Petition: Bring Back 'Whites'

I was delighted my post about the online campaign to save the BBC2 sitcom Whites was very much appreciated. Last I checked, it has been re-tweeted 167 times and shared on Facebook 67 times. A special thanks to @UKComedyNews and Whites stars @alandavies1 and @isysuttie for helping in that endeavour.

The #BringBackWhites hashtag was already up-and-running before I got involved, but I'm glad my blog has helped give the campaign added focus. I know from e-mails that many fans appreciated being told about the various ways they can try to encourage a reconsideration from BBC Comedy. Those suggestions can be read here.

In addition, now you can follow @bringbackwhites on Twitter for the latest campaign news and sign their online petition! They need 10,000 votes and it's currently around 400, so there's work to be done! Spread the word!

I have no idea how effective this campaign will be. Do the BBC take heed of trends on Twitter and Facebook support? Someone does, but I doubt any bigwigs care. Will letters have a bigger impact? Yes, undoubtedly. In general, it's better to do something instead of just sit back and mourn the passing of a good comedy without lifting a finger to revive it. If nothing else, the BBC will perhaps take note about the love for Whites and give a similar comedy a better chance in the future.

But don't rest on your laurels, "Whities". Fan campaigns in the UK are more likely to be successful than the examples you see in America. This is the BBC, we're talking about. Your BBC. You helped pay for Whites. If the BBC need to save cash this year, fine, but make them realize they can save it elsewhere by axing shows nobody would bother campaigning for.

Remember: Twitter, email, Facebook, write. It all helps. How can it hurt? And, importantly, spread the word. If everyone reading this gets a few more people to sign the petition, or tweet @bbccomedy, and they then do the same, that will snowball into a huge outpouring of support very quickly. The BBC can't ignore a campaign if it becomes a super-sized effort. The bigger, the better. Each supporter equals a committed viewer for a potential second series. There must be close to 1.5m people willing to support #BringBackWhites if the ratings are any indication. Maybe you know some, who don't get involved with stuff like this online? Why not encourage them to? It won't take a minute.

So, if you want the BBC to rethink their position, help them come to the realization that Whites is worth bringing back.

In the meantime, why not read Cath Bore's take on Whites and why the show's particularly important to women, and Anglotopia's 5 Reasons We Need More Whites.

Campaign: Bring Back 'Whites'

The BBC have 33 slots for comedy shows every 12-months, but comedy's a prime target for cost-saving, so it's been necessary to axe a few shows this year. Cheryl Taylor, the BBC's Comedy Commissioner, recently decided to axe the gastronomic comedy Whites as part of these cutbacks. This is a decision that, frankly, boggles my mind.

I'm not saying Whites is an instant classic like The Office, but it was one of the best new comedies the BBC premiered in 2010 and showed plenty of promise. It made a change seeing a sitcom with funny characters that also have some reality to them, while also managing to stir some broad laughs into the mix (if you'll pardon the cooking terminology.) Alan Davies and Darren Boyd had unexpected chemistry as a double-act, and it was generally a welcome return to BBC sitcoms that have heart and humanity to them.

Quite how Cheryl Taylor's team arrived at the decision to cancel Whites confuses me. By the BBC's own admission, studio-based sitcoms are seen as expensive to produce. Well, guess what, Whites isn't studio-based, but Fast & Loose most definitely is. I know which one I'd like to see return for a second series.

So what can you, the public, do to try and save Whites?

• It won't hurt to follow @bbccomedy on Twitter and send them a few tweets in support of Whites. Even better, ensure your tweet includes the #BringBackWhites hashtag. If that can start trending on Twitter, great!
• Visit the BBC Comedy Facebook page and send a message of support for Whites.
• Visit the BBC Comedy website and send them some feedback via their Contact page.
• You can also write an old-fashioned letter and sent that to BBC Comedy Department, Broadcasting House, Portland Place, London W1A 1AA. The people that matter take more notice of actual letters arriving at their office than hundreds of impersonal e-mails, or electronic petitions.
• In the meantime, you could also buy the DVD or encourage your friends to. I'm sure the BBC will take notice if it becomes a Peep Show-sized success in the shops.

But please, whatever you do, don't be rude in your correspondence with the BBC. The BBC want to hear from intelligent, passionate fans of Whites who are willing to take time out of their lives to show some heartfelt support. They don't want to know there's a bad-mannered rabble who are easily angered and quick to fire off abusive emails. Keep it clean and intelligent, obviously.

I don't believe Cheryl Taylor and the people who decided to cancel Whites are just being nasty. If they weren't being asked to tighten their belts, Whites would probably be back for seconds. It can't have been an easy decision to make. Something has to be axed to save cash. They HAVE to make these cuts and Whites DID lose some viewers over its run, which put it in the firing line. It was also overlooked at the British Comedy Awards, which perhaps didn't go unnoticed and was perceived as an indication it's not respected. But there are other shows that, frankly, deserve the chop more than Whites, and I have a suspicion the BBC are being shortsighted and just axing something with a "last in, first out" mentality.

If the campaign to get the show back is strong enough, the BBC in many was have an obligation to do what they can to bring the show back. The great thing about British TV is that it's fairly flexible from a production standpoint. A show can vanish for years and then return (see Alan Partridge), so provided the core talent behind Whites can reassemble it's never truly dead. And decisions can be reversed if the BBC Comedy execs realize an outpouring of online frustration equals millions of viewers the flawed BARB ratings system didn't capture.

Maybe it's worth considering a partnership deal for Whites, which is becoming increasingly popular just now (see Mrs Brown's Boys and Episodes)? Or how about an independent production company take over creating it? Maybe some of the cast/crew would agree to lower wages, rather than lose this job completely? Who knows.

Anyway, support the campaign to #BringBackWhites. Not Going Out was revived thanks to a simple petition, remember -- almost a year after it was axed! So the future of Whites isn't set in stone. Please, do what you can. Spread the word. Email. Twitter. Write. It only takes a few minutes.

We can take this heat, we just want back in the kitchen.

BBC2 axe 'Whites'

In a shock move, BBC2 have axed the culinary sitcom Whites, which starred Alan Davies as the chef of a country manor. Davies tweeted the news himself:

"Just heard Whites was cancelled by the BBC last week. Gutted. Worst news I've had in my whole career. Thanks to all who watched the show."

His co-star Isy Suttie, who played spaced-out waitress Kiki, also tweeted her disappointment:

"Just heard our BBC2 series Whites has been cancelled. I am so sad. Thanks so much to everyone who watched and supported the show."

The short-lived sitcom, written by Matt King (Peep Show) and Oliver Lansley, debuted last September with 2.37m viewers, but dropped to 1.58m by the final episode.

I'm really frustrated by this news, as Whites was easily the best new British sitcom of 2010. It was also snubbed at the British Comedy Awards, failing to even get nominated for Best Sitcom. A ridiculous oversight that Peep Show's co-creator Jesse Armstrong pointed out as he accepted his own award.

Is there a belief in the industry that Whites is rubbish? I don't know, but I'm bewildered by its treatment. It was hardly a disaster in the ratings and it received good reviews. A second series should have launched after a repeat run of series 1, for those who perhaps missed it, and I think most comedies deserve a second chance. It's easy to forget that The Office didn't really capture the public's imagination until series 2 started.

I'm at a loss to explain this decision. Whites had the feel of an old-fashioned sitcom that existed in the real world, it was beautifully filmed, and had a great mix of broad and nuanced characters. It also reminded us that Alan Davies isn't just the token dunce on QI, he's a decent comic actor, and Darren Boyd was doing excellent work as the beleaguered sous chef. Above all, it simmered with amusement throughout and made me invest in the characters. It's a shame we won't get to see more.

To be positive, Whites' six episodes act as a good self-contained run, so I recommend you buy the DVD.

'AN IDIOT ABROAD', 'BETTER OFF TED', 'COMMUNITY', 'A HISTORY OF HORROR' & 'WHITES'

I don't review everything I watch on TV regularly, because doing so would result in a mountain of work and a likely backlog. I have to be picky. Also, I'd probably start to resent watching certain TV shows if I knew every hour of entertainment equals 1-2 hours of writing. I never want to find myself in a position where I'm watching TV and treating it as "work", either -- although it's fair to say I never watch TV without my critical hat on these days. Anyway, I thought it might be fun to chip in with brief thoughts on five shows I'm watching every week but don't really blog about. Yes, that's my idea of fun. Deal with it.

An Idiot Abroad (Sky1, Thursdays) This humorous travelogue with Karl Pilkington lures me back every week, although after the opening trips to China and India things hit a rocky patch with the dicey Mexican episode. It just wasn't that funny. Maybe the novelty value is wearing off for Karl as he's jetted around the world, so he's not putting in the effort. Did he visit the Seven Wonders Of The Modern World over the course of a few months? If so, I don't blame him for getting sluggish with the quips. Also, I'm not enjoying the irritating phone calls from Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, who usually ring to give Karl a task to achieve. It's just not required, although I do think Karl's comedy works when he's bouncing off other people, but he's rather isolated in this show as he traipses around foreign countries nitpicking the local customs and culture.

Better Off Ted (FX, Tuesdays) My initial reviews weren't exactly raves, but this fantastical workplace comedy has definitely charmed me since. FX has been burning through both seasons in weekly double-bills, and while I can sense a drop in quality for season 2, it hasn't been disastrous. Above all, I find all the actors personable and interesting to watch on-screen; particularly Portia de Rossi with her staccato gestures and Cheshire Cat grins, and the adorable perkiness of Andrea Anders (whose comic timing is atomic clock standard). There are episodes where the storylines and jokes don't dovetail that smoothly, but the comic performances never let you down. Oh, and it has the least annoying fourth-wall breaking since Malcolm In The Middle, too.

Community (Viva, Tuesdays) I can't really say much about this series yet, as I've only seen four episodes. So far, the pinball dialogue has been pretty strong and I find Joel McHale, Chevy Chase and Alison Brie appealing screen presences. The show's tone is ZANY, which I'm not against, but sometimes I find myself wishing there was more restraint. It's all a bit manic and knowingly ker-azy sometimes, which can be a turn-off. There was an end-credits sequence that only existed to watch three of the cast dance outrageously. But I hear it improves and, in the second half of season 1, becomes the US equivalent of Spaced, which is very high praise indeed. I hope it lives up to that buzz.

A History Of Horror (BBC4, Mondays) I love documentaries on subjects I'm interested in, so a trek through cinematic horror is a real treat for me. Hosted by Mark Gatiss (The League Of Gentlemen), it helps that you can tell he's genuinely passionate about the subject matter, and this BBC4 series has been an entertaining and fascinating look at the horror genre throughout the 20th century. I especially liked part 2's emphasis on the Hammer Horror period, where Britain took the genre it created in literature and fed it back to the world in lurid Technicolor.

Whites (BBC2, Tuesdays) I really liked episode 1, but didn't continue reviewing this sitcom here. That's because there were other shows demanding my attention, which I was more confident people would respond to. However, to summarize my thoughts now we're four episodes into its run: this is a really good sitcom that deserves wider attention. It's witty and has a reality to it, albeit with comical twists. The characters feel like actual people, so you therefore find yourself becoming invested in them dramatically. Alan Davies is good as Roland White, but it's Darren Boyd I'm really enjoying, as harassed sous chef Bib. The last few episodes have involved climaxes that poke fun at disabilities (a woman with one arm, Parkinson's Disease), which is a little alarming, but I can't say they weren't very funny.

I also have a few Nikita's stuck on my V+ box ready to be watched, but I can't summon the willpower. Oh, and I only made it halfway through that Louis Theroux documentary on Lagos, too. I think the novelty of sending someone like Louis into genuinely dangerous territory has outstayed its welcome. He should get back to his earlier comedic adventures, spending time with oddballs on the edge of society again.

'WHITES' 1.1

My review of BBC2's excellent new comedy WHITES is now live at Obsessed With Film, brought to you by the creators of eggless omelets.

"I'm surprised it's taken so long to develop a new comedy set in a busy kitchen, considering how many cooking shows and celebrity chefs have come to prominence in the past decade; from Gordon Ramsey and Jamie Oliver, to Marco Pierre White and Heston Blumenthal. BBC2 sitcom Whites benefits enormously from this pop-culture foundation, as audiences now understand the setup of a professional kitchen (the roles, the lingo, the dishes, the pace, the pressure, etc.) It means we're already somewhat familiar with the world, even feeling some attachment to it, and that helps what's already an organized and nicely-paced opening episode..." Continue reading...

Coming Soon: 'Whites', BBC2

There's a new BBC2 comedy on the horizon. Remember when BBC2 was the go-to place for great comedy in the '80s and '90s? Oh, happy days. Whites is set in a hotel kitchen run by Roland White (Alan Davies), a faded chef who once came close to winning a Michelin star. The full BBC blurb is below:

"Set in the kitchen of a country house hotel, Whites follows the trials and tribulations of head chef Roland White (Alan Davies) and his long suffering sous chef Bib (Darren Boyd).

Having been on the brink of success 15 years ago, Roland has since lost the sparkle and drive needed to win a long-coveted Michelin star. He can cook with the best of them when he puts his mind to it, but laziness gets the better of him, much to the annoyance of restaurant manager Caroline (Katherine Parkinson).

Bib, meanwhile, is under pressure and hasn't spent time with his wife for months. It doesn't help that Skoose (Stephen Wight) the apprentice chef, has zero respect for him or that quirky waitress Kiki (Isy Suttie), takes an order for an eggless omelette.

Despite all their problems, Bib knows he is lucky to be working alongside a true culinary genius and Roland knows that Bib is a true friend. But this doesn't stop things from getting heated in the kitchen."

The series is written by Matt King (stand-up comedian, co-star of Peep Show), who appears to be diversifying lately, with this coming after a prominent role as a ghost for Aussie TV's Spirited.

Like many sitcoms, it's the cast that will draw me in for a sampling. I just hope it's funny enough to lure me back for seconds. I really miss having a must-see sitcom that isn't skewed towards teens or geeks (IT Crowd, Inbetweeners), don't you? I'm not sure what tone this will have, but I get a strange feeling it'll resemble Victoria Wood's Dinnerladies. Or is that a premature insult? A funnier version of Chef with Lenny Henry? Let's wait and see.

Whites starts Monday 27 September @9pm on BBC2, starring Alan Davies (QI), Darren Boyd (Smack The Pony), Katherine Parkinson (The IT Crowd), Isy Suttie (Peep Show), Maggie Steed (Jam & Jerusalem), Stephen Wright (The Great Outdoors), Oli Lansley (FM) & Matt King.