I take your point--yes, Alistair is a ludicrous character. (And very anachronistic at the time the show debuted, IMO, which I saw someone else on this board pointed out as well. He is a caricature of an 80s yuppie at a time in the 90s when under-40 culture in America and Britain was (re)turning to "counter-culture" as the mode.)
But there are a few things I keep in mind in appreciating him and all the fuel he added to the plot "fire" of this show:
1. It's a sit-com, and already a fairly "realism"-based one: a couple navigate the new territory of a "mature"-aged romance and the age-old, age-blind territory of feeling out a potential partner, dealing with moving in together and learning to live together, families learning to merge with each other, etc.
Sit-coms cannot thrive on realism alone; they must have exactly what their name implies: a steady stream of "situations" that generate farce and laughs. Enter, the Alistair character; enter, the snafu in the first series with the May-December romance "musical chairs" with potential romantic partners, etc.
2. Alistair's incessant buoyancy and unshakable good humor are a necessary counterpoint to Jean's no-nonsense pragmatism (well, at least in the first few series)and, most crucially, Lionel's extreme dryness and pessimism almost to the point of curmudgeonism.
The contrast between an "odd couple" is classic sitcom fare because it provides for many opportunities of high farce. Jean is not "up" enough to be Lionel's odd couple counterpart; she's too much in the sensible middle (again, at least in the first few series). They need someone really "up" and consistently cheerful, energetic and optimistic to prove the perfect foil for Lionel's spare, dry, self-deprecating often bordering-on-gloomy wit.
One without the other would be too much, and as Lionel is one half of the main couple, he'd be the one we'd get too much of. I find it really is necessary to have a manic, go-get'em character pop in every few episode and shake up the household and provide some brightness as a foil to Lionel's darkness. Introversion and extroversion can sometimes complement each other in real life, but in television/movies, they always do!
3. Jean and Lionel, like any couple in fiction, require shaking up, or else risk losing any character and plot momentum. It's well-known among writers of television serials that once the main couple get together, it becomes an uphill battle to maintain that as a plotline, because the very important "tension" has been severely undermined and now has the potential to disappear. That's why the writers of such shows will then work double-hard to find ways to re-introduce tension (often in very artificial, transparent ways that fall flat, unfortunately. And certainly it can be argued that Alistair is one such unsuccessful way, but it's better than if a character like his didn't exist at all).
The show would become tedious very quickly to have Jean and Lionel continually pitted against one another with no outside instigator against whom they can unite (or, at other times, to whom one allies himself or herself while the other partner stands in opposition to the alliance). Judy and Sandy aren't enough in the way of supporting cast--first, they often function as one, serving the same purpose in a given storyline (i.e. both harping on Jean to stay away from the office once she's decided to retire).
And second, they just don't have broad enough characters/personalities to sustain the opposition in a sitcom; they can't be the constant foil and tension-generator to maintain the Jean and Lionel "tension" that is so very important to keep afloat when dealing with a relationship-based plot, like this one.
Now, Aunt Penny and Stephen are good ludicrous foils, but the writer has to be careful not to rely solely on them and overuse them. In many shows, there needs to be a rotating supporting cast of "ludicrous foils" to the protagonists; the whole point is to make the protagonists appear more "sane" and relate-able/likeable to us.
Again, enter Alistair.
He serves his purpose. Yes, he and the situations in which the writer places him are ludicrous...but even if it's a flaw in the show, it's better than having a large hole in it. Better to have people scoffing over a character or plot line than not tuning in at all from lack of dramatic tension or sitcom-fueling farce.
That said...I tend to dislike sitcoms that are ALL high farce. I'm not a huge fan of Keeping up Appearances, for example. I can only take so much ludicrousness. In my opinion, As Time Goes By manages to not descend into full-blown ludicrousness enough that I keep coming back to it for entertainment. (But the episodes where it does do that--often ones set in the country house-- are among my least entertaining/favorite).
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blankk23
11 years ago
Well said!
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Htos_Drol
11 years ago
Absolutely, well said.
One thing I would criticize about the show was the laugh track. I think that the people who watch ATGB are intelligent enough to understand when and when not to laugh. It distracts from an otherwise perfect show, in my opinion.
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laurence01
11 years ago
It isn't a laugh track, it is a live audience.
Let Zygons Be Zygons.
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adamunc
10 years ago
Not always. There were laugh tracks included in scenes that were shot on location outdoors.
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laurence01
10 years ago
Not always. There were laugh tracks included in scenes that were shot on location outdoors.
Usually the outdoor scenes are shown to the studio audience during the studio filming, so even then it is live laughter from the studio audience.
Let Zygons Be Zygons.
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pc-daisy
8 years ago
Sorry for the late reply, but I have just re-visited the Series and oh my goodness, I hate the sound of that laugh track. It is supposed to be from a live audience, but it grates on my nerves. I love the show, but never found it to be continuously 'belly laugh stuff.
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pacwarbuff
8 years ago
ATGB does *not* have a laugh track. No laugh track would dare have that much coughing and hacking on it! I've watched this series entirely too many times.
Plus, the now-defunct As Time Goes By website had numerous photos showing the audience and stage.
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CobblersAwls
7 years ago
Not always. There were laugh tracks included in scenes that were shot on location outdoors.
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Usually the outdoor scenes are shown to the studio audience during the studio filming, so even then it is live laughter from the studio audience.
Can't speak for ATGB. But have attended a few BBC filming sessions for shows in the past, but on two occasions when there were outdoor scenes, they did show them to the audience and I presume the laughter was recorded. In one case they did a retake saying something about the sound not being right. But dunno if that was about laughter...
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intriguement
10 years ago
Well said, SpiceTea! You made a lot of great points!
The first 5 or so times my mother and I watched the show, we agreed with the original poster. We found Alistair silly and annoying. However, as we continued to watch the show (we've seen it over and over again. . . probably a dozen times), we realized that Alistair is actually the BEST character. Hear me out! He's the ONLY person on the show who ever thinks of other people. Yes, he has many flaws, but those are just window dressing. His REAL character is generous and thoughtful. Hardly an episode goes by without his making some caring gesture toward someone else -- buying them a gift, suggesting a way around a problem, even helping with his own two hands. Unlike many wealthy people, he's not stingy with money, time, or effort.
In one episode, while Lionel is working on Just Two People, Alistair drops by with a fancy coffee drink. Now, I suppose Alistair ought to have known that Lionel doesn't go in for that sort of thing. Still, he is trying to bring Lionel a pick-me-up after his long day of unaccustomed labor, and Lionel's rude response makes me cringe every time -- he doesn't even say thank you; he dumps it straight in the bin. Alistair remains undaunted and soon tries something else to raise Lionel's perpetually grumpy spirits.
In fact, I would argue that the REAL focus of the show is the relationship between Lionel and Alistair. The Lionel-Jean relationship is great, but as SpiceTea pointed out, romantic relationships tend to become less interesting once the two people get together for good. In contrast, the Lionel-Alistair relationship is constantly evolving. There's no natural endpoint (such as a wedding); the two of them can continue to get closer in every season. Lionel has no son. And, since Lionel's and Alistair's fathers were apparently contemporaries, I assume that Alistair's dad was very old, was rather aloof like many fathers from that generation (but not Rocky!), and died when Alistair was very young. Thus, Alistair never had much of a father either. It's really touching to see these two men, who both missed out earlier in life, finally form a father-son bond.
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SpiceTea
7 years ago
Hi, intriguement.
I apologize for a response two years later but I must not see notifications amid all the junk in my inbox.
You may have just learned, as I have done, that Imdb will be shutting down the message boards in a few days' time.
It's a huge blow to film and television buffs who have relied on these conversations here.
Look at the many thoughtful, civil discussions on this board for As Time Goes By. So many years of useful commentary, soon to be erased from the internet.
Anyway, i just wanted to take this last opportunity to tell you i just finished marathon rewatching the entire 9 or 10 series of ATGB and your comment caught my eye:
"In fact, I would argue that the REAL focus of the show is the relationship between Lionel and Alistair. The Lionel-Jean relationship is great, but as SpiceTea pointed out, romantic relationships tend to become less interesting once the two people get together for good. In contrast, the Lionel-Alistair relationship is constantly evolving. There's no natural endpoint (such as a wedding); the two of them can continue to get closer in every season."
This is a great perspective that I'm so grateful to have caught in time before ImDB erases it.
I hope you get a chance to read this before it all disappears. You've added something useful to my understanding of and appreciation for a show i will likely continue to rewatch for decades to come (unless They do away with DVD players, which they likely will).
Cheers !
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sheezcrazy
7 years ago
+SpiceTea: I, too, am very sorry to see these boards shut down. I know I'm going to sound like an old fogey, but I attribute this shutdown to the bad manners of the younger generation. ATGB isn't a posting destination for the younger set, so you don't see bad manners here. But on movies and programs that are directed at millennials, I've seen horribly atrocious behavior. Violent threats, abusive language, the basest expletives; these boards obviously aren't monitored, and the kids (I hope they're kids) are protected by anonymity.
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hifijohn
10 years ago
I agree, allister is just too over the top,and I believe far too young to be running a big publishing company, also the actor who plays him isnt very good.
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MacCue
9 years ago
It was established a few seasons in that the reason Alistair published Lionel's book was because Rocky helped to finance Alistair's father's publishing company. Alistair is the founder's son.
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vranger
9 years ago
Also, the character doesn't strike me as that young ... 40ish.
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