-not Like This Any More Documentary Script

NOT LIKE THIS ANY MORE By SAMUEL O. OSAGIE

BRITISH SITCOM

All right is reversed.@2009

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1 VIDEO An establishing shot showing a panoramic view of Piccadilly circle, London.TITLE:NOT LIKE THIS ANY MORE.

ARCHIVAL VIDEO: SOME MOTHERS DO ’AV ’EM (48 SECONDS) Excerpts from SOME MOTHERS DO ’AV ’EM sitcom, episode 1-THE JOB INTERVIEW. The excerpt video from the archival video will run for 20 seconds before the voice-over will come in.

AUDIO MUSIC The Crawler

NARRATOR (Voice-over) The glory days of British sitcoms are gone.The days when British Televisions are inundated with nerve-breaking hilarious sitcoms, are over! For almost two decades now, British sitcom has been imperiled. We are in a time when contemporary British sitcoms are nothing but a laugh stock among teeming comedy audiences and critics, with a lot of sitcoms produced ending up as Pilots -never shown on television.

CUT-IN:

ARCHIVAL FOOTAGE:FAWLTY TOWERS (52 SECONDS) Excerpts from FAWLTY TOWERS sitcom,episode 2-THE BUILDERS. There will be a voice-over with this excerpt video.

NARRATOR (Voice-over) There are no more fun in British Television, compared to the golden age of British sitcom. In those days sitcoms are used to make us laugh at our own absurdity; they reflect the scenarios of everyday British life; they were seen as the liberating power of "sadism"; they give audiences different kind of satisfactions. British sitcoms are NOT LIKE THIS ANY MORE. Why? Is British sitcom dead? Does the absent of real humorous Britcoms signify the demise of this perennial TV entertainment genre? What is the true state of British sitcom?

2 VIDEO

AUDIO

CUT-IN: CLOSE UP:John sitting on the sofa and talking. CUT-IN:

JOHN BEVERIDGE (Interviewee)

ARCHIVAL VIDEO:ON THE BUSES (28 SECONDS) Excerpt from ON THE BUSES sitcom,episode 4. CUT-IN: CLOSE UP:

JOHN BEVERIDGE (Interviewee)

CUT-IN:

JOHN BEVERIDGE (CONTINUE) (Voice-over)

ARCHIVAL VIDEO:ON THE BUSES (28 SECONDS) Excerpt from ON THE BUSES sitcom, episode 1-THE EARLY SHIFT, with JOHN’S Voice-over. CUT-IN: ARCHIVAL VIDEO: STEPTOE AND SON (24 SECONDS) Excerpt from STEPTOE AND SON sitcom, episode 2. CUT-IN: CLOSE UP: CUT-IN: ARCHIVAL VIDEO:SOME MOTHERS DO ’AV ’EM (31 SECONDS) Excerpt from SOME MOTHERS DO ’AV ’EM sitcom, episode 6-THE PSYCHIATRIST.

JOHN BEVERIDGE (Interviewee)

3 VIDEO

AUDIO

CUT-IN: CLOSE UP:

JOHN BEVERIDGE (CONTINUE)

CUT-IN: ARCHIVAL VIDEO: DAD’S ARMY (42 SECONDS) Excerpt from DAD’S ARMY sitcom, episode 2 & 5. The narrator voice-over will come in after 27 seconds of the clip.

NARRATOR (Voice-over) What makes classic British sitcoms prodigious? Is it the actors that play the characters? Or the script? Or the audiences?

CUT-IN: CLOSE UP:

JOHN BEVERIDGE (Interviewee)

CUT-IN: ARCHIVAL VIDEO: FAWLTY TOWERS (24 SECONDS) Excerpt from FAWLTY TOWERS episode 8- THE PSYCHIATRIST. CUT-IN: CLOSE UP:

JOHN BEVERIDGE (Interviewee)

CUT-IN: ARCHIVAL VIDEO: STEPTOE AND SON (32 SECONDS) Excerpt from STEPTOE AND SON episode 55-UPSTAIRS, DOWNSTAIRS, UPSTAIRS, DOWNSTAIRS.. CUT-IN: ARCHIVAL VIDEO: DAD’S ARMY (22 SECONDS) Excerpt from DAD’S ARMY episode 6.

JOHN BEVERIDGE (CONTINUE) (Voice-over with the video )

4 VIDEO

AUDIO

CUT-IN: CLOSE UP:

JOHN BEVERIDGE (CONTINUE) (Interviewee)

CUT-IN: ARCHIVAL VIDEO: ON THE BUSES (52 SECONDS) and Excerpt from ON THE BUSES episode 10-BON VOYAGE with narrator’s voice-over after 24 seconds.

NARRATOR (Voice-over) Since the lamentable upheaval in British sitcom, there has been various reactions from both comedy audiences and TV critics. Some say, British Sitcom is dead, others say, it is not dead but has decline. Whether declined or dead, but one thing is obvious! Contemporary Britcoms are not like the classic ones anymore!

CUT-IN: ARCHIVAL VIDEO: DAD’S ARMY (32 SECONDS) Excerpt from DAD’S ARMY episode 6 with narrator’s voice-over.

NARRATOR (CONTINUE) (Voice-over) Factors such as: decline in sitcom’s audiences; Americanization of British society; reality TV shows; profitability ratio of sitcom to TV executives; film and cinema; and lack of good script writers for sitcom, are said to be responsible for the demise or decline in British sitcoms. Could these really be responsible for the detestable state of British sitcoms today? If not! Then what is responsible?

CUT-IN: CLOSE UP: CUT-IN:

JOHN BEVERIDGE (Interviewee)

5 VIDEO ARCHIVAL VIDEO: SOME MOTHERS DO ’AV ’EM (27 SECONDS) Excerpt from SOME MOTHERS DO ’AV ’EM episode 2-GEORGE’S HOUSE. CUT-IN:

AUDIO

JOHN BEVERIDGE (CONTINUE) (Voice-over with the video )

ARCHIVAL VIDEO: FAWLTY TOWERS (26 SECONDS) Excerpt from FAWLTY TOWERS episode 6. CUT-IN: CLOSE UP:

JOHN BEVERIDGE (CONTINUE) (Interviewee)

CUT-IN: ARCHIVAL VIDEO: STEPTOE AND SON (52 SECONDS) and Excerpt from STEPTOE AND SON episode 55- UPSTAIRS, DOWNSTAIRS, UPSTAIRS, DOWNSTAIRS. with narrator’s voice-over after 24 seconds.

NARRATOR (Voice-over) The hope that British sitcom will be rejuvenated is very bleak. Rather the only effort will see today is to preserve the great works of the GOLDEN AGE OF BRITISH SITCOM. We’ve seen several documentaries on bought BBC and ITV eulogizing and celebrating great Classic British sitcoms, with no effort toward enhancing contemporary sitcoms. These are mere nostalgic noise. As no one wants to take the onus of reviving British Sitcom.

Continue STEPTOE AND SON episode 55- UPSTAIRS, DOWNSTAIRS, UPSTAIRS, DOWNSTAIRS (28 SECONDS). CUT-IN: CLOSE UP:

JOHN BEVERIDGE (Interviewee)

6 VIDEO

AUDIO

CUT-IN: ARCHIVAL VIDEO: ON THE BUSES (22 SECONDS) Excerpt from ON THE BUSES episode 36-THE L BUS. CUT-IN:

JOHN BEVERIDGE (CONTINUE) (Voice-over with the video )

ARCHIVAL VIDEO: STEPTOE AND SON (24 SECONDS) Excerpt from STEPTOE AND SON episode 55- UPSTAIRS, DOWNSTAIRS, UPSTAIRS, DOWNSTAIRS. CUT-IN: CLOSE UP:

JOHN BEVERIDGE (CONTINUE) (Interviewee)

CUT-IN: ARCHIVAL VIDEO: SOME MOTHERS DO ’AV ’EM (42 SECONDS) Excerpt from episode 15-WENDY HOUSE with narrator’s voice-over after 24 seconds.

CUT-IN: STILL VIDEO FRAME: SOME MOTHERS DO ’AV ’EM (1 SECONDS); FAWLTY TOWERS (1 SECOND);and ON THE BUSES (1 SECONDS)

NARRATOR (Voice-over) I believe is possible to bring back the renaissance of British sitcom like those of the GOLDEN AGE OF BRITISH SITCOMS. If there are still script writers like Ray Galton and Alan Simpsons,like Jimmy Perry and David Croft. If there are still sitcom characters like Frank Spencer in SOME MOTHERS DO ’AV ’EM , Albert Steptoe and Son in STEPTOE AND SON, Basil Fawlty and Manuel in FAWLTY TOWERS, Stan Butler in ON THE BUSES.

7 VIDEO

AUDIO

(Show characters as the narrator mention their name). CUT-IN: CLOSE UP:

JOHN BEVERIDGE (Interviewee)

CUT-IN: ARCHIVAL VIDEO: ON THE BUSES (28 SECONDS) Excerpt from ON THE BUSES episode 29-SAFETY FIRST. CUT-IN:

JOHN BEVERIDGE (CONTINUE) (Voice-over with the video )

CUT-IN: ARCHIVAL VIDEO: SOME MOTHERS DO ’AV ’EM (29 SECONDS) Excerpt from SOME MOTHERS DO ’AV ’EM episode 10-THE PUBLIC RELATION COURSE. CLOSE UP: CUT-IN: ARCHIVAL VIDEO: STEPTOE AND SON (42 SECONDS) Excerpt from STEPTOE AND SON episode 52-AND SO TO BED. FADE OUT: THE END

JOHN BEVERIDGE (CONTINUE) (Interviewee)