Battle of the Sitcoms - Round One (Heat 7)

[BLUEBLOOD]

After yesterdays (to my mind) rather uninspiring match ups, today we veer off the other end of the spectrum .. in a short while the competition favourite will make its bow (and i don't mean Cricko !!!) ... but first, and foremost ... its the biggie .. its the tie of the round, heck if not the whole damn thing !!!!!! ... its ...

Ok have i drawn up the drama enough ??

The Young Ones (Firestorm) vs Fawlty Towers (Statski77)

I can't access youtube at work .. but i'm hoping there'll be loads of clips posted up for viewing this evening

Let battle commence .......

 

[seany t]

Gotta be Fawlty Towers for me. The best comedy show from the period by a country mile with all the themes, performances and humour in it still being just as relevant today. It gets a lot of love, but thats because it's a work of genius that never overstayed its welcome.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xP-UbaFAR84

 

[Harold Bishop Killer]

Fawlty Towers. I love both to bits but for me Fawlty Towers is almost the perfect sitcom. And finished well on top and will always be a legend!

 

[Tinks]

Am really torn on this one.
The young ones was avid viewing in it's time although went a little haywire in places
On the other hand Faulty Towers is a classic - Dont mention the germans.

Heart over head this time FT for me

 

[canveyshrimper]

Sorry Gary but I've got to opt for Fawlty Towers (just).

 

[SUFCLiam]

I vote for Fawlty Towers and it is taking a eary lead

 

[OldBlueLady]

Despite the fact that Fawlty Towers is sponsored by someone who seems to think I should be off doing houseworky stuff, I have to vote for it here. The Young Ones was a great sitcom of it's time, but as Backpacking Shrimper says, Fawlty Towers is the perfect sitcom. I know Basil's not everyone's cup of tea but you can't deny the comic genius, and for me, Manuel was just a fantastic creation.

 

[BILLERICAY BLUE]

"Have you had enough Nazi, or do you want some more?" against "Don't mention the war", what a tough decision.......

But I'm going to go for The Young Ones, as it was must see TV as a teenager.

 

[dloman]

Remember hearing John Cleese talking about Fawlty Towers and saying it is a basically a traditional farce. As in a slow build up leading to a crashing crescendo at the end.

 

[MK Shrimper]

Some of these pair ups are dreadful Lee! Both excellent, but The Young Ones redefined comedy for me in the early 80's, I loved it (still do, and still quote it!), my dad hated it, so that's where my vote's going.

Hands up WHO LIKES ME?

Quick, turn it off before Elephant Head starts singing!

Come on sir, we're the only kids that don't say the word F...

Don't look at me...... I'm irrelevant!

 

[Uncle Leo]

The Young Ones was very good indeed. But Farty Towels was truly excellent.

In fact they're all being shown on UK Gold this week - must see TV.

 

[BLUEBLOOD]

Some of these pair ups are dreadful Lee! .. i know mate, its terrible that one of these will go out first round :(

Porridge beat Bottom and i suspect this match will go the way of the 70s, but Bottom vs Young Ones and Porridge vs Fawlty Towers would've been far more interesting

Hands up WHO LIKES ME? ... everyone stands on their hands :D

also when neil was sitting in the bath and he found a bike in the murky waters

 

[Firestorm]

Firstly, I can't access You tube at work so if someone would be able to do the Young Ones clips on my behalf.....

I can't say a bad thing about FT an excellent sit com which would get my vote against most of the others in this.

but the Young ones was cutting edge at the time. The first Sit com which was meant not to be understood by the standard sit com viewing audience. It was for the vehicle for the new "alternative" comedians to try their hand at something other than Stand up.
It gave the world Edmonson, Planer and Mayall and the success of it give the TV companies the backing to try other comedians (French , Saunders , Sayle) in different formats.
It quite literally turned the world of TV comedy on its head, signalling the end (albeit temporarily , but at the time it seemed like forever) of the likes of Terry and June etc
It was one of the first Non Music shows to be shown on MTV

was not the first to use music to add to the "story" but the first for a band to come on and perform it....
What other sit coms have given you Madness, Dexy's Motorhead, Nine Below Zero or the Damned ?
and a psychotic glaswegian Hamster called SPG

Come on now , cast your mind back to the early 80's, what would you have rather watched then ? A rebellious program anyone over 40 couldn't grasp or a show about a Middle class eccentric running a boarding house in Torquay ?

One final word of warning , a vote for FT means you have already become your parents...

 

[fatshrimp]

As much as I enjoy Fawlty Towers, I'm going for The Young Ones.

Years ahead of its time.

 

[Jedi Shrimper]

The Young Ones.

 

[Matt the Shrimp]

Very persuasive stuff, Gary. It's easy to forget just how massive The Young Ones was to someone growing up in the early 80s... you had them doing subversive things like "Living Doll" with Cliff Richard and promptly taking that to the top of the charts (which was no mean feat back in the 80s when singles sales meant something); and then you had the creation of the simply brilliant p*ss-take rock band, "Bad News".

Fawlty Towers is going to get tons of votes here anyway, and is nailed on for at least a semi-final spot (I would have thought) - so it's a shame that something as funny and influential as The Young Ones should lose out to it.

Young Ones it is. After all, if you want to pick flaws in Fawlty Towers...

* it never really had to battle with issues of freshness or longevity - they only made 12 of them.
* it's essentially a one-trick pony: Basil gets frustrated.
* Manuel is deeply simplistic.

That's not to say I don't rate Fawlty Towers... although admit it, it's often almost too excruciating to watch at times, isn't it?

Matt

 

[Napster]

FT every time. Immense comic writing, excellent writing, and superb timing.

 

[Napster]

Very persuasive stuff, Gary. It's easy to forget just how massive The Young Ones was to someone growing up in the early 80s... you had them doing subversive things like "Living Doll" with Cliff Richard and promptly taking that to the top of the charts (which was no mean feat back in the 80s when singles sales meant something); and then you had the creation of the simply brilliant p*ss-take rock band, "Bad News".

Fawlty Towers is going to get tons of votes here anyway, and is nailed on for at least a semi-final spot (I would have thought) - so it's a shame that something as funny and influential as The Young Ones should lose out to it.

Young Ones it is. After all, if you want to pick flaws in Fawlty Towers...

* it never really had to battle with issues of freshness or longevity - they only made 12 of them.
* it's essentially a one-trick pony: Basil gets frustrated.
* Manuel is deeply simplistic.

That's not to say I don't rate Fawlty Towers... although admit it, it's often almost too excruciating to watch at times, isn't it?

Matt

It's light years ahead - like Gervais does in the Office, he makes him an excruciating character to laugh at.

And how many Young Ones were there? Erm, 12...

 

[Stats]

''Don't mention the war''

Classic Fawlty clip.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1k7U-_tJVmw

 

[OldBlueLady]

The Young Ones as well!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGOU0o9K89g&feature=related