Your 5 favorite Brit-coms

[Roderick_Femm]

What, no love for Keeping Up Appearances? Silly, but always good for a belly laugh somewhere in it.

And does it have to be a TV sitcom? Since someone mentioned Monty Python, I would like to mention The Goon Show, a supremely zany radio program from the 50’s (and into the 60’s I believe).

Mind the pedestrian, Richard.

Roddy

[Galaxyhorse]

1-The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin
2-Fawlty Towers
3-'Allo 'Allo
4- New Statesman
5- Blackadder

I recommend this site http://www.bbc.co.uk/sitcom/index.shtml

[Galaxyhorse]

@Stinkum

Fe)

I can’t remember the name of the show offhand, but the one from the mid-80’s with the giant puppets that spewed wonderfully vicious political venom. I caught a few episodes when I was travelling in England in 86. I don’t think it ever made it in America – many of the politicos skewered on the show were British, so it would have sailed over the heads of Americans.

Spitting image http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/guide/articles/s/spittingimage_7775945.shtml

[Hippy_Hollow]

@Stinkum

I can’t remember the name of the show offhand, but the one from the mid-80’s with the giant puppets that spewed wonderfully vicious political venom. I caught a few episodes when I was travelling in England in 86. I don’t think it ever made it in America – many of the politicos skewered on the show were British, so it would have sailed over the heads of Americans.

Sounds like Spitting Image. Brilliant show, and you’re right, so focused on UK politics/pop culture it would be impossible to import to America. Though as a kid I hardly followed politics closely, I still found it funny as hell.

So… back to the OP. In no particular order:

1. A Bit of Fry & Laurie
2. The Fast Show aka Brilliant!
3. The Young Ones
4. The Office
5. Nighty Night

[Sir_Rhosis]

May To December
Are You Being Served? (Seasons 1-3 only)
No, Really (I think that was the name of it – mid-70s, about a newlywed couple, starred a real-life married couple, only ran about 14 episodes)
*Fawlty Towers
Red Dwarf *

Sir Rhosis

[Quartz]

In no particular order:

Yes (Prime) Minister
Blackadder
Are You Being Served?
To the Manor Born
Open All Hours

It should be noted that from 1994 until late 2004, I didn’t have a TV, and I still don’t watch much, so my list is rather skewed.

[DMark]

Keeping Up Appearances (why no US version yet?)
Girls On Top
Ab Fab
Are You Being Served?
Charles and Camilla

[Smeghead]

There’s no way I could narrow it down to five. I would consider all of the following to be top tier:

Fawlty Towers
Black Books
Spaced
Red Dwarf (the first five or six seasons)
Blackadder
The Office
Yes, (Prime) Minister
Monty Python
A Bit of Fry and Laurie
The Young Ones
Peep Show

And I know I’m forgetting a few.

[Fast_n_Bulbous]

Have you people forgotten Porridge?

and, in no particular order:

Python
Blackadder
Black Books
Ripping Yarns

and many more…

[griffin1977]

Brass Eye
The Young Ones
Father Ted
League of Gentlemen
League of Gentlemen
Either of the Alan Partidge shows (“Knowing me knowing you” or “I’m Alan Patridge”)

[FyreFiend]

This one is hard as the first three are almost a tie for my number one favorite.
[ol]
[li]Chef[/li][li]Fawlty Towers[/li][li]Red Dwarf[/li][li]Black Adder[/li][li]Thin Blue Line[/li][/ol]

[irishgirl]

Father Ted
Black Books
Spaced
Blackadder
Red Dwarf
Other sitcoms I love: Green Wing, Peep Show and The Office.

You’ll notice, that unlike most American sitcoms, the basic premise of these shows is about as far away from a normal family/group of friends, living normal lives as you can get. There is often more alcohol and drug use (as comic devices) than is usual in American shows.

Compare and contrast Friends, Everybody Loves Raymond, The King of Queens, Roseanne, Spin City etc with the following:

The adventures of a really stupid priest, an alcoholic senile priest with Tourettes and a priest found guilty of embezzlement on a tiny island off the west coast of Ireland. (Father Ted)

A sociopathic, alcoholic Irishman who hates selling books, a ditzy girl who owns a shop selling useless gadgets and a guy who ate “the little book of calm” try to run a bookshop. (Black Books)

A comic store geek and an unemployed writer pretend to be a couple- they move into a house with an alcoholic landlady and a mad artist, take lots of drugs and have adventures with their friend who is slightly psychotic and thinks he’s in the army. (Spaced)

A load of complete lunatics happen to work in a hospital - there is unnecessary and unexplained camel-riding by the staff liaison officer (Green Wing).

[Chefguy]

Farty Owls
The Office
Mr. Bean
Ab Fab
some show with the word ‘horses’ in it that I can never remember.

[Larry_Borgia]

Fawlty towers by far and away number 1.

followed by:
Yes Minister
Black Adder (WW1 episodes)
Red Dwarf
The Office

in no particular order.

[irishgirl]

Would that be Only Fools and Horses?

For anyone who doesn’t know, the title comes from the saying “only fools and horses work”.

[Carnac_the_Magnificent]

@ddgryphon

As Time Goes By (not because it is hysterically funny, but because it is so well done)

Great show.

[Turek]

@ddgryphon

As Time Goes By (not because it is hysterically funny, but because it is so well done).

ATGB gets my vote.

[Chefguy]

@irishgirl

Would that be Only Fools and Horses?

For anyone who doesn’t know, the title comes from the saying “only fools and horses work”.

Dat’s it! Only saw it a couple of times when I was in London, but thought it very funny.

[jjimm]

The Fast Show really doesn’t count as a sitcom, alas.

I’d say, in no particular order (apart from Fawlty Towers):

Fawlty Towers
The Office
Blackadder (particularly II & III)
Father Ted
Yes, Minister (& Yes, Prime Minister)

I’d also like to point out that Father Ted, though British-funded, was almost completely Irish; Ballykissangel is largely the same, and really isn’t a sitcom.

[PastAllReason]

In no particular order:

Yes, Minister (Yes, Prime Minister)
Fawlty Towers
Coupling
As Time Goes By
Absolutely Fabulous

all of which I have on DVD.