Is The Bear REALLY a Comedy?

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If you’ve ever watched The Bear then you’ll have seen anxiety inducing moments of real restaurant culture, tense family shouting matches and a ton more drama… however at the likes of the Emmys awards and the Golden Globes it is considered a comedy. Why? The West End is in rude financial health with musicals and plays proving as popular as they ever were, returning to pre-Covid success. A lot of the big West End successes are based on films or existing stories. Is there a lack of creativity in theatre, and will it hurt the art in the long term? Richard & Marina wrap this episode by talking The White Stripes vs. Donald Trump. Jack White is suing the former American President for unauthorised use of a song, but he’s not the first to take issue with their music being coopted by politicians. Recommendations: Marina: Jilly Cooper – The Rivals

Producers: Neil Fearn + Joey McCarthy
Executive Producers: Tony Pastor + Jack Davenport

Inside This Episode

Introduction and Banter:
- Hosts Marina Hyde and Richard Osman chat about Marina’s busy publication week and the challenges of adjusting between TalkSport and Times Radio.
Discussion of Musicals:
- West End musicals based on movies such as Mean Girls, Back to the Future, Moulin Rouge, and Mrs. Doubtfire are discussed.
- The Lion King Musical is the highest-grossing piece of theatre or cinema in history.
The Economics of Theatre:
- Exploration of how musical productions earn enormous sums through touring.
- The cost of staging a Broadway production is highlighted as five times higher than in London due to unionization and other factors.
The Success of IP-Based Musicals:
- Increasing reliance on movie-based musicals for financial security, with titles like Clueless and Titanic entering the West End.
- Shows like Wicked and The Lion King demonstrate how theatre can generate massive revenue, sometimes outstripping their original films.
Broadway vs. West End Recovery:
- Broadway’s financial recovery post-COVID has been slower compared to London, with a noted loss of $250 million over the summer.
The Challenges of New Theatre Productions:
- Discussion around new, original musicals struggling to compete against established IP.
- Mentions of success stories like Six and Operation Mincemeat that started at the Edinburgh Festival.
The Emmys and Awards Season:
- Shows like Shogun, The Bear, Hacks, and Baby Reindeer were big Emmy winners.
- The debate over whether The Bear belongs in the comedy category, despite its dark and dramatic nature, sparked much conversation.
Music and Political Campaigns:
- Jack White and other artists suing Donald Trump for unauthorised use of their music at rallies.
- The episode also touches on how Trump’s use of music at rallies creates legal and ethical complications.

Media Mentions

Mean Girls (musical)
Back to the Future (musical)
Moulin Rouge (musical)
Mrs. Doubtfire (musical)
Lion King the Musical
Wicked (musical and upcoming movie adaptation)
Clueless (musical)
Titanic (musical parody)
Something Rotten (musical)
Operation Mincemeat (musical)
The Bear (TV show)
Shogun (TV show)
Hacks (TV show)
Baby Reindeer (TV show)
Slow Horses (TV show)
The Traitors (TV show)
Mr. & Mrs. Smith (TV show)
Six (musical)
The White Stripes (band)
Seven Nation Army (song by The White Stripes)
Electric Avenue (song by Eddy Grant)
Hold On, I’m Coming (song by Sam & Dave)
Born in the USA (song by Bruce Springsteen)
Rockin’ in the Free World (song by Neil Young)
Don’t Stop (song by Fleetwood Mac)
Rivals by Jilly Cooper (book)

Hot Takes

“Lion King the Musical made more money than any other piece of art in the history of pieces of art.”
“The Bear… is not darkly comic, right? It is not comic at all… but what it is is incredibly traumatic”
“I refuse to imagine that someone exists who is nicer than Olly Smith.”
“Succession was untakeable.”
“If it’s your $8 million, you find yourself less creatively inclined to take a risk.”
“They might as well retire the award because [Last Week Tonight with John Oliver] just wins it every single [year].”
“The Bear… is stealing awards from actual comedies.”
“Jack White’s very, very circumspect about talking about politics at all… He’s much happier with oh Michael van Gerwen than oh Jeremy Corbyn.”

Significant Numbers

$250 million – The amount Broadway lost over the summer due to COVID’s impact on live theatre.
Five times – The cost multiplier for staging a show on Broadway compared to London, mainly due to union rules.
Six-figure sum per week – Earnings for creators of a successful musical in London.
93% – The percentage of artists who have sued Republicans for unauthorised use of their music in political campaigns.