Tuesday 22 April 2008

Homework

Costumes

Vyvyen- Jewellery, piercings, baggy clothes, spiky hair. Give clues to his character, as a punk.

Rick-

Neil- Long hair, baggy clothes- shows he is a hippy.

Gestures

Rick- uses a lot of facial expressions as he is talking, which adds character, and also makes him funnier.


Props

each main character at the start of the clip is in bed, surrounded by tissues.

This shows that these characters are supposed to be unwell.

The beginning of the clip shows all the characters doing the same thing, and in time with each other. This gives us a clue to the type of programme this is, it is obviously a sitcom as it is comedic.




Tuesday 8 April 2008

Dawn French


I changed my mind about 5 times, but i eventually settled with Dawn French.


Dawn French started her television career on 'The Comic Strip Presents' in 1982. She then moved on to sketch show 'French and Saunders' in 1987. In 2002, French appeared in the comedy/drama mini-series Ted and Alice. This role was not as successful as her previous work, and lasted only two years. Her biggest role so far as been as female vicar Geraldine Granger in 'The Vicar Of Dibley'. In 2006 and 2008, French has played a major role in Jam & Jerusalem. She has also made a guest appearance on 'Little Britain' and 'Little Britain Live' for Comic Relief.




As well as her work on sitcoms, she is a great live comedian, often taking to the stage for charity events.








Dawn French is well known for her size, often poking fun at it. She admits to being a chocoholic which helped get her the part as the face of Terry's Chocolate Orange.
She has her own clothing line, Sixteen47, which refers to the fact that 47% of the population are at least a size 16. She is married to comedian Lenny Henry and they have an adoptive daughter, Billie.



The Vicar Of Dibley has attracted many celebrity guests, including Sting, Johnny Depp and Kylie Minogue.




Friday 4 April 2008

Radio Comedy

Although without radio comedy, we wouldnt not have any of the sitcoms we have grown to love, I believe the television sitcom has definately overtaken the radio comedy in terms of popularity.

Also, I don't think radio is as important in the development of new sitcoms as it used to be. Many new sitcoms originated on the radio, and with their popularity became television series', but recently there is no need for the leap from radio to television, many now begin straight on the television.

However, there are still many good sitcoms being broadcast on the radio, but as a twist to what it used to be, most of these originated on television and have developed to radio programmes.

Little Britain and Mitchell and Webb are just two examples of the recent comedies being broadcast on BBC7 today. Most of the programmes are much older, with classics like 'The Goon Show' also a regular on the station.

Without radio comedy, sitcoms would not be what they are today, but i don't think they are as essential to the continued development of the genre as they used to be.

Thursday 3 April 2008

Medal Winner


Some good research and for some effort you have been rewarded. However you have yet to post your response to Wednesday's task question. I will want to see this posted on your excellent blog by Monday. I look forward to it!

Friday 28 March 2008

castt+such


CAST
Edina Monsoon-Jennifer Saunders
Patsy Stone-Joanna Lumley
Saffron Monsoon-Julia Sawalha
June Monsoon (Mother)-June Whitfield
Bubble- Jane Horrocks

PRODUCER
Jon Plowman

PROGRAMMING HISTORY
BBC
November 1992-December 1992 - Six Episodes
January 1994-March 1994 - Six Episodes
March 1995-May 1995 - Six Episodes


WRITER
Jennifer Saunders

DIRECTOR
Bob Spiers



Absolutely Fabulous is popular amongst British women, as the main characters are so exaggerated. They play on the characteristics many people do not find appealing. Edina is so obsessed with the latest fashions, getting botox and spending her money on designer clothes. The fact that these women are wealthy enough to afford these things would usually mean viewers would look up to them. However, in Ab Fab, these women are always drunk or taking drugs, spending too much money and being generally very rude. This means that rather than looking up to these women, viewers will laugh at them as they do all these things usually found annoying in a comedic way. It shows that this aspirational lifestlye is not all it seems to be, these women are as common as the next.

Monday 24 March 2008

Background Stuff


Set in London, Ab Fab was screened on BBC between 1992 and 2005.

Absolutely Fabulous first aired on 12 November 1992, and ran for three series until 4 May 1995, when the sixth episode of series 3 was billed as the last-ever episode. However, the following year in November 1996, two specials, called "The Last Shout", were broadcast and were also billed as the last-ever episodes. Both 'last episodes' featured end sequences with flashes to the future. However, on 31 August 2001 the fourth series premiered. A further series and three specials followed, the last of which aired on 25 December 2004.


Ab Fab is loved worldwide, being shown in the USA,Canada,Australia,Portugal,Serbia, Czech Republic, the Republic of Macedonia,the Netherlands, Germany,France,Finland, Poland and New Zealand. It also inspired a 2001 French Film 'Absolument fabuleux'.

Wednesday 19 March 2008

I found these videos on Youtube

apparently theyre the best bits of Ab Fab, so lets have a look see.