English as a second language TV show

April 22, 2004 7:26 AM

Two-part Britcom question. First, what was the name of the show involving a man teaching an English as a second language class? Second, why are most Britcoms still shot on videotape, whereas most American shows are shot on film (or that version of video that makes it look like film)?

I'm fairly sure the show I'm asking about was from the mid- to late-70's, as I saw it when I was a kid around 1980 and PBS tended to air Britcoms a few years after they aired in the UK.

posted by schoolgirl report to media & arts (14 comments total)

That would be Mind Your Language. UK MeFites, did anything ever come of the rumors of murder in the death of Barry Evans (Mr. Brown)? I remember reading that some teenager who robbed his house was acquitted of any role in his death.
posted by planetkyoto at 7:36 AM on April 22, 2004

You can buy it on wobbly video for that nostalgic feeling, or just fly to Japan and watch it on Rupert Murdoch's SkyPerfect satellite Tee-Vee.
posted by planetkyoto at 7:42 AM on April 22, 2004

Excellent, thanks planetkyoto! I guess my young mind didn't notice the dodgy racial bits. I was too focused on the hot Swedish chick.

And from that link you posted: "In 1985 another 13 episodes were made - see following entry - and then the format of Mind Your Language was sold to American TV where it was re-made as What A Country! and syndicated in 1986-87 for 26 episodes. Soviet comedian/defector Yakov Smirnoff (yes, really) starred as a Russian immigrant taxi driver, studying in Los Angeles to become an American citizen, together with Hungarian, Pakistani, Chinese, African and Mexican classmates. "

Wow, talk about a crapfest! "In Soviet Russia, sitcom laughs at you!" Or something.
posted by schoolgirl report at 7:44 AM on April 22, 2004

uk and american tvs use different formats, so the signal has to be converted, losing quality. that might explain your video/film thing.
posted by andrew cooke at 7:54 AM on April 22, 2004

Classically, American sitcoms are shot on video, with three cameras. They run through the episode twice, and edit the best takes together. (This has been the norm since I Love Lucy, which introduced this technique.) They tend to light very carefully, so it will often look like film.

With advances in technology and the demise of the big sitcom studios, there's some movement away from that paradigm -- video quality is better, and production techniques are less rigid.
posted by Vidiot at 8:19 AM on April 22, 2004

I Love Lucy was shot on film using the three-camera system designed specifically for the show by cinematographer Karl Freund.

The choice between video and film in American television production is usually determined by cost. It has been traditionally cheaper to shoot and edit on videotape since the early 1970s. Prior to that, virtually all sitcoms and dramatic series were shot on film, because videotape editing technology was still in its infancy.

It is my understanding that the video/film issue in British television production stems from a long-standing policy decision that programs shot "in studio" would be shot on video, and programs shot "on location" would be shot on film. Series that do both, shot on both...a prime example of this is "Monty Python", which incorporates filmed and videotaped segments.
posted by briank at 8:46 AM on April 22, 2004

Additionally, for a very long time, the ubiquitous laugh track found on American sitcoms was not permitted in British shows. If you wanted laughter, you had to have a studio audience. Again, "Monty Python" is an example where the show's studio segments included a studio audience. I believe this rule was relaxed many years ago.
posted by briank at 8:49 AM on April 22, 2004

Actually, many shows employ a hybrid: they shoot on film (getting the resulting "warm" look), then transfer to video and edit that way (lowering their costs). The best of both worlds, sort of.
posted by pmurray63 at 9:36 AM on April 22, 2004

most American shows are shot on film

I'm not sure what gives you this impression. Nearly all American sitcoms, news, and reality shows are shot on video. Hour-long dramas are all on film. A few sitcoms are shot on film (Malcolm, Scrubs, Arrested Development) but these are the minority.

stems from a long-standing policy decision

My understanding is that this was less a matter of policy than simply a matter of resources. Everyone was using the BBC's equipment, and the BBC's studios were outfitted with only video cameras, but they hadn't invested in location video rigs.
posted by jjg at 10:15 AM on April 22, 2004

Every US sitcom I've personally seen shot live has used film. Including Veronica's Closet and King of Queens. Notably they make a big deal of "checking the gates" after each setup, since a stray hair on the shutter could ruin a whole take. I don't think they do that for video.

The one's jjg mentions are known for being single-camera sitcoms.

Shooting on film also gives you free HD masters when the time comes to convert things.
posted by smackfu at 10:36 AM on April 22, 2004

I Love Lucy was shot on film using the three-camera system designed specifically for the show by cinematographer Karl Freund.

Oops -- you're right, of course, briank. Apologies.
posted by Vidiot at 12:12 PM on April 22, 2004

The one's jjg mentions are known for being single-camera sitcoms.

Quite so. Friends and Seinfeld are a couple of prominent examples of sitcoms shot with three film cameras, and as you point out, there are others.
posted by jjg at 12:36 PM on April 22, 2004

My understanding is that this was less a matter of policy than simply a matter of resources

Quite likely. I didn't recall the specifics, although for some reason labor union agreements also came to mind. It has persisted for decades, though, whatever the initial reason.
posted by briank at 1:10 PM on April 22, 2004

"Every US sitcom I've personally seen shot live has used film. Including Veronica's Closet and King of Queens."

I've heard from my hubby, who used to work there that "King of Queens" started out being shot on video and got switched over to film several seasons later once the show started making lots of money for the network. It's very expensive to shoot on film, and incredibly expensive to shoot digitally (though I think ER does that), but more shows are being compiled on DVD these days, so there's slightly more incentive for the networks to produce better-quality shows.

That's "quality" as in visual quality and clarity and non-graininess, not "quality" as in actual humor. Alas.
posted by Asparagirl at 5:15 PM on April 22, 2004