Dissertation Proposal

NAME: Samuel Osagie COURSE: Research & Dissertation TUTOR: Daniel Vidal ASSIGNMENT TITLE: Dissertation Proposal DATE: 22-4-2009

DISSERTATION PROPOSAL

“THE PRODIGIOSITY OF CLASSIC BRITISHSITCOMS: WHAT IS MISSING IN CONTEMPORARY BRITISH SITCOMS”

By Samuel O. Osagie LIMKOKWING UNIVERSITY, LONDON APRIL 22ND, 2009

1

NAME: Samuel Osagie COURSE: Research & Dissertation TUTOR: Daniel Vidal ASSIGNMENT TITLE: Dissertation Proposal DATE: 22-4-2009

ABSTRACT

The British Situation Comedy (Britcom) is experiencing what the Holy Bible calls, “Ichabod”, meaning the ‘glory’ has departed. The glory days of Britcom are gone! If the foundation of a building is destroyed, what will become of that building? It will be mendacious to say British sitcom is still what it used to be. Gone are days of British sitcoms like Fawlty Towers, Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em, Steptoe and Son, ‘Yes minister, Yes Prime Minister’, Only Fools and Horses, et al. As we are now in a time when contemporary British situation comedies in television entertainment genres is nothing but a laughing stock among television audiences, which may have eventually led to the huge decline of sitcoms in British televisions. The decline of Sitcoms in today’s television networks has been generating a lot of controversies and criticisms. “A few years ago you couldn't pick up a paper without someone announcing that the TV sitcom was dead, and that there hadn't been a decent one for years. That's perhaps not surprising given that, at the time, the genre was represented by such shows as Babes in the Wood, Dad, Operation Good Guys and Let Them Eat Cake. Now, though, everything's changed” (Williams, S., 2003). What is happening to British sitcom? Is it dead? Or has it gone on a long summer holiday? Do you think we can still have those days of nerve-breaking humour? The intent of this dissertation is to question the elegiac quality of contemporary sitcoms and investigate the missing elements in contemporary British situation comedies, and to explore

2

NAME: Samuel Osagie COURSE: Research & Dissertation TUTOR: Daniel Vidal ASSIGNMENT TITLE: Dissertation Proposal DATE: 22-4-2009 ways by which the prodigiosity and nostalgia of classic British sitcoms can be rejuvenated and replicated to bring about the renaissance of sitcoms in today’s television comedy genre. This research study is aimed at examining and finding out the problems with contemporary British sitcoms- such as what has lead to the huge decline of situation comedy as a television genre, and why contemporary sitcoms lack the prodigiosity and patronage that classic British sitcoms possessed for over 40 years. “But the new sitcoms retain the thematic concerns of the British sitcom classics. Their subjects are individual disappointment and social failure and the courage of people in the face of their problems” (Phil Wickham - http: //www.screenonline. org.uk/tv/id/445368/). And also explore and proffer ways by which the Renaissance of situation comedy could be rejuvenated in British televisions. To make Sitcom the most engaging television genre to audiences as it was in the ‘60s, ‘70s, ‘80s, and early ‘90s. The decline of sitcom genre in British television has become a central issue of debate among various segments of the British television industry and among television audiences in Britain. Although considerable researches have been devoted to the prodigiosity of British sitcoms, rather less attention has been paid to the state and problem of contemporary British sitcoms. This research study will examine the following research questions: what makes British classic sitcoms prodigiosity? What is the state of contemporary British sitcom? What is missing in contemporary British sitcoms? What causes the huge decline of sitcoms in British television networks? How can the prodiogiosity and nostalgia of classic British sitcoms be rejuvenated and replicated to bring back the renaissance of sitcoms in British televisions? The research will use both qualitative and quantitative method to gather data. Both internet survey and interviews will be use to gather primary data, while secondary data will be

3

NAME: Samuel Osagie COURSE: Research & Dissertation TUTOR: Daniel Vidal ASSIGNMENT TITLE: Dissertation Proposal DATE: 22-4-2009 collected from DVDs, articles, journals, books, and the internet. The various data collected will be analysed.

INTRODUCTION A sitcom (situation comedy) is a comedy genre originally designed for radio but was eventually transferred to television. Situation comedy has been one of the most engaging and enduring television genres in British television history. For over 40 years sitcoms have helped British society engage with itself – the delivery of very hilarious and nerve-breaking materials, which audiences have significantly respond to, even in their reruns after decades. Hancock’s Half Hour (BBC, 1956-60) was the very first British sitcom.

Hancock’s Half Hour The programme first started on radio before it was transferred and developed for television. The sitcom script was written by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson. The successful work of these pioneer of sitcom writers, laid the benchmark for sitcom script writing, which help to steer Britain down a different path from the team writing system in America.

4

NAME: Samuel Osagie COURSE: Research & Dissertation TUTOR: Daniel Vidal ASSIGNMENT TITLE: Dissertation Proposal DATE: 22-4-2009

Steptoe and Son Then both Galton and Simpson wrote two other sitcoms – Steptoe and Son (BBC, 1962-74) and Till Death Do Us Part (BBC, 1966-75) – that made sitcom to become the central part of British cultural life, at the time when television has find its way into many homes in Britain.

Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em The ‘70s and middle ‘80s were referred to as the “Golden Age of British” sitcom. With sitcoms such as Dad’s Army (BBC, 1968-77), Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads? (BBC, 197374), Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em (BBC, 1973-78), Porridge (BBC, 1974-77), The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin (BBC, 1976-79), Rising Damp (ITV, 1974-78), and Fawlty Towers

5

NAME: Samuel Osagie COURSE: Research & Dissertation TUTOR: Daniel Vidal ASSIGNMENT TITLE: Dissertation Proposal DATE: 22-4-2009 (BBC, 1975-79) gaining hugely popularity and massive audiences, even outside shores of Britain. “Sitcoms have had an important influence on British life in the last 40 years.

Fawlty Towers The have made us thinks about ourselves by making us laugh at our own absurdity. Good sitcoms are a kind of virtual reality- they reflect the rhythms of everyday life, the pain of the human condition and, of course, the joy of laughter” (Phil Wickham - http: //www.screenonline. org.uk/tv/id/445368/).

The golden age of British situation comedy has come to an end. There will be no more of those very engaging and nerve-breaking TV comedies. No more of those TV comedies that deals with social change. “We are living through the end of jokes, the final flourish of the setup and punch line, and the last gasp of the obliging laughter track. Television comedy is dying” (Lappin, T., 2003). In 1984, 60 sitcoms were commissioned on British terrestrial television, but now the figure has plummeted to just 7 in 2004 (Liddiment, D., 2006).

6

NAME: Samuel Osagie COURSE: Research & Dissertation TUTOR: Daniel Vidal ASSIGNMENT TITLE: Dissertation Proposal DATE: 22-4-2009 “But the new sitcoms retain the thematic concerns of the British sitcom classics. Their subjects are individual disappointment and social failure and the courage of people in the face of their problems” (Phil Wickham - http: //www.screenonline. org.uk/tv/id/445368/). “The British sitcom has for years been treated as the perennial “sick patient” of British television. Whilst a survey conducted by the BBC in 1998 suggested that viewers strongly disagreed with the notion that the British sitcom had seen its heyday, the television industry still periodically returns to an assumed truth that the Brits can no longer “do” sitcoms properly” (http://www.offthetelly.co.uk/comedy/funny business.htm). The recent belief that television networks have not been able to produce popular sitcoms for more than a decade now is as accurate as the affirmation that British sitcom itself is dying. As a matter of fact only few BBC sitcoms in recent years have been able to achieve higher level of critical success.

7

NAME: Samuel Osagie COURSE: Research & Dissertation TUTOR: Daniel Vidal ASSIGNMENT TITLE: Dissertation Proposal DATE: 22-4-2009

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The decline of sitcom genre in British television has become a central issue of debate among various segments of the British television industry and among television audiences in Britain. “Who Killed the British Sitcom?” is a documentary film aired on Channel 4, produced by David Liddiment, a veteran broadcast and former Director of ITV Programmes. In the documentary, David Liddiment argued that the shifts in the society, family life, class, and alternative TV comedy (like Peep Show, Stand Up, Comedy Drama) and Reality Shows, have all contributed to the demise of what he calls the “best-loved and most enduring genre” in British television (Liddiment, D., 2006).

8

NAME: Samuel Osagie COURSE: Research & Dissertation TUTOR: Daniel Vidal ASSIGNMENT TITLE: Dissertation Proposal DATE: 22-4-2009

RESEARCH OBJECTIVE

There are many studies that focus on the prodigiosity of British sitcoms. But there have only been few articles and one documentary (Who Killed British Sitcom, 2006) on both the decline state and failure of British sitcoms. There has not been any extensive investigative study on the true state and problem of contemporary British sitcoms known to me in Britain. This is why I have picked up keen interest in this area, to do an extensive research study on the present state and problem of contemporary British sitcoms. Hence, this study will focus on the state and problem of contemporary British sitcom with an aim to help rejuvenate and replicate the prodigiosity and nostalgia of classic British sitcom, which will bring about the Renaissance of British sitcoms in televisions. This research study is aimed at finding out the state and problem of contemporary British sitcoms- such as what has lead to the huge decline of situation comedy as a television genre, and why contemporary sitcoms lack the prodigiosity and patronage that classic British sitcoms had in its golden age -for over 40 years. There is still a lot of controversy as to the true state of Britcom. Some believe British sitcom is dead; some others believe is not but in a decline state; while some others again have the belief that it is neither dead nor in a decline state but is only going through some changes as the society and technology is change. This research study will help to bring more light on the true state of British sitcom as a television genre in Britain. It will also contribute to academic works on British sitcoms. And also explore and proffer ways by which the Renaissance of situation comedy could be rejuvenated in British televisions, to make Sitcom the most engaging television genre to audiences as it was in the ‘60s, ‘70s, ‘80s, and early ‘90s.

9

NAME: Samuel Osagie COURSE: Research & Dissertation TUTOR: Daniel Vidal ASSIGNMENT TITLE: Dissertation Proposal DATE: 22-4-2009

RESEARCH QUESTION

A lot of studies have been done about the perennial success of classic Britcoms, and the role they played in helping the society engaged with itself. There have also been some documentaries by BBC, which only eulogized the prodigiosity of classic British situation comedies. Documentaries like Comedy Connections (BBC, 2003-2004), Laughter in the House: the Story of British Sitcom (BBC, 1999). But there is one documentary which really did the contrary, a documentary that came from a long TV veteran in the UK, David Liddiment (a former ITV executive director). In 2006, he produced a great documentary called Who Killed British Sitcom? An insightful and incisive documentary aimed at finding out what lead to the demise of the well acclaimed British sitcoms. He is one of those who decry the state of contemporary Britcoms and hold a strong opinion that British sitcom as a genre is dead. Investigating the elegiac state of contemporary British sitcoms and proffering the best possible solutions that could help rejuvenate and replicate the prodigiosity of British sitcom like those of the Golden Age of British sitcom, with a view to bring about the renaissance of British sitcoms in today’s television networks and among TV audiences in Britain. In this study, I will be look at the following problems in Britcoms: •

What makes British classic sitcoms prodigiosity?

•

What is the state of contemporary British sitcom?

•

What is missing in contemporary British sitcoms?

•

What causes the huge decline of sitcoms in British television networks?

•

How can the prodiogiosity and nostalgia of classic British sitcoms be rejuvenated and replicated to bring back the renaissance of sitcoms in British televisions? 10

NAME: Samuel Osagie COURSE: Research & Dissertation TUTOR: Daniel Vidal ASSIGNMENT TITLE: Dissertation Proposal DATE: 22-4-2009

REVIEW OF LITERATURE

There are various schools of thought on the position of contemporary British sitcom. Some believe British sitcom is dead; some others believe is not but in a decline state; while some others again have the belief that it is neither dead nor in a decline state but is only going through some changes as the society and technology is change. Studies on contemporary television have revealed that the attitude of viewers towards television viewing has changed compared to what it decades ago. The mental-shift in television viewers seeing Sitcoms as a genre of television entertainment that represent ‘Home’. Think of the situation of most popular and engaging classic sitcoms, they are parodying the family life of couple, with the entire plot playing around ‘home’. We often see the three-point camera angles address the space as characters converge around a central prop – characters in the sitting room or bedroom, characters in the kitchen, family in the dinner, car in the garage, or couch in the basement. All of these constructions of place help to put together a collective image of sitcom as a portrayal of ‘home’ to television audiences. They remind us of our own homes, of our friends’ and family’s homes seducing us into a state of flow as we surrender our critical lens of observation to moments of collective connection to these “ultimate,” imaginary TV homes (or bars, offices, and hospitals), for all of these examples become symbolic of the welcoming place “where everybody knows your name”. The state of ‘flow’ has been described as “perhaps the defining characteristic of broadcasting, simultaneously as technology and as a cultural form. This new definition includes shifts in the interface between the viewer and television, and thus in the viewing experience as a whole” (Uricchio, W.C., 2004).

11

NAME: Samuel Osagie COURSE: Research & Dissertation TUTOR: Daniel Vidal ASSIGNMENT TITLE: Dissertation Proposal DATE: 22-4-2009 David Liddiment in his documentary argued that the shifts in the society, family life, class, and alternative TV comedy (like Peep Show, Stand Up, Comedy Drama) and Reality Shows, have all contributed to the demise of what he calls the “best-loved and most enduring genre” in British television (Liddiment, D., 2006). The digital age and constant change in technology has also contributed to these problems. Access to the internet, quasi-american lifestyle, youth culture targeting, promoting multinational shows in British television, and news coverage of foreign nations, all seems to make British sitcoms inefficacious and dull to contemporary TV viewers. It is true that “from its start, television has been a transient and unstable medium, as much for the speed of its technological change as for the process of its cultural transformation, for its ephemeral present, and for its mundane everydayness” (Uricchio, W.C., 2004).

This has lead to the opinion of sitcom as an old-fashioned genre, even when the traditional sitcoms still find audiences. Contemporary sitcoms have done away with the winning formula of classic sitcoms. “The new sitcoms dispense with the old formal conventions like the studios audience, heavy lighting and theatrical performance, as technology and audience tastes have changed” (Phil Wickham - http: //www.screenonline.org.uk/tv/id/445368/). Another factor that led to the decline of sitcom in British television is the opinion of “modern television executives, on the dubious pretext that it is old-fashioned, politically incorrect, or has little appeal to today’s audiences” (Powell, V., 1999).

12

NAME: Samuel Osagie COURSE: Research & Dissertation TUTOR: Daniel Vidal ASSIGNMENT TITLE: Dissertation Proposal DATE: 22-4-2009

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

The research plan will be approach in two phases. The first phase will deal with data gathering while the second phase will deal with data analysis and interpretation. During the first phase, I will focus on gathering both primary data and secondary data. I will collect my primary data by using online survey and interview to gather both qualitative and quantitative data (Cresswell, J.W., 2000). The online survey will be done by posting open-structured questions online -that will allow respondents to give their answers freely in their own expressions. While the second aspect of the primary data gathering, will be done by conducting in-depth interviews with three notable experts in the TV industry. Both the online survey and the interview will help me investigate and explore the true state of British sitcom and find out the problem of contemporary Britcoms. The personal interview with these experts will yield data with high internal validity. Secondary data will be culled from previous research works, online articles, journals, text books, and DVDs.

The second phase, this aspect of the research will deal extensively with in-depth data analysis and interpretation. I will analyse and interpret both results from the primary data in conjunction with those gathered from secondary data. There will be case study on the prodigiosity of British sitcoms; it entails analyses of some classic British sitcoms such as: •

Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em

•

Fawlty Towers

13

NAME: Samuel Osagie COURSE: Research & Dissertation TUTOR: Daniel Vidal ASSIGNMENT TITLE: Dissertation Proposal DATE: 22-4-2009 • Steptoe and Son •

Only Fools and Horses

•

Yes Minister, Yes Prime Minister

My research draws on a three-tiered methodological approach: close analyses of primary data; contextualization of both primary documents and broader socio-cultural framework through archival research and secondary data; and interpretation of primary data through theoretical frameworks.

This project is theoretically informed by several related literatures that form a compelling interdisciplinary intersection: studies of theoretical works; Visual works; and historical archives. The proposed project will draw from recent investigations in these literatures, contributing materially or theoretically to each.

14

NAME: Samuel Osagie COURSE: Research & Dissertation TUTOR: Daniel Vidal ASSIGNMENT TITLE: Dissertation Proposal DATE: 22-4-2009

TIMELINE/PLAN OF WORK TASK

JANUARY FEBRUARY

MARCH

APRIL

MAY

JUNE

INTENSIVE RESEARCH

FINAL PROPOSAL AND DISSERTATION PRESENTATION FURTHER READING AND FILM ANALYSIS

DISSERTATION DRAFT

EDITING AND REWRITES 18TH DEADLINE

15

NAME: Samuel Osagie COURSE: Research & Dissertation TUTOR: Daniel Vidal ASSIGNMENT TITLE: Dissertation Proposal DATE: 22-4-2009

BIBLIOGRAPHIC REFERENCES

1. Cresswell, J.W. (2000) Research design: A qualitative and mixed method approaches. 2nd Edition. Boston: McGraw-Hill. 2. Eisner, J. & Krinsky, D. (1984). Television comedy series: an episode guide to 153 TV sitcoms in syndication. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland. 3. Feuer, J. (2001). Situation comedy, Part 2: the television genre book. London: British Film Institute. 4. Grote, D. (1983). The end of comedy: the sitcom and the comedic tradition. Hamden, Conn: Archon Books. 5. Hamamoto, D., Y. (1989). Nervous Laughter: television situation comedy and liberal democratic Idealogy. New York: Praeger, 1989. Series Title: Media and Society Series. 6. Koseluk, G. (2000). Great Britcoms: British television situation comedy. Jefferson, N. C.: McFarland. 7. Lappin, T. (2003). New British sitcoms are a laughing stock. Published May 12, 2003, http://living.scotsman.com/features/New-British-sitcoms-are-a.2426667.jp 8. Locke, L. F., Spirduso, W. W., & Silverman, S. J. (2000). Proposals that work: A guide for planning dissertations and grant proposals. 4th Edition. Thousand Oaks: SAGE. 9. Marshall, C., & Rossman, G. B. (1999). Designing qualitative research. 3rd Edition. Thousand Oaks, SAGE. 10. Morreale, J. (2003). Critiquing the sitcom: A Reader. 1st Edition. Syracuse University Press, New York. 11. Poyner, R. (2001). Obey The Giant. London: Birkhauser D Publishers for Architecture.

16

NAME: Samuel Osagie COURSE: Research & Dissertation TUTOR: Daniel Vidal ASSIGNMENT TITLE: Dissertation Proposal DATE: 22-4-2009 12. Uricchio, W.C. (2004). Television’s Next Generation: Technology/Interface Culture/Flow. Spigel (164-182). 13. Williams, S. (2003). The Sitcom Story: Monday 19/05/03, BBC1 reviewed by Steve Williams, http://www.offthetelly.co.uk/reviews/2003/sitcomstory.htm 14. Who Killed British Sitcom? A documentary produced by David Liddiment in 2006.

17