If it wasn't for Brit-coms, I probably wouldn't watch TV. "Yes, Prime Minister", "Keeping Up Appearances", "Are You Being Served?", "The Thin Blue Line", "Waiting For God", "As Time Goes By", and of course . . . "Fawlty Towers".

I love this stuff. Anyone else?

Ocassionally I will watch Keeping Up Appearances. I really like the characters Hyacinth & her husband. I think AK member Celt's avatar, reflects one of the characters also.

Rome

I've been collecting Brit-com DVD's for the last year or so. Favorites are "Dad's Army", "Open All Hours", and "Only Fools and Horses." I have not been able to develop an appreciation of "Allo' Allo'" or "One Foot In the Grave" which I also have. Wish they would issue a complete DVD set of "Last of the Summer Wine." If you want to watch Brit-coms economically, a region-free DVD player is a good investment.

We get catalogs from BBC America from time to time and somehow I think Last of the Summer Wine was in it.

So far, to the best of my knowledge, they've only issued a few composite DVD's, a couple feature length films and a few seasonal DVD's. Most of the episodes are not yet available.

Red Dwarf is my personal fave.

It took me awhile to warm up to "Red Dwarf". The humor there, (like all Brit humor), is subtle. I also forgot about "Last of the Summer Wine". We, (my wife and I), watch that just as much for the country scenery, as the "plot". Great show.

My (elderly) father really likes Last of the Summer Wine; I've never seen it, though.

If it wasn't for Brit-coms, I probably wouldn't watch TV. "Yes, Prime Minister", "Keeping Up Appearances", "Are You Being Served?", "The Thin Blue Line", "Waiting For God", "As Time Goes By", and of course . . . "Fawlty Towers".

I love this stuff. Anyone else?

All great, I'd also add "The Young Ones" to that list.

Love the brit coms. Doctor in the House, The Brittas Empire, Allo, Allo, The Blackadder. They are subtle and then they are not. One Foot in the Grave has some very dark humor and ended darkly.

I think AK member Celt's avatar, reflects one of the characters also. Rome

Yes, that's Daisy's husband, Onslow. He's my favorite. ;)

One Foot' is a very tragic show really. The writer states that Victor's reactions are not abnormal considering what actually happens to him. Also subtle references throughout the series tell us that they had a child that died early in life (perhaps enough to make any man slightly bitter when snot-nosed kids spray paint insults on the wall of your house).

Perhaps the best British comedy in terms of writing and character-based humour is Porridge.

Top Gear

No-ones mentioned "To the Manor Born", one of my favourites.
Nor have they mentioned "Little Britain" which I find exceptionally awful and unfunny.

I recently discovered "Hinge & Bracket".

The BBC ran a lengthy contest allowing viewers to vote for their favorite sitcoms. Though the contest is long over, the results are here; http://www.bbc.co.uk/sitcom/

I thought I was the only one to watch this stuff.

If it wasn't for Brit-coms, I probably wouldn't watch TV. "Yes, Prime Minister", "Keeping Up Appearances", "Are You Being Served?", "The Thin Blue Line", "Waiting For God", "As Time Goes By", and of course . . . "Fawlty Towers".

I love this stuff. Anyone else?

I've watched Are You Being Served, Keeping Up Appearances, and Fawlty Towers in the past. I eventually grew tired of the reruns, although once in a while when there's nothing else interesting on TV, I will watch Keeping Up Appearances. I've also been a longtime fan of The Eastenders, having watched the soap for more than 20 years.

If it wasn't for Brit-coms, I probably wouldn't watch TV. "Yes, Prime Minister", "Keeping Up Appearances", "Are You Being Served?", "The Thin Blue Line", "Waiting For God", "As Time Goes By", and of course . . . "Fawlty Towers".

I love this stuff. Anyone else?
My local PBS outlet plays "Keeping Up Appearances" and "Waiting For God".
Over and over and over and over again. :thumbsdn: They haven't shown any others for at least five years.

Are You Being Served? is a good show. I got every episode on tape lol... I recorded them back when it used to be on TV. I even got the episodes that were apparently banned from airplay, but somehow made it's way on TV anyway.

My local PBS outlet plays "Keeping Up Appearances" and "Waiting For God".
Over and over and over and over again. :thumbsdn: They haven't shown any others for at least five years.

Yeah . . . thats a definite problem around here also. Many of the shows that are listed in this thread, I've never heard of. It would be nice if they could show more variety.

I liked the original 'Blackadder', where he and Lord Percy are dufuses and the peasant Baldrick is the only one with half a brain. after S1 they gave Blackadder the half-brain and made Balrick just another dopey henchman...Young Ones was pretty good.
'Fall and Rise of Reginal Perrin'. just saw bits and pieces but what I saw was pretty darn good.

I liked the original 'Blackadder', where he and Lord Percy are dufuses and the peasant Baldrick is the only one with half a brain. after S1 they gave Blackadder the half-brain and made Balrick just another dopey henchman...Young Ones was pretty good.

I do too, but the humour is a lot more subtle. It gets very funny after a few watchings. Young Ones has dated terribly. Some of the Comic Strips with the same guys are a much better representation of the '80s alternative comedy scene.

If it wasn't for Brit-coms, I probably wouldn't watch TV. "Yes, Prime Minister", "Keeping Up Appearances", "Are You Being Served?", "The Thin Blue Line", "Waiting For God", "As Time Goes By", and of course . . . "Fawlty Towers".

I love this stuff. Anyone else? "Waiting for god" is that the same as "Heaven can wait" or a different show?.................Rick

I think probably the funniest show now on TV is BBCAmerica's Top Gear.

Not really a Britcom but it has that dry Brit humor (or "humour").

For Britcoms, it has to be Brilliant, That Mitchell And Webb Look and, of course, Black Adder.

I think the BBC version of The Office is FAR superior to ours, and Extras (also with Ricky Gervais) is very funny as well.

What?? 25 posts and no mention of Monty Python or Benny Hill???

I think the BBC version of The Office is FAR superior to ours, and Extras (also with Ricky Gervais) is very funny as well.

I have to disagree. The UK Office doesn't come close to the US version. The UK one is too dark and depressing, limiting the appeal of the characters.

Hell I LIKE dark and depressing! It is about a workplace after all...!

I have to disagree. The UK Office doesn't come close to the US version. The UK one is too dark and depressing, limiting the appeal of the characters.

Wrong. The US version bites. Lacks the original subtleties in the David Brent character as well as any GOOD humour whatsoever. How could you even compare!!!!!!! Thread closed?

Kidding. But I prefer the UK one. I hate bad American rip-off versions.

Love Black Adder, Red Dwarf, Allo Allo, Flawty Towers.

I agree with the comment that Little Britain is pretty unfunny. I tried like three episodes before I gave up.

dew.

Monty Python I grew up watching, along with Are You Being Served? I also really liked Faulty Towers, the funnest sitcom ever made and Black Adder. Does anyone remember Dave Allen at Large?

Grew up on Benny Hill, love Coupling and Top Gear!! On a different note anyone watch "Wire in the Blood", best crime drama ever. BTW netflix is great for this stuff, get the entire seasons of what you want.

I have to +1 on The Office, although I disagree that the American version sucks. I usuall worry about an Americanised version, but the American version stands on it's own.

Ab Fab was great. I was especially worried about an American version of this one. I heard that Roseane Barr bought the rights and was going to develop an American version. Glad that didn't happen... .......so far.

Falwty Towers? ......God, that could never be duplicated. It's too Cleesey.

Are you being served
Graham Norton
Young ones
Benny hill
Top gear

And my all time fav Absolutely fabulous.

I watch more brit TV then US.

Yes, that's Daisy's husband, Onslow. He's my favorite. ;)

The dude is a trip. Did you know that the same actor did Paul's voice in Yellow Submarine?

The Brit sit-coms and mysteries are about the only reason we've not disconnected the cable. Oh, and Murder She Wrote. The satellite systems I'm not sure get them. None of the over the air channels do. I could live without them and red a good book but wifely loves the mysteries and we both enjoy the sit-coms though we each like differing menus.

The house identifies wifey with a certain character on Keeping Up Appearances and recently when wifey took off for 4 days to see a friend I did a little house reno and changed the door bell with the new one emulating the famous tone of Mrs. Bucket's. The neighbors loved it but, she who must be obeyed (Rumpole of the Baily) had other thoughts and sentiments.

Has anyone seen "The IT Crowd?" It is hysterical. You can watch some of the episodes on YouTube if you can't get it on cable.

..... Extras (also with Ricky Gervais) is very funny as well.

Agreed, Extras is funny. I've been renting that one from netflix lately.

Wrong. The US version bites. Lacks the original subtleties in the David Brent character as well as any GOOD humour whatsoever. How could you even compare!!!!!!! Thread closed?

Kidding. But I prefer the UK one. I hate bad American rip-off versions.

Interesting how opinion on this is divided. I'm British and tend to, without thinking or trying, be anti-American in many ways. And I'm pretty well versed on the history of UK comedy, the actors and writers involved and the general quality of each [1]. Yet, I just found the US Office to be so much more engaging/involving. Brent is not a likeable character on any level (especially his intentions), which limits the appeal of the show since he is the central character. Scott is likeable, because he has a childlike innocence. You find yourself /siding/ with him which makes all the schemes even more hilarious and in many cases, touching in a comitragedy kind of way. It's an anomaly because usually a US version of a UK show can only reproduce one level, usually the one liners. There are many degrees of subtlety, hidden in the rich regional culture, in the best British comedies. The UK Office is pretty one-dimensional. You dislike "these guys" and you like "these guys". The US one, you pretty much like everyone on varying levels for various reasons[2], no matter how insane or stupid they are (many women all love Kelly and I, personally, think Dwight is quite brilliant). The plot is so much richer as a result. The US Office went on to run much longer and for at least three (long) seasons, just got better and better. The UK one was very short yet you couldn't even sustain it beyond where it went.

[1] Are You Being Served? is pretty famous for being utterly terrible. Keeping Up Appearances likewise isn't actually that good at all (even though I did watch it all originally when I was about 7 years old). And Last Of The Summer Wine has amazing scenery, but I can't see the appeal to anyone under the age of 70. It's 30 years of programming about three old guys wandering around doing stupid things with bikes and falling into bushes.

[2] Dark and depressing may appear to be what makes many British comedies, but it's always based on character-driven humour, and the characters themselves are always people you get behind, regardless of how insane they are. There are obvious examples.

Red Dwarf

A most excellent television programme. :thmbsp::thmbsp:

Also quite fond of:

The Royle Family
Black Books
The League Of Gentlemen

Still waiting & hoping to see The Brittas Empire.

There's so many, that you all have listed, that I've never seen. (Or heard of.) I'll have to see what I can find for rental, perhaps.

BTW: anyone remember that god-awful rip-off of Fawlty Towers that America tried to do? Can't remember the name, but it was complete bomb. The sad thing is, it starred John Larroquette as Mr Fawlty, whom I love as a comedian. (John, that is.) It was just a bad idea.

I love Coupling, just funny stuff. My all time favorite though is The Thin Blue Line. I about fall out of my chair every time I watch it.

I remember most of the ones mentioned and loveed them all. You guys have reminded of of some I haven't seen for a long long time so I will now have to go back to my favourite website "thebox" (only has British TV shows and nothing else) and get a few more to relive. I remeber one called "Some Mothers Do 'ave em" that used to make me laugh like crazy. Of course my favourit Brittish TV is any and all Doctor Who.

Another one I liked very much was "Kiss me Kate" (no connection whatsoever to the stage musical), the author of which was nabbed not so long ago for collecting kiddie porn!

You might also want to search out the TV shows of Victoria Wood - my all time favourite stand-up. And if you like that, look up "French & Saunders".

Love British 'humahr'; the only series I watch.

To throw in something really obscure: has anyone here ever seen or heard of the little British comedy short "Same Procedure as Last Year" (also known as 'The 90th Birthday')?

Rich old lady throws her annual birthday party, but with the years, her four regular friends have died, so her butler impersonates the four friends while also serving the meal. He has to toast for all of them too, so he gets increasingly hammered while trying to keep up the illusion of the tableful of guests.

The film has the distinction of never having been shown in Britain, but it has for decades been a set-in-stone New Year's Eve tradition in Denmark, Germany, Sweden and other countries. I now have a DVD of it, from a VHS tape, and it finally also found its way to YouTube.

C.

To throw in something really obscure: has anyone here ever seen or heard of the little British comedy short "Same Procedure as Last Year" (also known as 'The 90th Birthday')?

It's been on TV here (can't recal if free or pay channels) a few times under the title of "Dinner for one".

Hello everyone, been a member for quite a while but this is actually my first post!

Comedy is a great passion of mine, and I'm gobsmacked (and quite proud, in that understated British way) that so much British comedy is so popular in the US, but I have to say that one of my favourite sitcoms of all time has to be Married With Children. Ran for so long yet never went of the boil, and really quite subversive in many ways, but is practically unknown over here due to being relegated to late night regional schedules throughout the 80s. Ah, so many happy childhood memories of laughing my bottom off at 4am ... :D

P.S. Have any of you had the chance to see Peep Show? If not check it out, it is probably the funniest thing on UK TV at the moment :thmbsp:.

TTFN

Years ago (1980 or so) we were visiting old friends in Flordia. There I saw one called "Doctors' Hospital" called "Doctor in the House" in the UK. I was 15 at the time and it made me roar. I have not seen it since and wonder if I would find it as funny.

And if you like that, look up "French & Saunders".

I've heard of that one, but I've never seen it. I do like "The Vicar of Dibley", however, which stars Dawn French.

I've heard of that one, but I've never seen it. I do like "The Vicar of Dibley", however, which stars Dawn French.

And everyone must know Jennifer Saunders from "Absolutely Fabulous", which was a spinoff from one of the sketches she & Dawn F. did in their Tv show.

Yes, Minister and Yes, Prime Minister are likely the smartest comedies ever written. And probably the most accurate representation of what goes on in the halls of power.
Just brilliant.

Yes, Minister and Yes, Prime Minister...brilliant.

Indeed they are. Another programme featuring actor Paul Eddington that I enjoyed was The Good Life, in which Paul played opposite two of my favorite English television actresses, Penelope Keith and Felicity Kendal.

Yes, Minister and Yes, Prime Minister are likely the smartest comedies ever written.

And strangely Nigel Hawthorne (Sir Humphrey), a native of Cape Town, was not particularly proud of that role, nor did he regard it as one of his greater achievements; it was television, and not 'real theatre'.
And he IS the character that makes that show.

Red Dwarf is my personal fave.
Ditto!
Love Black Adder, Red Dwarf, Allo Allo, Flawty Towers.



Blackadder Goes Forth is awesome.

The Young Ones are really funny if your in the right mood.

Yes, Minister and Yes, Prime Minister was so much more than a sit-com. I equate it with Dilbert, a mix between comedy and an object lesson in reality.

My wife and I would watch it religiously. One night when my some was home I told him to watch it as he never watches tele. He came down, took a look of it in progress, correctly named the program and told me in one of his poli-sci classes it was required watching. Apparently they would watch it in class sometimes and then discuss the significance.

Oops. I thought this was going to be a discussion on Bertrand Russell.

No one has mentioned Mr. Bean! Rowan Atkinson is a comic genius!

Funny you should mention Mr. Bean. My wife and I just watched the French movie, Mr. Huto's (or was it Hotu) Vacation and we both thought of Mr. Bean. I do not know the history but wonder which influenced the other.

Indeed they are. Another programme featuring actor Paul Eddington that I enjoyed was The Good Life, in which Paul played opposite two of my favorite English television actresses, Penelope Keith and Felicity Kendal.

I still remember Ms. Kendall talking about her 'best frock', she still shows up as a private detective in a show whose name escapes me at the moment. Ms. Keith went on to star in To the Manor Born.

Funny you should mention Mr. Bean. My wife and I just watched the French movie, Mr. Huto's (or was it Hotu) Vacation and we both thought of Mr. Bean. I do not know the history but wonder which influenced the other.

"Les Vacances de M. HULOT," starring the great Jacques Tati. Tati also featured his Hulot character in "Mon Oncle," "Trafic" and "Playtime" as well as an educational short. He satirized Hulot in "Parade," a TV program. Jacques Tati started his protypical character in 1934, long before any possible "Bean" influence. "Hulot's Holiday" itself is 1952 or so, long before Bean. No doubt Rowan Atkinson used Tati as a mentor, as so many comedians have. Tati in turn had Charlie Chaplin as his mentor, and he is considered the "French Chaplin."

Although I'm British, I was never a big fan of British TV or film comedy, EXCEPT for these series which have not even been mentioned in this thread at all: ...

"Hancock" and "The Tony Hancock show" featuring the greatest dark comedian ever to have hit the small screen. Co-starring Sydney James.

"Up Pompeii" starring Frankie Howerd, and the Howerd series about Churchill..

"The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin" starring Leonard Rossiter, a very dark and somewhat mystical series about a fellow so distraught with life he tries repeatedly to commit suicide. Brilliant! (Geoffrey Palmer is also in this.)

Eric Sykes, sadly very few of his black and white shows exist, all the colour shows from 1972 onwards are on DVD. Sykes also wrote for Tony Hancock, On the Buses, and many other britcoms and has appeared on "Last of the Summer Wine." He was my favourite comedian when I was a child, that's why the loss of the 1960s episodes is a shame. Other childhood favourites were Charlie Drake, and (Sir) Norman Wisdom (also on Last of the Summer Wine) whom I've actually had the pleasure of meeting.

And who could forget "Steptoe and Son?!"

I've obtained as much as I can of these programs from Amazon.co.uk, since they never air in North America, except for "Up Pompeii" which I remember fondly from its run on the CBC. The CBC by the way gave their Pompeii tapes back to the BBC for Reverse Standards Conversion since the BBC themselves had wiped and disposed of most of their own copies.

One show that was on here last year was New Tricks with Amanda Redman about a police unit devoted to solving cold crimes. Now there is one good looking lady.

I remember Up Pompeii and Howerd doing the Prologue and of course the Senator Ludicrous Sextus.

We had a radio show on CBC from the BBC called Much Binding in the Marsh that was very funny.

Of the ones only just mentioned I have a special fondness for "Steptoe and Son" and "The Tony Hancock Show" - and "Hancock's Half Hour" (was that Radio?) - not sure which series it was in, but Tony Hancock's "The Radio Ham" is absolutely masterful.

Sad to say this truly brilliant man was wracked with self doubt which was so powerful that it was eventually his undoing.

I've been watching this thread - it's been very interesting seeing which of these comedy series 'light up' you guys and gals in the US and elsewhere.

I too found "New Tricks " to be very watchable, and I am not normally lured by these programmes.

Bean and Benny! How could I have left them out? :banana:

Btw: Anyone remember this one: I can't remember the name. Only saw it a few times. It was the son of Mr Death, taking over for his father. His first assignment was this old lady that he didn't have the heart to "take". What the heck was the name of that? :scratch2:

...she still shows up as a private detective in a show whose name escapes me at the moment.

That would be the murder/mystery Rosemary & Thyme.

Ms. Keith went on to star in To the Manor Born.

Yep. I made it through the original series (79-81) but have yet to see the 2007 Christmas Special.

There's just something about that Penelope Keith.

For those who haven't seen it, Shameless is a programme that follows the rollicking, dissolute activities of the Gallagher clan in a fictional council estate setting in Manchester. A word of caution: there is considerable Manchester dialect, slang and profanity in the dialogue.

Two's Company, a late 1970s comedy featuring Elaine Stritch and the eminent Donald Sinden, is another I enjoyed watching.

I have really enjoyed reading this thread. So, I searched for more on-line BritCom discussions and found what is probably the mother load at http://www.board.sitcom.co.uk/ . If you like British Comedy you'll probably enjoy this board.

I love Coupling, just funny stuff. My all time favorite though is The Thin Blue Line. I about fall out of my chair every time I watch it.

I like both of those. :thmbsp:

"The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin" starring Leonard Rossiter, a very dark and somewhat mystical series about a fellow so distraught with life he tries repeatedly to commit suicide. Brilliant! (Geoffrey Palmer is also in this.)

I watched this series on PBS many years ago while in High School and really enjoyed it. Now that I'm older and in the corporate world I find myself identifying with this series more and more ( I guess I've always been slightly anti-social). I currently have the series on my Netflix list.

One series that I don't recall seeing listed is Goode Neighbors (I may have the spelling wrong). It's about a couple that drop out of the corporate world to become self sufficient turning their suburban home into a farm complete with farm animals (there goes that anti-social theme again):D. The lead character Tom Goode was a draftsman before he dropped out of society. I have a AAS in Mechanical Drafting and Design and a BS in Mechanical Engineering Technology and can identify with Tom's reasons for wanting to drop out. I have fantasies about doing the same thing as I trudge to the office most mornings.

In the UK the story-line you refer to was for a comedy series called "The Good Life", the main characters were Tom Good and Wife - hence the series name.

There's so many, that you all have listed, that I've never seen. (Or heard of.) I'll have to see what I can find for rental, perhaps.

BTW: anyone remember that god-awful rip-off of Fawlty Towers that America tried to do? Can't remember the name, but it was complete bomb. The sad thing is, it starred John Larroquette as Mr Fawlty, whom I love as a comedian. (John, that is.) It was just a bad idea.

There was also a horrific version of Fawlty Towers starring Bea Arthur called "Amanda's by the Sea" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amanda%27s)

For Reginald Perrin fans:

All 3 series (released on DVD May 2009) $32.49 with free shipping.
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51QKq2g%2BYSL._SL500_AA240_.jpg

There is a 2009 'modern update' by the original writer called Reggie Perrin (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reggie_Perrin) on BBC.

My favs:

Phoenix Nights
Max and Paddy's Road to Nowhere
Early Doors
15 Storeys High
The Migthy Boosh
The Armando Iannuci Shows
Garth Marenghi's Dark Place
Extra
The Office

There was also a horrific version of Fawlty Towers starring Bea Arthur called "Amanda's by the Sea" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amanda%27s)

Ouch! I'm trying not to picture that.

Two of my favorites are "Father Ted" and "The I.T. Crowd".

Bean and Benny! How could I have left them out? :banana:

Btw: Anyone remember this one: I can't remember the name. Only saw it a few times. It was the son of Mr Death, taking over for his father. His first assignment was this old lady that he didn't have the heart to "take". What the heck was the name of that? :scratch2:

That would be "Mulberry". They were playing it on the local PBS station last year, I think. I found it interesting to watch. Nice gentle humour.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mulberry_(TV_series)

How about
The Vicker Of Dibley
The Irish RM

My favourite Britcoms (more or less):
Monty Python (the ultimate classic)
The Goodies (nobody remembers them? :pity: )
Benny Hill
The Young Ones
The I.T. Crowd
Look Around You (Season 1 was screamingly funny!)
Brasseye (it's hit or miss, but more hitting than missing)
Red Dwarf
Max Headroom (British TV Movie, American TV series)

There are probably a few more that should make the list, but I can't quite bring them to memory. As for comedic panel shows, I love Whose Line is it Anyway, QI, Mock The Week and Would I Lie To You. They're all so much fun. :nutz: