After 120 episodes spanning 11 years, BBC One hit situation comedy My Family reaches its final hurdle this Friday evening. BBC One Programme Controller, Danny Cohen said the channel are searching for a new generation of comedies which will created a similar impact.
Ben and Susan Harper, along with their children, Michael, Janey and up until series five, Nick are the well-known faces we are going to miss seeing on the occasional Friday nights. Robert Lindsay and Zoe Wanamaker have made their impact on the small screen as well as theatre appearances which made them the big stars they are today and I'm sure Daniela Denby-Ashe (Janey), Gabriel Thomson (Michael) and even Tayler Marshall (who played Janey's son Kenzo) have a big future ahead of them.
I hope they have a big future, anyway. I have watched (almost) every single episode of My Family and loved every minute of it. The storyline of Abi and Roger was completely original, watching the up-and-down relationship between Susan and Ben has been hysterical. One must admit, this programme is my second favourite sit-com of all time, behind Frasier of course.
There were the critics saying that the show "wasn't the same since Nick left" in series five. Others say that the programme wasn't "successful" because it didn't attract as many people as it did when the series first started. I disagree. To me, a definition of an "unsuccessful television programme" is where they don't last long. Eleven years, like Frasier matches the huge amount of support and faith the show had.
My Family have had problems, yes, I must admit - but it's neither the casts, nor the episode plots to blame. I feel it's the BBC's fault. I recall back when the series first started - the show was showcased every Friday evening for ten weeks at 8.30pm, straight after soap sensation Eastenders so it guaranteed viewers. Later on, they placed the Harper's to 9pm on Friday's which had proved popular too because people remember to enjoy watching the show.
It was until one series (I think it was either eight, or nine), moved to a Thursday evening slot which plummeted the ratings considerably. Unfortunately, the show hadn't recovered since despite the show returning back to their deserved Friday 9pm slot.
What now for British comedy? The amount of "middle-class" comedy is on a rapid decline in Britain apart from some, such as Outnumbered and Miranda. I love the latter but the former, with the fourth series opening this Friday evening to me is unoriginal because it's a similar storyline to My Family - a happily married couple with some trouble-making children. In America, "middle-class" sit-coms are common: Friends, Frasier, Curb your Enthusiasm, Two and a half Men and Everybody Loves Raymond. All of these have been absolutely popular across the West and beyond and continue to cherish by those who watch them - even if some of them have finished a long time ago.
The days of this sort of comedy in the UK, I fear is over. The days of Keeping up Appearances, As Time Goes By, Absolutely Fabulous, The Good Life, Fawlty Towers and To the Manor Born are at a near. British sit-coms today attempt to showcase "lower class" lifestyle and have proved popular such as The Royle Family, Benidorm and The Inbetweeners. This sort of comedy will turn the next corner on British television but we'll wait and see. It's going to be interesting but I shall conclude that I'll miss My Family.
Final episode of 'My Family' on Friday night, BBC ONE 8.30pm.
Ironic, isn't it?
"Now that all the Harper children have fled the nest we feel it's time to make room for new comedies on BBC One. I can confirm that the eleventh series, coming to BBC One later this year, will be the last,"
Danny Cohen, March 2011
Ben and Susan Harper, along with their children, Michael, Janey and up until series five, Nick are the well-known faces we are going to miss seeing on the occasional Friday nights. Robert Lindsay and Zoe Wanamaker have made their impact on the small screen as well as theatre appearances which made them the big stars they are today and I'm sure Daniela Denby-Ashe (Janey), Gabriel Thomson (Michael) and even Tayler Marshall (who played Janey's son Kenzo) have a big future ahead of them.
I hope they have a big future, anyway. I have watched (almost) every single episode of My Family and loved every minute of it. The storyline of Abi and Roger was completely original, watching the up-and-down relationship between Susan and Ben has been hysterical. One must admit, this programme is my second favourite sit-com of all time, behind Frasier of course.
There were the critics saying that the show "wasn't the same since Nick left" in series five. Others say that the programme wasn't "successful" because it didn't attract as many people as it did when the series first started. I disagree. To me, a definition of an "unsuccessful television programme" is where they don't last long. Eleven years, like Frasier matches the huge amount of support and faith the show had.
My Family have had problems, yes, I must admit - but it's neither the casts, nor the episode plots to blame. I feel it's the BBC's fault. I recall back when the series first started - the show was showcased every Friday evening for ten weeks at 8.30pm, straight after soap sensation Eastenders so it guaranteed viewers. Later on, they placed the Harper's to 9pm on Friday's which had proved popular too because people remember to enjoy watching the show.
It was until one series (I think it was either eight, or nine), moved to a Thursday evening slot which plummeted the ratings considerably. Unfortunately, the show hadn't recovered since despite the show returning back to their deserved Friday 9pm slot.
"It's got so many fans and the BBC have treated it appallingly. They ruined it by putting it out after 9pm. It's a genuinely good family show - as my dad used to say, you can watch it safely with your grandchildren."Let's not think of the problems or give excuses to why My Family did, or didn't do as well as we anticipated. I'm thinking of the future. To me, it's going to be a little strange not to tune into the BBC, watching the Harper's daily antics. I suppose good things have to come to an end.Robert Lindsay, Actor
What now for British comedy? The amount of "middle-class" comedy is on a rapid decline in Britain apart from some, such as Outnumbered and Miranda. I love the latter but the former, with the fourth series opening this Friday evening to me is unoriginal because it's a similar storyline to My Family - a happily married couple with some trouble-making children. In America, "middle-class" sit-coms are common: Friends, Frasier, Curb your Enthusiasm, Two and a half Men and Everybody Loves Raymond. All of these have been absolutely popular across the West and beyond and continue to cherish by those who watch them - even if some of them have finished a long time ago.
The days of this sort of comedy in the UK, I fear is over. The days of Keeping up Appearances, As Time Goes By, Absolutely Fabulous, The Good Life, Fawlty Towers and To the Manor Born are at a near. British sit-coms today attempt to showcase "lower class" lifestyle and have proved popular such as The Royle Family, Benidorm and The Inbetweeners. This sort of comedy will turn the next corner on British television but we'll wait and see. It's going to be interesting but I shall conclude that I'll miss My Family.
Final episode of 'My Family' on Friday night, BBC ONE 8.30pm.
Ironic, isn't it?
I was gonna write a post on this on Friday :) i too love this show, how many shows can say they lasted well over 100 episodes and 11 years? However the move to 9 was because of Corrie and that would have killed the show in terms of ratings. I do think the show has come to a natural end as the kids have all grown up and sometimes they appear in the house for no reason. My Family is definatley a classic although not everyone will agree
ReplyDeleteOh definitely. It's a harmless comedy which is for everyone's liking really. They cover friendly stereotypes and as I said, good things come to an end.
ReplyDeleteRobert Lindsay will be in another sit-com to be showcased on the BBC - he's part of a gay couple, shall be interesting as the guy is a genius - he can do anything.
"unoriginal because it's a similar storyline to My Family - a happily married couple with some trouble-making children."...?
ReplyDeleteJust like any other family sitcom, then. I hope 'My Family' isn't kidding itself that it did this first. America did it first, think of The Simpsons, Family Guy, Malcolm in the Middle etc. It's a classic format that almost always works.
I didn't say My Family were the first, however, I think it's time for producers and screen writers to think of new ideas rather than the bog-standard family programmes. Shows like Scrubs and How I met your Mother work that way by focusing on friendship and the job scene.
ReplyDelete