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Best British Sitcoms

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Blamethrower

Blamethrower

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League of Gentlemen
Red Dwarf - series 4 - 6
South Park - latest series has a consistent timeline/narrative making this series a sitcom
The Inbetweeners
Blackadder goes forth (other blackadders really not funny for me)
Fawlty Towers (still makes me laugh out loud)
Not going out - only the series with Tim Vine in it
 
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GrimsbyPacer

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fishquinn said:
:lol:! When did the other series come out?
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Red Dwarf 9, which was a three-part episode oddly with no canned laughter, aired in 2009 on Dave (channel card read 'Dave Lister' when on though!). If you wanted an explanation for the end of Red Dwarf 8 you'll be disappointed, also Katanski is missing.

Red Dwarf 10, which is more or less a typical 6 part season, with good stories, only the last episode is lame. Came out in 2012. Well worth a watch.

Red Dwarf 11 & 12 have already been filmed, one is due in Summer/Autumn the other next year. Dave is part of UKTV, the network the BBC jointly owns as a way around making advert money, that's why it's not on BBC2.
 
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D6975

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My top 10 are

Porridge
Dad's Army
Fawlty Towers
Blackadder
Only Fools and Horses
Red Dwarf
Open All Hours
The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin (Rossiter)
Last of the Summer Wine
2.4 Children
 
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Clint

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Karl said:
Still Game.

A shame the BBC never released it outside Scotland. I accidentally came across it on youtube and have since watched the whole series at least 5 times over. Well recommended for those of us south of the border if you've never seen it. Give it a go.
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They did show a lot of it, years ago on BBC2. I was the same as you at the time. I'd seen the adverts for it on telly, thought it didn't look up to much, but then watched some clips on Youtube and have been a huge fan since!

I even emailed Dave (the comedy channel) a few years ago suggesting they put it on, but they replied to say they had no plans to.

6 series of brilliance!

[youtube]CBf3srHAOzQ[/youtube]
 
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Rapidash

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I'm amazed the collected works of Graham Linehan are not being mentioned more: Father Ted, Black Books and The I.T Crowd are some of the best shows from the last fifteen years.

Honourable mentions for Spaced, Green Wing, Inbetweeners and Peep Show.
 
43074

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Yes Minister & Prime Minister, Blackadder 2, 3 & 4, Fawlty Towers, Keeping up Appearances and Porridge are my personal favourites.
 
gimmea50anyday

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Trouble with a lot of the past sitcoms as much as I love them, they relied too much on the repetitive gags, whereas modern comedies tend to rely on gross-out humour. Think also many formats and settings have already been used so it is getting harder to create something new.

That said, I love allo allo, I was also a fan of 2 pints but Red Dwarf probably remains one of the top all time comedies for me
 
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AndrewE

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So basically we all have our own favourites, depending on how old we are (and whether there was a TV in the house we lived in at any particular time,) our upbringing and maybe even our current politics!
Probably 3 (maybe 4) generations contribute here, with fond memories of what they enjoyed - or were encouraged to like when they lived with their parents and since.
If Hancock's Half Hour on the radio counts as a sitcom then it's my earliest favourite, does anyone else remember "All Gas and Gaiters" on TV? Not a favourite now for me, but I think I enjoyed it then.
I could offer Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy on the radio to add to other people's proposals, I did enjoy Red Dwarf, Faulty Towers, Blackadder, the Young Ones, Men behaving badly...
Basically there has been tons of good stuff, but to say one was the best is an unnecessary or unfair challenge. Some combined excellent writing and slapstick, some seem now to have been almost all feel-good stuff - but are still worth watching (e.g. Dad's Army)
I suspect lots of people have written academic theses on this topic, and even more have discussed whether it is a question that can be answered. "Best" and "favourite" are very different!
 
RyanB

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backontrack said:
Mods note: Split from Opinions. Worst British sitcom

I think that Blackadder has aged very well.

[YOUTUBE]vH3-Gt7mgyM[/YOUTUBE]

Funny yet poignant at the same time. One of the greatest moments in television history.
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Blackadder is one of my all time favourite shows, got a box set of all 4 series one Christmas on DVD and watched them all on Boxing Day, I've watched them over and over and am always at the ready to quote various lines when the situation calls for it.
 
Butts

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Not much mention of Love Thy Neighbour, It Ain't Half Hot Mum or Till Death us do Part - I wonder why <D

One that eclipsed all of them....

Terry, Bob and Thelma in The Likely Lads - some in B&W , some in Colour.

On the Buses was good in it's day as well.
 
Requeststop

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Strangely, I've found that one sit-com that is really enjoyed by my students overseas is Mind Your Language. Recently showed it to my Malaysian students and they were all in hysterics, even though some of the racial/sexual stereotypes would never be allowed these days.

Recent Personal Favs:

Miranda
Rev
 
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MonsooN

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I love Red Dwarf too - that trailer made me laugh out loud, Yorkie, prompting my kids to come running into the room to see what I was watching. They're a bit young to understand Red Dwarf now, but in time... There are too many Red Dwarf moments to pick a favourite, but as Grimsby Pacer said already, Holly's April Fool joke is up there. For me, it's in Series 6 where the crew are looking at their future selves. Rimmer's reaction when he looks at the screen and sees what Lister has become is priceless. All he does is say: "Ooohhhh Dear!" but the way he says is is just hilarious!

Favourites of mine are Open All hours - which I often use clips of at work to train sales people (how not to sell!)

I don't think anyone has mentioned The Young Ones yet either. I was a bit young when it first came out, but it's fantastic stuff! My favourite bit is "Neil, your bedroom's on fire!" Evolving from that, the other Rik Mayall series like Bottom and The New Statesman were also excellent.

Not quite sitcoms, but comedy, I've always loved Harry Enfield. From his stuff in the 80s to the stuff he's done quite recently. I'm particularly fond of the multilingual football manager and the surgeons.
 
NSE

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For me it will always be Only Fools and Horses without a shadow of a doubt. I love it. I own virtually all of them on DVD. I don't find it laugh out loud hilarious as I've watched it so many times I can probably quote entire episodes, but I just love to listen to it.

I also love Blackadder, and I agree with the comments about it being really poignant at the end of Goes Fourth, I thought that was a really lovely piece of telly.

I'm also a fan of The IT Crowd, The Inbetweeners, early episodes of My Family, The Vicar of Dibley. One particularly left field choice is a BBC one that only ran for one series called something like "No Way Back" with Blake Harrison from The Inbetweeners. It was about a young group of lads who make a euthanasia machine. Dark humour, but I thought it was actually really good.
 
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Yes Minister for me. Absolute classic and probably still how Government operates today.
 
Harbornite

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I'd say the Office is one of the best sitcoms I've seen, alongside Extras.

On another note, I've been watching Yes, Minister for the first time and coincidentally, there's a scene in this episode showing a Class 55 on an intercity sleeper.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQ02k4UuhEg
 
Karl

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Strathclyder said:
My faves are Still Game (Karl and Clint will be pleased to know that it's coming back for a new series later this year. :)), Fawlty Towers, Father Ted, Steptoe & Son, One Foot in the Grave & Blackadder Goes Forth.
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Excellent news! Thanks for the info. I just hope we get to see it south of the border. But I'm sure I'll get to see it on youtube if it's just broadcast on BBC Scotland.

The BBC should bite the bullet and give it another showing on national TV. I believe they were reluctant to show it nationally because of the strong Glaswegian dialect. I love the dialect and it wasn't long before I became fluent in it!! There's heehaw wrong with Still Game
 
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dgl

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Karl said:
Excellent news! Thanks for the info. I just hope we get to see it south of the border. But I'm sure I'll get to see it on youtube if it's just broadcast on BBC Scotland.





The BBC should bite the bullet and give it another showing on national TV. I believe they were reluctant to show it nationally because of the strong Glaswegian dialect. I love the dialect and it wasn't long before I became fluent in it!! There's heehaw wrong with Still Game
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Aii sir, we all be thankful for the YouTube for giving us access to still game.

Certainly should be shown nationally from the start, not just in Scotland
 
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anme

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The Thick of It - the best TV programme of any kind this millennium?
Peep Show was also great, and as an aside is surprisingly well known abroad. A couple of times, I've been caught out when someone completely unexpected has spontaneously come out with a line from the show. Very moreish.
 
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