A clip of ‘Butterflies’ was played on a Radio 4 documentary (about Albinoni’s Adagio) today and I did find myself musing about how far head and shoulders above her other work it was.
30 April 2014
EXXO
Which isn’t saying much is it?
But it was slightly observational and poignant. It made my mum cry and tell us she should have married someone else (actually maybe it wasn’t really just Carla Lane’s script that made her do that). It didn’t deal in ‘where’s me rabbits?’ stereotypes like the rest of her no-mark output.
30 April 2014
celery
I think the most generous thing you can say about Carla Lane is that her despotic rule over television’s primetime scheduling throughout the 1970s and 80s wasn’t entirely her own fault.
The BBC has to take their share of the blame as well – if they hadn’t kept commissioning and recommissioning her shows then she could’ve remained a mere minor irritant. As it was she became a prime candidate to stand next to Annie Lennox as first against the wall when the Revolution comes.
In all her hundreds of half-hours of ‘comedy’ was there ever even a single funny joke?…
30 April 2014
paul f
It may be an age and sophistication thing but I seem to remember the Liver Birds being something you looked forward to, and even Bread was OK until she realised that all she needed to do for a laugh was have grandpa swear or get Jean Boht to say “that tart!”.
30 April 2014
neilthechimp
Paul F
Wash your mouth out and keep taking the tablets.
4 May 2014
paul f
I know it’s no indication of quality, but I believe Bread’s viewing figures topped 20 million at one point. I know if I watched it now I’d hate it, but at the time it was extremely popular and it was watched regularly in our house. Just saying, like.
5 May 2014
neilthechimp
To Scousers, watching B***d was like watching a wildlife program where the animals are played by humans wearing costumes.
Ridiculous stereotypes trotting out the most obnoxious drivel. About as funny as Ringo Starr.
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Ultra quack
Retch
29 April 2014
CHARLES EXFORD
A clip of ‘Butterflies’ was played on a Radio 4 documentary (about Albinoni’s Adagio) today and I did find myself musing about how far head and shoulders above her other work it was.
30 April 2014
EXXO
Which isn’t saying much is it?
But it was slightly observational and poignant. It made my mum cry and tell us she should have married someone else (actually maybe it wasn’t really just Carla Lane’s script that made her do that). It didn’t deal in ‘where’s me rabbits?’ stereotypes like the rest of her no-mark output.
30 April 2014
celery
I think the most generous thing you can say about Carla Lane is that her despotic rule over television’s primetime scheduling throughout the 1970s and 80s wasn’t entirely her own fault.
The BBC has to take their share of the blame as well – if they hadn’t kept commissioning and recommissioning her shows then she could’ve remained a mere minor irritant. As it was she became a prime candidate to stand next to Annie Lennox as first against the wall when the Revolution comes.
In all her hundreds of half-hours of ‘comedy’ was there ever even a single funny joke?…
30 April 2014
paul f
It may be an age and sophistication thing but I seem to remember the Liver Birds being something you looked forward to, and even Bread was OK until she realised that all she needed to do for a laugh was have grandpa swear or get Jean Boht to say “that tart!”.
30 April 2014
neilthechimp
Paul F
Wash your mouth out and keep taking the tablets.
4 May 2014
paul f
I know it’s no indication of quality, but I believe Bread’s viewing figures topped 20 million at one point. I know if I watched it now I’d hate it, but at the time it was extremely popular and it was watched regularly in our house. Just saying, like.
5 May 2014
neilthechimp
To Scousers, watching B***d was like watching a wildlife program where the animals are played by humans wearing costumes.
Ridiculous stereotypes trotting out the most obnoxious drivel. About as funny as Ringo Starr.
6 May 2014