Flight of the Conchords: Sitcom and Situationism

 

 

Introduction

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Flight of the Conchords is a New Zealand comedy duo comprising Jemaine Clement and Bret McKenzie that has had various incarnations including live show, BBC radio programme and most famously, an HBO television series. Billing themselves as "formerly New Zealand's fourth most popular guitar-based digi-bongo acapella-rap-funk-comedy folk duo", Flight of the Conchords use a combination of witty observational humour, characterisation and acoustic guitar music to explore the ambiguous tensions of the sitcom format. In this essay I look at the ways in which the show adheres to and subverts the traditional conventions and pleasures of television sitcom; and in this direction, the extent to which Flight of the Conchords can be considered a post-modern sitcom will be central the analysis. In particular, the duality of Bret and Jemaine, as the names of both characters and actors is pivotal in the blurring of boundaries between the real and the simulated. In addition to this the way in which key sections of the series borrow and rework the conventions of popular music video is redolent of the parodic qualities common to post-modern texts.

 

Conventions of Comedy Drama

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Flight of the Conchords is very funny; however, it does not rely upon ‘gag’ based humour, but rather a combination of social awkwardness and surrealism. Bret and Jemaine are both outsiders: having recently moved to New York, much of the comedy is based on error, as the New Zealander’s misunderstand the social rules of a cosmopolitan city. Many of the comedy scenarios are set to music. The soundtrack of original compositions is a compendium of ironic interpretations of other music styles including Prince, Serge Gainsbourg, Donovan and the Pet Shop Boys. In part, this requires some prior knowledge of the artists that are being spoofed. However, the humorous narratives of the songs work independently of the artists they parody. In addition to this, the sequences when these songs are performed deploy inter-textual references to the visual codes of the artist they allude to. In this sense, one of the key comedic features of Flight of the Conchords is the way in which it invokes the carnivalesque sensibility of music video and the Situationism of pop culture in general.

 

Naturalistic Mise En Scene

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Filmed on location in New York City, Flight of the Concords features the juxtaposition of a naturalistic mise en scene with surrealistic and fantasy sequences, constrained only by Bret and Jemaine’s imagination. The show is set in Manhattan, New York; however it is not the glossy romanticised New York of Friends or Sex in the City, but rather it is filmed in a variety of downtown locations. While the mise on scene rejects the traditional iconography of New York City (Empire State Building, Statue of Liberty, Brooklyn Bridge), it focuses instead upon the more routine symbols of Manhattan: yellow taxis, fire hydrants, red brick buildings fire escapes etc. This low-fi naturalistic aesthetic sensibility is counterpoised by the hyper-real surrealism of the sequences set to music in which the mise-en-scene utilises a range of theatrical props and devices. Although this disrupts the naturalism of the show, the slightly tacky low budget feel of the costumes and props is in keeping with the overall visual style of the program. In this sense, Flight of the Conchords can be seen to embody a fairly contrapuntal aesthetic sensibility, in which the glamour of New York is counterpoised with the urban realism of everyday city living. Likewise, sequences of fantastic imagination are grounded by the simplicity of props and setting.

 

Social Realism

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The issue of social realism in Flight of the Conchords is ambiguous. On the one hand, as the mise-en-scene suggests, the lives of Bret and Jemaine are very ordinary: they are frequently struggling for money, living in cramped accommodation and occupied with mundane domestic tasks. On the other hand, they are in a band (with a fan), living a fairly extraordinary life (a long way from home), striving for success on the New York music scene. This tension is played out then in the contradiction between the naturalistic situation based comedy (usually filmed on location) and the more stylised sequences in their apartment or set to music. For the audience this duality builds a bridge between the conventional ‘reality’ of Bret and Jemaine’s everyday existence and the hyper-real landscape of their creative imagination. It is perhaps this routinised blurring of boundaries between the real and the simulated that is the essence of the post-modern sitcom.

 

Dialogue and Characterisation

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The dramatic dynamic of Flight of the Conchords is based heavily on the relationship between the characters of Bret and Jemaine. Both are in their late twenties and from New Zealand; they are long-standing childhood friends and are musicians in the band Flight of the Conchords, which gives the show its name.  In addition to Bret and Jemaine, Murray (the band’s manager) and Mel (the ‘fanbase’) are extremely important characters in Flight of the Conchords, reinforcing the musicians as the focus of audience identification. This creative partnership is particularly intimate, as they share not only a flat and a bedroom but, in one episode, a girlfriend. Though it is not implied that their relationship is more than brotherly, there is a recurring tension concerning the transgression of hetero and homosexual codes of behaviour. However, while there is an unspoken platonic love between the two men, there is also profound irritation born out of the claustrophobic nature of the relationship. The cast is augmented by two further key characters: Murray (the band’s manager) and Mel (the band’s ‘fanbase’). While both these characters are nominally of higher status (Murray works for the New Zealand Embassy and Sue is a Psychology professor), they are less socially aware than either Bret or Jemaine. This is not only a source of comedy but serves also to reinforce the position of Bret and Jemaine as the point of identification for the audience. Sound is extremely important in Flight of the Conchords; however, the dialogue itself is not highly polished, but rather naturalistic and deadpan. This is reinforced by the protrusion of incidental diegetic sound, particularly street noise. By contrast each episode features a number of key musical sequences in which the lyrics are extremely sophisticated, parodying generic conventions of popular songs while telling surreal and fantastical stories that juxtapose the mundanity of the central narrative.

 

Narrative Structure

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Flight of the Conchords adheres to one of the key conventions of sitcom in that it fits within the half-hourly series from. In addition to this, each episode is discrete, usually conforming to the equilibrium – disequilibrium – equilibrium narrative structure, whereby an extraordinary event disrupts everyday existence, this then has to be worked through until, by the end of the episode, it is resolved. In Episode Six, for example, from Series one, Bret is experiencing self-esteem issues. As part of the narrative structure he experiences series of nighttime visitations from Jemaine, who is concerned about him, dressed as David Bowie. Each visitation is linked chronologically to a different period in David Bowie’s career.Where the series disrupts the traditional conventions of sitcom is in the inclusion of musical set pieces to accompany songs. While these are usually linked thematically to the narrative structure of the episode sometimes this is fairly tenuous. In effect these serve mini-music videos. Consequently, within the course of the episodes this requires the suspension of disbelief in much the same way that audiences for the Hollywood Musicals of the 1940s understood that this was a stylised embellishment of the narrative structure. In addition to the songs performed within the program, the signature title sequence is performed by the band. Unlike other tracks, the title sequence is an instrumental electro track that features the prominent use of acoustic guitar. The sequence at the end of Episode Six of Series One, in which Bret and Jermaine perform the song Bowie, is typical of those sections of the show that disrupt the conventional camerawork and editing of sitcom in its embrace of popular music video.

 

Conventional Camerawork and Editing

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In part, Flight of the Conchords conforms to the rules of sitcom camerawork in that for much of each episode it utilises conventional camerawork and editing. In these realist sequences there are considerable numbers of medium two-shots, featuring both Bret and Jemaine. Generally the speed of the editing is fairly slow, following the speed of the dialogue; this conspires to create a naturalistic feel with which audiences are familiar. In addition to this, and inline with more recent developments in sitcom, the show also utilises point of view shots and over-the-shoulder shots to create an intimacy between the characters and the audience. This believability is reinforced also by the use of lots of body-mounted steadicam-shots: the slight camera movement helps to create the illusion that the viewer is in the shot. However, perhaps the most interesting camerawork comes in the form of the musical sequences. Here the production utilises the full range of camerawork and editing normally associated with popular music video: a combination of low and high angle shots create a more dynamic effect than the more naturalistic camerawork of the main show. Likewise these sections deploy brighter lighting effects, zooms and reverse-zooms to emphasis the rhythm of the soundtrack. Indeed, in this respect Flight of the Conchords adheres to one of the key convention of music video in that sound is edited in time with the music.

 

Pleasure of Comedy Entertainment

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One of the key pleasures in watching Flight of the Conchords is that it provides comedy entertainment. The humour is neither gag-based nor slapstick, but rather based on social tension and surrealism. Indeed, the dialogue has a very naturalistic quality and one of the key pleasures for the audience is that the humour seems spontaneous and convincing. By contrast the musical sequences are highly crafted: the lyrics are extremely witty and the instrumental track borrow the stylistic features of well-known artists. It is this unique combination of deadpan social realism and the carnivalesque qualities of popular music. The carnivalesque qualities of the musical sequence in Flight of the Conchords are often some of the most funny, providing surrealistic visual entertainment to augment the deadline dialogue. Though Flight of the Conchords adheres to some of the traditional conventions of sitcom, clearly in the inclusion of musical sequence it is breaking new ground for the genre. Clearly one of the key pleasures of Flight of the Conchords is that in many ways it conforms to the generic conventions of sitcom. In the first instance, it is broken down into 30-minute discrete episodes, with self-contained narrative structures that adhere to the equilibrium- disequilibrium-equilibrium-rule. In addition to this there is a small groups of main characters, signature title sequences and naturalistic camerawork. However, Flight of the Conchords also offers the audience pleasure in the form of the new inflection it brings to the sitcom format. This is of course connected with the way in which the show borrows and reworks the conventions of music video in sequences that the parody generic conventions of certain bands or artists.

 

Warm and Inclusive Mode of Address

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Perhaps one of the key pleasures of Flight of the Conchords is the warm and inclusive mode of address. Jemaine and Bret are very likeable and central to this is their naivety in relationship to the adult world of sex, drugs and money. They are not impressed by traditional signifiers of wealth, status or cool, but instead are absorbed in the minutia of their own creative endeavours.  This childlike quality is reinforced by their acceptance of both Mel and Murray of whom they are both trusting and respectful. They are also inclusive in their attitude to women and issues of male intimacy: celebrating the beauty of all ‘the different kind of ladies’ as well men’s appreciation of other men’s attractiveness. It is this openness to diversity that is a key feature of the shows pleasure and is central to the way in which the series invokes the inverted carnivalesque sensibility of popular music culture in which the transgression of normative values is standardised. As the series progresses we get to know both Jemaine and Bret: identification in this sense is inevitable. Likewise, though initially groundbreaking the format becomes familiar and with that it creates its own kind of ritual pleasure. In theory identification with the characters of Bret and Jemaine in Flight of the Conchords is not easy. They are from New Zealand, living in New York, trying to break into the music industry. In addition to this their intimate and sometimes claustrophobic relationship is atypical for heterosexual males in their late twenties. However, it is the innocence and childlike quality of the main characters that is the key to audience identification. Moreover, their lack of success invites sympathy; but Jemaine and Bret are not straightforward underdogs. Indeed, they are both fairly good looking and, in the shared musical landscape they inhabit, charismatic, witty and confident. It is this juxtaposition of confidence and insecurity, poise and vulnerability that is central to their appeal and the ability of the audience to identify with characters and situations. In episode Ten of Series One, for example, entitled New Fans, Bret and Jemaine find themselves in a compromising sexual situation and experimenting with drugs. Their naïve response to these experiences reinforces the warm and inclusive mode of address and allows the show to depict social issues in a way that it light-hearted and responsible.

 

Ritual Pleasure of Consuming the Familiar

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As with all sitcoms one of the key pleasures of Flight of the Conchords is the ritual of consuming the familiar. While the show modifies many of the traditional conventions of sitcom (eschewing the laughter track and embracing the conventions of music video), within the terms of its own definition, the show is incredibly consistent. Each episode follows the exploits of Jemaine and Bret in their quest to break into the New York music scene: success, however, eludes them and narratives structure of each episode positions the duo in the same place as they were at the start (equilibrium/disequilibrium/equilibrium). In addition to this, a key pleasure for the audience is the anticipation of musical interludes, which give each episode a particular character and signature style. Moreover, the pleasure of the musical soundtrack invites viewers to re-watch episodes to access the songs and musical performance. And, of course, these are all available on the Flight of the Conchords soundtrack album. One of the key pleasures of all sitcoms is that of narrative resolution. Unlike soap opera sitcoms tends not to have ongoing storylines that end each episode on a cliffhanger. Instead the narrative structure is discrete, although certain thematic developments may carry over from episode to episode. Flight of the Conchords adheres to this generic convention; it is possible to watch episode in any order. Indeed, the thematic structure of the series is cohered around the subject matter of the musical soundtrack. In this direction, the series structure adheres to the conventions of the way in which tracks might be sequenced on a long play record as opposed to issues of characterisation and plot. That said, the sequence of the accompanying soundtrack album has a different running order to the song cycle of the television series.

 

Accessible Themes and the Representation of Social Issues

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While Flight of the Conchords pushes the boundaries of sitcom in terms of the technical conventions in its exploration of key themes and the representation of social issues the series if fairly conventional. Typically episodes revolve around topics traditionally covered by sitcom: romance, friendship, work, getting on in life, money etc. And, in this sense Bret and Jemaine’s failure to find love, success and money makes them extremely sympathetic in spite of their extraordinary circumstances. In addition to this their status as ‘outsiders’ struggling to understand the social mores of a cosmopolitan city makes identification easy. It is then the naivety of Bret and Jemaine’s encounter with more serious social issues that makes the representation of those themes accessible. There is, for example, a lightness of touch in the way in which issues of romantic obsession, drug-use, promiscuous sexual behaviour and violent crime are all dealt with. This levity is reinforced by the carnivalesque sensibility of the musical interludes, which present social issues in an ironic and humorous manner.

 

 

Conclusion

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Superficially Flight of the Conchords subverts more conventions of sitcom than it adheres to; and as such can be viewed as the embodiment of the post-modern text.  However, closer investigation reveals a much more conventional construction of reality than might be assumed. In the first instance, though not-gag based, the show is funny and uses humour to engage the audience.  Likewise, for the most part, it feature a naturalistic mise en scene and emphasis on dialogue and characterisation; narrative structure follows the traditional pattern of equilibrium-disequilibrium-equilibrium and the camerawork and editing is very conventional. While the fantastical sequences in which the show parodies and reworks specific texts from the history of popular music are a clear departure from more traditional shows, the familiarity of the material appropriated reinforces both the warm and inclusive mode of address and ritual please of consuming the familiar.  Combined with accessible themes and a light hearted exploration of social issues, it is easy to see why the show transcended the niche audience of Radio 4 to go on to find more mainstream success on the HBO network.