Things that would never get made these days.

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Something mark s said on the Seinfeld thread reminded me of 'Allo 'Allo, which as always caused me to wonder if I'd dreamt it. A BBC sex comedy set in WWII France with comedy Nazis, made in 1982, is still a strange idea to me. And I can't imagine it getting made today, unless it was an avante garde piece by a registered startling artist. Which it wasn't: it was just mediocre sex comedy.

I think I also mentioned that the trailers for the new Italian Job indicate that the original could never get made today: not enough twists.

So, what else couldn't get done today?

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Tuesday, 27 May 2003 15:04 (twenty-two years ago)

Yes, I know we live in an exciting new world where power has been given back to the consumer to have anything he would like to see made there and then, and I have marked myself out as a counter-avrilutionary. Fuck off.

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Tuesday, 27 May 2003 15:07 (twenty-two years ago)

Allo Allo though should be seen in the context of Dad's Army however, which legitimised war comedy - the next step is ridicule (the secret of course being that the British characters were even dafter). But when you look at Goodnight Sweetheart (no mark bigamist living double lives in 1941 and 1995 with the help of a time travelling back alley) or My Hero (I could just about understand a superhero sitcom, but having Ardal O'Hanlon as the super hero seems to misunderstand the stereotype).

Welcome To Colinwood got made, and that has about 0.5 of a twist in it (and that being that Clooney is only in about two minutes).

That said, I'd be very surprised if Mind Your Language could get made today.

― Pete (Pete), Tuesday, 27 May 2003 15:10 (twenty-two years ago)

Wasn't Welcome to Collinwood also a remake of something?

― caitlin (caitlin), Tuesday, 27 May 2003 15:14 (twenty-two years ago)

it was a remake of Big Deal on Madonna Street right?

― slutsky (slutsky), Tuesday, 27 May 2003 15:19 (twenty-two years ago)

"Allo Allo" was essentially a comedy version of hard hitting Second World War drama series "Secret Army" (essentially the same plot, only without the jokes, and set in Belgium). Everyone loves a sendup.

but the point is a wise one. people are more po-faced now, so any kind of comedy based on the Second World War (and in particular the Nazis) is no longer acceptable, unless it is a Lovely Film (tm) like that shite Life Is Beautiful one.

I'm actually surprised that "The Prisoner" ever got made or that anyone thought that kind of Beckettian surrealism would make perfect mass-market TV audience fare.

― DV (dirtyvicar), Tuesday, 27 May 2003 15:20 (twenty-two years ago)

The thing mark s was talking about was Last Of The Summer Wine, which I'm not sure could be made. "It's about these pensioners in the countryside, and nothing much happens every week. The really scruffy one of them fancies a local widow. I'll get me coat."

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Tuesday, 27 May 2003 15:21 (twenty-two years ago)

Re-watching Sapphire and Steel highlights how extremely FAST all drama has to be these days.

― Alan (Alan), Tuesday, 27 May 2003 15:22 (twenty-two years ago)

"Allo Allo though should be seen in the context of Dad's Army however, which legitimised war comedy"

Don't forget "Hogan's Heroes", which probably influenced both.

― Charles McCain (Charles McCain), Tuesday, 27 May 2003 15:23 (twenty-two years ago)

On that note, I don't think "M.A.S.H." (either the film or TV show) would fly very far if they'd come out today.

― Charles McCain (Charles McCain), Tuesday, 27 May 2003 15:24 (twenty-two years ago)

There's always the classic late-70s/early 80s comedy Heil Honey I'm Home, about Hitler and Mrs Hitler living beside a Jewish family in Manhattan, I believe. It did exist, although I think only as a pilot or surviving the very shortest of runs. STill, it would categorically NEVER be made now... God knows how it was then, quite frankly!

― Dave Stelfox (Dave Stelfox), Tuesday, 27 May 2003 15:47 (twenty-two years ago)

By a coincidence the writer of Heil Honey googled me mentioning it on another thread and sent me a nice e-mail just a month or so ago, with a couple of sample scripts attached. I'm not sharing them, so pzzzzzzzzztht

― Alan (Alan), Tuesday, 27 May 2003 15:51 (twenty-two years ago)

See also The Day Today's Attitude Night.

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Tuesday, 27 May 2003 15:52 (twenty-two years ago)

Joe Pesci.

― Ronan (Ronan), Tuesday, 27 May 2003 15:59 (twenty-two years ago)

Sweet Sweetbacks Badass(etc) song. Can't believe that it's even legal to watch or own anymore.

― Chris H. (chrisherbert), Tuesday, 27 May 2003 19:15 (twenty-two years ago)

"Don't forget "Hogan's Heroes", which probably influenced both."

I always wondered if that show actually got overdubbed and distributed in Europe. I tend to doubt it.

― earlnash, Tuesday, 27 May 2003 19:27 (twenty-two years ago)

Colin's apparently said they have in fact been broadcast on German TV, I seem to recall...

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 27 May 2003 19:33 (twenty-two years ago)

Repeatedly, yes. Stalag 17 hasn't been on TV for ten years though. It's a shame.

― Sommermute (Wintermute), Tuesday, 27 May 2003 19:41 (twenty-two years ago)

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy - five hours of old Brits scheming in tiny little bureaus. I don't expect a remake too soon.

― Sommermute (Wintermute), Tuesday, 27 May 2003 19:52 (twenty-two years ago)

Dude everyone is forgetting that Desmond Pheiffer was on TV just like three years ago -- the farce involving Lincoln's butler.

― Sterling Clover (s_clover), Wednesday, 28 May 2003 00:16 (twenty-two years ago)

http://www.timewarptoys.com/ld1.jpg

― David Beckhouse (David Beckhouse), Wednesday, 28 May 2003 00:31 (twenty-two years ago)

No they still make those.

― Sterling Clover (s_clover), Wednesday, 28 May 2003 00:32 (twenty-two years ago)

For countries with fewer liability attorneys?

― David Beckhouse (David Beckhouse), Wednesday, 28 May 2003 01:06 (twenty-two years ago)

http://www.boners.com/grub/789516.html

― ailsa (ailsa), Wednesday, 28 May 2003 01:22 (twenty-two years ago)

paedophile alert

― ailsa (ailsa), Wednesday, 28 May 2003 01:32 (twenty-two years ago)

that would have been a picture of lolita nursery school

― ailsa (ailsa), Wednesday, 28 May 2003 01:34 (twenty-two years ago)

It is widely suggested that NASA could not pull off the Apollo project if it tried now.

― Dave Fischer, Wednesday, 28 May 2003 03:45 (twenty-two years ago)

i don't think disney's "song of the south" would fly too well with folx these days.

― gygax! (gygax!), Wednesday, 28 May 2003 06:29 (twenty-two years ago)

"Blazing Saddles" would be cruder, with more fart and shit jokes and far less racial humor. This would be a shame.

― Colin Meeder (Mert), Wednesday, 28 May 2003 12:11 (twenty-two years ago)

The Minipops would never get made now.

― DV (dirtyvicar), Wednesday, 28 May 2003 16:09 (twenty-two years ago)

My favourite ancient misogynist record is 'Woman's Been After Man Ever Since' by Blind Alfred Reed. It's great.

Love Thy Neighbour: comedy situation: black people move in next door! Oh no!

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Wednesday, 28 May 2003 19:05 (twenty-two years ago)

Fantasia wouldn't fly, those nude things, aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh.

― Mr Noodles (Mr Noodles), Wednesday, 28 May 2003 19:18 (twenty-two years ago)

The Avenger's "Be a Caveman"

― David Beckhouse (David Beckhouse), Wednesday, 28 May 2003 19:48 (twenty-two years ago)

speaking of fantasia and things not being made...

did y'all ever hear about disney's plan to release a fantasia-like film with salvador dali's art? apparently walt and sal were cronies but sal eventually flaked out...

does this ring a bell? i think i read it in an old issue of GAMES magazine (omg, gygax! in total nerdout SHOCKAH) which was known for such pranks on their loyal readership.

― gygax! (gygax!), Wednesday, 28 May 2003 19:54 (twenty-two years ago)

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