MovieChat Forums > The Inbetweeners (2010) Discussion > Only 16 episodes is a disgrace

Only 16 episodes is a disgrace

posted 14 years ago by Detective-scrotes
28 replies | jump to latest

Like most good British t.v shows (the office, phoenix nights, faulty towers, etc ) only a few episodes are made as the writers say they don’t want to spoil a good thing, however I think they just don’t want to be found out about how overrated they really are, and are just not good enough to write loads of good episodes like they do in American comedies.

Only 16 episodes of the inbetweeners over almost 3 years is an absolute joke, if that was made in America they would have made about 100 episodes.

[–] OobuJoobu 14 years ago

6x3, come on, it's not a difficult calculation....

[–] 14 years ago

[deleted]

[–] andrewpnichols 14 years ago

if that was made in America they would have made about 100 episodes

and they would have got worse and worse over time.

[–] 14 years ago

[deleted]

[–] dannyguitar 14 years ago

Listen to thecreepingclone - UK shows have one or two writers. In America they just draft in teams of writers who work from show to show. It's an industry. Many times a writer wil contribute a couple of lines and another guy will pitch in a few etc...

Really though many shows can lose their original flavour this way. Even a great show like Seinfeld hit some weird points later on when characters and plot became over the top.

Plus - 100 episodes of the inbetweeners would be stupid, these characters are supposed to be 16-18 and the actors are in their mid 20s. After they leave school, some would probably go to university and the group would split up.. you can't stretch out 2 or 3 years at school to 100 episodes. Also a show like the inbetweeners would end up recycling the same ideas again and again. It's not like friends where you can have people getting married, having kids, changing jobs etc. And the actors would still be playing the characters when they're in their mid 30s.
***"What are you going to do, bleed on me?"***

[–] Yolas 14 years ago

American shows are crap (except Seinfeld to a degree). Who can endure such torture for 100 episodes? I mean I tried to watch It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Big Bang Theory (rather, sheldon theory) etc. but I can't watch them. They're just not funny. You know, one of the most popular comedies in the US is two and a half men. How crap is that show? lol. Tells about the quality of American comedy.

[–] richie_patrese 14 years ago

Sorry Detective-scrotes, but you only have to look at how poor the final six episodes of the eighteen (get your sums right) were to guess how terrible this would be by episode one hundred. It's no surprise that the best British comedies (sorry, best comedies) last for only twelve episodes. It's also no surprise that American comedies 'jump the shark' so to speak after around fifty (two seasons).

[–] Yolas 14 years ago

@richie patrese: Spaced comes to mind. :) An awesome comedy of 12 episodes only.

[–] hubble-hallow 14 years ago

The only american show i want to see hundreds of is Curb Your Enthusiasm. Most american shows are pretty sh!t.

[–] deceiving_you 12 years ago

Most American shows are *beep* Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead, Madmen, Dexter, Modern Family, House, How I Met Your Mother, The Office, Nip/Tuck, Six Feet Under, Arrested Development, Firefly, Breaking Bad, Lost etc. I could go on and on. American TV is pretty rockin.

I adore British TV but to say American TV is bad? Bullsh!t.

[–] TopGunSGA 14 years ago

@richie patrese: Spaced comes to mind. :) An awesome comedy of 12 episodes only.

Spaced actually had 14 episodes (7 per series)

---We will rule over all this land and we will call it... This Land.---

[–] richie_patrese 14 years ago

@Yolas - Absolutely - actually I think they might have sneaked it up to 13, but again they knew when it had run its course.

[–] 14 years ago

[deleted]

[–] eamc1 14 years ago

Well I'd rather have less episodes, and them all be hysterically funny, then a load of episodes and just a laugh here and there. There's not an episode of The Inbetweeners where I haven't laughed multiple times, out loud. Proper belly laughs. There are some huge American shows that make me do the same, like Friends and How I Met Your Mother.. but for the most part, US shows start to wear thin. Prime example, Scrubs. I catch episodes on tv here and there, and I just don't find it funny anymore

T#56
TSS

[–] rehtep69 14 years ago

Obvious troll is obvious.

[–] raf-33 14 years ago

I adored scrubs until about season 4, they have done just about everything, even when they change and do it to another character it is still a recycled plot device from a previous episode...

Quantity is never better than quality. I can even say that about clunge!

With your feet in the air and your head on the ground, try this sig with spinach!

[–] shayneferry 13 years ago

I really wish there were more episodes. I don't think to the extent the OP mentioned, because alot of US shows really do get crap as they go on, but 6 episodes a season is soooooo little :( I WANT MOOOOOORE INBETWEENERS! I have to say US sitcoms are terrible these days, I have to resort to sitcoms of the 90's for my fix. Just Shoot Me, The Nanny, Friends, Seinfeld etc. now they were gold, the trash that comes out today Two and a Half Men, Big Bang Theory, Mike and Molly etc. is ABSOLUTE RUBBISH.

[–] glb82 13 years ago

Couldn't agree more... Of course we all want more of the inbetweeners, but it does get thin. Scrubs was AWFUL as soon as they started having kids and... well, when Cox started to repeat the girl names he called JD, then you kind of knew that it was all over.

[–] adalsteinn-pk 13 years ago

Scrubs was done after the 8th season, i can laugh at all 8 seasons up until then. Cox is always funny, and Kelso of course but the whole "Med school" thing was a swing and a miss. Bill tried and failed with that but shouldn't be bothered after 8 successful seasons, for me Scrubs ended when JD was walkind down the hallway and seeing past characters and saying good bye with Book of Love soundtrack in the background.

Now to the Inbetweeners thing, i just noticed this show 2 days ago, yes it slipped past me because i usually don't really like British comedies or maybe it's the fact i don't give them enough chance. But i went into the living room and sat down and caught one episode and i laughed so hard i had to get them all. Finish all 3 seasons in 2 days and i am far from have had enough the only thing left is the Movie.

[–] forthesafetyofpuppies 12 years ago

You think that less episodes is down to writer laziness?

It comes down to one thing: Budget. We can't afford to make dozens upon dozens of episodes over here. Can't afford to pay the writers or the filming costs.

___
"I guess I can see how it would be powerful back in 99, but not in 2013..sorry."

[–] 12 years ago

[deleted]

[–] forthesafetyofpuppies 12 years ago

No, but I'm affiliated with my nation. "We" = The UK.

___
"I guess I can see how it would be powerful back in 99, but not in 2013..sorry."

[–] 12 years ago

[deleted]

[–] 12 years ago

[deleted]

[–] 12 years ago

[deleted]

[–] j_money77 11 years ago

To the OP, I've only seen 2 seasons of this show, but it already seemed to wearing pretty thin...not that I didn't enjoy them.

More episodes might have meant more filler, even my favorite TV show of all time, the Sopranos, had as few weak points in its 76 episode span, and you know great care was taken in producing those, with lengthy breaks inbetween sessions. A mass-produced show is going to have a whole lot more. I'm kind of glad they cut this short at 3 seasons.

[–] 11 years ago

[deleted]

[–] j_money77 11 years ago

Watched it this week, confirms my suspiscion that there wasn't a lot to string out there. 18 episodes plus a movie was more than enough in my view.

Though I did find some moments hilarious, like Simon flogging his doodle in the hopes of getting it to work and the kids vandalizing the village's flower beds.