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Top 10 British Sitcoms of all time

treeduck

By treeduck,
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blackhawkrush

blackhawkrush

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Any love for 'And Mother Makes Three / Five'? Or at least for Wendy Craig. :drool: I don't like sit-coms involving children, but these two didn't bother me.

I liked her in Butterflies, with another early appearance from "Rodney" Nicholas Lyndhurst as her son. Much better than the character he had in Going Straight.

Your top two shows and Going Straight featured Richard Beckinsale. As I watched those series, I was looking up some of the actors on wikipedia. I was shocked to learn that Richard died at the age of 31, and was the father of Kate Beckinsale of Underworld film series.
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blackhawkrush
blackhawkrush

I like your list so we can't be that far apart. I can't wait to hear your review of Allo Allo. Since you have that show listed after Hi-De-HI, I assume you think it was even worse?

Tony R
Tony R

In no particular order other than Blackadder:   Blackadder Red Dwarf The League Of Gentlemen Porridge Only Fools And Horses Bottom Fawlty Towers Phoenix Nights I’m Alan Partridge The Royle Family    

lerxt1990
lerxt1990

I liked it, and interestingly, many of the same issues covered then are still prevalent today! Funny too - Ive read that Hacker was supposed to be a centrist Tory, but upon watching it I thought he w

treeduck

treeduck

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Any love for 'And Mother Makes Three / Five'? Or at least for Wendy Craig. :drool: I don't like sit-coms involving children, but these two didn't bother me.

I liked her in Butterflies, with another early appearance from "Rodney" Nicholas Lyndhurst as her son. Much better than the character he had in Going Straight.

Your top two shows and Going Straight featured Richard Beckinsale. As I watched those series, I was looking up some of the actors on wikipedia. I was shocked to learn that Richard died at the age of 31, and was the father of Kate Beckinsale of Underworld film series.

Yeah in 1979, soon after filming of the Porridge movie was completed. Very young to die of a heart attack.

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blackhawkrush

blackhawkrush

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And so for the Rising Damp movie in 1980 they replaced Richard with Christopher Strauli who went on to star in the #4 on my list Only When I Laugh with James Bolam, Peter Bowles and Richard Wilson.

I loved the hospital setting. I binged watched that series and was over with it in no time. Great acting.
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treeduck

treeduck

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And so for the Rising Damp movie in 1980 they replaced Richard with Christopher Strauli who went on to star in the #4 on my list Only When I Laugh with James Bolam, Peter Bowles and Richard Wilson.

I loved the hospital setting. I binged watched that series and was over with it in no time. Great acting.

Yeah each character was great, three different styles of malingerers, a shifty doctor with dodgy ethics, and an incompetent, oddball nurse.

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blackhawkrush

blackhawkrush

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And so for the Rising Damp movie in 1980 they replaced Richard with Christopher Strauli who went on to star in the #4 on my list Only When I Laugh with James Bolam, Peter Bowles and Richard Wilson.

I loved the hospital setting. I binged watched that series and was over with it in no time. Great acting.

Yeah each character was great, three different styles of malingerers, a shifty doctor with dodgy ethics, and an incompetent, oddball nurse.

How about another Peter Bowles series 'To the Manor Born'? It seems he liked portraying more sophisticated characters.
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treeduck

treeduck

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And so for the Rising Damp movie in 1980 they replaced Richard with Christopher Strauli who went on to star in the #4 on my list Only When I Laugh with James Bolam, Peter Bowles and Richard Wilson.

I loved the hospital setting. I binged watched that series and was over with it in no time. Great acting.

Yeah each character was great, three different styles of malingerers, a shifty doctor with dodgy ethics, and an incompetent, oddball nurse.

How about another Peter Bowles series 'To the Manor Born'? It seems he liked portraying more sophisticated characters.

Yeah and also the Bounder, it seemed to be his forte. He also good as a guest star in the late 60's and 70's, in shows like the Saint, the Avengers, the Protectors, Danger Man, The Baron, The Prisoner, The Persuaders, Department S, Special Branch, Rising Damp, Space 1999, Tales of the Unexpected and many more.

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IbanezJem

IbanezJem

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Any love for 'And Mother Makes Three / Five'? Or at least for Wendy Craig. :drool: I don't like sit-coms involving children, but these two didn't bother me.

I`ll go as far as to say I strongly dislike children featuring on any kind of show (or anywhere in my world, come to think of it). Hence my love for Python, Fawlty Towers, Blackadder, and with US shows, the mighty Sunny in Philadelphia, 30 Rock, Curb, Frasier. Kids are only in them to get hit :smash: But the best thing of all is when there is no laughter track. I don`t need to be told when I should laugh :tsk:
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condemned2bfree

condemned2bfree

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Any love for 'And Mother Makes Three / Five'? Or at least for Wendy Craig. :drool: I don't like sit-coms involving children, but these two didn't bother me.

I`ll go as far as to say I strongly dislike children featuring on any kind of show (or anywhere in my world, come to think of it). Hence my love for Python, Fawlty Towers, Blackadder, and with US shows, the mighty Sunny in Philadelphia, 30 Rock, Curb, Frasier. Kids are only in them to get hit :smash: But the best thing of all is when there is no laughter track. I don`t need to be told when I should laugh :tsk:

 

One thing that aids a comedy is a live audience. It supports the timing and makes for a natural feel, in performance. Reminded of Fools and Horses where the characters often wait for the laughing to stop, it's quite dramatic at times. Its nemesis is the canned laughter track. I'd rather have nothing than canned laughter. Canned laughter ruins comedic effect and enjoyment IMO.

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condemned2bfree

condemned2bfree

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The lack of love for Are You Being Served is a travesty!

I thought that was a bit weak. After Dad's Army those writers got progressively weaker, starting with Are you Being Served, then It Ain't Half Hot Mum, and Hi Di Hi, Allo Allo, You Rang M'Lord, each one worse than the last.

 

The writing for those show was a bit weak. Peaked with Dad's made a sort of return with Hi De Hi}Allo , then fizzled out.

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treeduck

treeduck

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Ever Decreasing Circles could possibly make my top 10. Though it was more a play type study than guffaw, all out comedy.

I never really got into that one, I preferred Richard Briers' other one, The Good Life.

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condemned2bfree

condemned2bfree

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Ever Decreasing Circles could possibly make my top 10. Though it was more a play type study than guffaw, all out comedy.

I never really got into that one, I preferred Richard Briers' other one, The Good Life.

 

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treeduck

treeduck

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The Open All Hours Maiden, got me thinking. How many 'metal' t shirts did Vivian wear?

 

I recall Whitesnake, Rush! Saxon and Motorhead, Kiss. Were there more? Must have been. Exploited featured maybe.

Yeah he was definitely a metal guy.

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zepphead

zepphead

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And so for the Rising Damp movie in 1980 they replaced Richard with Christopher Strauli who went on to star in the #4 on my list Only When I Laugh with James Bolam, Peter Bowles and Richard Wilson.

I loved the hospital setting. I binged watched that series and was over with it in no time. Great acting.

Yeah each character was great, three different styles of malingerers, a shifty doctor with dodgy ethics, and an incompetent, oddball nurse.

How about another Peter Bowles series 'To the Manor Born'? It seems he liked portraying more sophisticated characters.

I liked Bowles in the Irish RM - a nice gentle humour and coming from this part of the world I could really appreciate it!

But perhaps not so much a sit-com as a comedy-drama.

Edited by zepphead
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treeduck

treeduck

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And so for the Rising Damp movie in 1980 they replaced Richard with Christopher Strauli who went on to star in the #4 on my list Only When I Laugh with James Bolam, Peter Bowles and Richard Wilson.

I loved the hospital setting. I binged watched that series and was over with it in no time. Great acting.

Yeah each character was great, three different styles of malingerers, a shifty doctor with dodgy ethics, and an incompetent, oddball nurse.

How about another Peter Bowles series 'To the Manor Born'? It seems he liked portraying more sophisticated characters.

I liked Bowles in the Irish RM - a nice gentle humour and coming from this part of the world I could really appreciate it!

But perhaps not so much a sit-com as a comedy-drama.

He's best in Only When I Laugh, The Bounder and the guest role in Rising Damp.

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zepphead

zepphead

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And so for the Rising Damp movie in 1980 they replaced Richard with Christopher Strauli who went on to star in the #4 on my list Only When I Laugh with James Bolam, Peter Bowles and Richard Wilson.

I loved the hospital setting. I binged watched that series and was over with it in no time. Great acting.

Yeah each character was great, three different styles of malingerers, a shifty doctor with dodgy ethics, and an incompetent, oddball nurse.

How about another Peter Bowles series 'To the Manor Born'? It seems he liked portraying more sophisticated characters.

I liked Bowles in the Irish RM - a nice gentle humour and coming from this part of the world I could really appreciate it!

But perhaps not so much a sit-com as a comedy-drama.

He's best in Only When I Laugh, The Bounder and the guest role in Rising Damp.

Always the 'smoothie' character
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