Customer Reviews

Cult TV: The Comedies

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As with all the books from these authors from The Ultimate TV Guide onwards, this book exhibits a total lack of engagement with or affection for the subject matter. As such many entries are sloppily researched and even more sloppily written - it's quite entertaining to try and spot the bits where the writers were obviously winding up for the day, or maybe moving on to some other collection of hackery, and wound up the paragraph they were on with a perfunctory flourish, in the manner of a schoolboy running out of time in an exam. And as that seems to be how this exercise was treated by the writers, that's how it feels to the reader ploughing through its dreary text. Presumably this series of books, with their bright and breezy covers, are intended as stocking filler entertainemnts rather than all-encompassing works of scholarly reference, and that's fine. It's just that they're about as much fun to read as a half-arsed essay on Romeo and Juliet by a hyperactive child who's desperate to go out and play in the snow. There are far better books of this type out there, both serious and light-hearted in intent. Look elsewhere.

This is cult TV from a British perspective. It is a good overview of comedy programmes shown on UK TV including many US imports. It does exclude some US shows like "Three's Company" which weren't shown there but does have "Man About the House" which was the UK series from which it was copied, and hence adds a new perspective to some US shows. Good basic information on screening dates, writers, etc. There's a short description of each show, some photos - but it leaves you wanting more of both. The style is not conducive to cozying down to a nostalgia fest but worth having on the shelf as a reference.

Written from a distinctly British point of view, "Cult TV" describes situation comedies both American and otherwise. I think inclusion in the book was based on British broadcasts, but then again, how can a behemoth USA ratings hit like "Three's Company" not be detailed? Was it not seen in Britain? Man, are they missing out! Anyway, for me, the book has been useful in discovering new and exemplary series like "Black Adder" or "Father Ted" that I'd never heard about. Have you ever seen "Father Ted"? It's insanely good! Interestingly, current series are written about in the past tense, as if they'd already ended.