Britcoms FAQ: All That's Left to Know About Our Favorite SophisticatedOutrageous British Television Comedies - Softcover

Dave Thompson

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1495018997 ISBN 13: 9781495018992

Publisher: Applause, 2016

Synopsis

Britcoms FAQ is a sweeping survey of the very best in British television comedy, from the early days of 1950s television, and the rise of Tony Hancock, through the golden age of Monty Python, Are You Being Served?, and Steptoe and Son – featuring the madcap comic geniuses of the 1980s – to the modern age of Absolutely Fabulous, Coupling, Red Dwarf, and more.

Written with both a deep love and cultural understanding of the shows, highlighting the finest performances and resurrecting the greatest jokes, Britcoms FAQ also visits the mediums transition from radio to television, its history on vinyl and compact disc, and its thematic shift from straight-forward humor to a sometimes biting force for political and social commentary.

Included are chapters spotlighting the sitcoms fascination with dysfunctional families, their rebellion against conventional society, and the changing face of the media itself. The legacy of Monty Python is explored in depth, but so are such themes as class warfare, censorship, and even suicide. Britcoms long ago determined that very little is sacred when theres laughter to be had – and Britcoms FAQ proves it!

About this title

About the Author

Dave Thompson is the author of over 150 books, including cowritten autobiographies with Motown songwriting legends Eddie and Brian Holland, rock photographer Bob Gruen, and New York punk heroes Sylvain Sylvain and Walter Lure, among others. He has also written biographies of James Taylor, Paul Simon, and the Pogues. He is the editor of Goldmine’s industry standard record price guides. He lives in Newark, Delaware.

Edition details

• Publisher: Applause
• Publication date: 2016
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1495018997
• ISBN 13: 9781495018992
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 392