Eastenders spin-off could be new British sitcom?

New ideas for sitcoms are dreamed up every year, but very few of them capture the nation's imagination. However, there's something different about the next brilliant sitcom to come from us Brits (potentially). It's an Eastenders spin-off called 'Off the Rails!'... Maybe.

Is this a fab idea or is this a fab idea? Ian could end up on the streets once more, grow another beard and constantly talk about his once thriving empire to a drugged up Phil Mitchell, who's presumably managed to escape some sort of high security prison. He's on the run, blamed for a murder he didn't commit - for once! As a result, we get to see him dress up in all sorts of hilarious disguises! The possibilities here are endless!

Malcolm In The Middle, in the end...

What's so great about shows like Malcolm In The Middle is that they don't shy away from being completely bonkers. They proper go for it, diving in head first and leaving the audience confused - stunned, even. It's the broader minded folks who don't let that get in the way of ploughing through the initial stage of overwhelming weirdness to go on and discover what's undeniably one of the funniest and most inventive sitcoms to have ever been shown on our teleboxes. While it had a few rough patches where it seemed to lose its footing momentarily, for the most part it stayed true to its characters and, most importantly, kept on being funny.

The Inbetweeners, americanised...

It is thought by many that if an american were to watch the UK's original version of a comedy they've stolen, they would burst into flames and burn to dust before the end of the opening credits. It simply cannot be done. This, Misfits, Skins and Spaced have all been morphed into completely naff shows by the americans. Even Only Fools & fucking Horses is going to be getting one of their makeovers! The question is, why don't we make our own versions of Friends, Will & Grace, 30 Rock, Malcolm in the Middle or How I Met Your Mother? And the answer? Because we appreciate that what makes these shows funny is their context, and that they are indeed american. They are american characters in an american world. It's the way it was meant to be shown - the way the artist intended. You try and fuck that shit up and it just won't work - you'll lose track of the 'punchline'.