Not enough love here for Black Books. Some days we could all benefit from being a little more like Bernard. Most days it’s best that we’re not. And Taskmaster never fails to make me laugh.
Not enough love here for Black Books. Some days we could all benefit from being a little more like Bernard. Most days it’s best that we’re not.
That episode of Manny running away and becoming a model for a beard magazine still gets me so hard. And I can never see Peter Serafinowicz without thinking of his sexy radio voice. Honestly one of...
That episode of Manny running away and becoming a model for a beard magazine still gets me so hard. And I can never see Peter Serafinowicz without thinking of his sexy radio voice. Honestly one of my favourite comedies ever.
To this day, whenever I read the name "Fran" I hear it in my head in Serafinowicz's low, slightly confused growl. He did an excellent job of portraying a minor character in such a memorable way.
To this day, whenever I read the name "Fran" I hear it in my head in Serafinowicz's low, slightly confused growl. He did an excellent job of portraying a minor character in such a memorable way.
One of my favorite little moments is when Bernard gets a "popsicle" and it's just a frozen bottle of wine with a stick in it and he smashes the bottle off.
One of my favorite little moments is when Bernard gets a "popsicle" and it's just a frozen bottle of wine with a stick in it and he smashes the bottle off.
When he gets into a fight to get beat up by thugs is so great. Just to save Bernard sort of but not really. Also the show about Rome is hilarious and rather accurate.
When he gets into a fight to get beat up by thugs is so great. Just to save Bernard sort of but not really.
Also the show about Rome is hilarious and rather accurate.
I'm British, and I think British comedy is (was?) special in that it is often self-deprecating, sober and introspective. Favourite series from my childhood: Red Dwarf – I really liked the pacing...
I'm British, and I think British comedy is (was?) special in that it is often self-deprecating, sober and introspective.
Favourite series from my childhood:
Red Dwarf – I really liked the pacing and desperation of the first series, where the last human finds his only companions are a fastidious hologram and a disturbed ship computer. Central characters like The Cat and Kryten are added to the cast later making a great central 4/5. Gets a bit formulaic by later series.
Blackadder – historical mockery of the first order. Each series employs the same actors in different roles. Rowan Atkinson (Mr Bean) really found his character from series 2. All the characters are huge, which makes it even the more shocking when Rik Mayall turns up to steal the show.
Fall and Rise of Reginald Perin (original, third series wasn't so great) – dissatisfied office worker fakes his own death to escape the monotony, but can't quite keep give up his old life. Whilst quite a simple comedy, I can't help but love the premise and the illustration of the class system, especially the middle class, of the time.
Rising Damp – another series with Reginald Perin actor, Leonard Rossiter, this one is about a downtrodden, naïve bedsit landlord who accepts a well educated, intelligent African tenant, with much suspicion. Think this was quite a progressive programme that played on the fears and racist tendencies of the white British during the Windrush era.
Only Fools and Horses – staple in the 80s, this comedy is about a loveable rogue with big ambitions but little luck or intelligence, resulting in him falling for get-rich scheme after scheme. Had some great moments I won't spoil. I think I might have to rewatch this as I've not seen it in decades.
Vicar of Dibley – conventional comedy but has some great, lovable characters. The vicar is the stable rock in a sea of needy quirkiness.
Young Ones – absolutely bonkers, absurd comedy from Ben Elton that sticks a bunch of disfunctional characters in a house together
Bottom – take the Young Ones, dial down the absurdity just a little but dial up the absurd violence quite a lot.
More recent stuff:
Peepshow – genius comedy that shows you the thoughts of the characters in their awkward life situations
Inbetweeners – absolutely one of my all time favourites. Coming of age comedy that captures what it was like growing up in suburbia, and all the awkwardness of adolescence.
IT Crowd – more of a conventional comedy this still manages some really special moments
If you want to include panel shows, Would I Lie to You is amazing. Lee Mack is absolutely amazing and he and David Mitchell play off each other perfectly. It also reminds me a bit of watching Sandi Toksvig on Call My Bluff when I was a kid.
I think Frasier is a good example of American comedy that manages to do what British comedy often does.
I've been hearing rumours about that reboot for so long that I just assumed it was fans' wishful thinking. But, you prompted me to do some checking, and it's real. It looks like yet another series...
I've been hearing rumours about that reboot for so long that I just assumed it was fans' wishful thinking. But, you prompted me to do some checking, and it's real. It looks like yet another series being rebooted to drive traffic to a streaming service, based on the nostalgia factor. I'm also reminded of those elderly rock bands who do a final world tour when they're in their 60s, to boost their retirement savings.
I see that David Hyde Pierce said he's not interested in coming back to play Niles again. It looks like Frasier is going to be on his own again. That's a shame, because the Frasier-Niles pairing was such a core component of the show.
My household already has a subscription to Paramount+ so I'll be watching it, but I wouldn't subscribe just for this show.
Can I add Bottom to the list? That show had some wonderful writing and excellent comedy chops. I particularly liked the bottle episode where they were stuck on the Ferris wheel. To write a full...
Can I add Bottom to the list? That show had some wonderful writing and excellent comedy chops. I particularly liked the bottle episode where they were stuck on the Ferris wheel. To write a full episode while both main characters are sitting in a seat is incredible.
The stag episode of Peep Show is one of my favorite TV show episodes of all time, but it's not something I can watch over and over. Too much anxiety building to the big reveal.
The stag episode of Peep Show is one of my favorite TV show episodes of all time, but it's not something I can watch over and over. Too much anxiety building to the big reveal.
On average, I generally prefer British comedies to American comedies (with some Australian comedies thrown in). But, looking at my DVD collection, which reflects the television shows I like enough...
On average, I generally prefer British comedies to American comedies (with some Australian comedies thrown in). But, looking at my DVD collection, which reflects the television shows I like enough to actually spend money on, they tend to be older shows.
My favourite British sitcoms, in no particular order:
Yes, Minister and Yes, Prime Minister - simply some of the best television ever made
The Good Life - funny with a social message and a personal story
Miranda - "such fun!"
Vicious - two old queens playing two old queens, with sweet-and-sour sauce poured all over
To the Manor Born - the role that was written for Penelope Keith, and she shines in it
Fawlty Towers - no list of comedy series is complete without this gem
"Bear with... bear with... bear with..." I love the fact that everyone else around her does actually stop and wait, rather than just talking around her.
"Bear with... bear with... bear with..." I love the fact that everyone else around her does actually stop and wait, rather than just talking around her.
Very happy to see appreciation for Yes, Minister and 'Allo, 'Allo! I'm not from the UK, but grew up watching a lot of comedies from there, and I've always loved these ones.
Very happy to see appreciation for Yes, Minister and 'Allo, 'Allo! I'm not from the UK, but grew up watching a lot of comedies from there, and I've always loved these ones.
Why do you put Fawlty Towers in the top tier while Blackadder slides into the second? For my money Fawlty Towers feels like a classic where I see the forms more than I laugh at the comedy, but...
Why do you put Fawlty Towers in the top tier while Blackadder slides into the second?
For my money Fawlty Towers feels like a classic where I see the forms more than I laugh at the comedy, but somehow it makes sense as a classic however dated the comedy in retrospect. A bit like Black Books, perhaps, though I think some of its waning is due to the loss of my initial unexpected shock.
I find the hit-to-miss ratio on Fawlty Towers to be higher than Blackadder. Series 4 of Blackadder doesn't appeal to me, and series 1 is like a rough first draft (Prince Edmund isn't much fun as a...
I find the hit-to-miss ratio on Fawlty Towers to be higher than Blackadder. Series 4 of Blackadder doesn't appeal to me, and series 1 is like a rough first draft (Prince Edmund isn't much fun as a victim, instead of the conniving bastard his descendants were). Actually, I've just edited that entry from "not season 4" to "only seasons 2 & 3" - although I do also like the 'Back and Forth' millennium special.
I haven't really watched many British comedy fiction shows, but I am a fan of Taskmaster (my favorite show), Qi, 8 out of 10 Cats, and other panel shows. The style of comedy just vibes with me...
I haven't really watched many British comedy fiction shows, but I am a fan of Taskmaster (my favorite show), Qi, 8 out of 10 Cats, and other panel shows. The style of comedy just vibes with me more than other types of comedy. Seeing the absolute absurdity that comes out of these types of shows never fails to make me laugh until it hurts! I haven't started the latest season of Taskmaster, though. Perhaps I'll do that this weekend...
Taskmaster is one of the most extraordinary pieces of media ever created. The thing I love most about it is that I'm still routinely surprised by the show but it still always feels comfortable to...
Taskmaster is one of the most extraordinary pieces of media ever created. The thing I love most about it is that I'm still routinely surprised by the show but it still always feels comfortable to watch because of how well-edited it is. Season 10 is my favorite but that's probably only because that's the first season I watched.
Dude! I fell for this show hard during the pandemic I fell in love with every cast member from every season and was introduced to James Acaster who had me cracking up ever episode!
Dude! I fell for this show hard during the pandemic
I fell in love with every cast member from every season and was introduced to James Acaster who had me cracking up ever episode!
I had been meaning to start watching it for ages but kept forgetting until last night. Wow, two episodes in and it is genuinely one of the funniest things I've seen in ages. Plus I have a huge...
I had been meaning to start watching it for ages but kept forgetting until last night. Wow, two episodes in and it is genuinely one of the funniest things I've seen in ages. Plus I have a huge crush on Greg Davies so that's a nice bonus.
Season 11 was my first one, I remember it fondly. Then I started watching all the others in order, and 10 was my absolute least favourite 😬 Though a lot of that was due to it being the first...
Season 11 was my first one, I remember it fondly.
Then I started watching all the others in order, and 10 was my absolute least favourite 😬
Though a lot of that was due to it being the first season with the corona regulations.
(I've also noticed how much I disliked episodes of panel shows that had no audience, or a "streamed in" audience, during the pandemic.)
Gotta start somewhere! I'm a fan of many of the classics: Young Ones, Mighty Boosh, Dark Place, League of Gentlemen, IT Crowd etc. But also many of the recent, one-off or limited series like...
Gotta start somewhere! I'm a fan of many of the classics: Young Ones, Mighty Boosh, Dark Place, League of Gentlemen, IT Crowd etc. But also many of the recent, one-off or limited series like Friday Night Dinner, Lead Balloon, Snuffbox, Toast of London etc.
You like Dark Place? Awesome, I love that show so much! Just to check, have you seen Black Books? It's scratches a similar spot for me as the IT Crowd, but a bit more sarcastic.
You like Dark Place? Awesome, I love that show so much! Just to check, have you seen Black Books? It's scratches a similar spot for me as the IT Crowd, but a bit more sarcastic.
Detectorists is in my top 3 favorite shows of all time. It is so warm and uplifting and funny at times, I wish I could recapture the magic of watching it for the first time. Can't recommend it...
Detectorists is in my top 3 favorite shows of all time. It is so warm and uplifting and funny at times, I wish I could recapture the magic of watching it for the first time. Can't recommend it enough — don't expect huge guffaws but do expect to smile and honestly, feel peaceful.
Oh, and Peep Show. Love Peep Show, although I never watched the final season.
I was looking to see if anyone had mentioned Peep Show. I’m British living in the UK and as far as I’m concerned no other comedy captures so much of the prevailing culture in Britain during the...
I was looking to see if anyone had mentioned Peep Show. I’m British living in the UK and as far as I’m concerned no other comedy captures so much of the prevailing culture in Britain during the shows run, if not through an absurd lens. For this reason, I’ve often wondered how well the show translates to audiences outside of the UK. There’s the big references to current affairs, e.g. politics, which may be fairly obvious, but it’s so rich in minor and seemingly throwaway details that really make it so relatable as a British person. Either way, brilliant show!
As an American whose never traveled outside of America, I think Peep Show is one of the greatest and most funny shows that exists. The unique way it is shot, being able to hear their thoughts, it...
As an American whose never traveled outside of America, I think Peep Show is one of the greatest and most funny shows that exists. The unique way it is shot, being able to hear their thoughts, it is so relateable. I just really enjoy everything about it. I've shown it to others (Americans) over the years, and most have liked it but it def isn't for everyone.
I do love David Mitchell and Robert Webb, but I started with their other show, That Mitchell and Webb look, and Peep Show never landed quite as well as the sketches did. It's really good though,...
I do love David Mitchell and Robert Webb, but I started with their other show, That Mitchell and Webb look, and Peep Show never landed quite as well as the sketches did. It's really good though, and just very relatable!
I'm a US-born anglophone living in Asia, and I absolutely love Peep Show probably for this very reason. When I was a child, we didn't have much access to British TV like we do now. For me, Peep...
no other comedy captures so much of the prevailing culture in Britain during the shows run, if not through an absurd lens. For this reason, I’ve often wondered how well the show translates to audiences outside of the UK.
I'm a US-born anglophone living in Asia, and I absolutely love Peep Show probably for this very reason. When I was a child, we didn't have much access to British TV like we do now. For me, Peep Show and UK TV in general is kind of a voyeuristic pleasure, if I may call it that, but it is also very relatable on many levels. I may also feel that way because I have been living abread as a foreigner for a decade and some change. Perhaps that makes me more vulnerable or receptive to the humor in that I may long for it in the way one craves the comfort food of their homeland. I'd be curious to know what is especially relatable for UK viewers.
There’s the big references to current affairs, e.g. politics, which may be fairly obvious
Yep. IT Crowd, Black Books, Jeeves and Wooster, A Bit of Fry and Laurie, Red Dwarf, (as an aside, Norman Lovett's stand up sets are fucking hilarious) Taskmaster, The Young Ones, Friday Night...
Yep. IT Crowd, Black Books, Jeeves and Wooster, A Bit of Fry and Laurie, Red Dwarf, (as an aside, Norman Lovett's stand up sets are fucking hilarious) Taskmaster, The Young Ones, Friday Night Dinner, I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue, the list goes on.
I am amazed nobody has mentioned Father Ted yet! I have many I love but my top 5 are probably Black Books, IT Crowd, Father Ted, Dark Place, and That Mitchell and Webb Look. (I know many have...
I am amazed nobody has mentioned Father Ted yet! I have many I love but my top 5 are probably Black Books, IT Crowd, Father Ted, Dark Place, and That Mitchell and Webb Look.
(I know many have mentioned Peep Show but personally I prefer the Mitchell and Webb short sketches over the full running story)
Ah, my bad! I am an immigrant living in England, I started watching Father Ted when I was living in the Neds and put 'from the British Isles' in one big pot. You're right, it's not actually British.
Ah, my bad! I am an immigrant living in England, I started watching Father Ted when I was living in the Neds and put 'from the British Isles' in one big pot. You're right, it's not actually British.
15 Storeys High with Sean Lock.Most of the episodes are on YouTube, and I'd highly recommend it if you like unique, dark and dry humour about the mundane every day life of a man living in a tower...
15 Storeys High with Sean Lock.Most of the episodes are on YouTube, and I'd highly recommend it if you like unique, dark and dry humour about the mundane every day life of a man living in a tower block in London.
Still Game is a show about two old age pensioners hanging out with their friends in a neighbourhood in Glasglow.
Going to throw out a recommendation for Stath Lets Flats as I haven't seen anyone else mention it. It's available on Channel 4 in the UK, not sure about elsewhere. It has a sort of an Office vibe...
Going to throw out a recommendation for Stath Lets Flats as I haven't seen anyone else mention it. It's available on Channel 4 in the UK, not sure about elsewhere. It has a sort of an Office vibe - workplace centred cringy comedy but a bit more anarchic.
Also Derry Girls is fantastic, both for giving a feel for what it was like living in Northern Ireland in the 90s and for its realistic portrayal of teenagers as basically a bit mad. It has a lot of heart as well and is all around just a lovely series.
I am a huge Taskmaster fan, and what i will miss most from Reddit are the episode discussion threads. Actually most of my specific reddit inquiries are discussion threads on TV episodes im watching.
I am a huge Taskmaster fan, and what i will miss most from Reddit are the episode discussion threads. Actually most of my specific reddit inquiries are discussion threads on TV episodes im watching.
yeah youre right. looks like it just changed recently. from your link: "As of 6 June 2023, the latest version of this schedule indicates that the season will now not begin until 2 August 2023" i...
yeah youre right. looks like it just changed recently. from your link:
"As of 6 June 2023, the latest version of this schedule indicates that the season will now not begin until 2 August 2023"
i use an app seriesguide to track my shows and upcoming episodes and thats where i saw the release date next week. and just refreshed it and now it says unknown
I've just watched the most famous ones like Fawlty Towers, The I.T. Crowd and Blackadder (damn that theme is stuck in my head now). I really liked them all and rated them 9/10 on imdb. Also who...
I've just watched the most famous ones like Fawlty Towers, The I.T. Crowd and Blackadder (damn that theme is stuck in my head now). I really liked them all and rated them 9/10 on imdb. Also who can forget Mr. Bean almost everyone on Earth has watched it and laughed until you get tears in your eyes
So, lots of people have mentioned TV programmes, and I'd like to mention a few radio programmes that you might enjoy. Cabin Pressure - a sitcom written by John Finnemore and starring Finnemore,...
So, lots of people have mentioned TV programmes, and I'd like to mention a few radio programmes that you might enjoy.
Cabin Pressure - a sitcom written by John Finnemore and starring Finnemore, Stephanie Cole, Roger Allam and Benedict Cumberbatch. It's set in a tiny private airline. There are 26(?) episodes. It starts simply enough - here's a new pilot who's not very good, here's an older more experienced pilot, here's the grumpy boss, and here's the comedy idiot. But these characters show growth over the series, and information is revealed about them that makes them more sympathetic and more real. The producers have a playlist of clips here. And there are probably full episodes available on YouTube or the Internet Archive or torrent sites.
Bigipedia - A lot of people missed the point of Bigipedia. On first listen of the first episode you come away with the impression that it's a bit of a spoof of online encyclopaedias, or a "what would happen if Wikipedia was dysfunctional and run by a moderately evil corporation?". That's the framing of the show, but they build from that to include a lot of comedy horror elements. The producer (again, Pozzitive) has some clips. Here's one from episode one: Bigipedia clip And another from episode three
Don't Start. There's not a huge amount on the Internet about this, so I'll copy and paste the para from wikipedia: "In 2011, he wrote and performed a Radio 4 comedy series, Don't Start, with Katherine Parkinson. Each episode was based on an argument between Skinner's character Neil and Neil's girlfriend Kim. Skinner said each episode was only 15 minutes as it was "too intense" to be any longer. Don't Start returned for a second series in 2012, and aired its third and final series in 2015-2016. " A programme that features a 15 minute argument between a couple doesn't sound promising, and he's right, it can be pretty intense, but it's also very funny. Parkinson is excellent, and Skinner is one of the funniest people working in comedy today.
Anyone who is or knows a millenial parent will most likely love Motherland. Anyone who is a human being (who can withstand wincing/cringing at awkwardness) will love Fleabag.
Anyone who is or knows a millenial parent will most likely love Motherland.
Anyone who is a human being (who can withstand wincing/cringing at awkwardness) will love Fleabag.
Fleabag!! I had almost forgotten about that until you mentioned it. I think I binge watched the whole thing and came out thinking 'well, at least I am not as bad a human as I thought I was, there...
Fleabag!! I had almost forgotten about that until you mentioned it. I think I binge watched the whole thing and came out thinking 'well, at least I am not as bad a human as I thought I was, there is another level'
That said, if I encountered a priest looking exactly like Andrew Scott I would question my morals too!
The UK version of The Office is one of my favorites (and vastly superior to the US version, IMO). The IT Crowd is fantastic. I just finished a great show with Matt Berry called "Toast Of London",...
The UK version of The Office is one of my favorites (and vastly superior to the US version, IMO). The IT Crowd is fantastic. I just finished a great show with Matt Berry called "Toast Of London", and I'm currently on season 2 of "Are You Being Served?", which I had seen here and there on PBS, but I'm absolutely loving plowing through the whole thing.
Every few years I come back to and re-watch "Coupling". In terms of sitcoms it's sort of in the vain of Friends but just so much better (although I still re-watch Friends regularly for the...
Every few years I come back to and re-watch "Coupling". In terms of sitcoms it's sort of in the vain of Friends but just so much better (although I still re-watch Friends regularly for the nostalgia, or just to fall asleep to). Coupling is not high-brow or overly intellectual in any sense, but of course it's a bit more intelligent in its humour, and it's a very casual and fun watch in my opinion.
I keep finding joy in the fact that Richard Coyle, who played Jeff, the guy who had trouble with the word moist, ended up playing Moist von Lipwig in the Going Postal (Discworld) adaptation. Shame...
I keep finding joy in the fact that Richard Coyle, who played Jeff, the guy who had trouble with the word moist, ended up playing Moist von Lipwig in the Going Postal (Discworld) adaptation.
Shame about the fourth series though. Jeff was irreplaceable.
Yeah, Jeff was irreplaceable and he definitely had the most memorable quotes and situations. But in comparison to many american sitcoms of the time, Steven Moffat did a good job of spreading out...
Yeah, Jeff was irreplaceable and he definitely had the most memorable quotes and situations. But in comparison to many american sitcoms of the time, Steven Moffat did a good job of spreading out the fun weirdness and personally traits over multiple characters, rather than having each character represent a quite one dimensional stereotype.
I grew up with 80's Brit sitcoms. I'm told my mum actually went into labour because she laughed too hard watching Young Ones. Red Dwarf is my jam these days, but I've binged on many shows...
I grew up with 80's Brit sitcoms. I'm told my mum actually went into labour because she laughed too hard watching Young Ones.
Red Dwarf is my jam these days, but I've binged on many shows mentioned already. Then there's Bottom, Vicar of Dibley, Comic Strip Presents - and here's a more obscure one, Filthy, Rich and Catflap (basically Young Ones/Bottom humour Rik Mayall is known for.)
I'll also add Dinnerladies to the list. It's more Sunday afternoon TV, but still a classic.
My wife and I have gotten into a bunch of British comedies over the last 3+ years. I can recommend: Am I being unreasonable, Ambassadors, Back, Bloods, The Cleaner, Cuckoo, Cunk on.., Derry Girls,...
My wife and I have gotten into a bunch of British comedies over the last 3+ years.
I can recommend: Am I being unreasonable, Ambassadors, Back, Bloods, The Cleaner, Cuckoo, Cunk on.., Derry Girls, The Duchess, Ellie & Natasha, Flowers, Fresh Meat, Game Face, Ghosts, Hullraisers, The Inbetweeners, Joe Lycett's Got Your Back, Late Night Lycett, Lovesick, Mandy, Meet the Richardsons, The Mighty Boosh, Moone Boy, Noel Fielding's Luxury Comedy, Outsiders, Peep Show, People Just Do Nothing, Rain Dogs, Romantic Getaway, This Country, Toast of London, & Toast of Tinseltown.
We discovered most of these shows by watching Taskmaster, Never Mind the Buzzcocks, Would I Lie to You and Hypothetical and then looking up the funniest cast members and seeing what else they were in.
Lots of good suggestions on this thread but haven't seen any mention of the BBC series Ghosts. It's great and I'm sad it's ending with the next series.
Lots of good suggestions on this thread but haven't seen any mention of the BBC series Ghosts. It's great and I'm sad it's ending with the next series.
I’m yank. I’ve always though Absolutely Fabulous was… well… absolutely fabulous. Graham Norton is right up there for me too. That show is always a riot.
If you like sketch comedy, Burnistoun (Scottish, so I think technically it fits here) is a blast. This is the sketch that got me hooked. Lots of great recurring characters, too (Jolly Boy John is...
If you like sketch comedy, Burnistoun (Scottish, so I think technically it fits here) is a blast. This is the sketch that got me hooked. Lots of great recurring characters, too (Jolly Boy John is my favorite).
Lots of people mentioning various sitcoms and sketch shows, but I haven't been seeing much love for all the panel shows. I'm a huge fan of a lot of them including Taskmaster, Would I Lie To You, 8...
Lots of people mentioning various sitcoms and sketch shows, but I haven't been seeing much love for all the panel shows. I'm a huge fan of a lot of them including Taskmaster, Would I Lie To You, 8 Out of 10 Cats, Last Leg, and (RIP) Mock the Week. Also the annual Big Fat Quiz of the Year and whatever the additional Quiz is that year.
Not enough love here for Black Books. Some days we could all benefit from being a little more like Bernard. Most days it’s best that we’re not.
And Taskmaster never fails to make me laugh.
That episode of Manny running away and becoming a model for a beard magazine still gets me so hard. And I can never see Peter Serafinowicz without thinking of his sexy radio voice. Honestly one of my favourite comedies ever.
To this day, whenever I read the name "Fran" I hear it in my head in Serafinowicz's low, slightly confused growl. He did an excellent job of portraying a minor character in such a memorable way.
Fraaaan? Are you alright Fran? I am coming Fran! I am coming!
Haha, thanks for the heads up, that was an unfortunate typo!
I just reread it and I get it now!
Well, I am not going to correct that one, but it's way too funny this way!
Taskmaster and OG Top Gear %100 watches.
One of my favorite little moments is when Bernard gets a "popsicle" and it's just a frozen bottle of wine with a stick in it and he smashes the bottle off.
The heat wave one, where Manny goes crazy because it gets too hot!
When he gets into a fight to get beat up by thugs is so great. Just to save Bernard sort of but not really.
Also the show about Rome is hilarious and rather accurate.
I'm British, and I think British comedy is (was?) special in that it is often self-deprecating, sober and introspective.
Favourite series from my childhood:
More recent stuff:
If you want to include panel shows, Would I Lie to You is amazing. Lee Mack is absolutely amazing and he and David Mitchell play off each other perfectly. It also reminds me a bit of watching Sandi Toksvig on Call My Bluff when I was a kid.
I think Frasier is a good example of American comedy that manages to do what British comedy often does.
I agree. 'Frasier' is my favourite American sitcom, for this very reason.
Frasier is coming back and apparently going to have Nicholas Lyndhurst in it. Truly a transatlantic mash up
I've been hearing rumours about that reboot for so long that I just assumed it was fans' wishful thinking. But, you prompted me to do some checking, and it's real. It looks like yet another series being rebooted to drive traffic to a streaming service, based on the nostalgia factor. I'm also reminded of those elderly rock bands who do a final world tour when they're in their 60s, to boost their retirement savings.
I see that David Hyde Pierce said he's not interested in coming back to play Niles again. It looks like Frasier is going to be on his own again. That's a shame, because the Frasier-Niles pairing was such a core component of the show.
My household already has a subscription to Paramount+ so I'll be watching it, but I wouldn't subscribe just for this show.
Frasier quotes thread?
Oh I’m sorry was I snippy? I didn’t think it’d be too much to ask there not be gun play in my living room
Down by the river was a little Tom tit...
Same I wouldn't pay but I'll be torrenting it as soon as I can. Hoping it doesn't destroy my nostalgia by being too shit
Can I add Bottom to the list? That show had some wonderful writing and excellent comedy chops. I particularly liked the bottle episode where they were stuck on the Ferris wheel. To write a full episode while both main characters are sitting in a seat is incredible.
It's already on there :) I was so sad when Rik Mayall passed away. The guy was absolutely amazing.
I totally missed it! Rik was incredible and is such a loss.
The stag episode of Peep Show is one of my favorite TV show episodes of all time, but it's not something I can watch over and over. Too much anxiety building to the big reveal.
Red Dward and IT Crowd are so good! The Red Dwarf theme song is great, as is the Rimmer song haha.
Thanks for this list! I've watched a few of these (my username is a peep show reference), but I need something new to watch so this is great!
On average, I generally prefer British comedies to American comedies (with some Australian comedies thrown in). But, looking at my DVD collection, which reflects the television shows I like enough to actually spend money on, they tend to be older shows.
My favourite British sitcoms, in no particular order:
Yes, Minister and Yes, Prime Minister - simply some of the best television ever made
The Good Life - funny with a social message and a personal story
Miranda - "such fun!"
Vicious - two old queens playing two old queens, with sweet-and-sour sauce poured all over
To the Manor Born - the role that was written for Penelope Keith, and she shines in it
Fawlty Towers - no list of comedy series is complete without this gem
Some second-tier faves include:
The Goodies
Are You Being Served?
The IT Crowd
'Allo, 'Allo
Blackadder (only seasons 2 & 3)
Miranda is so good. It's great to see Tom Ellis before Lucifer too and also being a dork.
"Bear with" is my favorite quote from it.
"Bear with... bear with... bear with..." I love the fact that everyone else around her does actually stop and wait, rather than just talking around her.
My partner and I use it all the time to do stuff, process thoughts, etc. and always brings a smile when it starts too.
Very happy to see appreciation for Yes, Minister and 'Allo, 'Allo! I'm not from the UK, but grew up watching a lot of comedies from there, and I've always loved these ones.
Why do you put Fawlty Towers in the top tier while Blackadder slides into the second?
For my money Fawlty Towers feels like a classic where I see the forms more than I laugh at the comedy, but somehow it makes sense as a classic however dated the comedy in retrospect. A bit like Black Books, perhaps, though I think some of its waning is due to the loss of my initial unexpected shock.
Blackadder, though inconsistent, feels timeless.
I find the hit-to-miss ratio on Fawlty Towers to be higher than Blackadder. Series 4 of Blackadder doesn't appeal to me, and series 1 is like a rough first draft (Prince Edmund isn't much fun as a victim, instead of the conniving bastard his descendants were). Actually, I've just edited that entry from "not season 4" to "only seasons 2 & 3" - although I do also like the 'Back and Forth' millennium special.
That's definitely true. Cheers!
I love them both but can rewatch all of fawlty towers a few times a year but rarely do a blackadder rewatch.
Great show, as long as you don’t mention the war!
I haven't really watched many British comedy fiction shows, but I am a fan of Taskmaster (my favorite show), Qi, 8 out of 10 Cats, and other panel shows. The style of comedy just vibes with me more than other types of comedy. Seeing the absolute absurdity that comes out of these types of shows never fails to make me laugh until it hurts! I haven't started the latest season of Taskmaster, though. Perhaps I'll do that this weekend...
Taskmaster is one of the most extraordinary pieces of media ever created. The thing I love most about it is that I'm still routinely surprised by the show but it still always feels comfortable to watch because of how well-edited it is. Season 10 is my favorite but that's probably only because that's the first season I watched.
Dude! I fell for this show hard during the pandemic
I fell in love with every cast member from every season and was introduced to James Acaster who had me cracking up ever episode!
I had been meaning to start watching it for ages but kept forgetting until last night. Wow, two episodes in and it is genuinely one of the funniest things I've seen in ages. Plus I have a huge crush on Greg Davies so that's a nice bonus.
Season 11 was my first one, I remember it fondly.
Then I started watching all the others in order, and 10 was my absolute least favourite 😬
Though a lot of that was due to it being the first season with the corona regulations.
(I've also noticed how much I disliked episodes of panel shows that had no audience, or a "streamed in" audience, during the pandemic.)
Does Cunk on Earth count?
Yes!!! Philomena Cunk is brilliant. One of my favorite bits is where she gets emotional over nuclear weapons.
These are all amazing suggestions! I'd only add Black Books to the list.
Gotta start somewhere! I'm a fan of many of the classics: Young Ones, Mighty Boosh, Dark Place, League of Gentlemen, IT Crowd etc. But also many of the recent, one-off or limited series like Friday Night Dinner, Lead Balloon, Snuffbox, Toast of London etc.
You like Dark Place? Awesome, I love that show so much! Just to check, have you seen Black Books? It's scratches a similar spot for me as the IT Crowd, but a bit more sarcastic.
Yeah, a big fan of Black Books! It had some really original gags. The Pope's wine episode is an all time fave.
Detectorists is in my top 3 favorite shows of all time. It is so warm and uplifting and funny at times, I wish I could recapture the magic of watching it for the first time. Can't recommend it enough — don't expect huge guffaws but do expect to smile and honestly, feel peaceful.
Oh, and Peep Show. Love Peep Show, although I never watched the final season.
Detectorists is amazing tv. They get so much right about male friendship. It's genuinely funny, but also heartwarming.
I was looking to see if anyone had mentioned Peep Show. I’m British living in the UK and as far as I’m concerned no other comedy captures so much of the prevailing culture in Britain during the shows run, if not through an absurd lens. For this reason, I’ve often wondered how well the show translates to audiences outside of the UK. There’s the big references to current affairs, e.g. politics, which may be fairly obvious, but it’s so rich in minor and seemingly throwaway details that really make it so relatable as a British person. Either way, brilliant show!
As an American whose never traveled outside of America, I think Peep Show is one of the greatest and most funny shows that exists. The unique way it is shot, being able to hear their thoughts, it is so relateable. I just really enjoy everything about it. I've shown it to others (Americans) over the years, and most have liked it but it def isn't for everyone.
I do love David Mitchell and Robert Webb, but I started with their other show, That Mitchell and Webb look, and Peep Show never landed quite as well as the sketches did. It's really good though, and just very relatable!
I'm a US-born anglophone living in Asia, and I absolutely love Peep Show probably for this very reason. When I was a child, we didn't have much access to British TV like we do now. For me, Peep Show and UK TV in general is kind of a voyeuristic pleasure, if I may call it that, but it is also very relatable on many levels. I may also feel that way because I have been living abread as a foreigner for a decade and some change. Perhaps that makes me more vulnerable or receptive to the humor in that I may long for it in the way one craves the comfort food of their homeland. I'd be curious to know what is especially relatable for UK viewers.
Jeremy's poem "Bush" comes to mind :b
Yep. IT Crowd, Black Books, Jeeves and Wooster, A Bit of Fry and Laurie, Red Dwarf, (as an aside, Norman Lovett's stand up sets are fucking hilarious) Taskmaster, The Young Ones, Friday Night Dinner, I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue, the list goes on.
Edit: I forgot Feel Good! Feel Good is amazing
I am amazed nobody has mentioned Father Ted yet! I have many I love but my top 5 are probably Black Books, IT Crowd, Father Ted, Dark Place, and That Mitchell and Webb Look.
(I know many have mentioned Peep Show but personally I prefer the Mitchell and Webb short sketches over the full running story)
Probably because it's not British :). But it's a great series.
Ah, my bad! I am an immigrant living in England, I started watching Father Ted when I was living in the Neds and put 'from the British Isles' in one big pot. You're right, it's not actually British.
I also forgot Father Ted isn’t British and almost posted it! What a great series though, easily one of my favorites.
"That would be an ecumenical matter"
Still love that episode so much
Spaced deserves way more attention than it gets.
True. I used "skip to the end" on my SO one time. Luckily she was also a fan so I was suffered to live.
There are lots of times I have thought that in my head, but never actually said it ;-)
15 Storeys High with Sean Lock.Most of the episodes are on YouTube, and I'd highly recommend it if you like unique, dark and dry humour about the mundane every day life of a man living in a tower block in London.
Still Game is a show about two old age pensioners hanging out with their friends in a neighbourhood in Glasglow.
Going to throw out a recommendation for Stath Lets Flats as I haven't seen anyone else mention it. It's available on Channel 4 in the UK, not sure about elsewhere. It has a sort of an Office vibe - workplace centred cringy comedy but a bit more anarchic.
Also Derry Girls is fantastic, both for giving a feel for what it was like living in Northern Ireland in the 90s and for its realistic portrayal of teenagers as basically a bit mad. It has a lot of heart as well and is all around just a lovely series.
I am a huge Taskmaster fan, and what i will miss most from Reddit are the episode discussion threads. Actually most of my specific reddit inquiries are discussion threads on TV episodes im watching.
Taskmaster++. Having it between series is NOT IDEAL. Hopefully Australia gets going again soon-ish.
NZ S04 starts next week!
Does it? Taskmaster.info says August 2.
yeah youre right. looks like it just changed recently. from your link:
"As of 6 June 2023, the latest version of this schedule indicates that the season will now not begin until 2 August 2023"
i use an app seriesguide to track my shows and upcoming episodes and thats where i saw the release date next week. and just refreshed it and now it says unknown
I forgot all about that one - I didn't think it was going to survive series 3 - looks like the NZ gov paid the tab.
Everything that Chris Morris touches is comedy gold IMHO.
Edit: Jam, The Day Today, Brasseye, Four Lions
Gonna throw Red Dwarf into the mix here too. I like the newer series but the original run was fantastic.
I've just watched the most famous ones like Fawlty Towers, The I.T. Crowd and Blackadder (damn that theme is stuck in my head now). I really liked them all and rated them 9/10 on imdb. Also who can forget Mr. Bean almost everyone on Earth has watched it and laughed until you get tears in your eyes
So, lots of people have mentioned TV programmes, and I'd like to mention a few radio programmes that you might enjoy.
Cabin Pressure - a sitcom written by John Finnemore and starring Finnemore, Stephanie Cole, Roger Allam and Benedict Cumberbatch. It's set in a tiny private airline. There are 26(?) episodes. It starts simply enough - here's a new pilot who's not very good, here's an older more experienced pilot, here's the grumpy boss, and here's the comedy idiot. But these characters show growth over the series, and information is revealed about them that makes them more sympathetic and more real. The producers have a playlist of clips here. And there are probably full episodes available on YouTube or the Internet Archive or torrent sites.
Bigipedia - A lot of people missed the point of Bigipedia. On first listen of the first episode you come away with the impression that it's a bit of a spoof of online encyclopaedias, or a "what would happen if Wikipedia was dysfunctional and run by a moderately evil corporation?". That's the framing of the show, but they build from that to include a lot of comedy horror elements. The producer (again, Pozzitive) has some clips. Here's one from episode one: Bigipedia clip And another from episode three
Don't Start. There's not a huge amount on the Internet about this, so I'll copy and paste the para from wikipedia: "In 2011, he wrote and performed a Radio 4 comedy series, Don't Start, with Katherine Parkinson. Each episode was based on an argument between Skinner's character Neil and Neil's girlfriend Kim. Skinner said each episode was only 15 minutes as it was "too intense" to be any longer. Don't Start returned for a second series in 2012, and aired its third and final series in 2015-2016. " A programme that features a 15 minute argument between a couple doesn't sound promising, and he's right, it can be pretty intense, but it's also very funny. Parkinson is excellent, and Skinner is one of the funniest people working in comedy today.
Bleak Expectations This features plenty of absurdist comedy. Here's a long, 15 minute, clip: torture scene .
Anyone who is or knows a millenial parent will most likely love Motherland.
Anyone who is a human being (who can withstand wincing/cringing at awkwardness) will love Fleabag.
Fleabag!! I had almost forgotten about that until you mentioned it. I think I binge watched the whole thing and came out thinking 'well, at least I am not as bad a human as I thought I was, there is another level'
That said, if I encountered a priest looking exactly like Andrew Scott I would question my morals too!
The UK version of The Office is one of my favorites (and vastly superior to the US version, IMO). The IT Crowd is fantastic. I just finished a great show with Matt Berry called "Toast Of London", and I'm currently on season 2 of "Are You Being Served?", which I had seen here and there on PBS, but I'm absolutely loving plowing through the whole thing.
I'm surprised nobody mentioned Monty Python yet. The holy grail is one of the best comedy movies ever made IMO.
Well, the ask was for series, so Flying Circus would probably be a better candidate for the discussion,.
Every few years I come back to and re-watch "Coupling". In terms of sitcoms it's sort of in the vain of Friends but just so much better (although I still re-watch Friends regularly for the nostalgia, or just to fall asleep to). Coupling is not high-brow or overly intellectual in any sense, but of course it's a bit more intelligent in its humour, and it's a very casual and fun watch in my opinion.
I keep finding joy in the fact that Richard Coyle, who played Jeff, the guy who had trouble with the word moist, ended up playing Moist von Lipwig in the Going Postal (Discworld) adaptation.
Shame about the fourth series though. Jeff was irreplaceable.
Yeah, Jeff was irreplaceable and he definitely had the most memorable quotes and situations. But in comparison to many american sitcoms of the time, Steven Moffat did a good job of spreading out the fun weirdness and personally traits over multiple characters, rather than having each character represent a quite one dimensional stereotype.
My favourite has to be brasseye. Chris Morris is so good. The day to day is also funny but not as good imo
I grew up with 80's Brit sitcoms. I'm told my mum actually went into labour because she laughed too hard watching Young Ones.
Red Dwarf is my jam these days, but I've binged on many shows mentioned already. Then there's Bottom, Vicar of Dibley, Comic Strip Presents - and here's a more obscure one, Filthy, Rich and Catflap (basically Young Ones/Bottom humour Rik Mayall is known for.)
I'll also add Dinnerladies to the list. It's more Sunday afternoon TV, but still a classic.
My wife and I have gotten into a bunch of British comedies over the last 3+ years.
I can recommend: Am I being unreasonable, Ambassadors, Back, Bloods, The Cleaner, Cuckoo, Cunk on.., Derry Girls, The Duchess, Ellie & Natasha, Flowers, Fresh Meat, Game Face, Ghosts, Hullraisers, The Inbetweeners, Joe Lycett's Got Your Back, Late Night Lycett, Lovesick, Mandy, Meet the Richardsons, The Mighty Boosh, Moone Boy, Noel Fielding's Luxury Comedy, Outsiders, Peep Show, People Just Do Nothing, Rain Dogs, Romantic Getaway, This Country, Toast of London, & Toast of Tinseltown.
We discovered most of these shows by watching Taskmaster, Never Mind the Buzzcocks, Would I Lie to You and Hypothetical and then looking up the funniest cast members and seeing what else they were in.
Listen very carefully, I shall say this only once.
Lots of good suggestions on this thread but haven't seen any mention of the BBC series Ghosts. It's great and I'm sad it's ending with the next series.
I’m yank. I’ve always though Absolutely Fabulous was… well… absolutely fabulous.
Graham Norton is right up there for me too. That show is always a riot.
If we count Inside Number 9 that'd be my inclusion to the list. Particular mention to the Couchette episode.
If you like sketch comedy, Burnistoun (Scottish, so I think technically it fits here) is a blast. This is the sketch that got me hooked. Lots of great recurring characters, too (Jolly Boy John is my favorite).
Lots of people mentioning various sitcoms and sketch shows, but I haven't been seeing much love for all the panel shows. I'm a huge fan of a lot of them including Taskmaster, Would I Lie To You, 8 Out of 10 Cats, Last Leg, and (RIP) Mock the Week. Also the annual Big Fat Quiz of the Year and whatever the additional Quiz is that year.
Does anybody here remember "League of Gentlemen", are you local?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=meF7NmfnXZ0
Some missing ones
Spaced (simon pegg)
Teachers
Coupling( andrew lincoln)