Best British Sitcoms

Blackadder and Yes Minister without a doubt. AbFab had high gay sensibilities, but there's no denying the writing could be pretty terrible at times, and some of the comic timing (Julia Sawalha) was non existent.

With that said, Keeping Up Appearances, Allo Allo, Mr Bean, and Are You Being Served don't deserve to be on the same list as Blackadder, AbFab, Yes Minister and Fawlty Towers.

I've never been sure what to make of Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em.

As a British person, I can say categorically that Keeping Up With Appearances would never have made it onto even a shortlist here. It seems to have been afforded some sort of camp value in America.

Here, the mainstream popular vote would probably go to Only Fools and Horses or Porridge...with shows like Vicar of Dibley or more latterly Gavin and Stacey being popular too. In the slightly cooler column, Blackadder, Father Ted, Absolutely Fabulous (though that hasn't aged well)...

But rarely would we see anything like Are You Being Served or the very old sitcoms with somewhat anachronistic humor on any of these sorts of lists. I would have died rather than admit to watching Hyacinth when I was a kid, it'd have been social death.

Pulling

No love for Fawlty Towers and The Young Ones ?

I voted for The Young Ones just because I had a crush on Rik Mayall.

The Good Neighbours/The Good Life

All of them. I love them all and have most of the box sets.

I wish The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin were on your list, OP. And Good Neighbors. And Butterflies. And To the Manor Born.

You're also missing Red Dwarf.

Whoever voted for "Mr. Bean": I'm glad I don't know you. You have appalling taste.

You're missing Father Ted.

The Likely Lads. Rising Damp. Dad's Army.

sorry, but Dinner Ladies is the absolute best.

AbFab

Keeping Up Appearances and Are You Being Served? were the most consistent in quality and writing. Ab Fab was great but it lost its steam.

Bless This House.

On The Buses.

Please, Sir.

Doctor In The House.

Terry & June.

Romany Jones.

Yus, My Dear.

'Yus, My Dear' clip @ link...

cos I know you're dying to see it.

The intro w/ catchy theme tune...

Cor, blimey they've got whole episodes of On The Buses online.

You're in for a right laugh!

Can you control your laughter?

....

....

Rising Damp.

I love Vicious.

[quote]so gay

I can do better than that Honky Tonks!

What about Waiting For God? Diana Trent was a Datalounger before this place even existed.

oooh, you are awful....but I like you!

Shameless

Peepshow

Some Mothers Do Have 'Em solely because of Michael Crawford. I didn't realize until years later that he did his own stunts and he was fantastic. There was one episode where he was on roller skates and had to do a stunt where he bends at the waist and skates under a moving truck. No stunt double, no CGI. Just Crawford on roller skates and a truck. It's jaw-dropping to see.

Of course, the producer must have been insane to allow him to do that because he could have easily ended up as roadkill.

What about A Fine Romance with Judi Densch before she became Dame?

Or As Time Goes By?

To The Manor Born was pretty good and played up the class divide very well. And those slagging Keeping Up Appearances are clearly comedy snobs who like to quote Monty Python and then roll their eyes when no one understands the reference.

The Vicar of Dibley!

I can see Dawn French telling dirty jokes to the verger now.

[quote] You're missing Father Ted.

This cannot be overstated. Also, sadly, Frank Kelly aka Father Jack just passed away. Feck.

Inbetweeners, Some Girls, Fried, Bad Education

Black Books, hysterically bizarre

The Worst Week Of My Life

The League Of Gentleman

League of Gentleman - Iris

League of Gentleman - Herr Lipp

League Of Gentleman - Herr Lipp pays a visit

The first two LOG clips were very funny, the last two, sad & depressing. Not funny.

One Foot in the Grave

[quote] One Foot in the Grave

There's a Father Ted in which they encounter Richard Wilson and repeat his catchphrase to him with positive results.

Only Fools and Horses. It's so easy to slip and stay there all night!

My mom and her friends all watch, “As Time Goes By.” Wasn’t on list, but is beloved by the 70+ crowd.

R2, love love love Gavin & Stacey - especially their parents/families. Also The Office, Extras and Shameless (UK)

Assuming we're leaving out sketch, or I'd include Little Britain, Catherine Tate, and Ullman's shows!

In addition to his distinguished acting career, Arthur Mullard recorded 'You're The One That I Want', and abused his daughter, who also claimed he drove her mother to suicide. Good times.

Keeping Up Appearances is enjoyable, but it was the same storyline rehashed every week. Ab Fab was great in the early years, and still holds up well. I loved Allo Allo as a kid but find it unwatchable now. I also enjoyed To The Manor Born back in the day, but haven't watched it for years. I could never get into The Vicar of Dibley.

Was Red Dwarf popular in the US?

Fawlty Towers was perfect. What about Gimme Gimme Gimme? And Desmond's was good.

The limeys used to be pretty good at sitcoms.

[quote]Whoever voted for "Mr. Bean": I'm glad I don't know you. You have appalling taste.

Lemme guess, you're the one who loves "Vicious."

Ab Fab ended in 1996. Whatever the fuck that other thing was that came after it, we need not speak of.

How could anyone not love Mr. Bean??! The Christmas special alone is ingenious. The movies were horrible.

I agree with those who don't understand the Mr. Bean bashing. It was a fun and funny show and the sight gags were never predictable.

Keeping Up Appearances as R48 wrote was the same joke each episode, but the cast made it enjoyable.

Father Ted is still some of the funniest comedies today an I watch my DVD set a few times a year. So fecking sad to read that Frank Kelly died.

Only Fools And Horses should be watched by anyone who wants to understand what England went through during Thatcher's years. And it was funny as hell too.

One Foot In The Grave will be an all time favorite of mine as it showed that being old shouldn't mean being a doormat. The episode where Victor and Margaret can't fall asleep and they talk about their past and the child they had who died was funny and poignant in a way that only the British can do well. And when Victor gets revenge on the crooked old folks home, fucking brilliant.

God knows not the best by any measure, but can someone explain Birds of a Feather's success? I find it tedious, with the exception of Lesley Joseph. .

RED DWARF is smeggie.

'Flowery Twats' stands as one of television's great achievements.

"Whatever you do, don't mention the War!"

It's Monty Python's Flying Circus followed by Blackadder, you traitor!

Young Ones isn't even funny.

Loved the OTT berserk cartoon that was Rik and Ade in 'Bottom.'

The Office

One Foot in the Grave. It gets funnier and funnier the older I get. The episode when they came back from vacation to find their house and all belongings destroyed was both hilarious and poignant, in equal measure.

Another fan of One Foot in the Grave, here. It really is beautifully made and very funny. Richard Wilson, the actor who plays Victor Meldrew, is gay, also.

Nighty Night. Julia Davis was brilliant as the psychotic Jill Tyrrell.

I will always find this brilliant.

Any Green Wing fans here? A friend told me it was good, but I haven't checked it out yet. Tamsin Greig is on it and I liked her in Black Books, though that series got progressively less funny after the excellent first season.

Going back a few years there was "Steptoe and Son" which was the basis for "Sanford and Son". It was racist and bigoted and bloody funny. Another favorite is "My Hero", but the Ardal O'Hanlon years.

Nice nudge R64, I loved 'Green Wing', and think it was quite underrated. Excellent ensemble cast which wouldn't be ensembled today; Mark Heap as the neurotic pompous radiologist made me LOL. Tamsin Greig adorable. Good show.

anyone remember Agony with Maureen Lipman and a wonderful gay couple who were her best friends?

My Family

Coupling

Teachers

[quote]Birds of a feather

I love the dark haired intrusive neighbor, has she been in anything else ?

No love for The Thick of It?

R70, the dark haired neighbor is Lesley Joseph whom I mentioned. I know she toured in the stage version of Calendar Girls. I don't know what else she has done. I do like that the character is unapologetically Jewish. I have not seen that on many British sitcoms. The rest of the show baffles me.

I think Birds of a Feather is successful because it's quite comfortable, amusing, and more than a little bit smutty.

Spaced

The Thick Of It

Psychobitches

This Is Jinsy

Black Books

Suburban Shootout

Red Dwarf

David Tennant in a guest spot on This Is Jinsy

Kiss Me Kate for the screwed up therapists, cute secretary, the dim neighbor. Also, for being set in Nottingham.

The co-star was busted for child porn, though.

The Queen Mother and Princess Margaret visit a therapist in Psychobitches

R66 , I'll be sure to check out Green Wing then. Mark Heap is one of those people I've seen in one-off appearances over the years, but only really found out who he was when I watched Spy. I thought that show was kind of cute, though that little kid had a seriously punchable face. I loved how they had Mark Heap replace beardy, mega-ginger Tom Goodman-Hill in the second season and just passed it off as "I've had a haircut."

Green Wing was great - though probably comes under you'd love it or you hate it - but was brave, fresh, original.

Michelle Gomez, Pippa Heywood and Stephen Mangan were stand outs for me.

Anyone else here remember French and Saunders first sitcom outing with Ullman and Ruby Wax? I was too young to have seen it when it first came out but it has its moments. Was billed as the female Young Ones.

And patchy but interesting conceptually... the Comic Strip Presents...?

I just came across "Birds of a Feather". The theme song for the first season was a depressing rendition of "What'll I Do" that wasn't sung by Dorothy Zbornak at the Rusty Anchor, and subsequent seasons have had a more positive version. I do like the concept: two sisters who occupy opposite ends of the socioeconomic stratum thrown together after both of their husbands are convicted of robbery.

R80 Their neighbor is the star of the show for me.

[quote]I don't know what else she has done. I do like that the character is unapologetically Jewish.

Also unapologetically homophobic in one episode a saw. All I remember is the use of the word 'shirt lifter'. Never watched it again. Never liked it in the first place.

[quote]anyone remember Agony with Maureen Lipman and a wonderful gay couple who were her best friends?

Yes, written by the wonderful Anna Rayburn.

Most of these shows were lame.

I'm surprised no one's mentioned 'Two's Company' yet.

R79 was it Girls On Top?

'Two's Company' was a riot, R84. Yeah, where are all the DL Stritchy Bitches?

R6, R8 Marriage material.

Citizen Smith

The Diary of Adrian Mole. Hilarious.

'Mind Your Language'

'Love Thy Neighbour'

'My Family' because their youngest son turned gay in the 10th season

This thread is bringing up memories of britcoms I watched on PBS when I was a little kid. Does anyone remember Shelley starring Hywel Bennett?

I also had a crush on Nigel Havers when he was on Don't Wait Up.

Anyone for 'No, Honestly'? Misty, watercolor memories, of my teenage years.

I think it was shown concurrently on PBS when it was in production. I seem to recall Pauline Collin's character once saying in the closing dialogue with her hubby that she used to imagine sex as being 'something nice that happened in the dark and you smoked cigarettes afterwards', or something like that. Cute show, as I recall. I'll have to look for it in the usual places.

When we were kids, we really loved Doctor in the House. I think that was the only Brit Com around in the US in the 60s.

I love Manuel.

Yes it was, R85

Sorry, I forgot to type the name. It also had a guest appearance from a very young Alan Rickman, who was long a good friend of Ruby Wax.

Siblings

No love for Beautiful People?

BP was a dramedy.

In what world is Beautiful People considered a dramedy? If Beautiful People is a dramedy, then As Time Goes By and Dinner Ladies are Pinter and Ibsen. Are you thinking of the US series by that name?

[quote]Anyone for 'No, Honestly'? Misty, watercolor memories, of my teenage years. I think it was shown concurrently on PBS when it was in production. I seem to recall Pauline Collin's character once saying in the closing dialogue with her hubby that she used to imagine sex as being 'something nice that happened in the dark and you smoked cigarettes afterwards', or something like that. Cute show, as I recall. I'll have to look for it in the usual places.

Yes, 'the series is based on the novels Coronet Among the Weeds and Coronet Among the Grass written by Charlotte Bingham, who was co-creator of the TV series with her husband Terence Brady.'

Worth checking out, for a light read.

Also, the unforgettable hit song by Lynsey de Paul.

[quote]When we were kids, we really loved Doctor in the House. I think that was the only Brit Com around in the US in the 60s.

Us too. God knows why?

The 1969 dramady Take Three Girls...

The first ever ep. of Take Three Girls.

Mapp and Lucia. Either original or revival, both are excellent.

The first 4 series of Peep Show, and first...3 series? of AbFab were hysterical. Unfortunately they went way downhill at a certain point. Love Father Ted. Can't believe nobody's mentioned The IT Crowd...it's hit or miss, but extremely funny at times. I think it's better than Black Books, though. And I thought The Office was vastly overrated.

I'm not sure it counts as a sitcom, but Brass Eye was hilarious. Also the original version of Da Ali G Show.

The Inbetweeners.

Wow, no IT Crowd?

But my favorite by far is Peepshow.

[quote] I'm not sure it counts as a sitcom, but Brass Eye was hilarious.

It doesn't count, but it was hilarious. Chris Morris getting offended when the pedo Simon Pegg tells him he doesn't fancy his son still makes me laugh. Or when they tricked Bernard Manning into doing a PSA about the street drug "cake". "It's a fookin' disgrace!"

I loved Manuel too! "Don't mind him-he's from Barcelona."

Absolute Power with the hated (by DL anyway) Stephen Fry. It was about spin doctors. Imagine trying to re-brand someone named Bin Laden who is trying to buy an airline.

Benidorm is piss-your-pants funny in that gross, obvious way. Plus, it has the absolutely divine Jake Canuso in a speedo.

There used to be some sort of a short cooking program parody that would appear on PBS between longer programs. It was called Posh Nosh and it was about two buffoonish upper class brits - the husband being obviously gay to everyone but his wife. The lovely David Tennant was the cute tennis instructor on a few episodes. I always wondered if it was a full length sitcom because we only ever got snippets on PBS.

It's was a series of shorts r110. Howlingly funny. Richard E Grant was the camp cook.

Rowan Atkinson is

a-DOOR-a-BULL

Black Books. Best damn show from the UK in 30 years.

Fawlty Towers for slapstick. AbFab for camp. Are You Being Served for class humor/bellylaughs.

among recent ones shown in the US:

Miranda - she's so cute breaking the fourth wall talking to the camera or winking at it at times - plus the guy, Tom Ellis, is so adorable and sexy.

After You've Gone - with a very funny Celia Imrie

The Vicar of Dibley - RIP Emma Chambers who played Alice, who just passed away - she was adorable. The show had such funny out-there characters, like the lady who was a terrible cook who made the worst possible combinations of food. Plus, Dawn French was a delight - the anti-Roseanne who looked a bit like her, but prettier

classics:

Fawlty Towers - "I know, oh, I know, I know .... oh, I know" -- I love Prunella Scales' Sybil! Oh, and Manuel was adorable!

The Good Life/Good Companions - were Penelope Keith and Felicity Kendall on nearly every sitcom -- in the US it seemed like they were, which isn't a complaint, as they were wonderful

Butterflies - seemed to remember was cute, and I think the guy who played the sons had a nude scene which wasn't censored on PBS here

Are You Being Served - Mrs. Slocombe, her pussy and Mr. Humphries are DL icons

As Time Goes By - Love Judi Dench -- and the guy who played Harry (Sandy's bf) was so cute!

“Oh, I know!” is still a catchphrase in my parents’ house.

R89 ‘My Family’ was flimsy rubbish that had 9 series too many.

It was also a dreadful waste of the talents of both Robert Lindsay and Zoe Wanamaker.