OK, here we go. Instead of doing a massive multi-quote, I’m just going to go through the suggested shows in order. Ahem:
• Wodehouse Playhouse – nice. Haven’t heard of it. I like Wodehouse. Is it as good as Jeeves and Wooster?
• Summer Heights High – OK. Never heard of it. I’m impressed to get two new ones right off the bat, but this is Australian, so I reserve the right to remain smug.
• Chef! – seen it, wasn’t blown away
• Fawlty Towers – Own the DVDs, of course.
• Monty Python’s Flying Circus – Own the DVDs
• The Vicar of Dibley – Seen it. Meh.
• Not Going Out – I like Lee Mack a lot, but I’ve seen a few episodes of this, and it was just too mainstreamy sitcommy for me. Setup, punchline, repeat. Didn’t like it.
• The IT Crowd – Seen it. Not bad.
• Father Ted – Seen it. Not bad.
• the Armstrong and Miller show – Seen it. Love it.
• Peep Show! – Seen it. Love it.
• Monarch of the Glen – Seen it. It was OK, then got boring.
• Doc Martin – On my hard drive, but I haven’t watched it yet. I watched the movie that spawned the character, though.
• Murder Most Horrid – Seen it. Not bad.
• The Games – I’ve heard of this for years, and haven’t ever been able to find it. I’d like to see it.
• Black Adder – Of course! I was about to say I own the DVDs, but I think I have it on VHS.
• QI – Seen it. Love it.
• Misfits – Seen it. Pretty good.
• The Catherine Tate Show – I haven’t seen a lot of it, but what I have, I didn’t like. It seemed similar to Little Britain, which I loathe: lots of catch phrases, little actual humor.
• Mock the Week – Love it
• Never Mind the Buzzcocks – I really want to like it, but I know NOTHING about music, so it zooms right past me. Too bad. Bill Bailey’s great.
• Have I Got News For You – Love it
• Would I Lie to You – Love it
• The Bubble – It’s OK. Would watch again.
• 8 Out of 10 Cats – Watch it regularly.
• That Mitchell and Webb Look – Seen it. Quite good, but the radio version was better.
• The Mighty Boosh – Seen it. Too surreal for my taste.
• Chewin’ the Fat, Still Game – Never heard of them! Tell me more.
• The Two Ronnies – The old stuff doesn’t do it for me.
• Only Fools And Horses – Watched some, wasn’t impressed.
• Harry Enfield and/or Paul Whitehouse – Saw The Fast Show. It was OK, but didn’t make me want to seek out more.
• Vic Reeves [may be more of an acquired taste] – very much so, yes. In that I haven’t acquired it yet.
• Limmy’s Show – Haven’t seen the show, but I heard the radio version, and didn’t like it.
• The Inbetweeners – Love it.
• Smack the Pony – I have a vague memory of this…not sure if I’ve seen it.
• Corner Gas or Butch Patterson, Private Dick? – I’ve heard of them, haven’t gotten around to them. I don’t remember being all that intrigued by what I heard, but I don’t remember what that was.
This is getting very long. I’ll continue in the next post.
I’ve discovered that Audible.com has a pretty good selection of British radio comedy, and I’ve explored a little of it, including Saturday Night Fry. My favorite is the two series of Mark Watson Makes The World Substantially Better. (The first series includes contributions by Tim Minchin, whom I’ve seen mentioned in this thread and elsewhere on the SDMB, but IMHO the second series is equally good.)
• Republic of Doyle – Never heard of it.
• Rising Damp – I’ve heard of this, I think, but have never seen it.
• To the Manor Born – Ditto.
• Mr Don & Mr George
• Chance In A Million
• Vic Reeves Big Night Out
• Black Books
• The Gaffer
• Mapp & Lucia
• Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em
• Q (Spike Milligan sketch show)
• It 'Ain’t Half Hot Mum
• Absolutely
• Alas Smith & Jones
• Shelley – out of this batch, I love Black Books, don’t like Vic Reeves, and haven’t seen the rest. If they’re old (which I think a lot are, as I recognize some of the names), they’re probably not my kind of thing, but I’ll look into them.
• 10 O’Clock Live – I had high hopes for this, as I like David Mitchell a lot, but I found it kind of boring.
• Russell Howard’s Good News – same with this one, except with Howard instead of Mitchell.
• Charlie Brooker – I make sure to catch his stuff when it comes through my net.
• The Infinite Monkey Cage – I like that one. Radio, though, is a WHOOOOLE other thread.
• Nightingales – Never heard of it. Sounds intriguing.
• Absolutely Fabulous – I’ve tried repeatedly to like this show. I just don’t.
• Good Neighbors – seen a bit of it. Wasn’t interested.
• The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin – The original was OK, but badly dated now. The remake was horrid.
• Anything the Royals do – Never heard of it.
• 15 Storeys High – is that the Sean Locke one? Cause that was OK. The radio versions were better.
• {Several shows from the Young Ones crowd} – I’ve seen a few bits and pieces here and there, but nothing grabbed me.
• Phoenix Nights – I keep hearing about this one too, but can’t find it anywhere.
• Lead Balloon – Watching this now. It’s OK, but is trying reeeeally hard to be the British Curb Your Enthusiasm, which I didn’t care for.
• Porridge – Didn’t enjoy it.
• The others from your post, I’ll look into.
• Jam and Jerusalem – I think I saw an episode or two of this. Don’t remember it much.
• Dad’s Army – I’ve never gotten around to this one. I might try it some time.
• Butterflies – I believe I have seen that one. Don’t remember it.
• How TV Ruined Your Life – Liked it a lot.
• The Goodies – Ye gads, no.
• Ripping Yarns – Not bad.
• Ideal – I’ve read about this, and it doesn’t sound appealing to me. Though, frankly, anything with Johnny Vegas will be a hard sell.
• Ballykissangel – I think I started this at one point. I’d have to remind myself.
• Green Wing – one of my all-time favorites. At least in the top 10, probably the top 5.
• Stewart Lee’s Comedy Vehicle – Seen it. Pretty funny.
• The Complete and Utter History of Britain – Seen it. Good for historic reasons, less so for the comedy. The other stuff I haven’t seen.
• THE YOUNG ONES – I’VE GOT THE DVDS!!! YES, I HAVE THE VIDEO!!!
Holy crap, that’s a lot of my life I’ve wasted watching British comedy! Thank you all for your suggestions. I’ll look into the ones I haven’t seen yet. Keep them coming!!
Oh yeah I also will second “Jam and Jerusalem” which I have watched 4 times through now. I might like it so much cuz I’m a girl, tho. If you didn’t like “Vicar…” you might not dig it but I sure did.
Also will throw in a vote for “Outmumbered” which I enjoyed immensely despite not being a parent.
Partly because of the Silicon Valets? I adore Andrew-Lee Potts (he’s Lee on Ideal) and watched at first for his cameos, but grew to like the show itself even when he wasn’t on.
Radio: I’m Sorry, I’ll Read That Again. An offshoot of the Cambridge Footlights show of 1963. John Cleese was with them for most of the run. The shows without him aren’t as good. I think it’s being rebroadcast on BBC 4 right now.
TV: Yes, Minister and Yes, Prime Minister. One of the funniest and best political sitcom series I’ve ever seen.
Not exactly comedy, but they are humorous and entertaining: My Word! and My Music. Two BBC radio panel game series that ran for decades, currently being rerun on many Public Radio stations and Radio Australia. The humor is supplied mainly by raconteurs Frank Muir and Denis Norden, the writers of Take It From Here.
One other comedy you might not have caught, because it’s a kids’ show, is Horrible Histories. It’s an educational show about, er, history, but it’s written and performed by stand-up comedians and is so awesome that it won the best sketch show award at this year’s British Comedy Awards. Going on the others you like, I reckon you’d like this.
BTW, one of its stars is Meera Syal. Her show, Goodness Gracious Me, might not translate well to an international audience, because a lot of it is about British Indian cultures, but it’s well worth a look if you can find it.
After you said you hadn’t liked much Australian stuff, I was a bit embarrassed to see Summer Heights High recommended. I think it’s terrible, a cheap cousin of Little Britain or Catherine Tate.
I do like Good News Week though -a sort of Have I Got News For You, but for an audience that needs more shiny noisy fast BANG. It may not travel well so YMMV.
The Top Secret Life of Edgar Briggs.
Chance in a Million.
Butterflies.
Fresh Fields.
Agony.
Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) - the Reeves and Mortimer version.
Jonathan Creek.
Luna.
Galloping Galaxies.
Rentaghost.
Maid Marian and her Merry Men.
Round the Bend.
I came in to recommend this one (and especially that episode: “You don’t even know what’s in that!” “Yes I do. It’s…Polish chemicals.”) but Smeghead seems to have seen it already. Frankly I’m surprised anyone has seen it; it was on BBC3 back when digital wasn’t that widespread and the BBC1 run was buried late on Sunday nights with no advertising.
Speaking of things on the radio, BBC Radio 4 continues to produce a stream of excellent (and some so-so) comedy. The new Milton Jonesseries is starting up; Milton is much funnier on the radio than in his occasional TV appearances (Hawaiian shirts? Really, Milton?). There was also a series of improvised musicals which was gutwrenchingly funny but I can’t remember the name of the show.
I adore Andrew-Lee Potts (he’s Lee on Ideal) and watched at first for his cameos, but grew to like the show itself even when he wasn’t on.