dissertation proposal

NAME: Samuel OsagieCOURSE: Research & DissertationTUTOR: Daniel VidalASSIGNMENT TITLE: Dissertation ProposalDATE: 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

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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

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http://www.offthetelly.co.uk/reviews/2000/operationgoodguys.htm

NAME: Samuel OsagieCOURSE: Research & DissertationTUTOR: Daniel VidalASSIGNMENT TITLE: Dissertation ProposalDATE: 22-4-2009ways 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

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NAME: Samuel OsagieCOURSE: Research & DissertationTUTOR: Daniel VidalASSIGNMENT TITLE: Dissertation ProposalDATE: 22-4-2009collected 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.

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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, 1973-

74), 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

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NAME: Samuel OsagieCOURSE: Research & DissertationTUTOR: Daniel VidalASSIGNMENT TITLE: Dissertation ProposalDATE: 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 set-

up 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).

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NAME: Samuel OsagieCOURSE: Research & DissertationTUTOR: Daniel VidalASSIGNMENT TITLE: Dissertation ProposalDATE: 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.

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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).

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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

9

NAME: Samuel OsagieCOURSE: Research & DissertationTUTOR: Daniel VidalASSIGNMENT TITLE: Dissertation ProposalDATE: 22-4-2009rejuvenated in British televisions, to make Sitcom the most engaging television genre to

audiences as it was in the ‘60s, ‘70s, ‘80s, and early ‘90s.

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?

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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?

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

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NAME: Samuel OsagieCOURSE: Research & DissertationTUTOR: Daniel VidalASSIGNMENT TITLE: Dissertation ProposalDATE: 22-4-2009everybody 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).

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).

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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

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NAME: Samuel OsagieCOURSE: Research & DissertationTUTOR: Daniel VidalASSIGNMENT TITLE: Dissertation ProposalDATE: 22-4-2009conjunction 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

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.

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TIMELINE/PLAN OF WORK

TASK JANUARY

FEBRUARY

MARCH APRIL MAY JUNE

INTENSIVE RESEARCH

FINAL PROPOSAL

AND DISSERTATIONPRESENTATIO

N

FURTHER READING AND

FILM ANALYSIS

DISSERTATION DRAFT

EDITING AND REWRITES

DEADLINE

18TH

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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

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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.

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.

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dissertation proposal

Documents

contemporary british

days of british sitcoms

british televisions

british sitcom classics

renaissance of sitcoms

new sitcoms

huge decline of sitcoms

research dissertation