Great British sitcoms

[Russel]

How about On The Buses?

I was on the X3 into Birmingham this afternoon and someone was sat upstairs watching it aloud on their phone! It made a change from the usual plastic gangster music that seems to come as standard on the top deck of an NXWM bus.

 

[yorksrob]

How about "Black Books" superb - been watching it again.

 

[Non Multi]

I'm Alan Partridge - BBC sitcom when he was based out of a roadside hotel, as a local radio DJ, '97-'02.

 

[Darandio]

How about "Black Books" superb - been watching it again.

Fantastic!

 

[Cowley]

I'm Alan Partridge - BBC sitcom when he was based out of a roadside hotel, as a local radio DJ, '97-'02.

Yes!

 

[Non Multi]

A few more: Steptoe and Son, Hi-De-Hi and Rising Damp.

 

[Cowley]

A few more: Steptoe and Son, Hi-De-Hi and Rising Damp.

I’m going to have to throw Allo Allo in there as well.

 

[AlterEgo]

Peep Show is marvellously well observed, absolute genius but retains cult classic rather than mainstream appeal. It’s my favourite sitcom.

My favourite British sitcom with mainstream appeal is probably the Royle Family. Father Ted is brilliant too but it’s Irish, with an Irish cast, Irish pop culture references, Irish writers joking about Ireland’s priests and society. It being produced by Hat Trick makes Father Ted about as British as U2 are American.

 

[306024]

Porridge and Drop the Dead Donkey come second and third to Yes (Prime) Minister, which can’t be touched for me.

Another niche one is Twenty Twelve, the Olympic spoof series with Hugh Bonneville. Worryingly accurate if you ever sat in an Olympic planning meeting

 

[Cowley]

My favourite British sitcom with mainstream appeal is probably the Royle Family. Father Ted is brilliant too but it’s Irish, with an Irish cast, Irish pop culture references, Irish writers joking about Ireland’s priests and society. It being produced by Hat Trick makes Father Ted about as British as U2 are American.

Yes I don’t think we can appropriate Father Ted. My word it was good though…

The sad untimely death of Dermot Morgan has meant that it’ll forever stay in the position of being one of the most accomplished sitcoms ever though and the fact that it could never be revisited has probably helped with that.
Definitely in my Top 5 favourites, possibly even Top 3.

Chirpy Burpy Cheap Sheep…

 

[Trackman]

Rising Damp anyone?
Saw the stage show at the Lowry about 10 years ago, it was fantastic.

Peep Show is marvellously well observed, absolute genius but retains cult classic rather than mainstream appeal. It’s my favourite sitcom.

Peep Show, in my top 5 when I figure it out, they didn't need to the last series though - like with The League of Gentlemen although this wasn't a sitcom, well...
---
Young Ones must be up there too, some people have mentioned Blackadder, Bottom, Father Ted, etc.. need to have a long think.

 

[Bishopstone]

The Royle Family and Ever Decreasing Circles, for their poignancy.

The Thin Blue Line for the ensemble cast and, of course, Rowan Atkinson’s facial tics.

Are You Being Served? - some quite excellent quips in this one, though the last few series were dross.

The Brittas Empire - can’t put my finger on why, exactly, but I enjoyed this very much at the time. It was tightly written.

 

[Mag_seven]

Whatever Happened To The Likely Lads - some of the dialogue between Bob and Terry is second to none.

 

[AlterEgo]

Whatever Happened To The Likely Lads - some of the dialogue between Bob and Terry is second to none.

Good shout, there’s a lost gem.

 

[yorksrob]

Good shout, there’s a lost gem.

Fortunately not lost - it's repeated quite often.

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Yes!

"They're sex people Lynn !"

 

[AlterEgo]

Phoenix Nights was absolutely smashing. “I’m getting the word…”

 

[DarloRich]

Early Doors.

Close thread. Nothing comes close expect the Royle Family and Phoenix Nights.

Btw only fools and horses is terrible. Cockeny spiv thatcherite wannabes.

 

[AlterEgo]

Btw only fools and horses is terrible. Cockeny spiv thatcherite wannabes.

Never really “got” Only Fools myself. Often wondered if there’s something defective with me as I normally like every classic comedy.

 

[Acey]

Whatever Happened To The Likely Lads and the Good Life

 

[nlogax]

The Thick of It. Absolutely brilliant.

That's my number one.

See also, Black Books which was a work of art. Real shame that Graham Linehan has gone full-on lunatic but at least the art lives on regardless as do the actors and his writing partners.

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Btw only fools and horses is terrible. Cockeny spiv thatcherite wannabes.

Agree. Can't stand it, never understood it.

 

[Peter C]

Yes Minister and of course Yes Prime Minister to go with it are two of my favourites - though dinnerladies is probably my 'number one'. You can watch it again and again and get something new from it.

-Peter

 

[D6968]

Coronation Street would win by a long shot then.

Another banger is Peep Show.

Just been re watching Peep Show, Super Hans has some cracking lines in it!
‘We could be men with Ven’

 

[Cowley]

Just been re watching Peep Show, Super Hans has some cracking lines in it!
‘We could be men with Ven’

A bit sweary to add here but Jeremy pretending that he forgot to buy the Christmas turkey is one my favourite comedy moments and seems particularly apt to mention today.

Other sitcoms I’ve enjoyed:

The Office
Extras
The Mighty Boosh

 

[trebor79]

Whatever Happened To The Likely Lads - some of the dialogue between Bob and Terry is second to none.

Yes, very good show that and well cast. Rodney Bewes is quite a wooden actor at times, but that sort of suited Bob's character.

Toss up between Bottom, Red Dwarf and The Office for me.

 

[DarloRich]

Only foold and horses was flogged to death and replayed so often that it stopped being funny imo.

The office was one i couldnt get into. To cringe.

I do like the likely lads mind!

 

[D6968]

A bit sweary to add here but Jeremy pretending that he forgot to buy the Christmas turkey is one my favourite comedy moments and seems particularly apt to mention today.

Other sitcoms I’ve enjoyed:

The Office
Extras
The Mighty Boosh

I rather like it when he tells the book club who ‘Kenneth’ is

The Detectives with Jasper Carrot and Robert Powell was a favourite of mine as a child.
Has anyone mentioned Phoenix Nights yet? Really used to enjoy that.
Family Guy also deserves a mention.

 

[trebor79]

The Detectives with Jasper Carrot and Robert Powell was a favourite of mine as a child.
Has anyone mentioned Phoenix Nights yet? Really used to enjoy that.
Family Guy also deserves a mention.

Haha, yes The Detectives was good. I remember one scene where one of them was taken hostage and ended up watching football with the hostage taker. From outside he could be heard shouting "SHOOT! SHOOT! ...... Ah, you missed you useless bar steward"

Phoenix Nights, yes that should be on the list!

 

[BrandanM]

It's rarely repeated, but Hancock's Half Hour is worthy of mention, particularly the ones with Sid James in. And there was a rail based episode called 'The Train Journey'.

 

[Enthusiast]

This nomination is eleven minutes late due to staff difficulties at Hampton Wick.

Wasn't it usually "Pigs on the line at Effingham Junction"?

"I didn't know you Cared" was a favourite of mine. Bit like Marmite, though.

 

[ANDREW_D_WEBB]

This Country from BBC3 was IMHO very well done.