the forgotten journeyman of British film • Swashbucklers, crime thrillers and other non-horror Hammers Now updated with more than 150 pages of new reviews and essays, featuring: • The Beatles in Colour! • The History of the AA Certificate • Ken Russell’s 1980s Films • Iris Murdoch’s A Severed Head • Curating Offbeat films in the Digital Age And much more!