Greatest British Sitcom.

[Wat_Tyler]

I was swithering as to whether to put Father Ted in, as the money behind it, and the station was British, but I think it's really an Irish show. If it were in the poll, it would probably win.

Incidentally, if you've never seen Reggie Perrin - you really should. One of the few left-wing satires on Consumerism and the Bourgeois to be actually hilarious.
I suppose people will question having 'Porridge' in there, most probably won't have even heard of it, but if you can make a sitcom work that's set in a prison (and features Kate Beckinsale's dad), you make the list in my mind.

First person to mention The Good Life gets a chinese burn.

On edit - I took Porridge out. I'd momentarily forgotten Fawlty Towers.

[NightTrain]

1. I voted for "Red Dwarf," but who else remembers "The Goodies?"

Goody goody, yum yum!

[Wat_Tyler]

5. They had a character called Martha Farquhar.

That makes them punk.

[Pithlet]

6. I remember that!

I swear, every time I ever try to describe that show, no one ever remembers it. I was beginning to think I'd made it up. I was about 5 or so when I saw it, and haven't seen it since.

[DODI]

8. I love the Goodies!! I can't find any DVD or VHS here in the states.

I am dying to see the South African one again. But for sitcom I would have to say Faulty Towers. I will also watch To the Manor Born over and over and over and wish they would show Good Neighbors (I think that is the name of it) again.

[NightTrain]

22. I remember onen episode that involved a giant cat. The guys...

...ended up injecting it in the neck with some sort of shrinking potion. But to do so, they had to fly the oversized syringe up to the cat's neck with a bicycle attached to a hot air balloon.

I also remember an episode in which the guys somehow got sealed up in a tomb. Eventually, they each adopted a different religion. One of them became a Muslim and painted his face black.

Suffice it to say, "The Goodies" was a bizarre show! :crazy:

[Dr J]

123. this is on PLAY.com UK only.....

...but if you know a kind soul over here i'm sure they'd not mind purchasing and shipping them out to you....

http://www.play.com/play247.asp?searchtype=r2title&searchstring=the+goodies&page=search&Go.x=32&Go.y=7

[davidinalameda]

2. The Royal family

can't beat Chuck and Liz for laughs

[Wat_Tyler]

3. Good call.

I really need about six extra slots.

[Bok_Tukalo]

32. Went with Dwarf but I really like the Royles

<eom>

[opiate69]

4. Fawlty Towers.

[Magrittes Pipe]

7. Once in every lifetime, there comes a love like this.

Oh, I need you
You need me.
Oh, my darling, can't you see
We're the young ones.

[Wat_Tyler]

9. I bought their single.

They did a version of 'Living Doll' with Cliff Richard.

[Magrittes Pipe]

12. You're shitting me.

That, I was unaware of.

[Wat_Tyler]

15. Yeah - the b side was Vyvyan singing 'All The Little Flowers Are Happy'.

[Magrittes Pipe]

23. Have you the neccessary means to encode the analog sound...

...in digital format? You know, so you can gmail it to me?

[Wat_Tyler]

25. I bought it in 1986 - it's probably in my mum's attic in Aberdeen.

On second thoughts - I'm sure my brother still has it.

[dolo amber]

10. I'm Alan Partridge, much?

:eyes:

[Fenris]

11. Knowing Me, Knowing You with Alan Partridge

[Wat_Tyler]

13. You fuckers made me take out 'Spaced'.

[Fenris]

16. Viva Alan, fucker!

[Wat_Tyler]

20. I would also include 'The Comic Strip'.

But I think that's probably too obscure.

[dolo amber]

21. Adam and Joe?

That wasn't really so much a sitcom though...maybe a separate poll for Best Sketch Comedy show? :D

[Wat_Tyler]

26. Yeah, that'd fill up easy.

Then Brasseye and The Day Today, plus Armando Ianucci, Pete and Dud, Python etc get a look in.

[dolo amber]

39. Don't forget League of Gentlemen

[Wat_Tyler]

42. It's pretty pointless though.

Who'd respond? No-one but us has seen those shows.

[dolo amber]

46. What's the one...with the two Scottish guys...

....

Bah, I can't even think of anything descriptive except they make fun of Neds a lot... :shrug:

Edit: Heh...I love Google. "Scottish sitcom neds" and the first hit was it. :D

http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/tv/chewinthefat/

[Wat_Tyler]

49. Mr Don and Mr George? The High Life?

[WritersBlock]

95. "Still Game"

Jack & Victor have their own show now, and it's absolutely frickin' brilliant.

Or at least it has been.... I fear for the next series, because it's to be shown nationally.

[chenGOD]

98. Brasseye wasn't a patch on Blue Jam.

but Chris Morris is genius any way you slice him.

[Wat_Tyler]

24. Here it is.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/guide/articles/c/comicstrippresen_7771630.shtml

Not a sitcom per se, but you, Hedges, Dolo and Flamingyouth would go gaga over it. Damn fine stuff.

Particularly the pre-Tap Bad News.

http://www.sendit.com/video/item/7000000025349

[DODI]

14. I love Reggie too. I wish they would pick that up around here

instead of Fresh Fields or whatever that is.

[Wat_Tyler]

17. It was great - really scathing and really funny.

I'd bet Grot would make a fortune today.

[Bjornsdotter]

40. Didn't he make turnip wine?

That was incredibly funny!

Cheers,
Kim

[Wat_Tyler]

44. That's right.

Now why would someone inflict that on the world?

[Rowdyboy]

18. "Keeping Up Appearances"

Hyacinth Bucket ("That's Bouquet")

[LeftyMom]

47. I love that show! eom

nt

[Nicole]

84. I second that one

I loved Hyacinth with her Royal Daulton china & candlelight suppers.

[yellowcanine]

114. and the pained look on "RICHARD!"'s face when she came up with one

of her wild plans that of course included him. And there is Onslow in his wife-beater shirt and his beer in front of the telly. Don't forget him!

[flygal]

85. Yeah - why wasn't that included?!!

[Nicole]

88. Hyacinth is a class act lol

"Those who pretend to be superior make it hard for those of us who really are"

[Minstrel Boy]

19. I would have said Father Ted, but I agree,

it deserves to be considered Irish.

Blackadder, then, for me. Second series, especially.

[Wat_Tyler]

28. Yeah, that's probably the best.

Particularly for Lord Flashheart and Flossie the Sheep.

[Minstrel Boy]

58. When I think of that series, I think of Flossie the Sheep. n/t

[Wat_Tyler]

69. I think of a young milkmaid from Dorset.

[Deja Q]

27. Red Dwarf and Waiting for God

[Wat_Tyler]

30. Actually, Waiting for God is rather good.

I could've made two full polls, easy.

[murphymom]

29. Anybody remember

Waiting for God? I want to be Diana Trent when I grow up...

[hollywood926]

31. I can't believe I'm the first to say AbFab!

I love Fawlty Towers, but AbFab is my absolute favorite of all time! I haven't seen it in ages - I miss it.

[Wat_Tyler]

33. Nobody voted for The Office either.

How weird is that?

[Djinn]

89. that's what I was thinking

my fav's - Blackadder, Office and Black Books don't seem to have many DU fans

The Comic Strip not even listed!!!

[Wat_Tyler]

107. It wasn't really a sitcom, that's why I left it out.

[Bok_Tukalo]

34. No Coupling?

"I have the key to the gates of paradise, but I've got too many legs!"

[Wat_Tyler]

36. That would be in the second poll.

Or maybe the third.

[CBHagman]

48. Coupling deserves a mention because ...

...Sally's moral quandry about sleeping with Patrick was due to the fact that he was a Tory.

Seriously, though, I voted for Fawlty Towers ("Don't mention the war!"), though I am addicted to several British comedies. I also remember The Goodies, which ran on South Carolina public television in the 1970s and early '80s.

[Bok_Tukalo]

52. That was a good one

It was funny when he made her realize her political philosophy was no longer in opposition but actually relied upon to govern.

Art imitating life in America, now that that I think about it.

[tuvor]

35. Watery Fowls. n/t

[Mojambo]

80. Or Flowery Twats n/t

[donheld]

37. Are You Being Served?

:bounce::bounce::bounce::bounce::bounce::bounce::bounce::bounce::bounce::bounce::bounce::bounce::bounce::bounce::bounce::bounce:

[Wat_Tyler]

38. I know it was popular, but I never found it that funny.

There's only so many jokes you can make about old women's cats and genitals.

[miss_kitty]

56. And gay innuendo

oops! 'innuendo' right in step with their-erm-'sense of humour'. I think that is a terrible show. But I like Wendy Richards-as Pauline Fowler on 'Eastenders'

[Malikshah]

62. So very true

One can NEVER have too many jokes about genitalia (male or female) and double entendres...

This show is simply the best for me.

I own them and still can watch them and laugh.

[Be Brave]

72. Now that's hilarious!

Gotta love that bunch!

[Orsino]

41. Blackadder

None of the others are even close.

[Liberal In Texas]

74. Didn't care much for Blackadder 1. After that, brilliant. n/t

[Skittles]

43. Till Death Do Us Part

nt

[Wat_Tyler]

45. Good call.

[Skittles]

77. thanks Wat

I grew up in England and I remember when I returned to America thinking the TV shows here SUCKED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[miss_kitty]

50. French and Saunders

And Chef!

The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin is truly great

[Wat_Tyler]

54. Remind me.

I'll put French and Saunders in the sketch comedy poll.

[miss_kitty]

57. I loved the 'Baywatch' skit

Absolutely hilarious.
I also liked Rik Mayall Presents-Kinda comedy anthology. CBC used to run it late at night.

[Tyrone Slothrop]

108. Don't forget Alexei Sayle's Stuff

For the sketch comedy poll. That show used to crack me up.

[Wat_Tyler]

109. Sayle would be in. Particularly for Bobby Chariot.

[miss_kitty]

51. "First person to mention The Good Life gets a chinese burn"

Ooooooh Tom and Barbara!:evilgrin:

[Wat_Tyler]

53. My arms are stretching out as we speak.

[miss_kitty]

55. OwOwOwOwOw!

OW! that fucking burns, man...:P

[TyeDye75]

110. Thinking man's crumpet

[HEyHEY]

59. OPen all hours

[Wat_Tyler]

61. Ronnie Barker is a comic genius.

[peekaloo]

60. Flowery Twats nt

[ElectroPrincess]

63. Rumpole of the Baily

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/mystery/rumpole.html

[Flaxbee]

130. Yes. I adore Rumpole beyond all reason.

Leo McKern *was* Rumpole. I have read every Rumpole story Mortimer has written, and

[Liberal In Texas]

64. That's a hard one. But you left out Coupling.

I voted for Reginald Perrin, but Faulty is on par, and a classic that will never be repeated. (That was lofty, eh?)

The Doctor In the House deserves mention.

[Wat_Tyler]

65. By this point, we could fill three polls.

Perhaps one for each decade?

[mitchum]

66. "The Office" was great (and the only one worth a damn)...

the rest were just formula sitcoms where the characters talked funny. It always drove me crazy how idiot anglophiles always thought that britcoms were so much better. They are wrong. It's just Lucy and Ethel with boiled meat.

[SweetLeftFoot]

94. Peep Show

If you liked The Office, you'll like Peep Show.

[mitchum]

119. Thanks for the heads up

[Rabrrrrrr]

67. What about The Vicar of whatever the hell parish it was?

With what's her name, from that other comedy show?

Sorry to be so at a loss of names.

Fuckin' hilarious show, though! Absolutely hilarious!

[Liberal In Texas]

71. ...Dibly (or Dilby?)

TERRIBLE !

Just my opinion.

And my British wife's.

[Rabrrrrrr]

103. Yeah, one of those two - thanks!

You thought it terrible, eh?

Man, I watched it on DVD with some friends a while back, a whole season of 'em, and haven't laughed so hard in a long time at a TV show.

[smedwed]

115. Dibly

Is called the vicar of Dibly- not that ne1 cares

[Rabrrrrrr]

117. I assume you did not like the show, either?

Bummers. I still like it. :-)

And welcome to Du smedwed! :hi:

[Lex]

68. "The Royale Family". Hands down.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00004ZBXD/026-8246505-3754864

[Liberal In Texas]

73. OH YES.. Loved that one too, it had me hooked. n/t

[Lex]

76. Remember 'Baby David' and the

poor teenage son An-tony had to get everyone's tea for them, so they wouldn't have to leave the telly?

Great show.

[Liberal In Texas]

78. Oh yeah, just brilliant.

Great on finding the pic.

I thought Anthony was the brightest bulb.

I'm thinking that I've probably missed the last episodes as I was watching on PBS and they tend to be so spotty about their schedules.

[sendero]

70. Fawlty Towers....

.... despite its short run is funnier in 7 episodes than most of the others in 20 :)

[sakabatou]

75. Red Dwarf, Faulty Towers, Are you Being Served?

[TOhioLiberal]

79. Other:

'are you being served?'

[Neshanic]

81. All Rise For Julian Clary, Are You Being Served? are mine.

AYBS was worth the watching just for Mrs. Slocumbe. Hysterical characters.

BBC America way back aired a series called "All Rise for Julian Clary". Julian was the host of a type of people's court for a studio audience, and would weigh in and decide the outcome of the mundane, to the bizzarre, brought before him. Screamingly gay and very funny, he sat in an over the top set that could be only described as Michaelangelo's homo-erotic nightmare. His baliffs were two muscle guys in black leather shorts and the announcer complete with wig was the guy who played Captain Peacock on AYBS. The show was outrageously funny, and of course BBC America canned it because of RED STATE disease.

French and Saunders...also very funny. The pathetic band and sets were classic.

[tjwash]

82. "Chef"

God I love that show...

[Susang]

83. I refuse to vote, but you should check this site out

Has everything you ever wanted to know about those sitcoms:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/guide/

[billyskank]

86. Porridge was loads better than Fawlty Towers

Fawlty Towers just makes me cringe. Porridge makes me laugh out loud. Not contest. Open All Hours was also extremely good.

[PittPoliSci]

87. Spaced

if you haven't seen Shaun of the Dead, watch that too. Spaced is the sitcom made by the makers of Shaun of the Dead.

[SnowBack]

101. Spaced was great!

I have both seasons one and two on DVD... Love it!

[tjwmason]

90. Yes (Prime) Minister

How anybody could think that a sit-com set in a government department would work I don't know; but the machinations of the civil-servants and the minister (later Prime Minister) are utterly unsurpassed.

That said, be warned it was Thatcher's favourite show (she can't be all bad then?).

[roguevalley]

91. I loved that show. Especially when the PM finally caught on to

how Humphries did things. Had a crush on Bernard.

[tjwmason]

92. Apparently it's very accurate

The script-writers interviewed politicians about how civil-servants worked; and then interviewed civil-servants about how politicians work.

I loved the episode where Jim found his predecessor (now in the opposition), and the two of them beat Sir Humphrey.

Bernard was great in the way that he shifted between the two sides, sometimes backing Jim, and sometimes backing Sir Humphrey; and the way that he would throw in the most obscure corrections imaginable.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

116. YES! Yes, Prime Minister

:7

I can't imagine anyone in the U.S. producing a sitcom about how politics really works.

[Dzimbowicz]

96. Yes, this receives my vote as well.

Although the others are excellent: Black Adder, Keeping up Appearances, et al. Hacker, Humpy and Bernard never cease to make me fall out of my chair laughing.

[codswallop]

93. Butterflies --- gets my vote.

Vastly underrated disfunctional family comedy. The doting mom that couldn't cook at all (but tried valliantly). The two unemployed, hyper-hormonal teen boys she doted on. The unamused but resigned professional father.

It was great.

[Anarcho-Socialist]

97. Blackadder, with Yes (Prime) Minister 2nd

Although by tomorrow, my favourites might be different.

[TheMightyFavog]

99. I didn't come here looking for trouble...

I just came to do the Red Dwarf Shuffle.

Can any of those other shows say that they have an official http://www.deep7.com/games/reddwarf/">Roleplaying Game?

[chenGOD]

100. The new one, "Look Around You" is really good..

Although I guess that's more shorts than actual episodes.

Apparantly this year's series has changed the format slightly?

[DistantWind88]

102. Fools and Horses

& You Again.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

104. Can you buy the Blackadder series in DVD?

Never saw it but it looks great from what people comment.

[Bridget Burke]

106. Yes, Blackadder is out on DVD....

There's a complete set with all four seasons, 2 special shows & lots of extras. I inherited the VHS set but might shell out for the DVD. You could rent a few, first. Netflix has them.

Blackadder is my favorite, but AbFab & The Young Ones are right up there.

My very favorite may be Father Ted.

[Michael_UK]

105. All those people voting for Ab Fab must be insane

Can they be banned?

(Only joking)

[TyeDye75]

111. I see no Dads Army...

my favourite is Blackadder..

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sitcom/top10.shtml

[maveric]

112. "Doctor in the House" from the 70's.

Anyone remember that one?

[yellowcanine]

113. "Keeping Up Appearances." Very funny. I liked "Are You Being Served?"

also.

[Byronic]

118. Only Fools And Horses, Dad's Army,

...there are so many to choose from. I'd vote for Blackadder from that list.

Dad's Army is an all-time great too. The characters were superb. The chemistry between Arthur Lowe (Captain Mainwaring) and the incomparable John Le Mesurier (Sgt Wilson) was magical in my opinion.

Also, I want to make a shout for one of the oldest of the British sitcoms: Hancock's Half Hour.

[Taxloss]

120. Bold effort to include Black Books there.

A great sitcom, but sadly not worthy for the pantheon.

[AntiCoup2K4]

121. It's Red Dwarf, you Smegheads!!

[Liberal_Andy]

122. Good Neighbors!!!!

Tom, Barbara, Jerry & Margo!

:toast:

[liberalpragmatist]

124. Does anybody know of this WW2 spoof called "ALLO, ALLO"?

I loved that one when it used to be on PBS.

But I guess I'd say I like Keeping Up Appearances best. Fawlty Towers and Yes Minister/Yes Prime Minister were great as well.

[Wat_Tyler]

127. Um. You did notice how massively racist it was, right?

[yellowdogintexas]

128. "Listen very carefully, I shall say this only once..."

of course I know 'Allo 'Allo, one of the silliest, craziest, most totally English farces ever perpetuated on the world!

From the same outfit that created Are you Being Served.

'Allo Allo was just one running gag after another, each one tacked on to the one before, continuing ad nausem through out the entire series:

fallen maddonna with the big boobies
Oh Renne!
what are you doing in the closet with that girl

you stupid woman

Herr Flick to Helga: you may kiss me now

[HCeline69]

125. The Thin Blue Line

I would also like to take this moment to express my undying devotion to Mina Anwar!
Does radio count, because I can never get enough of The Goon Show.
But, if I have to choose a single British television sitcom that does not include Mina Anwar in the cast, it would have to be AbFab.

[Bouncy Ball]

126. You bitches better vote for AbFab before I fight you.

[Patsy Stone]

131. Sweetie, Darling

I did! :toast:

[yellowdogintexas]

129. "Fawlty Towers" on this particular list, however

the house favorites in the yellowdog family are:

Good Neighbors
To The Manor Born
'Allo, 'Allo
The Last of the Summer Wine
Are You Being Served?
Waiting for God
Yes, Minister/Prime Minister
Vicar of Dibley
May to December...which jumped the shark when the lead female was recast

btw BBCAmerica is having an
"Are You Being Served " Marathon this coming weekend.