Favorite British TV comedy?

It's amazing what doesn't get shown on PBS anymore... :shrug:

I saw a few of these on BBC America. I laughed my ass off.

or "FAulty Towers"?

Everybody knows of those two shows. :-)

Well, people know Coupling but I'd rather advertise the good UK version instead of the crap US version I won't even go into because it's so bad...

AbFab
Fawlty Towers
Monty Python
BlackAdder
Keeping Up Appearances

the supreme British comedy, though they've turned out a few good ones since.

I am a BIG fan...

:D

I love Patsy and Eddie!

...Dad's Army, The Goodies, and my vote, Father, Dear Father.

is the stand out favorite for me.

An unvarnished view of commonplace political bafoonery. I wish it were possible to do an American version.

on the air.

One suspects that it's too close to the truth of how things are actually done in government.

Rowan Atkinson's trio of great comedies ---

Black Adder

Mr. Bean

Thin Blue Line

Each are very different; each are terrific.

The episode where their stuck in the trenches & the field commander keeps sending messenger Pigeons with vital info to them.

and the cook keeps killing them & serving them up vital messages and all.

Laughed till I cried.

Steve Coogan's talents will unfortunately be wasted in "Around The World In 80 Days", but he's one of the funniest people on the planet.

The Young Ones
Father Ted
Fawlty Towers

and there's another one I liked but don't see these days -- about a woman Episcopal minister in a tiny bucolic hamlet in rural England. Can;t even remember the comedienne's name -- Dawn something?

She's half the creative team that came up with "Absolutely Fabulous". And she's married to Lennie Henry, known to many as "Chef".

Appearaces; our local PBS station used to have all three on Saturday nights-loved them! Now the just have "The Lawrence Welk hour" and "Are you being served"? :-(

Dawn French had a cameo as "The fat lady" in the latest Harry Potter movie.

:-)

Then there's Blackadder, which I'm currently going through.

A couple weeks ago, on a flight to London (on the office's tab) I saw Ab Fab for the first time. I wonder if my public library will someday acquire the DVD's.

:thumbsup:

Along with Benny Hill. Without them, I would have never become as addicted to BBC America as I am these days.

One of our PBS stations does the Sunday night comedies. I don't know how you all could have left out Red Dwarf. Blasphemy. :evilgrin:

having a poll on "Best Male Hollywood Dancer" and leaving out both Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire.

Not really. I just remember that title from a long time ago.

I am a huge Ab Fab fan -- I actually stayed at a huge beach house in the outer banks owned by my girlfriend's British boss. The 4-story house was CALLED "Absolutely Fabulous" (Brits all give their houses names), and contained a complete set of videos from the show.

nm

series, Dad's Army, Fawlty Towers, Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em (Michael Crawford!), Man About The House (template for Three's Company), The Good Life, A Fine Romance, To The Manor Born, etc, etc, etc.

I loved that show. I'd really like to see that again.

And The Dave Allen Show.

It's an acquired taste but once you get it you're hooked



http://www.mgnet.karoo.net/reggieperrin.htm

wishing that I could see this show again....

Definitely one to watch out for...haven't seen it since way back, probably in its initial run.

Reginald Perrin, what a great show.

Dave Allen, one of the fuuniest comics ever, dry ...

Makes me remember "Yes, Minister" and "Yes, Prime Minister" ... also very good and funny programs.

And what about "The Two Ronnies"?

Indeed The Two Ronnies

Brilliant Brit Comedy

Ronnie Corbett & Ronnie Barker

The Two Ronnies :)

I loved that show.

David Jason was also great in The Top Secret Life of Edgar Briggs back when I was a kid.

(nova)

I loved that show...well, both shows, the rise and fall and the fall and rise, or however it worked out.

And before that Leonard Rossitter was in Rising Damp, also a good one.

The Top Secret Life of Edgar Briggs

Rising Damp

That brings back good memories

Both excellent especially Rising Damp

favorite, Fawlty Towers. John Cleese and the whole crew were the most hilarious.

Second most favorite, at my age, was Waiting for God.

Third most favorite was Are You Being Served.

Fourth most favorite was Keeping Up Appearances.

The status of the last three often fluctuated, but Fawlty Towers was, to me, the absolutely most hilarious without question.

Unfortunately, my State of South Carolina, being rather limited in their abilities to appreciate the value of humor or the value of funding my favorite programs offers me very little.

Thanks be, I video taped many of the programs while living in Georgia, so I can enjoy them from time to time.

Helluva lot better than Termite-ater and Jason and Freddie and Michael (Halloween) VIII or whatever they are up to by now.

What ever you do don't mention the War. :) LOL

Sybil goes into the hospital to have an ingrowing toenail removed. Basil has to cope with a fire drill and a party of Germans unaided. His determination to avoid 'mentioning the war' has disastrous results.

British Comedy has peaked with that episode.

Absolutely brilliant casting in "Vicar".

Great Socialist/Progressive sketch comedy.

Sayle: "Good morning, Comrade Broadcast Facility Ushers!"

Ushers: "Good morning, Comrade comedy show host! ...Who was that fat bastard?!"

The best ever.

I would have to agree.:)

Doctor in the House

but there are many other good ones too.

What's wrong with you? Didn't even list it!

Joan Sims, who played Madge (Lionel's stepmother) died in 2001. As far as I know, she's the only regular from "As Time Goes By" who has passed away.

utterly sick...and hysterical.

Monty Python has to be mentioned as well, not to mention The Young Ones!

Monty Python
Fawlty Towers
Blackadder
Mr Bean
Young Ones

Love that show!!

ally

Fawlty Towers

Man About the House - the one Three's Company copied, and 1000 times better

If we're counting Irish telly as well, then it has to be Father Ted. Hands down. French and Saunders is up there, too. Girls on Top... funny as well. The Young Ones - a classic.
And I was always partial to Groundforce. That Alan Titschmarsh was just delightful, and he could throw together one hell of a garden. It was not a comedy, but he was charmingly funny, and worked well with his crew.

There are so many good ones.

:thumbsup:

Starring: Michael Palin

Nine lavishly filmed half-hour comedies,

Fawlty Towers

and Keeping Up Appearances

...and Coupling. I don't really get that Bean guy though, doesn't work for me.

Makes the short list of best comedy EVER...in any country

I once read all the Amazon.com (not .co.uk) reviews, and the Office only got one of two scores - usually 5 stars, but it was amazing that if it didn't get 5 stars, it got 1 !!

The Office is class and recommend it unreservedly to anyone who hasn't yet seen it. They only made 2 6-episode series, but it's one of the great original comedy series of all time - mould-breaking and side-splitting. The David Brent character is outstanding, and gives Basil Fawlty a run for his money.

Glad to see Leonard Rossiter getting his props on here - truly that man was a comic genius - God rest his soul.

It doesn't beat you over the head with a laugh track. I've seen the same episode 3 or 4 times, and you can always find something new.

By the end, it was positively tragic. Can't get the final scene out of my head...

You know there's good writing involved when you can both loathe and pity a character. Plenty of both. I loved the "You'll have a mutiny on your hands."

Sorry, wrong forum!

Followed closely by Yes (Prime) Minister.

Wubble.

and I've never even heard of "The Piglet Files" or "Good Neighbours". The winner of course is "Dad's Army". Ensemble playing par excellence and hilarious scripts.

Father Ted rules!

"Keeping Up Appearances" and "As Time Goes By".

I really like both.

Actually, KET (the Kentucky public television network) schedules a Saturday nights' worth of British comedy. Alot of fun!

The Office, of course!