Rate the last TV Show you watched

[SasaS]

I couldn’t watch friends now. Canned laughter don’t ives me mad now.

 

I grew up with it so don't mind laughter as such, but it is very annoying when it's mechanical, a "joke" - press the button for laughter. Like stand-up shows / DVDs which a cut as if by a machine editor: establishing shot of the comedian, close-up for the punch line, faces in audience laughing. And again, 1-2-3.  There was a comedy panel show hosted by Charlie Brooker which had pretty shameless canned laughter track inserted, probably because the studio audience didn't find it funny enough. I don't seem to mind laughter on good / classic multi-camera sitcoms of the past (apparently, it is not possible to make them any more), especially when it's natural, that is, there are various levels of audience response. Otherwise, all classic programmes, from Monty Python and Fawlty Towers to today would be unwatchable. And they don't seem to be.

 

Friends - at the time, it was a groundbreaking show which produced excellent four seasons and there is a considerable drop-off after that, which almost always happens, and almost always most of the people, critics included, don't notice at all (see Veep, all OFAH specials after Damian is born etc). About half of the entire series is completely ridiculous. I've noticed that most people who dismiss it never actually  watched it, or they cough a couple of episodes from the later seasons. I always defend it, but I agree that from S5 on it gets progressively worse until it becomes unwatchable. Most of S1-S4 is however part of TV comedy history which will and should be appreciated, studied and analyzed for years to come.

 

BTW, current backlash against Friends as non-PC, which began earlier with Seinfeld is really utterly ridiculous totalitarian rubbish.

[Numero Veinticinco]

I enjoyed Friends first time around. But I just feel we’ve moved way beyond it. I hate the canned laughter. I just can’t watch it. I feel as if I’m being told when to laugh. It puts me off.

 

I’ll atick with Its Always Sunny.

[SasaS]

I enjoyed Friends first time around. But I just feel we’ve moved way beyond it. I hate the canned laughter. I just can’t watch it. I feel as if I’m being told when to laugh. It puts me off.

 

I’ll atick with Its Always Sunny.

 

So you cannot watch anything with laughter, which is mostly any comedy before the emergence of post-Curb or post-Office single camera no-audience-reaction show? Talk shows have audience reaction, any kind of comedy, panels, anything filmed before an audience has reaction, laughter, applause etc, telling you when to laugh and what to approve of.

[Jockey]

I would sit & watch a still of Rachel Green with canned laughter playing over it quite happily for hours on end.

 

 

Might get a bit weird after a few minutes right enough.

 

Still the best thing on the show by a country mile. Although Joey still makes me laugh. 

[Numero Veinticinco]

So you cannot watch anything with laughter, which is mostly any comedy before the emergence of post-Curb or post-Office single camera no-audience-reaction show? Talk shows have audience reaction, any kind of comedy, panels, anything filmed before an audience has reaction, laughter, applause etc, telling you when to laugh and what to approve of.

Have another read. I said I hate ‘canned laughter’. That means fake laughter recordings that are put into intentionally left pauses in scripted comedy. Talk shows, panel shows, quizzes, where reap people are reacting in real time to something they’ve seen is very different to somebody scripting where laughter recordings go. But yes, I won’t watch any comedy with canned laughter.

[SasaS]

You said Friends has canned laughter, I don't think it does, I think it was either recorded live or the laughter was recorded audience, as with most sitcoms throughout the previous decades. I have not seen it in a while so I may be wrong. I don't have a problem when the audience laughs were they are supposed to laugh, I do however agree that it is annoying when it's canned laughter on a button, which is fairly easily detected, because it's always the same intensity to any joke or piece of dialoge underlined for insert laugther here.

[Numero Veinticinco]

Friends was both, actually. It was often shot in front of a live audience (with a big light up laugh sign), but also edited, adjusted, and added to afterwards. It was certainly scripted, as you can tell from the video above where you can see the long pauses they take for laughter. Longer pauses for the bigger jokes, etc.

 

Even then, I’m not only talking about Friends. I don’t much find Friends funny anymore anyway, with or without the laughter, I’m talking about not liking canned or scripted laughter in anyway. Normal reactions are fine for non-scripted stuff like chat shows or panel quizzes. That’s totally different. Scripted comedy? Nah. No reason for other people’s laughter to be on there. I notice it especially when people are outside, like... who the fuck is that laughing?

[Tony Moanero]

Friends was mega turd. I can't think of a single American sitcom that I've ever liked.

[Numero Veinticinco]

Friends was mega turd. I can't think of a single American sitcom that I've ever liked.

Ever watched It’s Always Sunny?

[Tony Moanero]

Ever watched It’s Always Sunny?

No, never watched it.

[SasaS]

Friends was both, actually. It was often shot in front of a live audience (with a big light up laugh sign), but also edited, adjusted, and added to afterwards. It was certainly scripted, as you can tell from the video above where you can see the long pauses they take for laughter. Longer pauses for the bigger jokes, etc.

 

Even then, I’m not only talking about Friends. I don’t much find Friends funny anymore anyway, with or without the laughter, I’m talking about not liking canned or scripted laughter in anyway. Normal reactions are fine for non-scripted stuff like chat shows or panel quizzes. That’s totally different. Scripted comedy? Nah. No reason for other people’s laughter to be on there. I notice it especially when people are outside, like... who the fuck is that laughing?

 

So you have a problem with adding laughter to comedy, which was, for some reason,  a television convention between 1960 and 2000, which means that you cannot watch any of the classic shows anymore, not just Friends.

 

I can, it's still just a convention I'm used to and almost don't notice it especially when it's not overly unnatural or intrusive. Same as when I am watching a film and there is dramatic score when a character is walking down the street, I don't go, wait, where is that music coming from? 

[Numero Veinticinco]

No, never watched it.

It is quite, quite brilliant. When they were first trying it, it was something a bit new, but once Frank comes into it, it’s the funniest show I’ve seen in decades. It’s not all ‘cheesy American’ like a lot of them. It’s just dirty, dark, selfish, cunty funny.

[Numero Veinticinco]

So you have a problem with adding laughter to comedy, which was, for some reason, a television convention between 1960 and 2000, which means that you cannot watch any of the classic shows anymore, not just Friends.

 

Exactly, it just kills it for me. I don’t mind the occasional clip for nostalgia’s sake, but I’ll not sit down and watch anything like that now.

[RedKnight]

Very rare for a US sitcom to use canned laughter from the later '80s onward. Live studio audiences sure but not canned laughter. Seinfeld and Cheers both had a live audience and I don't believe it detracts from the quality of either.

[SasaS]

Exactly, it just kills it for me. I don’t mind the occasional clip for nostalgia’s sake, but I’ll not sit down and watch anything like that now.

 

I often have the same reaction with stand-up shows, if they insist on showing me every person in the audience laughing, if  it's a mechanical punch line-face in the crowd rhythm I almost end up shouting at the screen I get it I get it, they are there and they are laughing, I can hear them, now show me the act. 

[Nelly-Szoboszlai]

Boxed that Mindhunter off. 8.4 out of 10.

 

Very good. Just pissed off that season 2 isn't pencilled in until late 2018 though.

 

It looks very much like season 2 might give us a bit more of the ADT man who popped up a few times looking all sinister and stuff.

 

Some really good characters in Mindhunter. Bill is cool. Ed Kemper is very well played. And Anna Torv who plays Dr. Carr is hot as hell.

 

One gripe. Holden Ford. It's sad that he's the main character in this. A bit. He's alright sometimes, but his arrogance and sleekness make him mostly unlikable.

[Kloppite]

Watching Friends again - I had forgotten how much I fucking hated Phoebe! Such a fucking annoying character!

 

Really enjoying Rick Stein's Mexican Adventure - love his show's as he visits countries and gets to know the local food, and local suppliers. I'd need a mobility scooter to get around if I was him.

After many years ov not watchjnb friends i have also started watching it again. It is for whaf if is one of the best sitcoms ever written considering some of them are 20 years old. Phoebe can be annoying but so can Monica, Joe is fucking boss.

 

As for the Rick Stein program I watched them when they were on in the run up to Christmas, and I concur I would also need a mobility scooter.

[Guest]

No, never watched it.

Negged.

 

I will rep you when you put this right by watching it.

 

https://ororo.tv/en/shows/its-always-sunny-in-philadelphia#1

[Tony Moanero]

Negged.

 

I will rep you when you put this right by watching it.

 

https://ororo.tv/en/shows/its-always-sunny-in-philadelphia#1

Might get round to it when I'm done with watching reruns of Challenge Anneka and Bergerac.

[Numero Veinticinco]

Might get round to it when I'm done with watching reruns of Challenge Anneka and Bergerac.

Burst out laughing at that. Get it watched though, but give it a chance. It grips you and doesn’t let go.

[Anny Road]

Luke Cage.

Shit 3/10

[Guest]

Might get round to it when I'm done with watching reruns of Challenge Anneka and Bergerac.

I really want to rep this as it's very funny but I can't until you have watched an episode of It's Always Sunny.

 

Anneka and Nettles surely can wait...

[Chip Butty]

Anyone catch the BBC2 series Surgeons: On The Edge of Life, last night?  Honestly don't know what is more difficult - removing a 19.5Kg tumour, or living with a 19.5Kg tumour.

 

I remember watching the first major hospital series years ago called Your Life in Their Hands, and after seeing a knee and hip replacement, I thought I'd never see anythings as gruesome - the last two episodes of this show have put that opinion bed. Surgeons really are just very clever carpenters, bricklayers and plasterers. 

[Elite]

Anyone catch the BBC2 series Surgeons: On The Edge of Life, last night? Honestly don't know what is more difficult - removing a 19.5Kg tumour, or living with a 19.5Kg tumour.

 

I remember watching the first major hospital series years ago called Your Life in Their Hands, and after seeing a knee and hip replacement, I thought I'd never see anythings as gruesome - the last two episodes of this show have put that opinion bed. Surgeons really are just very clever carpenters, bricklayers and plasterers.

Not watched it but I agree about Surgeons, they are master craftsmen with ice running through their veins.

[Shitty Arse]

Just finished binge watching Line of Duty series 1 - 4 which I absolutely fucking loved. Gonna get cracking on Fargo (the tv series) next. First episode looks very promising.