Funniest lesser known Britcoms

From part of the same universe as Snuffbox with the same actors, The Mighty Boosh.

Red Dwarf

Vicar of Dibley

Peepshow

Gimme Gimme Gimme

The Brittas Empire

To The Manor Born

Only Fools & Horses

Blackadder

Raised by Wolves

Black Books

Gimme Gimme Gimme and Beautiful People, both written by Jonathan Harvey. Beautiful People's not a traditional sitcom-it's single camera with no laugh track-but it's definitely a comedy.

Little Britain

Garth Marenghi's Dark Places

The best of them all was Smack the Pony.

Saxondale, especially the Men's Anger Management segments.

Pretty dark and nasty "Nighty Night" starring Julia Davis and Mark Gatiss. Loved her with Rob Brydon in "Human Remains" too.

Human Remains I liked. Nighty Night was too much for me, as was Snuff Box.

Not a Britcom, technically, but YouTube has some "The Comic Strip Presents" specials from the 1980s and 1990s, many featuring Rik Mayall, Adrian Edmonson, Dawn French, Jennifer Saunders and others. Here's a link to the first part of a piss-take on Enid Blyton's "Famous Five" juvenile novel series

For fans of Penelope Keith ("To the Manor Born"), there's "No Job for a Lady," in which she plays a Labour MP. Also, "Executive Stress," in which she plays an empty-nester who goes back to work for a publisher.

For something quirky and esoteric, there's "Mulberry," in which Death's son (Karl Howman) is apprenticing for the job of collecting old souls when their time is up. His first assignment is cranky old Miss Farnaby (Geraldine McEwan), but he wants her to have some fun before she goes.

One of my favorites is "After Henry" with Prunella Scales. The humour is low key, but really endearing. The end of almost every episode leaves me thinking "Ah, so sweet."

Gimme Gimme Gimme, Britain's answer to Will and Grace

Another vote for Darkplace.

And in that same universe/cast, Man to Man with Dean Learner and Toast of London.

I love this topic, but tonight I'm learning I'm slow at the wordplay of Britcom character names.

For instance, I've known for years Jennifer Saunders and Adrian Edmonson are married, but just now I figured that Edina Monsoon comes from "Edmonson"

and the oxymoron of "Dean Learner" I just now got.

I don't know if Butterfiles is well-known or lesser-known in the USA but it is funny, sweet and sad all at once. It tells the continuing story of a bored suburban housewife who is terribly tempted to cheat on her dull dentist husband with a rich divorced man she met by chance. Her two sons, restless young men without jobs in Thatcher's UK, added to the series' appeal.

Not Butterfiles, Butterflies, dammit.

"The Good Neighbors" a/k/a "The Good Life" - Felicity Kendall, Penelope Keith, Richard Briers and Paul Eddington about a couple who decide to try to live life off the grid and their next door neighbors who are suburbanites.

"Miranda" - Miranda Hart, tall and gawky running a novelty shop, with a funny mom and an out of her league hunky guy who really likes her - breaking the fourth wall at times - quite funny

The Good Neighbors and Father Ted.

Brass Eye

Some Mothers Do 'ave 'em

Michael Crawford plays Frank Spence, a clumsy idiot. Film in the 1970s. Lots of hilarious episodes, but my favorite is when Frank and his wife go on a second honeymoon. He ends up practically destroying the hotel room.

Crawford did his own stunts in the show and he was incredible. There was one episode where he rollerskates under a moving truck. It's amazing that the producers allowed him to do stunts like that.

Crawford also played the original Phantom on Broadway and London - it just shows what a good actor he was because you'd never believe that Frank and The Phantom of The Opera were played by the same person.

"Gavin and Stacey" with a much younger and heavier James Corden in a supporting role.

Available on Hulu.

Ever Decreasing Circles. Richard Briers was so good in this.

One Foot in the Grave

Richard Wilson ended up comIng out in his 60s or even 70s

Bonkers- had some very hot male nudity.

Open All Hours, starring David Jason as the beleaguered nephew shop assistant to the tyrannical Arkwright; the latter's girlfriend Nurse Gladys was hoot always putting him in his place. As a kid I had trouble with the northern accents though.

"Doctor in the House" - I remember being syndicated in US a long time ago; I recall it was very funny about young medical students. One of the guys was a key player in Hitchcock's "Frenzy".

Drop the Dead Donkey-newsroom satire.

Swinging. It was a comedy skit ensemble show, but even in this age of the internet there's not much available about it except a few clips starring guest star Andrew Garfield.

Only When I Laugh: (in a three-bed hospital ward)

"I'm not right down there (pointing down). I'm not joined up properly!"

League of Gentlemen

featuring Mark Gatiss, Steve Pemberton, and Reece Shearsmith who are well known at least in England. Mark Gatiss re-wrote their "Pauline and her Job Seeking Class" skits for Little Britain's (Matt Lucas, David Walliams) Fat Fighters skits.

Chef!

Coupling. Particularly the dinner table discussion of the movie Lesbian Spank Inferno.

Love all the League of Gentlemen mentions. Little Britain is better known in the US, but I always preferred LOG -- which wasn't afraid to get very dark.

Any Never Mind the Buzzcocks fans? The Simon Amstell years were the best.

Loved "Never Mind the Buzzcocks" when Simon hosted it.

I also found myself ripping through episodes of The Vicar of Dibley quite a long time ago.

Black Books

About half the ones mentioned on this thread are pretty popular in the US with several shown on local PBS stations...Red Dwarf, The Vicar of Dibley, The Good Life, To The Manor Born.

Folks "in the know" have known about League of Gentlemen and The Catherine Tate Show for years. Well, smart gay ones have.

I've always had a soft spot for A Fine Romance, starring Judi Dench and her late husband, Michael Williams. It was a sweet story about an awkward couple's relationship.

Was The IT Crowd screened in the US? I loved that show.

Mid 80s. A Very Peculiar Practice. Rather surreal comedy set in the health centre of a modern British university. With Peter Davidson.

Also Jam. Written by Chris Morris; a collection of surreal and often very dark comedy sketches

On "A Fine Romance" I had the major hots for Dench's brother in law, only later learning he was gay (HIV death).

I didn't watch the series myself, but League of Gentlemen was definitely shown in the States.

League of Gentlemen is my favourite. Really enjoyed Nighty Night too. There is a new comedy which aired last year starring Julia Davis and Steve Pemberton called 'Camping'. It's excellent. 😃

[quote]Pretty dark and nasty "Nighty Night" starring Julia Davis and Mark Gatiss

So good. So so MF good.

The original "Getting on"

I left out a space^^^

Toast of London. Matt Berry is absolutely wonderful.

Last of the summer Wine and "Only fools and Horses"

The Young Ones!!!!!!

Caweazle

The Young Ones, The Royal Family

Spaced with Simon Pegg, Nick Frost and Jessica Hynes. Also Brass Eye.

Don't know how popular it is but The Thick Of It.

The Inbetweeners

Dad's Army

Yes Minister

To the Manor Born

Friday Night Dinner

The Dick Emery Show

How about ones from this century?

How about whichever ones people feel like sharing, R60?

Where's your suggestion, anyway?

Nighty Night series 1 & 2 are endlessly quotable and full of cringe inducing moments. Julia Davis is a fucking genius for that sort of comedy. Also, last year she did a six part series called Camping. That was fantastic too.

It has been mentioned on Datalounge before, but I don't think Psychobitches is well known.

Rising Damp

Another vote for The Inbetweeners and I know this won't be popular but I like Not Going Out with Lee Mack. It just finished it's 8th series on BBC One.

Dawn French's Murder Most Horrid. Entire Episodes available on Youtube.

This is actually irish, not british, but "Father Ted" is funny in a PBS-way...

"Bless Me, Father." I thought Father Neil was hot.

WLIW-21 in Metro New York is running an announcement. On Friday, March 31st they'll be saying Good Bye to Britcoms.

Father Neil (Daniel Abineri) in "Rocky Horror Show" 1992

I liked the episode where the Pastor damages a portrait of the foundress of a local convent. . The Mother Superior did not take any crap from him.

Kenny Everett Show

R60 Quality stands the test of time, It will be interesting to see ow you hold up 30 years hence. This one's for you

I really liked "Twenty Twelve," the BBC comedy that ran for two short seasons. The team in London preparing to host the Olympics faces various fuckups and petty mishaps. Ran on BBC America in the US shortly before the Olympics.

Hugh Bonneville is great in a role different from Downton, and in a small role DL fave Olivia Colman shines. Would love to see it again.

The Smoking Room

ABove^^

The Thick of It. With Peter Capaldi (the current Doctor Who) as foul mouthed Malcom Tucker.

There's a follow-up to Twenty-Twelve, called W1A, about the BBC, which is about to have it's third series (they only make about 4 episodes a time, possibly because they actually film it inside New Broadcasting House). I adore the half-witted intern Will.

What about The New Statesman? I loved that show. D

I LOVE British comedy. Love a lot of what's been mentioned, but here's some I don't think anyone's said yet:

Pulling (by and with Sharon Horgan of Catastrophe) Absolute Power (Stephen Fry) The Book Group (Anne Dudek, Karen Kilgariff, Rory McCann...) Grandma's House (Simon Amstell, Rebecca Front) People Like Us (Chris Langham) That Mitchell and Webb Look (David Mitchell, Robert Webb, Olivia Colman) Damned (Alan Davies, Jo Brand) Hunderby (Julia Davis) Inside no 9 (Steve Pemberton, Reece Shearsmith) My Life In Film (Kris Marshall, Andrew Scott, Alice Lowe) Psychoville (Steve Pemberton, Reece Shearsmith) The Day Today (Chris Morris) Up the Women (Jessica Hynes, Rebecca Front) Witless (Kerry Howard, Zoe Boyle)

My dad loved Rising Damp when the black tenant would lose patience with Rigby.

As for the Young Ones, I have been known to be "earwormed" by Doctor Martin's Boots.

Outnumbered-family comedy with three very eccentric children that continually flummox their perplexed parents. I read that the kid actors were encouraged to improvise a lot of their dialogue.

Ladies of Letters-two middle aged ladies recite their correspondence to each other while interpolated scenes show what really happened

Another vote for Gavin and Stacey - who were adorable.

Loved the fact that each of their best friends despised each other but fucked anyway.

I almost liked their parents/family members the most of all.

Rob Brydon as Stacey's welsh mother hen of an uncle killed me.

BUT - the icing on the cake was Gavin's dad played by Larry Lamb.

To The Manor Born was AWFUL.

You'll probably like Two's Company.

People are just listing every Britcom they know.

Some real trash on here.

R83 Larry Lamb was good in Gavin and Stacey as was Rob Brydon. They make that show. Larry Lamb does a lot of tv shows with his son who I much prefer

Waiting for God. Love the mix of comedy and truth coming from learned cynicism. So many people proclaim their love for British television, but stare at me blankly when I mention this show.

Ph, then THERMOMAN was not funny at all.

Ooops. Meant "My Hero." Stinkeroo!

Roger and Val Have Just Got In (Dawn French, Alfred Molina); Perfect World (Paul Kaye, Frank Finlay), and yes to My Life In Film.

R83, I was one who mentioned Gavin and Stacey upthread and I agree with everything you wrote, especially about almost loving their friends/parents more.

My favorite character was Pam, played by Alison Steadman, as Gavin's mother. Her lines, and the way she delivers them, always make me laugh.

Anyone remember name of series starring John Inman of "Are You Being Served?" where he played a secretary?

[quote] John Inman of "Are You Being Served?" where he played a secretary?

The theme was a real ear-worm

I always thought this song from Darkplace was so 80s and awesome.

The Job Lot starring DL fave Russell Tovey

Uncle (Con O'neil who starred in musical Blood Brothers plays the funniest drag queen)

Benidorm - (the grandmother is one of the funniest characters on tv)

Kingdom - wonderful cast Stephen Fry, the ever great Hermione Norris, Celia Imrie, Emma Thompson's mother

If you enjoy Gavin & Stacey, give "Stella" a try (hot son!) written by Ruth Jones

Fresh Meat - six college students living together - LOVE the Vod character

Agatha Raisin - not quite a britcom, but sort of a quirky murder mystery

That's My Boy (starring Mollie "Mrs. Slocombe" Sugden) - older show

Goodnight Sweetheart - older show, great premise (time travel)

[quote]Larry Lamb was good in Gavin and Stacey as was Rob Brydon.

Larry plays a gay cop in the last season of "New Tricks"

Another vote for W1A (although the title is awful), the sort-of follow-on to Twenty Twelve (which is available on DVD from Netflix; W1A is on Netflix streaming). I've watched Crashing three times because Jonathan Bailey is my TV Boyfriend (he's also on W1A in a smaller part).

Put me down for Gavin and Stacey, too. The title characters are the least of the reasons to watch it -- everyone else is fantastic.

I hated Take a Letter Mr Jones, feeling she was downright abusive as his boss often.

Moone Boy (ok, it's Irish, but I love the kid)

R98 Maybe that's one of the reasons the 1981 show lasted only six episodes, but was glad to see my girls plugging away at their large multiple switchboard.

[quote]WLIW-21 in Metro New York is running an announcement. On Friday, March 31st they'll be saying Good Bye to Britcoms.

Is this just threats to get more money like they used to do with EastEnders or are they really pulling the Britcoms? Have audiences finally gotten sick of Keeping Up Appearances and As Times Goes By? And why is WLIW too cheap to buy some other Britcoms.

This probably fits more in the "comfort viewing" thread for me and it certainly was tacky but the 70s sitcom George & Mildred is unknown in the US even though The Ropers was the American adaptation. I really watched it for the wonderful and tragic Yootha Joyce.

[quote]I really watched it for the wonderful and tragic Yootha Joyce.

I liked Yootha Joyce. She didn't seem to try as hard as Audra Lindley did at the "Mrs Roper" character and yet hers came out more natural than Lindley's.

Second One Foot in the Grave. One of the most hilarious shows I have ever seen. I had to get older to really appreciate it.

R97, for someone my age the title W1A strangely has a huge resonance, as the old postcode recited after children's programmes like Blue Peter to send in competition entries and so on ('W1A 4WW' ) and goes perfectly with the Animal Magic theme tune they use for the credits.

Oh, I "get" the W1A title, R105, even though I'm a Yank. It's just tedious to explain what it means to other Yanks. And it's a mouthful (granted, many pleasant things are). So was Twenty Twelve, come to think of it. Do I detect a trend? Anyway, excellent series. I was glad to hear there's a second season coming.

Our local PBS station just started showing The IT Crowd and I'm really enjoying it.

[quote]Our local PBS station just started showing The IT Crowd and I'm really enjoying it.

The woman supervisor also plays the second secretary on Doc Martin and she's really great in that. Also, she's in a show called "In The Club" about a group of pregnant women.

Still Game - The wacky adventures of a bunch of silly old Scotsmen.

Father Ted - Piss your pants funny and not even a little bit pious. In fact it would probably be considered near to blasphemy by many Catholics.

All the many incarnations of Alan Partridge.

And another vote for Brass Eye.

I just stumbled across a youtube channel with a bunch of British sitcom episodes, only a couple I was familiar with. No idea if these series were any good or not though I believe one of them was the original British version of All In the Family.

I notice one stars John Inman "Odd Man Out".

and btw, not my channel

I third Black Books.

The IT Crowd was great. The episode "The Work Outing" was perfection.

I *am* Victor Mildrew! Not really, but close . . .

As a fan of the Agatha Raisin books, the TV show is too far different for me to get into. Perhaps OT, but I did get used to No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency videos.

Green Wing, set in a hospital and one of the funniest things I've ever seen. Every single character is a winner but my favorite is the insane staff liaison officer Sue White played wonderfully deadpan by Michelle Gomez. One of my favorite bits is when Guy the anaesthetist walks in to her office, says "do you know what I love about you?" She looks at him blankly.... he screams "FUCK ALL!" and leaves.

Worth watching for Michelle Gomez dancing to her phone ringtone if for nothing else.

I discovered one on Netflix called Black Books. I really don't like slapsticky, silly comedies but for some reason I found some of the episodes hysterically funny. The one where one of the characters plays the piano from the inside of the piano was hilarious. It's a show filled with idiotic characters that's laugh out loud funny

I'll add The Thin Blue Line starring Rowan Atkinson as a police inspector in a small town.

Suburban Shootout, a group of middle class women run a picturesque village like the mafia.

Drop The Dead Donkey, behind the scenes at Globelink news, still funny.

Surprised nobody's mentioned Mongrels yet!

Hilarious adult black comedy, with animal puppets.

Check out this brilliant Shaun of the Dead parody scene:

And part of the same zombie episode linked at R116, here's a great Rocky Horror parody!

And yes, that really is *the* Richard O'Brien singing.

I fondly recall "No, Honestly" and "The Two Ronnies" and marveled over David Suchet's departure from logic and cool in "Blot on the Landscape'.

R116 Mongrels was excellent. I loved Vince: "morning cunts!"

R37 fuck yeah!

[quote]I notice one stars John Inman "Odd Man Out".

The Odd Man Out series is on YouTube. There are only 6 episodes. John Inman (the poof on Are You Being Served) teams up with Elizabeth, the next door neighbor on Keeping Up Appearances. They play brother and sister trying to run their father's candy factory. Unfortunately, it's not that funny. It has Inman doing his same shtick, but here it doesn't work like it did in AYBS. One of the factory girls shows up in Are You Being Served as Mr. Grace's companion.

League Of Gentlemen is WAY too disturbing for me. I prefer Dinnerladies.

Elizabeth next door also appeared on the series "Shelley" as his landlady.

No, Honestly was quite sweet.

I liked Men Behaving Badly, from season two onward though, I didn't like the first season.

[quote]Drop The Dead Donkey, behind the scenes at Globelink news, still funny.

Your're right; it holds up extremely well.

There's a DVD set with the complete series (Region 2 PAL format, unfortunately, which needs a multi-region player for those of us in Region 1). On the DVDs, most seasons have an introduction for each episode, specifying when it originally aired and what the news was covering at that time.

From a long long time ago...The Likely Lads, Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads, Steptoe & Son, Hancock's Half Hour. Too black and white and English for today's audience I would think. A little more recently, Birds of a Feather. Too womanist I would think. I liked Stella Street, with "Mick & Keef" running a corner shop.

Miranda.

R116 Mongrels, the episode with Marion on catnip. Still one if the funniest things I've seen.

Also, another vote for Drop the Dead Donkey.

Another vote for Green Wing.

This thread inspired me to find some episodes of "Bless Me, Father" on YouTube. I forgot how great Arthur Lowe was in this, too. Great chemistry among the lead actors.

[quote] No Honestly was quite sweet.

Pauline Collins was sweet, even on "Upstairs Downstairs". The show was never quite the same after Sarah was written out. But "No Honestly" itself was just a remake of the old "Burns and Allen" show with Pauline doing a pretty good impression of Gracie Allen.

[post redacted because linking to dailymail.co.uk clearly indicates that the poster is either a troll or an idiot (probably both, honestly.) Our advice is that you just ignore this poster but whatever you do, don't click on any link to this putrid rag.]

Dear Lord, most of these shows are ANCIENT! Do you people only watch PBS during Pledge Week or something? Granted most current BritComs are pale reflections of former selves. Faded glory, like the Queen (Elton) and the rest of the royals.

Sequel series "Are You Being Served? Again!" aka "Grace and Favour" The staff of the ladies' and gentlemen's departments from Grace Bros. take over running a country inn after the store closes and they learn their pension has been invested in the house. It ran for only two seasons. A lot of people only know of the original series.

Pulling.

Brilliantly, brilliantly funny. Seek it out. The episode where they can't afford to have the cat put down and kill it with a brick, and the fecal paintings in the cafe are dazzling.

The League Of Gentlemen Christmas episode is seriously seriously fucked up. They got the 1970s German household scarily accurate.

Pulling.

The episode where they kill the cat with a brick, and the fecal paintings in the cafe are dazzling.

The League Of Gentlemen Christmas episode with the pedo German choirmaster. Seriously wonderful fucked up stuff.

Chewing Gum. It's... odd but funny.

Lick her pussy!

MTV or maybe VH-1, early days, ran The Young Ones and also some anthology series of British comedy, one episode of which featured Dawn French as "Consuela," ( I hope I'm right) a maid giving the new baroness Jennifer Saundes a hard time.

"Consuela, I think I'll just go down to the pond to sketch some ducks."

"I've taken the liberty, madam." Shows sketches of ducks! Horror face on Jen

r23

This was funny the first two years, but it's a great example of people getting full of themselves. The star thought he was too good for the scripts and wanted to change them. In effect, he changed the essence of the whole character and the third season isn't funny at all.

r126

I for the life of me cannot understand why the gay community didn't embrace "Birds of a Feather." It is a every single thing they could want and it's damn funny. The three leads in the show have so much chemistry and the scripts are well done.

It should be as big a hit over here as any other Brit-Com

Alan Partridge in all his many incarnations

Brasseye

Father Ted

I'd forgotten about League Of Gentlemen. God it was hilarious.

Whenever I see someone gathering the trollies in a supermarket car park I always think "A fucking monkey could do it!"

and the taxi driver with gruff voice whose face we never saw, always talking to his passengers about his sex change operation.

and "We don't pass solids in this house".

[quote]I for the life of me cannot understand why the gay community didn't embrace "Birds of a Feather."

God, I hated that.

One episode was so homophobic, I couldn't believe it. It was disgusting, actually.

Goodness gracious me, I can't find the million roupies sketch, it was very funny.

Damn, R86, the apple didn't fall far from that handsome tree.

R91, the only thing that could top three steak Pam, is when she felt obliged to pretend to be a vegetarian for Stacey's lot. HILARIOUS.

R96 - I hope I can scrounge up that season - Larry? Gay? AND a cop?? Trifecta!

R114 - Hey, that's the chick from Episodes! Love her.

Not really a Britcom, but did anyone stumble across Flowers?

Quirky and clever and darkly funny; co-starring DL fave Olivia Colman. Some terrific performances all-around.

And the actor playing her troubled husband is sexy as fuck. Hmm.

I'm beginning to suspect I have a type.

Toast of London

Upstart crow on the "life" of Shakespeare with David Mitchell, by Ben Elton, who did Black Adder with Richard Curtis. The second serie is available on the BBC iplayer at the moment.

The Japanese guy on Flowers is hella cute. "Miso soup?---Me so grateful." HA

Coupling

In no particular order;

Black Books

Peep Show

Goodness Gracious Me

The IT Crowd

Father Ted

The Mighty Boosh

The Thick of It

Spaced

Green Wing

Open All Hours

"Consuela, or The First Mrs Saunders" from Comic Strip presents. French and Saunders early and great, directed by Stephen Frears!

MTV ran the series when I was in college, and it was my best taste of British comedy since the short run of Python, which I knew by heart.

"Waiting for God " - Graham Crowden and the wonderful Stephanie Cole

Has anyone mentioned Plebs, yet? Because, Plebs

How Do You Want Me (Dylan Moran ,Charlotte Coleman, Frank Finlay Peter Serafinowicz )

Last series of Him & Her (jug eared proudly non-effeminate gay) was a masterpiece (I didn't catch the previous series)

Another fan of The Mighty Boosh

15 Storeys High- hilarious, BAFTA nominated (& I've never met anyone else who watched it so probably lesser-known)

Crashing. W1A. Chewing Gum. The Thick of It. All laugh-out-loud shows. (Thanks for the heads up on Flowers, R146. I love Olivia C.)

Peep Show!!

I don't know if this has already been mentioned:

High Life (Alan Cumming and the excellent Siobhan Redmond)

Great clip, R152

And it had both Rick and Vyvyan from The Young Ones!

Edge of Heaven. It only ran for six episodes so I guess I am the only one that likes it. It's about a family that runs a B&B in a beach resort town. Supporting cast includes Adrian Scarborough as half of a gay couple and Marcia Warren (the old lady from Vicious) as his mother.

R161 ha I was quoting "that's shocking, Shona!" just today

Back in the day I was quite partial to You Rang M'lord? For its era it was quite groundbreaking in portraying glamorous dandyish a lesbian as one of the most sympathetic characters, sspecially for an early evening family comedy. (bonus: actual cane and monaclr!!!)

portraying a glamorous dandyish lesbian *

Beautiful People was hilarious.

Rev. Also with Olivia Colman and the always funny Tom Hollander. The series is both funny and moving. I watched it on Hulu, back when Hulu was free.

[quote]Rev. Also with Olivia Colman and the always funny Tom Hollander.

The drug addict that always comes knocking at their door was hilarious!

Kiss Me Kate --

A situation comedy portraying the frenetic everyday life of Kate Salinger (Caroline Quentin), a woman counselor who not only must deal with the various problems of her clients but also the permanently depressed state of her business partner Douglas (Chris Langham), the unrequited romantic attention of her travel agent neighbor Craig (Darren Boyd) and the love-sick Italian Tony (Cliff Parisi), owner of the local wine bar.

Indeed, R149

That bit where he tried to convince his boss's publishers not to sack him was heartbreaking/hilarious!!

Holy shit!

Just stumbled upon a new one.

BACK

It has your guy from Peep Show, R160, among many other recognizable faces.

Peep show is one of the most consistently funny shows ever. Though it never aired in the US, I wouldn't call it obscure.

Back has both the guys from Peep Show. They are a comedy duo and have done many shows together.

I think Peep Show is uneven. Some shows are really funny and some are just stupid. I got tired of the Jeremy character after awhile. What was funny in the early episodes just became tedious in the later seasons. And Jeremy turning gay in the final season was really stupid. It really didn't bring much comedy to the show.

Peep Show is massive, not lesser known. It's very familiar in America. Brass Eye OWNS this thread. Chris Morris is criminally brilliant. Garth Marenghi Darkplace is wonderful too. Richard Ayoade is an extraordinary talent.

"Spy" starred Darren Boyd as a dork in the midst of a custody battle with his ex-wife over their snobby, evil-genius pre-teen son, who somehow ends up working for MI6 as an operative. Boyd is hilarious as he bumbles his way through his assignments, juggling the custody battle, his son's shenanigans and his crush on a co-worker.

Didn't Chris Morris direct "Four Lions"?

[quote]And Jeremy turning gay in the final season was really stupid.

Enhh...wasn’t all that surprising because they kinda laid the groundwork for that early on. But I get your point...

I love “Toast of London” with Matt Berry, who I think is married to the broad from the IT Crowd. I apologize if it was already posted.

Some great choices here, including Roger and Val Have Just Got In, and Perfect World. One of the greatest Britcoms of all time is Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?, a darker version of its prequel The Likely Lads, but I'm not sure it would travel well or that the accents and setting of NE England in the 70s would resonate. Brilliantly acted by James Bolam and Rodney Bewes though. Much more recently, Posh Nosh with Arabella Weir and Richard E Grant was a hoot.

Another vote for Steptoe & Son -- beyond mere comedy this is on some Samuel Beckett art shit

I agree R181. And in real life too. Wilfred Brambell was a classically trained, and gay, Irish actor, who hated playing Steptoe Snr, and there was a lot of friction between him and Steptoe Jnr, Harry H Corbett. The catchphrase "you dirty old man" was spoofed in the Beatle's A Hard Days Night, where Brambell played grandad, when ?John called him " a very clean old man".

Green Wing is superb. Utterly riotously insane genius.

Human Remains

Steptoe & Son became Sanford & Son in the US.

Many iconic Brit sitcoms were turned into American sitcoms.

The Steptoes were miserable. The Sanfords were often exasperated, but basically happy.

Classic Steptoe ep staring a young Joanna Lumley as the posh totty gf he brings home to much social (class) embarrassment

Another vote for You Rang, M'Lord?

One Foot in the Grave. Which, ultimately, is a very depressing premise, with hilarious execution. It doesnt get more British than that.

The Brittas Empire

Red Dwarf

'Ere you go my shitehawk iron oofs

Part 2

.....

Most definitely another vote for People Like Us. A kind of mockumentary about a guy filming people at work and interviewing them about their jobs. Despite being kind and well meaning he always somehow manages to fuck up the lives of his subjects, causing a crisis of faith in the vicar etc. You never see him properly but he is always 'narrating' and interjecting. Loads of good and well known Brit actors in it too.

The third and apparently final run of W1A starts in the UK tomorrow.

The Office was excellent, as was Extras

[quote]The Office was excellent, as was Extras

They aren't "lesser known" sitcoms.

This is underrated af. The show builds slowly but the characterisation and sense of place is brilliantly done and you fall in love with Dylan Moran and Charlotte Coleman (tragigiclly shortlived sister of Olivia). The comedy comes from Peter Serafinowitz (sp? I should know as I went to school with him) who is genuinely menacingly psychotic (and thuggishly sexy)

Dear Netflix: Please get the third and final season of W1A now, thankyouverymuch. I'll wait here.

These are the stupid. Please put good things into it.

Season One of “I’m Alan Partridge “ never fails to make me laugh. It’s actually a follow-up to “Knowing Me, Knowing You”. Both star Steve Coogan.