The British Sitcom Spinoff Film

This book constitutes the first full volume dedicated to an academic analysis of theatrically-released spinoff films derived from British radio and television sitcoms. Regularly maligned as the nadir of British film production and marginalised as a last resort for the financially-bereft industry during the 1970s, this study demonstrates that the sitcom spinoff film has instead been a persistent and important presence in British cinema from the 1940s to the present day, and includes (occasional) works with distinct artistic merit. Alongside an investigation of the economic imperative underpinning these productions, i.e. the exploitation of proven product with a ready-made audience, it is argued that, with a longevity stretching from Arthur Askey and his wartime Band Waggon (1940) to the crew of Kurupt FM and their recent People Just Do Nothing: Big in Japan (2021), the British sitcom spinoff can be interpreted as following a full generic 'life cycle'. Starting with the 'formative' stage where works from Hi Gang! (1941) to I Only Arsked! (1958) establish the genre's characteristics, the spinoff genre moves to its 'classic' stage where, secure for form and content, it enjoys considerable popular success with films like Till Death Us Do Part (1969), On the Buses (1971), The Likely Lads (1976) and Rising Damp (1980); the genre's revival since the late-1990s reveals a more 'parodic' final stage, with films like The League of Gentlemen's Apocalypse (2005) adopting a consciously self-reflective mode. It is also posited that the sitcom spinoff film is a viable source for social history, with the often-stereotypical re-presentations of characters and events an (often blatant) ideological metonym for the concerns of wider British society, notably in issues of class, race, gender and sexuality.

The first single-authored monograph devoted to the British sitcom spinoff film Demonstrates it follows a generic 'life cycle', with clearly developed formative, classic and parodic stages Shows films serve as a viable source for social history, notably in issues of class, race, gender and sexuality

Auteur

Stephen Glynn lectures in Film and Television at De Montfort University, UK. He has published widely on British cinema and genre and previous volumes for Palgrave include The British Pop Music Film (2013), The British School Film (2016) and The British Football Film (2018).

Résumé

"This is the first book-length study to provide a comprehensive overview of the British sitcom film ... . If it has yielded few enduring classics ... its story is nevertheless a fascinating one to which this engaging and thoroughly researched book more than does justice." (Leon Hunt, Journal of British Cinema and Television, Vol. 21 (4), October, 2024)

Contenu

Chapter 1 Introduction.- Chapter 2 Precursors and Pioneers: 1940-1960.- Chapter 3 - The 'Golden Age': 1969-1980. Part 1: Racists, Romans and Randy Busmen.- Chapter 4 - The 'Golden Age': 1969-1980. Part 2: Soldiers, Shopping and Sexual Frustration.- Chapter 5 Revival and Revisionism: 1986-2007. Part 1: Global Destruction and Domination.- Chapter 6 Revival and Revisionism: 2007-2021. Part 2: Schools, Legacies and Mockumentaries.- Chapter 7 Conclusion.