*Sigh*. There goes another one. R.I.P., Carla.
Watched all her major sitcoms and know she was a keen animal lover. Never realised she was anything like 87, though! Thought she was perhaps coming up to 70!
Sad news. I remember watching Bread when I was very little and I know my mother enjoyed her work back in the day, especially Butterflies. Like dorydaryl I am very surpsied to learn how old Carla was as for some reason I thought she was only in her sixies or so.
Sad news. I remember watching Bread when I was very little and I know my mother enjoyed her work back in the day, especially Butterflies. Like dorydaryl I am very surpsied to learn how old Carla was as for some reason I thought she was only in her sixies or so.
As I grow older, more and more I notice the lack of old school working class writers who truly knew of what they scripted working in the TV and film industry. People like Carla Lane seem non existent now, gone in favour of middle class Islington types and writing teams and there is just no "warmth", just a feeling of stuff being churned out to order. I find this a huge shame and a reason I don't "connect" with modern sitcoms.
As I grow older, more and more I notice the lack of old school working class writers who truly knew of what they scripted working in the TV and film industry. People like Carla Lane seem non existent now, gone in favour of middle class Islington types and writing teams and there is just no "warmth", just a feeling of stuff being churned out to order. I find this a huge shame and a reason I don't "connect" with modern sitcoms.
So true.
I know the actor David Morrisey has spoken out in recent times about how acting has become a profession that is now near-impossible to break into for those from a less priviledged background. I imagine many behind-the-scenes roles in the entertainment industry have gone the same way.
I know the actor David Morrisey has spoken out in recent times about how acting has become a profession that is now near-impossible to break into for those from a less priviledged background. I imagine many behind-the-scenes roles in the entertainment industry have gone the same way.
It's a tragic loss to the world of TV, imho, and a crime that it's been allowed to happen.
It's not that I've anything against middle class people working in television, but when it comes to writing you just don't get the same level of depth and reality from them as you did from the likes of Carla Lane, possibly because their life experiences are much more limited in some ways than that of a working class person.
I can't name a single British sitcom in the last ten or even more years that I've liked and this is a large part of the reason why.
As I grow older, more and more I notice the lack of old school working class writers who truly knew of what they scripted working in the TV and film industry. People like Carla Lane seem non existent now, gone in favour of middle class Islington types and writing teams and there is just no "warmth", just a feeling of stuff being churned out to order. I find this a huge shame and a reason I don't "connect" with modern sitcoms.
I agree. Victoria Wood was very much of that ilk writing about Northern working class people.
I'm also surprised that Carla was 87 I thought she was approx early 70s. I grew up watching Bread as a kid and saw repeats of Butterflies as well so remember her very well.
I agree. Victoria Wood was very much of that ilk writing about Northern working class people.
It's happened in America, too. No more "blue collar" sitcoms like Cheers or Roseanne, just stuff like Modern Family where money is never an issue and everyone lives coddled picket fence lives. I find it so boring and unrelatable.
It's a tragic loss to the world of TV, imho, and a crime that it's been allowed to happen.
It's not that I've anything against middle class people working in television, but when it comes to writing you just don't get the same level of depth and reality from them as you did from the likes of Carla Lane, possibly because their life experiences are much more limited in some ways than that of a working class person.
I can't name a single British sitcom in the last ten or even more years that I've liked and this is a large part of the reason why.
Surely a working class person's life can be just as, if not more limited than that of a middle class person???
Surely a working class person's life can be just as, if not more limited than that of a middle class person???
What I mean is, I get the feeling a lot of these writers now go straight from uni into the writing room without truly being out in the "real" world...a lot also only get their foot in the door because getting a job now is all about who you know and not how good you are. Thus, limited life experience.
Pity Bread is not being updated in the forthcoming season of sitcom remakes for BBC One be interesting t see how the Boswells coped through the recession
Bread is ghastly, truly one of the worst sitcoms to ever grace the screen, Solo and Butterflies are great.
Why are people surprised that Carla Lane was 87? The Liver Birds started in 1969, nearly 50 years ago. If she had been in her 60s when she died, she would have been in her late teens/early 20s when the show started.
Pity Bread is not being updated in the forthcoming season of sitcom remakes for BBC One be interesting t see how the Boswells coped through the recession
Remakes/updates are usually bloody terrible so I'm glad Bread is being left alone.
If you look up info on her there seems to be some discrepancy on when she was born. Some say 1928 and others 1937. So was she 87 or 79?
It's the same with Burt Kwouk who died recently. His date of birth is reported as 1930, 1926 and 1924. I must say I thought he'd be older than 85. So I reckon he's more likely to have been born in 1925.
Victoria Wood wrote about people of all classes. She definitely was not working class herself.
Victoria was born into a working class household though wasn't she. She worked herself up to be a millionaire. I'm sure she had enough knowledge of what it was like to live on beans and bread for weeks on end!:o
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Watched all her major sitcoms and know she was a keen animal lover. Never realised she was anything like 87, though! Thought she was perhaps coming up to 70!
RIP to a lovely writer.
So true. Yup, she held her age well.
So true.
I know the actor David Morrisey has spoken out in recent times about how acting has become a profession that is now near-impossible to break into for those from a less priviledged background. I imagine many behind-the-scenes roles in the entertainment industry have gone the same way.
It's a tragic loss to the world of TV, imho, and a crime that it's been allowed to happen.
It's not that I've anything against middle class people working in television, but when it comes to writing you just don't get the same level of depth and reality from them as you did from the likes of Carla Lane, possibly because their life experiences are much more limited in some ways than that of a working class person.
I can't name a single British sitcom in the last ten or even more years that I've liked and this is a large part of the reason why.
I agree. Victoria Wood was very much of that ilk writing about Northern working class people.
I'm also surprised that Carla was 87 I thought she was approx early 70s. I grew up watching Bread as a kid and saw repeats of Butterflies as well so remember her very well.
Condolences to all family and friends, loved Liver Birds, Bread, Butterflies etc....
It's happened in America, too. No more "blue collar" sitcoms like Cheers or Roseanne, just stuff like Modern Family where money is never an issue and everyone lives coddled picket fence lives. I find it so boring and unrelatable.
Surely a working class person's life can be just as, if not more limited than that of a middle class person???
What I mean is, I get the feeling a lot of these writers now go straight from uni into the writing room without truly being out in the "real" world...a lot also only get their foot in the door because getting a job now is all about who you know and not how good you are. Thus, limited life experience.
Why are people surprised that Carla Lane was 87? The Liver Birds started in 1969, nearly 50 years ago. If she had been in her 60s when she died, she would have been in her late teens/early 20s when the show started.
I didn't care for Bread , loveable, benefit scrounging, sub-crim scousers might be funny in Merseyside but not in my world.
Remakes/updates are usually bloody terrible so I'm glad Bread is being left alone.
It's the same with Burt Kwouk who died recently. His date of birth is reported as 1930, 1926 and 1924. I must say I thought he'd be older than 85. So I reckon he's more likely to have been born in 1925.
Victoria was born into a working class household though wasn't she. She worked herself up to be a millionaire. I'm sure she had enough knowledge of what it was like to live on beans and bread for weeks on end!:o
No, Bread wasn't funny in any world, Merseyside included. It was dire.
I liked it when I was growing up as a kid, not really seen it since....you can't deny the theme tune being class though.