CENK podcast #46: "The Death of the British Sitcom"

4everInElectricDreams · C.E.N.K. #46: "The Death of the British Sitcom"

​Episode #46 of the Close Encounters of the Nerd Kind podcast sees Tee-J Sutherland and Dan Collacott joined by long-time listener and even longer-timed friend of the show Stuart Giblin as the team discuss the state of British sitcoms in the UK as once championed the Big Five terrestrial channels.

The UK's long-standing history as champions of innovative and inspired new comedy talent has led the way to some defining moments in our rich entertainment history.  Cherished sitcom characters like Alan Partridge, David Brent and Basil Fawlty have become engrained into the fabric of this country's comedy lineage and still serve to inspire subsequent generations.  But why does it seem that the once-beloved British sitcom has taken a back seat in the eyes of the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 in favour of more generic formats like panel shows?  Has comedy moved on?  Are sitcoms just too expensive and high-risk for networks to gamble on and are panel shows subsequently easier because they're cheaper to fund?