Rob Gilroy: Farewell, Miranda

So it’s with a heavy heart that we must accept the fact Miranda is finishing. That might sound like sarcasm, it isn’t. In fact, I have a lot of time for Miranda and her coincidentally-titled sitcom.

Apologies if my opening line sounded a tad facetious, it’s very hard to distinguish between sincerity and irony in written word. That probably explains why my Nan’s funeral wreath never got the laughs intended. Still, ‘She left us nothing’ always looks beautiful in begonias.

It is a shame to see Miranda finishing so soon. It seems like we finally get a successful mainstream sitcom only for it to be taken from us just as quickly. Pulled away like the tablecloth beneath our array of condiments and crockery. All we have left is a bare table and Miranda, confused about what to do next, holding a jam-smeared sheet in her hands.

I don’t know where the idea of finishing a popular comedy so soon in its run came from. Well, I do. I think we all do. In fact, if Jesus had been around post-The Office I’m pretty sure he’d only have done two sermons and a miracle and then got the hell out of there. No doubt he’d have a second coming; despite categorically stating that it would never happen.

I’m slightly surprised by the news that Miranda is to be no more (I don’t mean the actress). The show seemed to be built in a similar way to sitcoms of old with endless opportunities for numerous series. There are an almost infinite number of social faux pas that Miranda could have become embroiled in and her will they/won’t they/do they even want to relationship with Gary was turning into the next Ross and Rachel (on an admittedly smaller, more British scale).

I suppose the show – like a lot of modern comedies – was finite in its scope from the start. While shows like The Inbetweeners and Bad Education can only go on for so long without drastically altering the set up, others, like Miranda and Extras, should probably wrap up before the jokes get too repetitive. These shows are built upon a clear premise (celebs sending up their public images) or recurring pieces (‘Such fun’, ‘My – what I call – catchphrase”) so it makes sense to end them before interest wanes.

I’m not saying these elements are to be sneered at; some of the greatest sitcoms use them, just that they give the show a clear shelf life. Blackadder for example, is utterly brilliant but would have struggled to continue at the same quality given the number of ideas that were expected to return each week (“I have a cunning plan that’s more cunning than a Countdown Conundrum performing cunnilingus”).

Even the superb Fawlty Towers probably did right by finishing after two series (not seasons, it isn’t The Wire). As much as I love it, it’s fair to assume that with a third of forth instalment, the number of altercations Basil could get into with guests, or things he could hide from Sybil, would become increasingly harder to generate organically. Compare that to the likes of Only Fools and Horses or the soon-to-end but, by modern standards, Ulysses-length Peep Show and you can see the difference.

These shows are built around a basic idea or set of characters but the scope for stories can take them anywhere and it’ll never really lose its sense of self. Peep Show on the moon would still feel like an episode of Peep Show, albeit one which spells the end of civilisation as we know it. Whereas Fawlty Towers set anywhere other than in the hotel would require a sizeable leap of faith on the part of the audience. Even when he picks up the duck trifle and molests his car with a twig, I’m itching to get back to the claustrophobic confines of the shoddy B&B.

Another understandable reason for finishing a show so soon would be to avoid having it end before you’re ready. The number of spaces available for scripted comedies seems to be diminishing all the time, so it makes sense that people try to tell a contained story – that way if the elusive series 2 never arrives they aren’t cut short like a cack-handed baker making gingerbread man. The wonderfully enjoyable Trying Again found itself in this position recently, and it’s a shame it won’t be returning. Maybe Miranda did right?

It would be nice to return to a time where shows are encouraged to develop at their own pace; Only Fools, One Foot in the Grave and definitely Peep Show would never have survived past the first series without this gestation period. OK, maybe creators only want to do two series and a Christmas special but that should be their choice.

Say what you like about Miranda but at least she’s been able to do things on her terms. And I mean that sincerely.