Best British Sitcoms

12CSVT · 15 May 2016

Fawlty Towers
Porridge
Only Fools and Horses
Dad's Army
The New Statesman
The Young Ones
Steptoe & Son
Open all Hours (although not the terrible mini series 'Still Open All Hours')

PS Does 'The Goodies' count as a sitcom ?

RailUK Forums

Clint · 15 May 2016

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.

Thanks for the update Strathclyder, that's great news!

I agree with you Karl, the Beeb ought to give it another run out. I know may people who've never seen it but have loved it when they've been shown it.

cjmillsnun · 15 May 2016

The High Life.
Bottom
Filthy, Rich and Catflap
The Young Ones

DaleCooper · 21 May 2016

Garth Marenghi's Darkplace - Probably the worst plots, acting, dialogue, editing, continuity, special effects, sound synchronisation etc. that I've ever seen, it's hilarious.

43021HST · 21 May 2016

Peep Show
The Thick of it
The Young Ones
Alan Partridge

crispy1978 · 25 Aug 2016

Love Fawlty Towers. Probably my favourite sitcom, shame there were only 12 episodes made - but maybe if there were more, it would have lost some of its appeal perhaps?

Busaholic · 25 Aug 2016

Cowley said:
It is on the DVDs but I'm wondering if the BBC just didn't show it for obvious reasons.
Still in my opinion one of the three best sitcoms ever made.

What are your other two selections?

I always felt a bit sorry for Basil, a much misunderstood man.He did have to put up with the appalling Sybil, after all.

Cowley · 26 Aug 2016

Busaholic said:
What are your other two selections?

I always felt a bit sorry for Basil, a much misunderstood man.He did have to put up with the appalling Sybil, after all.

Father Ted and either Blackadder or Peep Show for me.

Strathclyder · 26 Aug 2016

My favorite sitcoms of all time are (in no particular order): One Foot In The Grave, Father Ted, Steptoe & Son & Fawlty Towers. All timeless, hysterical classics in their own individual, unique ways.

MidnightFlyer · 26 Aug 2016

crispy1978 said:
but maybe if there were more, it would have lost some of its appeal perhaps?

Only Fools and Horses's problem - went on far too long and stopped being as funny. Should have ended with them becoming millionaires, instead they churned out yet more Christmas specials and storylines thereafter. My favourite sitcom ever, Porridge, was a lot better for only ever doing three series and a couple of specials.

EssexGonzo · 26 Aug 2016

Porridge was one of my favourites and my teenage kids love seeing the repeats today.

Talking of which an updated episode is apparently on the box tomorrow night.

Busaholic · 26 Aug 2016

EssexGonzo said:
Porridge was one of my favourites and my teenage kids love seeing the repeats today.

Talking of which an updated episode is apparently on the box tomorrow night.

A wonderful series, both the acting and the writing. There wasn't a dud among the regular cast, which is quite rare.

Groningen · 27 Aug 2016

Keeping Up Appearances was also not bad. We love(d) that series in Belgium and the Netherlands according to Wikipedia.

miami · 27 Aug 2016

Fawlty Towers had several insertions into the public conscious (don't mention the raw, it's a hamster, beating up a car with a branch), so it's clearly worthy of note, but on the whole I find it vastly overrated.

People point to viewing figures of these old shows - fools and horses, some mothers, etc and claim how great they must have been, while ignoring the facts there are a thousand more opportunities to entertain yourself now.

Still, better than Steptoe, Open All Hours, One Foot in the Grave and Keeping up appearances.

Tim R-T-C said:
Aww... I thought this thread was about the ice climb on the side of Ben Nevis

(Not me BTW: but hopefully next year...)

Reminds me of the time I did weat wall traverse and lords rake on Scafell in wiki similar weather. No ropes or crampons. I was young and foolish.

DaleCooper · 27 Aug 2016

paulweaver said:
Fawlty Towers had several insertions into the public conscious (don't mention the raw, it's a hamster, beating up a car with a branch), so it's clearly worthy of note, but on the whole I find it vastly overrated.

I wouldn't dream of mentioning the "raw" - oops, I just did.

richw · 27 Aug 2016

I'm sure I read John Cleese has been working on some form of remake or stage show of some kind in the paper when I was on holiday a few weeks ago.
Porridge has had a new episode made, but fortunately not the same characters.

Busaholic · 27 Aug 2016

paulweaver said:
Fawlty Towers had several insertions into the public conscious (don't mention the raw, it's a hamster, beating up a car with a branch), so it's clearly worthy of note, but on the whole I find it vastly overrated.

People point to viewing figures of these old shows - fools and horses, some mothers, etc and claim how great they must have been, while ignoring the facts there are a thousand more opportunities to entertain yourself now.

Still, better than Steptoe, Open All Hours, One Foot in the Grave and Keeping up appearances.

Reminds me of the time I did weat wall traverse and lords rake on Scafell in wiki similar weather. No ropes or crampons. I was young and foolish.

Steptoe and Son had marvellous acting and was brilliantly written by the wonderful Galton and Simpson, who were also responsible of course for the incomparable Hancock's Half Hour. The cameo performances (as they'd now be called) in Steptoe by other actors/actresses who achieved some fame later are also interesting. Wouldn't put the others you name in the same league, though Only Fools did get better as it went on imo.

DaleCooper · 28 Aug 2016

richw said:
I'm sure I read John Cleese has been working on some form of remake or stage show of some kind in the paper when I was on holiday a few weeks ago.

This perhaps...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-37203462

John Cleese is reported to be in talks to return to the BBC for a sitcom which has been written specifically for him.

Groningen · 28 Aug 2016

don't mention the raw

You mean war!

richw · 28 Aug 2016

DaleCooper said:
This perhaps...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-37203462

The paper I was reading had cast photos of the new actors to play each character.

Edit- it's a 'live' stage show

https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2...-fun-but-pointless-adaptation-screen-to-stage

Hadders · 28 Aug 2016

I love Fawlty Towers but I think Yes Minsiter is the best. Given that it's 30 years old much of it is still true today!

Xenophon PCDGS · 28 Aug 2016

Groningen said:
Keeping Up Appearances was also not bad. We love(d) that series in Belgium and the Netherlands according to Wikipedia.

Hyacinth Bucket was the very epitome of the overbearing middle-class housewife with ideas well above her station, which Patricia Routledge played to perfection.

"A riverside picnic with riparian entertainments" was a perfect example of how she thought.

crispy1978 · 28 Aug 2016

There are a lot of good ones out there in my age-bracket that I enjoyed when I was younger (One Foot in The Grave, Keeping Up Appearances, You Rang M'Lord, etc) - then I learned to appreciate some more as I grew up (Porridge, Open All Hours, etc). Fawlty Towers, LOTSW and OFAH I always enjoyed.

Some I never got in to, or couldn't get in to (Steptoe and Son, Blackadder, etc).

There's something about On The Buses, and the three films, that I think is absolutely brilliant!!

yorksrob · 28 Aug 2016

crispy1978 said:
There's something about On The Buses, and the three films, that I think is absolutely brilliant!!

Yes, OtB is a bit of a guilty pleasure of mine (even though I wince at some of the misogyny shown to poor Olive).

I think the "kitchen sink drama" for laughs quality appeals. And my parents tell me that the domestic setting, every one sat around the kitchen table with a bottle of milk in the middle, was an accurate reflection of how much of Britain lived.

Busaholic · 28 Aug 2016

yorksrob said:
. And my parents tell me that the domestic setting, every one sat around the kitchen table with a bottle of milk in the middle, was an accurate reflection of how much of Britain lived.

They are right.

yorksrob · 28 Aug 2016

Busaholic said:
They are right.

It ought to be on the social history syllabus :lol:

Incidentally, I got to see almost the entire On the Buses cannon on a now defunct cable channel called 'Men and Motors'.

It was part of a double bill with another enjoyable period sitcom from the sixties called 'Please Sir' about a young, idealistic teacher's attempts to get to grips with educating his inner city secondary school students. Well worth a watch if you get the chance.

Kite159 · 28 Aug 2016

MidnightFlyer said:
Only Fools and Horses's problem - went on far too long and stopped being as funny. Should have ended with them becoming millionaires, instead they churned out yet more Christmas specials and storylines thereafter. My favourite sitcom ever, Porridge, was a lot better for only ever doing three series and a couple of specials.

Agreed, they shouldn't have done those Christmas specials in the early 00s.

dgl · 28 Aug 2016

Same with Father Ted, would have loved more episodes (even though after they filmed the last show that unfortunately became impossible) but they wanted to stop it before it became stale and in my view it worked, however, keeping up appearances, Mr. Bean, blackadder, dads army and last of the summer wine are sitcoms that seemed to keep working even after lots of episodes and keeping up appearances only got cancelled because Patricia Routledge wanted to do something different (although strangely both her and clive went into the same stage show after keeping up appearances playing husband and wife!)

GarethJohn · 28 Aug 2016

BBC One is currently on a quest to ruin all it's Sitcoms by remaking them. They done it to Open All hours and are currently doing it to Porridge. (When the creators die is that it's cue to ruin the next? I hope John Cleese lives a few decades yet)
The second I heard canned laughter I turned over to the last of the truly great Sitcom that even when repeated endlessly is still funnier then the rehashed, canned laughter, Friends copycat nonsense ''Father Ted''

Busaholic · 28 Aug 2016

Richard Beckinsale's untimely death helped the decision not to make any further episodes of Porridge. I remember a live chat show just after his death with his widow (Judy?) and Ronnie Barker, and the latter was in floods of tears.

Best British Sitcoms

Established Member

RailUK Forums

Member

Established Member

Established Member

Established Member

Member

Veteran Member

Forum Staff

Established Member

Veteran Member

Member

Veteran Member

Established Member

Established Member

Established Member

Veteran Member

Veteran Member

Established Member

Established Member

Veteran Member

Veteran Member

Veteran Member

Member

Veteran Member

Veteran Member

Veteran Member

Veteran Member

Established Member

Member

Veteran Member