Sitcoms have been a staple of British television since the 1960s, with the 1970s in particular heralding in a so-called ‘golden age’. Between the ’70s and early ’80s, a host of hilarious and inventive situation comedies brought laughter and joy to people all over the country and, indeed, the world.
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The best sitcoms featured an array of quirky, eccentric characters in a variety of settings. They often coveredquite serious topics, too(sometimes tenderly, sometimes…not so much!) including class, family, sexuality, death, religion, race and so on. What are some of thebest British sitcomsthat have passed on into television legend?
10Open All Hours
Starring comedy stalwarts Ronnie Barker, David Jason and Lynda Baron,Open All Hoursis set in a quiet littlegrocery storein Yorkshire. It follows the store owner, the stuttering Arkwright (Barker) and his curmudgeonly ways, as he tries to squeeze every last penny out of his customers, whilst he simultaneously lusts after Gladys Emmanuel (Baron).
It’s a gentle, typically 1970s show peppered with eccentric customers and a lovelorn Granville (Jason), Arkwright’s put-upon errand boy. The last series aired in 1985, but a sequel show,Still Open All Hours, began airing in 2013.
9Porridge
Ronnie Barker was a big name throughout the 1970s and ’80s, starring in a host of sitcoms and variety shows.Porridgeis arguably one of the most popular, in which he plays prison inmate Norman Fletcher, bunking up with fellow prisoner Lennie (Richard Beckinsale,father of Kate).
With its confined prison setting,Porridgemakes the most of its eclectic cast of characters, including the hostile prison warden Mr Mackay. Some of its representations are rather dated now, butPorridgeremains an endlessly witty series. A sequel show,Going Straight, was also very good.
8Last Of The Summer Wine
At 31 series,Last of the Summer Wineis the longest-running sitcom in the world. It primarily centers on the pensioners of a peaceful village in Yorkshire. Lead initially byPeter Sallis, the show had a revolving door of iconic characters over the many decades, who find themselves in silly situations.
One of the reasons behind the show’s popularity was its family-friendly humor. It wasn’t inappropriate, and it was nice to see older faces represented on national television. The final series was broadcast in 2010, after 295 episodes in total.
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7Bottom
Filthy, grotesque, crude, offensive….just a few ways you could describeBottom, a vehicle for the ultimate ‘comedy punks’Rik Mayalland Ade Edmonson. A natural successor to one of their earlier shows,The Young Ones,Bottomtells the story of two unemployed men living in a grotty flat in London.
They’re alcoholic, idiotic, and extremely violent. The fight sequences play out like live-action cartoons, with Rik and Ade (as Richie and Eddie, respectively) whacking each other, cutting fingers off and setting each other alight. Absolutely outrageous.
6Keeping Up Appearances
Written by Roy Clarke (who also createdLast of the Summer WineandOpen All Hours),Keeping Up Appearancesis the ultimate comedy of manners. It follows Hyacinth Bouquet (played to perfection by Patricia Routledge), a lady obsessed with her own social status, and her put-upon husband Richard (Clive Swift).
Hyacinth goes to extreme measures to preserve her popularity and social standing, but is often undone by her rough sister’s all-too-common family. Many say thatKeeping Up Appearanceswas the last truly great British sitcom.
5Red Dwarf
A sitcom set in space, with a beer-chugging bloke, a half-cat, half-man creature, an eccentric and slightly pompous android, and a totally nauseating hologram? It was a huge gamble, but somehowRed Dwarftook off and earned its place in comedy (and sci-fi) history.
What makesRed Dwarfso good is that it is full-onscience fiction. The show tackles any number of big concepts, from parallel universes to self-aware AI, but does so in an accessible way. The characters are all relatable, and some of the model effects are genuinely good. A landmark series!
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4The Vicar Of Dibley
Dawn French plays Geraldine, Dibley’s first ever female vicar in the hilariousThe Vicar of Dibley. The eponymous village is populated by a host of eccentric characters, who all contribute to a wonderful show that balances humor with heart.
The Vicar of Dibleytackled sexuality, gender politics, religion, and so much more during its run, and did so with an infectious spirit. It was also one of the rare sitcoms that had ongoing storylines, ensuring that the residents of Dibley all felt real.
3Fawlty Towers
Inspired by a real-life situation when theMonty Pythoncrew were on tour,Fawlty Towersis the story of a very stressed hotel manager called Basil Fawlty (John Cleese), and his battleaxe wife Sybil (Prunella Scales). It’s a comedy of magnificent errors, and John Cleese plays the role of an angry, harassed man all-too well.
Throw into the mix a waiter who can’t speak English and a rotation of annoying guests, and the result is one of the funniest comedies of all time. It only ran for twelve episodes, but it has lived on, bringing new generations into the chaos of a little hotel in Torquay.
2Blackadder
Each season ofBlackadderis set in a different century, following the various generations of a man called Edmund Blackadder.After a middling first season, in which Blackadder (Rowan Atkinson) was a rather bumbling, idiotic type, the show corrected itself. Blackadder became a cold, calculating and endlessly witty man with a dim-witted sidekick called Baldrick (Tony Robinson).
Full of dark humor, razor-sharp wit and hilarious guest appearances from some comedy greats,Blackadderis a near-perfect example of the more adult British sitcoms. Not only does it boast one of the best Christmas specials ever, but the final episode of the original series (set during World War 1) pulls the rug from underneath everyone with a heart-breaking ending.
1Only Fools And Horses
Only Fools and Horseswasn’t an immediate hit in the UK, but it has since gone on to become one of the best-loved comedies in the world. Following the exploits of wheeler dealer Del Boy Trotter (David Jason),Only Fools…balanced hilarity with character. The show had ongoing storylines, with moments of drama and heart-break, bolstered by an excellent supporting cast.
The series ended in 1991, but lived on in a long run of Christmas specials. So much ofOnly Fools…has become iconic, from Del Boy and his brother Rodney (Nicholas Lyndhurst) dressed as Batman and Robin running toward a criminal in the night, to the garish, three-wheeled car they drove. A bona fide classic.
