Steve Charnock, writing for Metro, argues that British television is squandering its comedic talent by forcing stand-up comedians into presenting roles and travelogues instead of letting them perform comedy. He claims that TV commissioners have forgotten what comedians are for, turning funny people into hosts of shows about caravan parks, cathedral tours, and seaside towns.
The Golden Age That Never Was
Charnock asserts that British terrestrial television is not in a golden age, but rather a 'copper' or 'nickel' era. He criticises the BBC, ITV, and Channel 4 for being risk-averse and outgunned by streaming services like Netflix. Instead of innovation, he says, they produce 'tepid police dramas, mid-afternoon quiz shows, or a totally unnecessary 12-week process to find the nation's best pancake flipper called The Great British Toss-Off.'
Comedians Misused
Despite the popularity of stand-up comedy and sketch comics on social media, Charnock laments the lack of TV vehicles built around funny people being funny. He points to the disappearance of variety specials like those of Dave Allen, Victoria Wood, or even Russ Abbot, and the high cost of sketch shows. He notes that SNL UK on Sky One has proven there is appetite and talent, but it remains largely unseen by mainstream audiences.
Charnock argues: 'Somewhere along the line, the telly industry seems to have forgotten what comedians are actually for. They’re not there to point at cathedrals, tell us how nice Harry Ramsden’s chips are or explain the fascinating history of Victorian pumping stations.' He compares it to signing Jude Bellingham and putting him behind a reception desk, or booking Dua Lipa for a festival and asking her to help put up rigging.
The Travelogue Trap
Charnock observes that comedians are now more likely to be found comparing caravan parks in Shropshire or wandering around Whitby than performing comedy. He writes: 'We’ve somehow reached the point where Britain’s funniest people spend less time making us laugh than they do crowning Britain’s best scaffolder or wandering around Whitby looking pleasantly surprised by the quality and price of a large battered sausage.'
He cites Susan Calman as a prime example: 'Does Susan Calman even remember what a microphone looks like? She’s spent so many years wandering around drab seaside towns mumbling about 2p machines for Channel 5 she may well have forgotten her original occupation.' Charnock points out that there have been nine series of Susan Calman’s Grand Days Out, meaning she has taken more than 60 holidays alone, including to places like Lowestoft. He calls it 'not fair on her' and 'not fair on us,' suggesting she should get a Sunday night ITV variety show instead.
A Waste of Talent
Charnock criticises the TV industry for scouting comedians and then removing the comedy from their roles. 'Find someone funny, remove the funny bit and hope nobody notices,' he writes. He notes that comedy has been ghettoised to podcasts and Radio 4, while primetime TV fills up with 'increasingly tedious comedian-fronted travelogues and celebrity competitions.'
He questions why Joel Dommett's TV options are limited to introducing Davina McCall and Mo Gilligan to Dominic Littlewood dressed as a giant foam spatula, instead of giving him a comedy show. Charnock concludes by calling for a return to letting comedians be funny on television.
