ABritishsitcom or aBritcom is a situational comedy programme produced forBritish television.^[1]

British sitcoms have predominantly been recorded on studio sets, while some include an element of location filming. Live audiences and multi-cameras were first used in the US byDesi Arnaz andLucille Ball for their American showI Love Lucy in 1951 and the system was adopted in the UK.^[2] Several are made almost entirely on location (for example,Last of the Summer Wine) and shown to a studio audience prior to final post-production to record genuine laughter. In contrast to the American team writing system,Ray Galton and Alan Simpson's huge successes were of such quality that they became the paradigm for British sitcom writing.^[3]

By the time the television set had become a common part of home furnishing, sitcoms were significant expressions of everyday life and were often a window on the times of enormous social changes in the British class system and its conflicts and prejudices.^[3] The period from 1970 to 1979 in particular is often considered the 'Golden Age' of British sitcom,^[3] withFawlty Towers (1975 and 1979) being "the British sitcom by which all other British sitcoms must be judged".^[4] Since the turn of the century however, many are filmed on a single-camera set-up or entirely on location, with no studio screening or laugh track, such asThe Royle Family (1998–2000, 2006–2012), andPhoneShop (2009–2013).^[3]

A subset of British comedy consciously avoids traditional situation comedy themes, storylines, and home settings to focus on more unusual topics or narrative methods.Blackadder (1983–1989) andYes Minister (1980–1988, 2013) moved what is often a domestic or workplace genre into the corridors of power.^[5] A later development was themockumentary genre exemplified by series such asThe Office (2001–2003), which also heralded the modern trend of the single-camera sitcom dispensing with live audiences.

A 2004 poll by the BBC, ITV, and Channel 4 in the 12-episode documentary seriesBritain's Best Sitcom, produced a list topped by traditional sitcoms withOnly Fools and Horses holding the first place, and included favourites such asDavid Croft'sDad's Army,Are You Being Served?, andHi-de-Hi!.^[2] It was not untilThe Royle Family (1998–2000) in place 19 that a show without a live studio audience was featured.^[2]

British Christmas TV programming has a long-standing tradition of heavily featuring comedy and sitcoms in the schedules, often with episodes that capture holiday spirit, and sometimes emotional moments. In her review inThe Guardian of the 2024Gavin & Stacey grand finale Rachel Aroesti states "...our greatest sitcoms tend to bow out at their peak, but the festive revival traditionally comes to the rescue, extending the lifespans of iconic shows such asThe Royle Family andOnly Fools and Horses by a decade or more. If there’s still any doubt,Gavin & Stacey (which ostensibly concluded in 2024) belongs firmly in the same modern classic category."^[6] The 2024Gavin & Stacey Christmas Day special, serving as the grand finale, peaked the ratings and further solidifies Britcom's legacy as a staple of British festive television.^[7]

On a suggestion toMiranda Hart by sitcom writer Abigail Wilson, who collaborated with comedy actorsDawn French (The Vicar of Dibley 1994–2000) andJennifer Saunders (Absolutely Fabulous 1992–1995),^[8] the 2009Miranda series staged a highly successful comeback for the 'old school' 20th century concept of sitcoms with live audiences and multiple cameras.^[9]

As a race, the British have one peculiarity that sets them apart from the rest of mankind: that extraordinary sense of humour; their ability to laugh at others, to laugh at the sublimeand the ridiculous, to laugh at disaster and triumph, to be indifferent to the subject of the joke but to seek and find humour in everything..

From the late 1950s to the late 1980s situation comedy proved to be one of the richest sources of public discourse on class in British life. Writing for theBritish Film Institute in 2003, Phil Wickham, film and TV critic and author of several books about British TV, concludes:

Sitcoms have had an important influence on British life in the last 40 years. They have made us think about ourselves by making us laugh at our own absurdity. Good sitcoms are a kind of virtual reality - they reflect the rhythms of everyday life, the pain of the human condition and, of course, the joy of laughter.^[3]

The origins of British TV sitcoms trace back to radio comedies of the 1940s and 1950s likeHancock's Half Hour, which aired on BBC Radio in 1954, British TV sitcoms were initially inspired by American comedy formats, but they quickly developed their own style that highlighted dry wit, social satire, and the nuances of British life.^[2] Early shows of the 1950s often featured archetypal British characters such as the staff and pupils inWhack-O! and the various facets portrayed inHancock's Half Hour, and set the stage for what would become the British TV sitcom genre. They were set in postWorld War II working-class or domestic environments, highlighting issues of class, family dynamics, and British culture, whileThe Army Game, ITV's first sitcom, parodied the life of army conscripts during the last years of theNational Service which ended in 1963.^[11]

Written by Rodney Hobson,Pinwright's Progress (1946–1947) was the world's first regular half-hour televised sitcom.^[12] Broadcast live in black and white by the BBC fromAlexandra Palace, it was about J. Pinwright, the proprietor of a small shop.^[13] Storylines involved his hated rival and his staff, who only added to his problems by attempting to be helpful. The series featured an ensemble cast includingJames Hayter as J. Pinwright, Clarence Wright as Aubrey, Daphne Maddox as Miss Peasbody,Doris Palmer as Mrs Sigsbee, andLeonard Sharp as Ralph.^[13] Further roles included Benita Lydal as Mrs Rackstraw,^[14]Charles Irwin as a salesman, and Jill Christie as Pinwright's daughter.^[15][16] and produced and directed byJohn Glyn-Jones. Thescript editor wasTed Kavanagh, who during theWorld War II years also wrote theBBC Radio comedy seriesIt's That Man Again (ITMA ), which according to Foster and Furst was "entirely new, breaking away from the conventions of both radio and music hall comedy".^[17]

Transferred to television in 1956 after 48 episodes on BBC radio which began in 1954,Hancock's Half Hour (1956–1961) byGalton and Simpson was the first modern TV sitcom. Whilst moving away from audio variety towards character development, the radio series had been influential in the development of TV situation comedy.^[3] The radio series continued to be produced alongside the TV version.^[18]Tony Hancock played a fictionalised version of himself, a loser whose plans and aspirations are continually ruined by bad luck.^[19] Its only other regular cast member was the more worldlysidekick played bySid James, later ofCarry On fame andBless This House . Other occasional participants includedJohn Le Mesurier (Dad's Army),Kenneth Williams,^[19] andPatricia Hayes.^[20] Hancock's biographer John Fisher dates the first use of the term 'situation comedy' in British broadcasting to a BBC memo dated 31 March 1953 from radio comedy producerPeter Eton, suggesting the format as the ideal vehicle for Hancock's comedic style.^[21] According to Phil Wickham, writing for the Britiah Film Institute, "Hancock's persona of the pompous loser out of his depth in an uncomprehending society still informs many programmes today".^[3] The final BBC series of this show was broadcast under the shorter titleHancock.^[19] In 1963, Hancock changed his writers and moved to ITV for a further 13-episode series also namedHancock.^[19] The series, though relatively well received, has been described as "clearly not up to the standard of [Hancock's] BBC work".^[22]

StarsJimmy Edwards in the lead role as Professor James Edwards,Whack-O! and was written byFrank Muir andDenis Norden.^[23] The series is about the drunken, gambling, devious, cane-swishing headmaster who tyrannised staff and children at the fictitious Chiselburypublic school "for the sons of Gentlefolk". From 1956 to 1960 and 1971–1972, it ran for 60 episodes over 8 series. The first six episodes were subtitled "Six of the Best", alluding to the frequent and traditional punishment of disobedient pupils in the UK bycaning which was the butt of many jokes. The BBC sums up this aspect ofWhack-O! with: "Watching the series now is a little painful in one respect – we're too sensitive to find canings amusing – but it's right on the money in other ways, mainly because finding over-privileged kids vile hasn't gone out of fashion."^[24]

Only six of the original black-and-white episodes are known to exist. The series was revived in colour with updated scripts in 1971–72, slightly retitledWhacko! and with less emphasis on the caning. Other members of the cast includedArthur Howard (series 1–7),

Julian Orchard (series 8),Kenneth Cope,Norman Bird,John Stirling,Peter Glaze,Edwin Apps (series 1–7),Peter Greene (series 8),David Langford,Keith Smith,Brian Rawlinson,Gordon Phillot,Harold Bennett (Are You Being Served?), (series 8),Frank Raymond,Gary Warren (series 8), andGreg Smith (series 8). A feature film,Bottoms Up, was made in 1960.

Peter Eton's series ofThe Army Game (1957–1961) was probably British television's most successful sitcom of this period and ran for 154 episodes.^[25] Many of its stars went on to become household names.^[26] The original cast consisted ofWilliam Hartnell,Michael Medwin,Geoffrey Sumner,Alfie Bass,Charles Hawtrey,Bernard Bresslaw andNorman Rossington. The cast ofThe Army Game would change over the years with actors such asGeoffrey Palmer,Bill Fraser,Ted Lune,Frank Williams,Harry Fowler andDick Emery appearing in subsequent series.The Army Game follows the exploits of Hut 29, a fictional dysfunctional group of conscriptedNational Service soldiers during the post-war years.^[27] Writers included creatorSid Colin,Larry Stephens, Maurice Wiltshire, Lew Schwarz, John Jowett,John Antrobus,John Foley,Marty Feldman,Barry Took, David Climie, David Cumming, Derek Collyer, Brad Ashton,John Junkin,Talbot Rothwell, Sidney Nelson, Stan Mars, Bob Perkins and Alan MacKinnon.^[28] At least three episodes are uncredited. In June 1959, a shortThe Army Game scene was performed byMichael Medwin, Alfie Bass, Norman Rossington, Bill Fraser and Ted Lune at theRoyal Variety Performance in front ofQueen Elizabeth The Queen Mother.^[29] This was the last Royal Variety Performance that was not televised. This successful series inspired a film spin-off,I Only Arsked! (1958), and in 1958, just a year after the series debuted, the firstCarry On film, the very similarCarry On Sergeant, was released, also featuring Hawtrey, Rossington and Hartnell.^[30]

ITV sitcoms began with the channel's launch in 1957 and throughout the 1960s helped shape British comedy with varied and often experimental styles. In the 1960s, the BBC produced a then-rare workplace comedy withThe Rag Trade (1961–1963, 1977–1978) written byRonald Wolfe and Ronald Chesney. The success of the series was due partly to the strength of the female ensemble playing the workforce, who includedSheila Hancock,Barbara Windsor andEsma Cannon.^[31][32] It also made the earliest ofRichard Waring's domestic comedies,Marriage Lines (1961–1966), starringRichard Briers (later to star inThe Good Life) andPrunella Scales (who went on to star inFawlty Towers), andNot in Front of the Children (1967–70), starringWendy Craig.Women were usually only cast in secondary roles in this period, though several series with Craig in the lead were an exception. Sitcoms developed byCarla Lane, the first successful female writer in the form,^[33] began withThe Liver Birds (1969–1979, 1996), initially in collaboration with others.

Another change, withSteptoe and Son (1962–65, 1970–74) andThe Likely Lads (1964–1966), producers began to cast actors, rather than the comedians around whom earlier series likeWhack-O!, with Jimmy Edwards, orHancock's Half Hour, had been built.^[34][35]

As a spin-off sequel toThe Army Game and also starring Bill Fraser and Alfie Bass,Bootsie and Snudge, (1960–1963, 1974) was written by a large team over its 104 episodes.^[36] Writers for the 1960–63 episodes included Marty Feldman, Barry Took,^[37] John Antrobus,Ray Rigby, David Cumming, Derek Collyer, James Kelly, Peter Lambda, Tom Espie,Jack Rosenthal,Harry Driver, and Doug Eden. The 1974 series was written by David Climie,Ronnie Cass and Lew Schwarz.^[16] The series established the reputation of actorClive Dunn, leading to his role asCorporal Jones inDad's Army.^[38]

Running for 43 episodes over 5 series (1963–1966), first titledThe Marriage Lines,Marriage Lines was written by Richard Waring and directed and produced byRobin Nash and Graeme Muir.^[39][40] The traditional domestic comedy about a young couple learning to cope with married life reflected social attitudes of the times, and provided its lead starsRichard Briers (The Good Life,Ever Decreasing Circles) andPrunella Scales (Fawlty Towers) with a significant boost to their careers.^[41] The supporting cast includedEdward de Souza,Ronald Hines andChristine Finn.^[39]

With its cast of only two regular characters played byHarry H. Corbett andWilfrid Brambell, airing 1962–65 and 1970–74,Steptoe and Son was aGalton and Simpson creation and ran for 57 episodes over 8 series. Producers includedDuncan Wood,John Howard Davies, Graeme Muir, andDouglas Argent.^[42] In 2000, the show was ranked number 44 on the100 Greatest British Television Programmes compiled by theBritish Film Institute. In a 2001Channel 4 poll Albert was ranked 39th on their list of the100 Greatest TV Characters,^[43][44] The series was derived from a one-off Galton and Simpson comic play, "The Offer", shown on their BBC series Comedy Playhouse in 1962. It is regularly repeated and gave rise to four feature films.^[42]

Written byJohnny Speight and broadcast 1965–1968 and 1972–1975 by the BBC for 54 episodes,Till Death Us Do Part featuredWarren Mitchell asAlf Garnett and was an instant hit. Created byJohnny Speight,Till Death Us Do Part centred on theEast End Garnett family, led bypatriarchAlf Garnett (Warren Mitchell), areactionary whiteworking-class man who holds racist and anti-socialist views. His long-suffering wife Else was played byDandy Nichols, and his daughter Rita (Una Stubbs) and her husband Mike Rawlins (Anthony Booth) is a socialist 'layabout' fromLiverpool who frequently locks horns with Garnett. The show captured a key feature of Britain in the 1960s — the public perception that the generation gap was widening and addressed racial and political issues that had been becoming increasingly prevalent in British society. It became an instant hit because, although a comedy, it dealt with aspects of working-class life comparatively realistically and in the context of its time. It was criticised for its bad language byMary Whitehouse a campaigner againstsocial liberalism and the mainstream British media. Controversially, the show was one of the earliest mainstream programmes to feature the expletive "bloody" and was one of many perceived by Whitehouse as an example of the BBC's "moral laxity".^[45] Although in 2000, the show was ranked number 88 on the 100 GreatestBritish Television Programmes list compiled by theBritish Film Institute, due to changing attitudes inpolitical correctness, it is seldom repeated.^{[46][47][48][49]}

Based on a World War II theme,Dad's Army (1968–1977) in 80 episodes byJimmy Perry andDavid Croft, was a gentle mockery of Britain's 'finest hour' and theHome Guard. One of the most enduring British sitcoms, its ensemble cast starredArthur Lowe andJohn Le Mesurier, together withClive Dunn,John Laurie,Ian Lavender,Arnold Ridley,Bill Pertwee, andJames Beck (until his death). The interaction between Lowe's characterCaptain Mainwaring and Le Mesurier's Sgt Wilson was described byThe Times as "a memorable part of one of television's most popular shows",^[50] During its original television run onBBC1, the show was nominated for multipleBritish Academy Television Awards, including "Best Situation Comedy" in 1973, 1974 and 1975, although only won "Best Light Entertainment Production Team" in 1971. In 2000, the show was voted 13th in a British Film Institute poll of industry professionals of the 100 Greatest British Television Programmes. In 2004, championed byPhill Jupitus, it came fourth in the BBC poll to findBritain's Best Sitcom.^[51] As of 2022 it is one of British television's most regularly repeated sitcoms.

Bringing the first light-hearted satirical look at thechurch, during 1966–1971All Gas and Gaiters paved the way forBless Me, Father (1978–1981) with Arthur Lowe, and farcical ecclesiastical comedies such asFather Ted andThe Vicar of Dibley in the 1990s.^[52] StarringDerek Nimmo withRobertson Hare,William Mervyn,John Barron,Joan Sanderson (Please Sir!,Fawlty Towers), andErnest Clark,^[53] it was written by husband-and-wife teamPauline Devaney andEdwin Apps and directed byJohn Howard Davies and Stuart Allen.^[54][55] The successful series, which after an initial controversy became a favourite of Britain'sclergy,^[52] was followed by two spin-offs also starring Nimmo:Oh, Brother! (1968–1970), 19 episodes written by David Climie and Austin Steele, with supporting roles bySir Felix Aylmer,Patrick McAlinney andDerek Francis, and its sequelOh, Father! (1973) with Felix Aylmer,Laurence Naismith,Pearl Hackney andDavid Kelly, also written by Climie and Steele.^[56]All Gas and Gaiters was produced by Stuart Allen, John Howard Davies, and Robin Nash,^[53] and the music was provided byStanley Myers.^[55]

WithMilo O'Shea, andYootha Joyce (Man About the House,George and Mildred) in the lead roles,Me Mammy was written byHugh Leonard, produced byJames Gilbert andSydney Lotterby for the BBC and aired 1968–1971 for 21 episodes over 3 series. Bunjy Kennefick, played by O'Shea, is an Irishmother's boy living in London. He is a top executive of a company and lives a bachelor lifestyle. However, his old-fashioned Catholic mother often puts a stop to his plans, many of them involving his girlfriend Miss Argyll, played by Joyce.^[57]

The 1970s is often regarded as the golden era of British sitcom. Following theGalton and Alan Simpson traditional sitcom format of an ensemble or a central character with a small supporting regular cast, the characters are constantly trapped in work or domestic situations from which there is no way out.^[3] Well-remembered series includeJohn Cleese andConnie Booth's farcicalFawlty Towers (1975, 1979) often cited as the greatest sitcom of all time.^[58][59][60]John Esmonde and Bob Larbey's self-sufficiency comedyThe Good Life (1975–78) andTo the Manor Born byPeter Spence andChristopher Bond were also highly successful.Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads? (1973–74), a sequel toThe Likely Lads set five years later, won aBAFTA Television Award for Best Situation Comedy.^[61] while its writers,Dick Clement andIan La Frenais, providedRonnie Barker with his most significant sitcom vehicle,Porridge (1974–77). Barker also starred (along withDavid Jason) inOpen All Hours (1973, 1976–85), written byRoy Clarke, whoseLast of the Summer Wine began in 1973 and ended in 2010, becoming the world's longest running sitcom. The decade also saw the broadcast ofIt Ain't Half Hot Mum (1974–81), which has been criticised for the "stereotypes of its handful of Indian supporting characters as alternately servile, foolish, lazy or devious".^[62]

The commercial stationITV had successes withRising Damp (1974–78, sometimes called the best of all ITV sitcoms),^[63]Man About the House (1973–76) andGeorge and Mildred (1976–79).Rising Damp starLeonard Rossiter also played the lead role in the BBC'sThe Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin (1976–79). The decline in cinema attendance meant that many of these series were turned into cinema films;^{[clarification needed][64]} thefirst film version ofOn the Buses (1969–73) was the biggest hit at the British box office in 1971.^[65] According toJeff Evans,On the Buses was a "cheerfully vulgar comedy" in which "leering and innuendo dominate[d]."^[66] Some of the network's other ratings successes from this era includedLove Thy Neighbour (1972–76)^[67] andMind Your Language (1977–79, 1986),^[68] which attempted to find humour in racial or ethnic conflict and misunderstandings, but were increasingly criticised over time for "obvious racial name-calling... recurring with distressing regularity" and "offer[ing] only the crudest caricatures".^[62]

Increasing relaxation in regard to the discussion of sex allowedfarce andcamp humour to become a familiar form in the 1970s and were used in series likeAre You Being Served?, and comedianFrankie Howerd'sUp Pompeii!, which ran for 16 episodes (1969–70, 1975, 1991)^[69] and starred several female stalwarts from theCarry On film series, including Barbara Windsor,Wendy Richard andValerie Leon. A feature of the show which inspired three films was Howerd's frequentbreaking of the fourth wall.

Other controversial topics for comedy included series written by Richard Waring and Wendy Craig....And Mother Makes Three (1971–73), and its sequel...And Mother Makes Five (1974–76), starred Craig (who also co-wrote) as a widowed mother who eventually remarries a divorced single father.My Wife Next Door (1972), created byBrian Clemens, concerned a divorced couple who accidentally moved next door to each other,Miss Jones and Son (1977–78) was about a single mother, andRings on Their Fingers (1978–80) was about a young, unmarried couple.

Another creation byRonald Chesney and Ronald Wolfe isOn the Buses, starringReg Varney andBob Grant in an ensemble cast withAnna Karen,Doris Hare, andStephen Lewis (Oh, Doctor Beeching!,Last of the Summer Wine).^[70] Running 1969–1973 for 74 episodes over 7 series, it was initially rejected by the BBC, who did not see much comedy potential in a bus depot as a setting.^[71] It was then commissioned by Frank Muir, then atLondon Weekend Television who said it was "rather at the baked beans end of my menu".^[31][72] Despite poor critical reception, it gained an audience of up to 20 million. It has been described as cliche-ridden, stereotypical, occasionally racist and totally sexist by today's standards,^[73] with Varney's and Grant's characters both lecherous womanisers and ethnic minorities used inappropriately for humour.^[74][75][76] As David Stubbs wrote forThe Guardian in 2008, Grant and Varney were playing "two conspicuously middle-aged men" (Varney was in his 50s when the series began) pursuing "an endless array of improbably available 'dolly birds' ".^[77] The series was made into three films,On the Buses (1971),Mutiny on the Buses (1972), andHoliday on the Buses (1973).

StarringSid James ofCarry On andHancock's Half Hour fame as the father, withDiana Coupland as the mother, andSally Geeson (also severalCarry On films), andRobin Stewart as their teenage children,^[78]Bless This House is about a fairly typical, but somewhat slightly dysfunctional middle-class 1970snuclear family. The comedy was created byVince Powell andHarry Driver as a vehicle for James, but mainly written by others includingDave Freeman and Carla Lane.^[78] Running on ITV from 1971 to 1976 in 65 half-hour episodes over 10 series, it marked a departure from James' characteristic bawdy slapstick and famous 'dirty laugh'. The series ended abruptly in 1976, when, just four days after the broadcast of the final episode, James died after collapsing on stage. Ironically, James had told Coupland, "It's such fun and so successful, we'll still be working onBless This House till one of us kicks the bucket."^[79]Bless This House came in 67th place in theBBC's 2004100 Best British Sitcoms poll.^[80]

In 1972 the lavish French farce in English based on the 1934novel of the same name byGabriel Chevallier,Clochemerle was adapted into 9 episodes by Galton and Simpson for the BBC.^[81] It was a stark contrast to the dark comedy of theirSteptoe and Son andHancock's Half Hour.^[82] Filmed on location inColombier-le-Vieux, in thedepartment ofArdèche, it starredRoy Dotrice,Wendy Hiller,Cyril Cusack,Kenneth Griffith,Cyd Hayman,Bernard Bresslaw,Hugh Griffith,Micheline Presle,Madeline Smith,Christian Roberts,Nigel Green,Wolfe Morris andGordon Rollings, with narration byPeter Ustinov. The show was produced byMichael Mills as aco-production between theBBC and West Germany'sBavaria Film. Incidental music was arranged byAlan Roper and played by L'Harmonie Du Rhone Orchestra, Lyon, under the musical direction of Raymond Jarniat.^[81]

Created byBrian Clemens and written by Richard Waring,My Wife Next Door was shown on BBC1 in 1972 and ran for 13 episodes. The series concerns George Basset, played byJohn Alderton, and Suzie Basset, played byHannah Gordon, who each try to start afresh after their divorce by moving to the country, only to find that they have moved into adjoining cottages.^[83] The music was byDennis Wilson. In 1973, one episode won aBritish Academy Television Award for Best Situation Comedy. During a repeat run in January 1980, one episode gained 19.3 million viewers and was the second most-watched programme that week.^[84]

Set in a fictional, traditional Londondepartment store, the show follows the antics of the staff of the retail ladies' and gentlemen's clothing departments .^[85] Known for its innuendo-laden humor, quirky characters, and catchphrasesAre You Being Served? (1972–85) was one of the longest-running sitcoms of the era. It was created and written for the BBC byJeremy Lloyd andDavid Croft and starsFrank Thornton,Mollie Sugden,Wendy Richard,Nicholas Smith, andJohn Inman, who of the original cast were to appear in all 69 episodes and the same five later featured in the sequel spin-offGrace & Favourwhich aired in 1991–1992. Inman's camp characterisation ofMr. Humphries contributed greatly to the series' success.^[86] In 2004, it ranked 20th inBritain's Best Sitcom.^[87] The series proved to be highly exportable, and is regularly repeated onBBC Two,Drama andGold in the UK,PBS andBBC America in the United States, andBBC UKTV,Fox Classics and9Gem in Australia, and Jones! in New Zealand; as of 2024 it is also streamed onBritbox,Apple TV, and in the US on BritBox Amazon Channel. The series was nominated for the 1977 Best Situation Comedy BAFTA TV Award but the 1977Are You Being Served? feature film starring the main cast was not well received.^[88][89] A one-off episode with a new cast was broadcast in 2016.

Considered daring at the time because it featured a man sharing a flat with two single women, the flat-share comedyMan About the House was created byBrian Cooke andJohnnie Mortimer. It starredRichard O'Sullivan,Paula Wilcox^[90] andSally Thomsett, withBrian Murphy andYootha Joyce as their landlord and landlady. 40 episodes were broadcast over six series onITV, and ran from 1973 to 1976. The series is regularly repeated onITV3. After the series ended in 1976, two successful spin-off series followed:George and Mildred, in which the Ropers move to the suburbs, andRobin's Nest, in which Robin gets married and opens abistro. The 1977Man About the House spin-off film which included guest starsArthur Lowe,Bill Pertwee,Aimi MacDonald, andSpike Milligan (as himself), "acquits itself better than most movie spin-offs from TV series."^[91]Man About the House placed 69th out of 100 in a 2003 BBC poll to findBritain's Best Sitcom.

Based on life in a UK prison, thePorridge sitcom by writers Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais providedRonnie Barker (Open All Hours), in the role of a prison inmate, with his most significant sitcom vehicle, supported byRichard Beckinsale (Rising Damp 1974-1978). It ran from 1974 to 1977 on BBC1 for 22 episodes over three series. The series features two major supporting characters, bothprison officers:Mr Mackay, played byFulton Mackay, andMr Barrowclough, played byBrian Wilde. The sitcom focused on two prison inmates, Norman Fletcher, played by Barker, and Lennie Godber, played by Beckinsale, who are serving time in a fictionalBritish prison.Porridge was critically acclaimed and was ranked No. 35 on the 100 Greatest British Television Programmes compiled by the British Film Institute in 2000. In 2004,Porridge placed seventh in Britain's Best Sitcom.Porridge was appreciated by British prisoners.Erwin James, an ex-prisoner who wrote a column forThe Guardian, stated: "What fans could never know, however, unless they had been subjected to a stint of Her Majesty's Pleasure, was that the conflict between Fletcher and Officer Mackay was about the most authentic depiction ever of the true relationship that exists between prisoners and prison officers in British jails up and down the country. I'm not sure how, but writers Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais grasped the notion that it is the minor victories against the naturally oppressive prison system that makes prison life bearable."^[92]

The ITV production of 28 episodes (1974–78) ofRising Damp written byEric Chappell, is sometimes called the best of all ITV sitcoms.^[63] It starredLeonard Rossiter as Rigsby, a miserly, seedy, and ludicrously self-regarding landlord of a run-down Victorian townhouse who rents out his shabbybedsits to a variety of tenants: Ruth Jones, an unmarried woman approaching middle age, played byFrances de la Tour; Alan Moore, a medical student played byRichard Beckinsale; and Philip Smith, a cultured sales representative supposedly descended from African royalty, played byDon Warrington. Chappell defended Rigsby by saying "[he]was not a racist or a bigot, but he was prejudiced and suspicious of strangers. But he accepted Philip and his only concern afterwards was that he didn't get a leg over Miss Jones."^[93] Warrington who was born inTrinidad, stated: "There were certain aspects of it that were politically incorrect. On the other, you can see how it held up a mirror to the way we were living."^[93] The series won the 1978BAFTA forBest Situation Comedy^[94] and was the highest-ranking ITV sitcom in the BBC'sBritain's Best Sitcom, coming in 27th overall.^[95] Frances de la Tour received anEvening Standard British Film Award in the category of "Best Actress" for her performance as Ruth Jones.^[96]

Broadcast 1974–1979 on BBC1 for 41 episodes over 5 series, starringTerry Scott andJune Whitfield, withBeryl Cooke,Happy Ever After was written byJohn T. Chapman,Eric Merriman, Christopher Bond,John Kane and Jon Watkins. It was based on aComedy Playhousepilot called "Happy Ever After" which aired on 7 May 1974. Scott and Whitfield play the archetypal suburban sitcom marriage of a middle-class couple who find themselves alone when their grown-up daughters leave home.^[97] However, they are not alone for long as Aunt Lucy comes to live with them, along with her talkingmynah bird.^[16] The show was followed withTerry and June (1979-1987), with Scott and Whitfield reprising their roles for a further 65 episodes in 9 series.

The Good Life (1975–1978), written byBob Larbey and John Esmonde, aired onBBC1 for 30 episodes over four series and two specials. The final episode was recorded in the presence ofQueen Elizabeth II to mark herSilver Jubilee; it was reputedly one of her favourite shows.^[98]Felicity Kendal andRichard Briers starred as Barbara and Tom Goode – a middle-class suburban couple who decide to quit therat race and become self-sufficient, much to the consternation of their snooty but well-meaning neighbour Margo, played byPenelope Keith (To the Manor Born), and her down-to-earth husband Jerry, played byPaul Eddington (Yes Minister). The opening theme was composed byBurt Rhodes.^[99] In 2004,The Good Life came 9th inBritain's Best Sitcom.^[100] After its success, the four main cast members were given their own "vehicles" commissioned by the then Head of Comedy and producer ofThe Good Life,John Howard Davies. The series providedFelicity Kendal with her big break on television and significantly boosted her career on stage.^[101]

Described in the BBC's profile of the show as "the British sitcom by which all other British sitcoms must be judged",Fawlty Towers (1975 and 1979) is eminently quotable; the repetition in the episode known asThe Germans of 'don't mention the war' has become acatch phrase."^[4] In two series, only 12 half-hour episodes were made, because the writers, John Cleese and his then wife Connie Booth, felt that they could not continue to write comedy of the same quality.^[102] The series starred Cleese asBasil Fawlty, Prunella Scales asSybil Fawlty, Connie Booth asPolly Sherman, andAndrew Sachs asManuel. Supporting roles included Major Gowen, played byBallard Berkeley, Chef Terry, played byBrian Hall, and Miss Gatsby and Miss Tibbs, played byRenee Roberts andGilly Flower. Other well known guests from stage and screen, usually two or three for each episode, were featured in various episodes and among many others includedYvonne Gilan,Conrad Phillips,Bernard Cribbins,James Cossins,Allan Cuthbertson,Ann Way,Brenda Cowling,Joan Sanderson,Elspet Gray,Geoffrey Palmer,Derek Royle,Richard Davies,Ken Campbell,Una Stubbs, andJohn Quarmby. The show was produced byJohn Howard Davies andDouglas Argent, directed by Davies andBob Spiers and the music was byDennis Wilson. The show was ranked first on a list of the 100 Greatest British Television Programmes drawn up by the British Film Institute in 2000,^[102] and in 2019 it was named the greatest ever British TV sitcom by a panel of comedy experts compiled by theRadio Times.^[103] Basil Fawlty has been listed by Channel 4 as the second greatest television character.^[104][105]

The spin-off fromMan About the House, starring Yootha Joyce and Brian Murphy, withNorman Eshley,Sheila Fearn, and child starNicholas Bond-Owen, a domestic sitcomGeorge and Mildred is focused on a clash of social class.^[106] Written by Brian Cooke and Johnnie Mortimer, it ran for 38 episodes and is regularly repeated on ITV3. Yootha Joyce died suddenly in August 1980, just before production of a sixth and final series.^[107]

Created and written byRoy Clarke for the BBC,Open All Hours ran for 26 episodes in four series (1976, 1981, 1982 and 1985) and starred Ronnie Barker and David Jason, with a regular supporting cast includingLynda Baron,Stephanie Cole,Barbara Flynn,Maggie Ollerenshaw, andKathy Staff.^[108][109]The programme, produced and directed bySydney Lotterby and developed from atelevision pilot broadcast in Barker's comedyanthology seriesSeven of One (1973), centred around the antics of the eccentric and miserly owner of a traditional Englishcorner shop.^[108] Barker took his idea for Arkwright's famous stutter from the 1950s writer and performer Glenn Melvyn.^[110]Open All Hours came 8th in the 2004 Britain's Best Sitcom poll.^[111] Although it ended in 1985,Open All Hours had been repeated over 3,000 times by 2021.^[108][112] The theme tune was composed byJoseph Ascher (1829–1869),^[113] arranged for a brass band and performed byMax Harris, who also wrote the incidental music. A sequel,Still Open All Hours, with David Jason and many members of the original cast, began airing nearly 30 years later in 2013 and ran until 2019 for 41 episodes.^[108]

First broadcast on ITV in 1977 and running for 12 episodes,Miss Jones and Son (1977–78) was written by Richard Waring and produced and directed by Peter Frazer-Jones.^[114] It starredPaula Wilcox (Man About the House),Christopher Beeny,Charlotte Mitchell andNorman Bird.^[115][116] The series depicted the life of Elizabeth Jones, played by Wilcox, a young woman coming to terms with the responsibility of looking after her baby alone. Emotional support came in the form of next-door-neighbour and friend Geoffrey, played by Beeny. Difficulties included the reproaches of her parents, played by Mitchell and Bird, a difficult social life, and a reduced income. The theme song, "Bright Idea", was written byRoger Webb.^[117]

Also written by Richard Waring,Rings on Their Fingers (1978–80) ran from 1978 to 1980 for 20 episodes in 3 series and was and produced byHarold Snoad for the BBC.^[118] It concerns a young unmarried couple, Sandy Bennett, played byDiane Keen, and Oliver Pryde, played byMartin Jarvis. The cast also includedTim Barrett,Barbara Lott,Anna Dawson,John Kane andRoyce Mills.^[119] Sandy wishes to marry whereas Oliver is happy to remain unmarried. During the first series they do marry and in the second series they adjust to married life.^[118] A proposed fourth series would have concerned Sandy becoming pregnant unexpectedly, and Sandy and Oliver adapting to parenthood, but the series was not re-commissioned.^[118]

Co-starringPenelope Keith as Audrey fforbes-Hamilton andPeter Bowles as Richard DeVere,To the Manor Born (1979–1981, 2007) was a 'feel-good' series following the leading characters' 'will-they-won't they' love story. Written byPeter Spence andChristopher Bond and produced and directed byGareth Gwenlan,^[120] it was a sitcom with one of the largest audience ratings of the period. The final episode of series 1, which aired on 11 November 1979, was the most watched British television programme (excluding live events) of the 1970s, drawing 23.95 million viewers.^[121] The final episode in 1981 received 17.80 million viewers.^[122] The series has been repeated over 1,000 times.^[123][124] Major supporting roles were played byAngela Thorne as Audrey's friend Marjory andDaphne Heard as Mrs Polouvicka, Richard's mother. Other members of the cast includedAlan David,John Rudling,Michael Bilton,Gerald Sim,Michael Cochrane, andGeorgie Glen. The music was written byRonnie Hazlehurst.^[120][124]

Spun off fromHappy Ever After after it ended, Terry Scott and June Whitfield returned to star in the 65 episodes in the nine series ofTerry and June (1979–1987). It was mostly written byJohn Kane.Chapman, one of the original writers, said that the original programme had run out of ideas and had to end. BBC Comedy, however, were unwilling to end a successful 'cozy' show, and so brought in fresh new writers; for legal reasons the programme title had to be changed, and, on 24 October 1979,Terry and June was born. It was similar toHappy Ever After without Aunt Lucy, but Terry and June's surname changed from Fletcher to Medford and the characters moved to Purley in London.^[16] Despite being seen as "cosy" and somewhat "dated" even upon its original broadcast, and lampooned by contemporaneousalternative comedy programmes, the show nevertheless attracted large viewing figures. The BBC became "slightly embarrassed of their 'safe and cosy' sitcom but one which still commanded strong audience figures" and allowed the show to peter out.^[16] In 2004, it came 73rd inBritain's Best Sitcom, jointly withHappy Ever After.

Written byCarla Lane who had previously created the successfulThe Liver Birds sitcom, theButterflies series which ran on BBC2 for 27 episodes plus 2 specials in from November 1978 to October 1983, is about the day-to-day life of a comfortable middle-class family treated in a bittersweet style.^[125][126] The show starsWendy Craig (Not in Front of the Children (1967–1970),...And Mother Makes Three (1971–1973), and...And Mother Makes Five from 1974 to 1976), as Rita, a non-working wife in a mid-life crisis, withGeoffrey Palmer as her her dentist and amateur lepidopterist husband. The main theme is Rita's friendship with her secret confidant Leonard, a divorced businessman who wants an affair with her, played byBruce Montague, and the coming of age of her two teenage sons, Adam played byNicholas Lyndhurst (co-star of theBBC sitcomOnly Fools and Horses), and Russell played byAndrew Hall.^[126] The show received aBAFTA nomination forBest Television Comedy Series in 1981.^[127]

The classic BBC black comedyThe Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin (1976 to 1979) of 22 episodes in three series based on novels byDavid Nobbs starsLeonard Rossiter ofRising Damp fame (1974-1978), supported by a cast comprisingPauline Yates (Keep It in the Family, 1980) as Elizabeth Perrin),John Barron as C.J.,Sue Nicholls as Joan Greengross),John Horsley as Doc Morrissey,Trevor Adams as Tony Webster,Bruce Bould as David Harris-Jones, andGeoffrey Palmer (Butterflies (1978-1983),As Time Goes By (1992-2005), andFawlty Towers) as Jimmy.^[128] Nobbs adapted the screenplay for the first series from the first novel. The story concerns a middle-aged middle manager, Reginald "Reggie" Perrin who suffers a midlife crisis, tries to escape the pointlessness of his job and is driven to bizarre behaviour. The sitcom was a departure from the many middle-class suburban family life sitcoms of the era. The music was provided byRonnie Hazlehurst, prolific composer of sitcom theme tunes.^[128] Despite being hugely popular it was only nominated for two BAFTA awards and won none, but received glowing reviews even decades later.^[129] It's popularity is evidenced by the follow-ons and the 2-series remake 30 years later.^[130] Simon Heffer writing inThe Daily Telegraph in 2016 explains why: "It [the BBC] took a problem common to the silent majority and explored it sensitively, but with brilliant humour. That was why Perrin was so popular in its day, and why if one watches the box set now, 40 years later, it transmits through wit something timelessly relevant".^[131] A fourth series also by Nobbs,The Legacy of Reginald_Perrin, made more than a decade after Leonard Rossiter's death, comprised all the central characters of the earlier series, but without Rossiter and Adams shows Reggie's legacy – a fortune left to friends and family, but with strange conditions. Running for two series through 2009 and 2010, a modern remake of the series titled simplyReggie Perrin was written by David Nobbs andSimon Nye starringMartin Clunes (Doc Martin) in theBBC revival withWendy Craig (Butterflies 1978–1983),Fay Ripley,Geoffrey Whitehead,Neil Stuke, andLucy Liemann in supporting roles.^[132][133]

The sci-fi sitcomCome Back Mrs. Noah, set in space in 2050, was broadcast on BBC1 from 17 July to 14 August 1978, with a pilot being aired on 13 December 1977, but it was not a success and ran for only six episodes. Although written by Jeremy Lloyd and David Croft, and featuring an all-star sitcom cast includingMollie Sugden (Are You Being Served?),Ian Lavender (Dad's Army),Gorden Kaye ('Allo 'Allo!),Donald Hewlett (It Ain't Half Hot Mum andYou Rang, M'Lord?) andMichael Knowles (It Ain't Half Hot Mum andYou Rang, M'Lord?), along withVicki Michelle ('Allo 'Allo!) andHarold Bennett (Dad's Army andAre You Being Served?), some regarded it as one of the worst British sitcoms ever made. It has never been repeated.^[134] Writing inThe British Comedy Guide on 27 June 2021, in his article "Stranger Things: When sitcoms strain to be different", citing in detail three examples includingCome Back Mrs. Noah, Graham McCann explains how a sitcom, even when written, produced and acted by a highly successful team, can go horribly wrong.^[135]

TheGranada Television sitcomLeave it to Charlie, set inBolton, Lancashire from the late 1970s to the early 1980s, was broadcast onITV from 13 July 1978 to 25 March 1980. The series was a moderate success and ran for a total of 26 episodes over 4 series. Directed by Eric Prytherch, written byH.V. Kershaw andBarry Hill, the series starredDavid Roper as Charlie Fisher,Peter Sallis (Last of the Summer Wine) as Arthur Simister and Alfred Simister, Gwen Cherrell as Alice Simister, Sally Kinghorn as Jennifer Padgett,Jean Heywood as Florence McGee,David Ross as Harry Hutchins andJohn Horsley as Desmond ffolliott.^[136][137] The series is rarely repeated and has never been released on home media although all 26 original episodes survive intact in the archives of the British Film Institute (BFI).^[138][139]

The seriesYanks Go Home, another sitcom produced byGranada Television, centred around the interactions between American servicemen duringWorld War II inWarrington,Lancashire,England. It was broadcast onITV from 22 November 1976 to 19 September 1977. The series raised some mild controversy because the United States had recently justcelebrated its bicentennial four months prior. The show failed to meet the network's expectations, most likely due to the concept which had already been touched upon in the sitcom Dad's Army in the episodeMy British Buddy. As a result the series only lasted for 13 episodes over two series and was cancelled afterwards. The series was directed by Eric Prytherch and Roger Cheveley. The series was written by H. V. Kershaw,John Stevenson, Anthony Couch, Michael Carter, Julian Roach andStuart Damon. It started Stuart Damon as Cpl. Vince Rossi,Bruce Boa as Sgt. Gus Polaski,David Ross as Harry Duckworth,Meg Johnson as Phoebe Sankey, Harry Markham as Bert Pickup,Catherine Neilson as Doreen Sankey,Freddie Earlle as Cpl. Pasquale,Lionel Murton as Col. Irving,Alan MacNaughtan as Col. Ralph Kruger,Richard Oldfield as P.F.C. Burford Pucket,Norman Bird as Leonard Chambers,Jay Benedict as Pvt. Floyd Tutt,Peter Sallis (Last of the Summer Wine) as Randell Todd,Zulema Dene as Marjorie Mortimore and Frank Crompton as Corporal Hoskins.^{[140][141][142][143]}

In the 1980s, the emergingalternative comedians began to develop sitcoms, partly as a response to series such asTerry and June (1979–87), with their "complacent gentility, outmoded social attitudes and bourgeois sensibilities".^[144] With 'alternative' comedy now almost the mainstream, suburban family sitcoms were increasingly unfashionable by the end of the 1980s.^[145] The alternatives' incursion began withThe Young Ones (1982–84), written byRik Mayall,Ben Elton and others. To help make it stand out, the group opted to combine traditional sitcom style with violent slapstick,non-sequitur plot turns, and surrealism. These older styles were mixed with the working and lower-middle class attitudes of the growing 1980s alternative comedy boom. Mayall was also the star ofThe New Statesman (1987–92), a series created byMaurice Gran andLaurence Marks, whose biggest success,Birds of a Feather (1989–98, 2014–20), also deviated from British practice in being scripted by a team of writers.The alternative comedy genre continued withBlackadder (1983–89), mainly written by Ben Elton andRichard Curtis and starringRowan Atkinson,Tony Robinson,Tim McInnerny,Miranda Richardson,Stephen Fry andHugh Laurie. Atkinson'sEdmund Blackadder came at number three in the Channel 4 list of 100 greatest television characters.^[104] Other high-ratings mainstream, slice-of-life shows of the decade includedBread (1986–1991) written by Carla Lane, about a close-knit, working-class family inLiverpool. Running for 74 episodes, at its peak it attracted 21 million viewers.^[146] Another notable series was theScience fiction comedyRed Dwarf (1988–), while'Allo 'Allo! another Croft and Lloyd creation is set in German occupied France during World War II.

StarringPaul Eddington, withNigel Hawthorne andDerek Fowlds in the supporting roles,Yes Minister which ran for 21 episodes on BBC2 (1980–1984), and its sequelYes, Prime Minister (1986–88), which ran for 16 episodes, were politicalsatires. Established Shakespearean actor Hawthorne picked up fourBAFTA TV Awards forBest Light Entertainment Performance for his role. Created byAntony Jay andJonathan Lynn,^[5] the series received several BAFTAs and in 2004 was voted sixth in theBritain's Best Sitcom poll. WriterMichael Dobbs said Jay and Lynn "really got to the heart of so much of what goes on in Whitehall and Westminster".^[5] As the series revolved around the inner workings of central government, most of the scenes take place privately in offices and exclusivemembers' clubs. Lynn said that "there was not a single scene set in theHouse of Commons because government does not take place in the House of Commons. Some politics and much theatre takes place there. Government happens in private. As in all public performances, the real work is done in rehearsal, behind closed doors. Then the public and the House are shown what the government wishes them to see."^[147] Lynn and Jay explained: "After we wrote the episode, we would show it to some secret sources, always including somebody who was an expert on the subject in question. They would usually give us extra information which, because it was true, was usually funnier than anything we might have thought up."^[147] In a 2004 BBC programme paying tribute to the series, it was revealed that Jay and Lynn had drawn on information provided by two insiders from the governments ofHarold Wilson andJames Callaghan, namelyMarcia Falkender andBernard Donoughue.^[148] The series was the favourite television programme of the thenPrime Minister,Margaret Thatcher.^[149][5] In 2012, Prime MinisterDavid Cameron admitted that "I can tell you, as prime minister, it is true to life."^[150]

Set in 1959–60 in a fictional holiday camp,Hi-de-Hi! was filmed on location at the real Warner's Holiday Centre at Dovercourt Bay. It ran for 58 episodes in 9 series (1980–1988) on the BBC and is often repeated. It was co-written byJimmy Perry, based on his experience as aButlin's Redcoat, and director-producerDavid Croft.^[151][152] With itsensemble cast comprisingPaul Shane,Simon Cadell,Ruth Madoc,Jeffrey Holland,Su Pollard, andDavid Griffin, the series gained large audiences and won a BAFTA for Best Comedy Series in 1984. In a 2008 poll on Channel 4, "Hi-de-Hi!" was voted the 35th most popular comedy catchphrase. According to comedy researcherMark Lewisohn, "Plots became somewhat outlandish during the latter episodes and by the time the BBC called it a day in 1988, it is arguable that the show had already outstayed its welcome by a good couple of years. All in all, though, this was a good British sitcom."^[153][154]

One of the most successful British sitcoms of all time,Only Fools and Horses (1981–2003) starred David Jason asDerek "Del Boy" Trotter andNicholas Lyndhurst as his younger brotherRodney. It began in 1981 and ran for 64 episodes, with specials, until 2003. It was the most durable of several series written byJohn Sullivan. The 1996 episode "Time on Our Hands" (originally billed as the last episode) holds the record for thehighest UK audience for a sitcom episode, attracting 24.3 million viewers.^[155] A ratings success with viewers, the series received numerous awards, including recognition fromBAFTA, theNational Television Awards and theRoyal Television Society, as well as winning individual accolades for Sullivan and Jason. It was voted Britain's Best Sitcom in a 2004 BBC poll. In a 2001 Channel 4 poll Del Boy was ranked fourth on their list of the 100 Greatest TV Characters.^[104] The series influencedBritish culture, contributing several words and phrases to the English language. It was named one of the top 20 cult television programmes of all time by TV critic Jeff Evans. Evans spoke of: "[shows] such asOnly Fools and Horses, which gets tremendous viewing figures but does inspire conventions of fans who meet in pubs called the Nag's Head and wander round dressed as their favourite characters."^[156] The theme music was byRonnie Hazlehurst (1981) andJohn Sullivan (1982–2003).Only Fools and Horses came top in a research and analysis by a team of scientists led by DrHelen Pilcher, a molecular neurobiologist and stand-up comedian with a speciality in scientific humour.^[157]

Running on the BBC for 295 episodes over 31 series and four decades,Last of the Summer Wine (1973–2010) was entirely written byRoy Clarke (Keeping Up Appearances,Open All Hours andStill Open All Hours) and produced byAlan J. W. Bell, with music byRonnie Hazelhurst.^[158] It is the longest-running comedy programme in Britain and the longest-running sitcom in the world.^{[159][160][161]} Thefamily-friendly show was about the antics of a group of male pensioners looking for adventure, "portraying the elderly in a positive and non-stereotypical light."^[162] The show was filmed largely in the small town ofHolmfirth in Yorkshire, a location recommended byBarry Took, and surrounding countryside.^[162] and featuresBill Owen, 186 episodes,Peter Sallis, 295 episodes, andKathy Staff, 245 episodes, along withThora Hird, 152 episodes (Bootsie and Snudge),Stephen Lewis, 135 episodes, (On the Buses),Frank Thornton, 135 episodes (Are You Being Served?),Brian Murphy, 73 episodes, (Man About the House,George and Mildred),Josephine Tewson, 62 episodes, (Keeping Up Appearances),Dora Bryan, 50 episodes, (Happily Ever After),June Whitfield, 44 episodes, (Absolutely Fabulous,Father, Dear Father,Terry and June),Trevor Bannister, 25 episodes, (Are You Being Served?), and over the years included many other actors for a total cast of 459.^{[163][164][165]}

It later became the first comedy series to completely do away with studio sets and a live audience, moving all filming to Holmfirth.^[166] The episodes were then shown to preview audiences, whose laughter was recorded for a laugh track to avoid the use of canned laughter.^[160][167]Last of the Summer Wine was nominated numerous times for British television industry awards; it was proposed five times between 1973 and 1985 for theBritish Academy Film Awards, twice for the Best Situation Comedy Series award (in 1973 and 1979) and three times for the Best Comedy Series award (in 1982, 1983, and 1985).^[168] The show was also considered for theNational Television Awards four times since 1999 (in 1999,^[169] 2000,^[170] 2003,^[171] and 2004),^[172] each time in the Most Popular Comedy Programme category. In 1999 the show won the National Television Award for Most Popular Comedy Programme.^[169] Repeated over 17,000 times, it is regularly broadcast onGold,Yesterday, andDrama.^[163] It is also seen in more than 25 countries.^[173]

On BBC1 for four series and one feature-length special,Ever Decreasing Circles (1984–1989) was made in a total of 27 episodes. It was written by John Esmonde and Bob Larbey, and it reunited them withRichard Briers, of their previous hit showThe Good Life.Sydney Lotterby directed 13 episodes and 14 episodes were produced byHarold Snoad. The show also featured guest appearances byPeter Blake,Ronnie Stevens,Victoria Burgoyne andRay Winstone. Centred around Martin Bryce, the eccentric mover and shaker of his local community who feels threatened by the verve and aplomb of a new arrival in the village, played byPeter Egan. Its handling was much less brash than most sitcoms, andThe Guardian described it as having "a quiet, unacknowledged and deep-running despair to it that in retrospect seems quite daring".^[174] Reappraising the series, Andy Dawson observed that "Ever Decreasing Circles strayed far from the well-worn path that other Britcoms trudged along in the 70s and 80s. There was a very real darkness at the heart of it, with Martin existing in what was almost certainly a state of permanent mental anguish."^[175] The show was voted number 52 in the BBC'sBritain's Best Sitcom poll in 2003. At its peak, it attracted television audiences of around 12 million.^[176]

Reminiscent of their 1970s sitcoms such asAre You Being Served?,It Ain't Half Hot Mum, andDad's Army,'Allo 'Allo! was another creation of the writer/producer team of David Croft and Jeremy Lloyd.^[177] Set inNazi-occupied France and starringGorden Kaye as René, a café owner, 85 episodes aired on BBC1 in nine series.^[178] Croft and Lloyd, who wrote the first six series (the rest were scripted by Lloyd and Paul Adam) devised the concept as a farcical parody of wartime dramasSecret Army (BBC, 1977-1979) andEnemy at the Door (ITV, 1978-80), from which many elements were directly taken including actorsRichard Marner,Guy Siner,John D. Collins andHilary Minster.^[177] Although it did not have the success ofDad's Army, despite its sometimes tasteless gags and innuendo it gained respectable ratings,^[179] and was adapted to a long-running stage play and is frequently repeated.^[177] The series was successfully sold to Germany, possibly because its Nazis were depicted 'as harmlessly pervy and bumbling'.^[180][181] A special entitledThe Return of 'Allo 'Allo! aired in 2007, featuring cast members reprising their original roles in a special story, with a documentary including highlights of episodes and interviews with the cast, production team and fans.^[179]

StarringFelicity Kendal (The Good Life) andJane Asher,The Mistress (1985–1987) aired onBBC2 for 12 episodes and was written by Carla Lane.^[16] Kendal played Maxine, a young florist having an affair with a married man, whose wife was played by Asher. The series was produced and directed byGareth Gwenlan.^[182] Series 2 attempted to broaden its scope, serving as a more general comedy while still retaining the thread of the affair.

Running for only 13 episodes,Chelmsford 123 (1988–1990), was a short-lived series set inRoman Britain about a young Roman general punished by the Emperor by being sent to govern cold, miserable Britannia, populated by hordes of drunken hooligans.^[183] Created and written byJimmy Mulville andRory McGrath, and starring themselves withPhilip Pope andNeil Pearson, it has fallen into relative obscurity. Both series are nevertheless available onAll 4.^[184]

The newChannel 4 began to have successful long-running situation comedies.Desmond's (1989–94) was the first British sitcom with a black cast set in the workplace,^[185] andDrop the Dead Donkey (1990–98) brought topicality to the form as it was recorded close to transmission.Oh, Doctor Beeching (1995–1997) was the last of many sitcoms by producer David Croft.

Some of the biggest hits of the 1990s wereMen Behaving Badly,Game On,2point4 Children,I'm Alan Partridge,Goodnight Sweetheart,Bottom,The Brittas Empire,The Thin Blue Line,Mr. Bean andOne Foot in the Grave.

The"Jeeves" stories by novelistP. G. Wodehouse were made intoJeeves and Wooster (1990–1993), acomedy-drama series in sitcom style. Twenty-three episodes in 4 series were adapted byClive Exton for ITV, starring Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie, already well known writers anddouble act stars of their ownsketch comedy television seriesA Bit of Fry & Laurie. The productions were well received. The third series won a British Academy Television Award for Best Design forEileen Diss. The final series won a British Academy Television Award for Best Graphics for Derek W. Hayes and was nominated for aBritish Academy Television Award for Best Drama Series; it also earned a British Academy Television Award for Best Original Television Music forAnne Dudley,^[186] and a British Academy Television Award for Best Costume Design for Dany Everett.^[187] In retrospect, Michael Brooke ofBFI Screenonline called screenwriter Exton "the series' real star", saying his "adaptations come surprisingly close to capturing the flavour of the originals" by "retaining many of Wodehouse's most inspired literary similes."^[188]

Written byMichael Aitkens, produced byGareth Gwenlan, and directed by Gwenlan and Sue Bysh,Waiting for God (1990–1994) ran onBBC1 for 47 episodes over 5 series and was a major success. It starredStephanie Cole as Diana Trent andGraham Crowden as Tom Ballard, two elderly but spirited residents of Bournemouth's fictional Bayview Retirement Home, who are determined not to grow old gracefully, and spend their time running rings around the home's oppressive management and their own families.^[189] WithJanine Duvitski in the main supporting role and a regular cast including Andrew Tourell,Sandra Payne,Michael Bilton and Paddy Ward, much of the humour was derived from flying in the face of expectations about how the elderly ought to behave.^[189] The show became very successful,^[190][189] and came 37th in the 2004 poll to findBritain's Best Sitcom. It is frequently repeated on the Drama and Gold channels.^[191]

The frequently repeated and highly successful seriesKeeping Up Appearances (1990–1995, 1997, 2008), was written by Roy Clarke. The show, which comprised five series and 44 episodes, including four Christmas specials, starredPatricia Routledge as the snobbishHyacinth 'Bouquet' Bucket,Clive Swift, playing her husband, andJosephine Tewson, playing her neighbour, withJudy Cornwell,Mary Millar andGeoffrey Hughes as her working class relatives. The theme music was composed byNick Ingman. It is the BBC's most exported television programme, having been sold nearly 1,000 times to overseas broadcasters.^[192] As of 2016Keeping Up Appearances is the most-bought BBC and has outsold every other show to international broadcasters in the past 40 years. According to Roy Clarke : "...the secret to her wide fan base is that everyone knows a Hyacinth"^[193] In a 2004 BBC poll it placed 12th in Britain's Best Sitcom and in a 2001 Channel 4 poll, Hyacinth Bucket was ranked 52nd on their list of the 100 Greatest TV Characters.^[104] Production ended after Routledge decided to move on to other projects.

Written byJennifer Saunders and starring herself andJoanna Lumley, withJulia Sawalha andJune Whitfield in supporting roles,Absolutely Fabulous (1992–2012) was based on theFrench and Saunders sketch "Modern Mother and Daughter". It ran for 39 episodes with the first three series airing on BBC, followed a two-part special finale entitledThe Last Shout in 1996. Saunders playedEdina Monsoon, a heavy-drinking, drug-abusingPR agent who spends her time in a desperate attempt to stay young and "hip", and Lumley played fashion magazine directorPatsy Stone, whose drug abuse and alcohol consumption far eclipsed Edina's. It returned for two more series and two one-hour specials from 2001 to 2004. In 1997, the pilot episode, "Fashion", was ranked #47 onTV Guide's "100 Greatest Episodes of All-Time" list.^[194] A scene from the show was included in theTV's 100 Greatest Moments programme broadcast byChannel 4 in 1999.^[195] In 2000, the show was ranked 17th in thegreatest British television show of all time by the BFI.^[196] In 2004 and 2007, the show was ranked 24th and 29th onTV Guide's "Top Cult Shows Ever" list.^[197] In 2019, the series ranked 9th inRadio Times' top 20 British sitcoms.^[198] The series has a 96% rating onRotten Tomatoes,^[199] andAbsolutely Fabulous: The Movie, was released in 2016.

The BBC1 mini-series ofIf You See God, Tell Him (1993), broadcast in four 45-minute episodes written byAndrew Marshall andDavid Renwick, starsRichard Briers,Adrian Edmondson,Imelda Staunton andMartin Clunes. The humour concerns a man who bumps his head and starts believing he must do everything adverts tell him, with catastrophic results.The Independent wrote: "It's not really a disaster but there's something decidedly uneven underfoot here, a feeling that this is the working model for a new type of comedy rather than the finished product. [...] while it's sustained with considerable energy by the actors and direction you have to doubt whether it really stands up for one episode, let alone four."^[200] Conversely, a retrospective review inThe Guardian highlighted the series as "a gem from an era when the BBC took its black comedy seriously", praising both its dark content and humour, "a Richard Briers sitcom that's the opposite of The Good Life."^[201] The series was only broadcast once and never repeated; according toThe Guardian, this was "possibly because it was too much of a leap for fans ofThe Good Life, but it has grown in cult status over the years."^[202]

In terms of ratings,The Vicar of Dibley (1994–2007) starringDawn French, is among the most successful British programmes of the digital era. The main character,Geraldine Granger, was invented byRichard Curtis, but he and French extensively consultedJoy Carroll, one of the first female Anglican priests.^[203]The series exploited the 1992changes in the Church of England that permitted the ordination of women. The show includedcameos from many actors and celebrities, many appearing as themselves, and includingSarah, Duchess of York,Hugh Bonneville,Mel Giedroyc,Richard Griffiths,Miranda Hart,Alistair McGowan,Geraldine McNulty,Philip Whitchurch,Nicholas Le Prevost,Brian Perkins andRoger Sloman,Pam Rhodes,Kylie Minogue,Rachel Hunter,Terry Wogan,Jeremy Paxman,Martyn Lewis,Darcey Bussell,Sean Bean,Richard Ayoade,Orla Brady,Fiona Bruce,Annette Crosbie,Johnny Depp,Ruth Jones,Hilary Kay,Damian Lewis,Maureen Lipman,Jennifer Saunders,Sting and his wifeTrudie Styler,Stephen Tompkinson,Dervla Kirwan, andEmma Watson. Dibley received multipleBritish Comedy Awards, twoInternational Emmys, and was a multipleBritish Academy Television Awards nominee. In 2004, it was placed third in a BBC poll to findBritain's Best Sitcom. In addition to the twenty main episodes between 1994 and 2007, the series included numerous shorter charity specials, as well as 'lockdown' episodes produced during the 2020-2021COVID-19 pandemic.^[204] The theme music was a setting ofPsalm 23 composed byHoward Goodall as a serious piece of church choral music, and performed by the choir ofChrist Church Cathedral, Oxford, with George Humphreys singing the solo.^[205] The conductor wasStephen Darlington.

The 20 episodecomedy drama seriesHamish Macbeth (1995–1997), by Scottish screenwriterDaniel Boyle, was filmed mainly on location in theScottish Highlands, in a departure from the convention that sitcoms are filmed in studio and accompanied by a laugh track.^[206] It was loosely adapted from the mystery novels by M. C. Beaton (Marion Chesney) byDaniel Boyle and starredRobert Carlyle as a police officer.^[206]

The highly successfulFather Ted (1995–1998) series created by Irish writersGraham Linehan andArthur Mathews, produced by BritishHat Trick Productions forChannel 4 aired over three series, including a Christmas special, for 25 episodes. Set on the fictionalCraggy Island, off Ireland's west coast, it starredDermot Morgan asFather Ted Crilly,Ardal O'Hanlon asFather Dougal McGuire andFrank Kelly asFather Jack Hackett. Exiled to the island byBishop Leonard Brennan, played byJim Norton, the priests live together in theparochial house with their housekeeperMrs Doyle, played byPauline McLynn. The show subverts parodies oflow-brow humour as it portrays nuanced themes ofloneliness,agnosticism,existentialism andpurgatory experienced by its title character; this deeper meaning of the show has been much acclaimed.^{[207][208][209]} The series won several BAFTA awards, twice winning forBest Comedy Series. In a 2001 poll byChannel 4, Father Dougal was ranked fifth on a list of the 100 Greatest TV Characters.^[104] In 2019,Father Ted was named the second-greatest British sitcom (afterFawlty Towers) by a panel of comedy experts for theRadio Times.^[210]

A winner of many awards, including "Best New TV Comedy" at the 1999British Comedy Awards,^[211] and "Best TV Comedy" in 2000.^{[212][213][214][215]} Created, written and co-produced byVictoria Wood, who also starred as the main character, Brenda Furlong,dinnerladies is based on the lives and interactions of the employees of a works canteen and ran for a total of 16 episodes during 1998 and 2000. The permanent cast occasionally featured guest actors, includingJoanne Froggatt,Tina Malone,Dora Bryan OBE,Lynda Baron,Elspet Gray, Janette Tough,Simon Williams,Kenny Doughty andEric Sykes CBE,^[216]andDame Thora Hird DBE. Involving only one set throughout its run (with the exception of quiz show and hospital sets which are both seen on a television screen in the last two episodes),dinnerladies was entirely filmed at the LondonBBC Television Centre in front of a livestudio audience employing amultiple-camera setup.^[217][218] The theme music was composed by Victoria Wood.^[219]

At the turn of the Millennium, examples of the hyperreal approach pioneered by Galton and Simpson in some of theirHancock scripts was evident inSteve Coogan's 12-episode sitcomI'm Alan Partridge (1997–2002). Galton and Simpson's influence also found its way intoThe Office, amockumentary,Early Doors,Gavin & Stacey and many Britishdramedies.^[220]The BBC began using their digital channelsBBC Three andBBC Four to build a following for off-beat series includingThe Thick of It (2005–2012). Channel 4 had successes withSpaced (1999–2001),Black Books (2000–2004),Phoenix Nights (2001–2002),Peep Show (2003–2015),Green Wing (2004–2006),The IT Crowd (2006–2013) andThe Inbetweeners (2008–2010). The late 2000s and early 2010s also saw a major resurgence in traditional-style sitcoms filmed in front of a studio audience and featuring a laughter track, such asNot Going Out (2006–), written byLee Mack,Miranda (2009–2015),Reggie Perrin (2009–2010), a remake of the 1970s seriesThe Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin and Irish sitcomMrs Brown's Boys (2011–). The most successful BBC sitcom of the time wasMy Family (2000–2011), which came 24th in the Britain's Best Sitcom poll in 2004 and was the most watched sitcom in the United Kingdom in 2008.

Other notable sitcoms in the new millennium includedOutnumbered (2007–2016),Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps (2001–2011), about a group of young people living inRuncorn, andThe IT Crowd (2006–2013), aboutIT colleagues.

Caroline Aherne andCraig Cash wrote the 25 episodes ofThe Royle Family (1998–2012) for the BBC.^[221][222] It centred on the lives of a television-fixated working-class family, the Royles, a stereotype of family life at the turn of the century, sharing elements ofkitchen sink drama.The Royle Family was placed 31st in the BFI's 2000 list of the 100 greatest British television programmes. In a 2001 Channel 4 poll, Jim Royle, the misanthropic head of the household, was ranked 11th on their list of the 100 Greatest TV Characters.^[104] In a 2004 BBC poll to findBritain's Best Sitcom,The Royle Family was placed 19th. The series also won several BAFTA awards.

The Office is a workplacemockumentary with 12 episodes plus a two-part Christmas special. Broadcast in two seasons from 2001 to 2003, it was created, written and directed byRicky Gervais andStephen Merchant. The series follows the day-to-day lives of office employees in theSlough branch of fictional Wernham Hogg paper company, centering on themes of social clumsiness, the trivialities of human behaviour, self-importance and conceit, frustration, desperation and fame. Gervais also starred in the series as the central character,David Brent. After a slow start it has since become one of the most successful of all British comedy exports. It has been sold to broadcasters in over 80 countries, includingABC1 in Australia,The Comedy Network in Canada,TVNZ in New Zealand, and the pan-Asiansatellite channelStar World, based in Hong Kong. It was shown in the United States on BBC America from 2001 to 2016, and later onCartoon Network's late night programming blockAdult Swim from 2009 to 2011.^[223] In a 2021 BBC pollThe Office came 9th out of 100 of the best shows of the 21st century.^[224]

LikeHamish Macbeth in the 1990s,Doc Martin (2004–2022), is adramedy series of 79 episodes through its 18 years.^[225] It starsMartin Clunes as Dr. Martin Ellingham, thegeneral practitioner of a Cornish village, andCaroline Catz supported by a regular cast and many guests includingStephanie Cole (Waiting for God,Open All Hours), andEileen Atkins. Created byDominic Minghella and written and produced byPhilippa Braithwaite,^[226] it was filmed on location in the village ofPort Isaac, with most interior scenes shot in a converted local barn.^[227] In 2004,Doc Martin won the British Comedy Award for "Best TV Comedy Drama", having also been nominated as "Best New TV Comedy".^[228] The tenth (and final) series aired from 7 September 2022 to 26 October 2022; one last installment, a Christmas special that aired on 25 December 2022, was the programme's final episode.^[229]

Running for 32 episodes over four series and threeChristmas specialsThe Green Green Grass (2005 and 2009) was a spin-off fromOnly Fools and Horses, produced for the BBC and created and initially written byJohn Sullivan, who also wrote the theme music. It starredJohn Challis,Sue Holderness andJack Doolan fromOnly Fools and Horses.^[230] It also featured several guest stars includingPaula Wilcox (Man About the House),^[231] American actorGeorge Wendt^[232] andDame June Whitfield (Happy Ever After,Absolutely Fabulous,Last of the Summer Wine).^[233]

James Corden andRuth Jones wrote the 20 episodes ofGavin & Stacey produced byBaby Cow Productions (2007–2010) forBBC Cymru Wales over three series which were directed by Christine Gernonmover. It centres on two families, one inBillericay,Essex, and the other inBarry,South Wales.Mathew Horne andJoanna Page playedGavin andStacey, and the writers played their best friends,Smithy andNessa.Alison Steadman andLarry Lamb played Gavin's parents,Pam andMick,Melanie Walters played Stacey's mother,Gwen, andRob Brydon played her uncle,Bryn. Broadcast on Christmas Day 2009 and New Year's Day 2010, Christmas Day 2019, and Christmas Day 2024, episodes of the final series formed a significant part of the prime-time BBC seasonal programming. Acclaimed as both a hit and a breakthrough show for the BBC, it was the most nominated show in the 2007 British Comedy Awards. It won several awards, including the BAFTAs Audience Award, and the British Comedy Awards Best TV Comedy Award, both in 2008. In 2019,Gavin & Stacey was named the 17th-greatest British sitcom in a poll byRadio Times.^[234] 18.49 million people watched the Christmas Day 2019 special, the most-viewed non-sporting event in a decade and the most-watched comedy episode for 17 years,^{[235][236][237]} and the 2024 finale with 12.3 million TV viewers was the most watched show on Christmas Day since 2008.^[7] After one week's consolidated viewing the finale episode had become the UK's most-watched scripted show since modern records began with 19.3 million viewers.^[238][239]

Written and created byDerren Litten and produced byTiger Aspect forITV,Benidorm (2007–2018) aired for 74 episodes over ten series.^[240] The series featured anensemble cast of holidaymakers and staff at the Solana all-inclusive hotel inBenidorm,Spain over the course of a week each year.^[241]The series had a large ensemble cast,^[242] which changed throughout its ten seasons and includedAbigail Cruttenden,Adam Gillen,Alan David,Asa Elliott [af;arz],Bel Powley,Bobby Knutt,Charlotte Eaton,Crissy Rock,Danny Walters,Elsie Kelly,Geoffrey Hutchings,Hannah Hobley,Hannah Waddingham,Honor Kneafsey,Hugh Sachs,Jake Canuso,Janine Duvitski,John Challis,Johnny Vegas,Josh Bolt,Julie Graham,Kate Fitzgerald,Kathryn Drysdale,Kenny Ireland,Michelle Butterly,Nathan Bryon,Nicholas Burns,Oliver Stokes,Paul Bazely,Perry Benson,Selina Griffiths,Sheila Reid,Shelley Longworth,Sheridan Smith,Sherrie Hewson,Simon Greenall,Siobhan Finneran,Steve Edge,Steve Pemberton,Tim Healy,Tony Maudsley and many guest stars.^[242] The first series proved to be a hit for ITV, with critics describing it as "beautifully written and performed" and "a gem of wry observation in withering bad taste".^[240]

The censoring of repeats, especially where thewatershed, the time after which adult programming is allowed to be broadcast, is being eroded byon demand viewing andOTT technology. The standard solution is to provide a warning to viewers of real-time transmissions that the programme contains language which some viewers may find offensive.^[243][244] 'Characters who are complicated, multi-dimensional and not always easy to like are now the norm and not the exception'^[224]Other recent British sitcoms includeBrassic (2019–present),Chewing Gum (2015–2017),Friday Night Dinner (2011–2020),Bad Education (2012–2014, 2022-2024),Cuckoo (2012–2019),Fleabag (2016–2019) which 'challenged audience expectations of characters',^[224] andPeter Kay's Car Share (2015–2018).

The sequel toOpen All Hours,Still Open All Hours (2013–2019), was created and written by Roy Clarke for the BBC. StarringDavid Jason (Open All Hours,Only Fools and Horses), its 41 episodes retain the 20th century sitcom traditions of its predecessor. The show is supported byJames Baxter and a regular supporting cast ofLynda Baron,Stephanie Cole,Maggie Ollerenshaw,Brigit Forsyth,Johnny Vegas,Kulvinder Ghir,Geoffrey Whitehead,Sally Lindsay,Tim Healy,Sue Holderness, Dean Smith,Archie Panjabi andNina Wadia, with Baron, Cole, and Ollerenshaw reprising their original characters fromOpen All Hours.^[245]Directed by Dewi Humphreys,^[246][247] and produced by Jason, Alex Walsh-Taylor^[248][249] Sarah Hitchcock,^[250] andGareth Edwards, the series continued the theme ofOpen All Hours while focusing on the life of a much older Granville - still played by Jason - running his late uncle Arkwright's traditional Englishcorner shop with his son's help.^[245]

The British-American parentalblack comedy television seriesBreeders ran from 2020 to 2023 for 40 episodes over 4 seasons. The show was created byMartin Freeman,Chris Addison andSimon Blackwell.^[251] The series follows two parents who struggle with parenthood and is partially based on Freeman's own experiences. Freeman also plays the lead role.^[252][253] The series premiered on 2 March 2020, on the American cable networkFX, and on the British networkSky One on 12 March 2020.^[253] In July 2022, the series was renewed for a fourth and final season, which premiered on July 31, 2023.^[254]

Barry Took came to TV comedy following his hugely successful half-hour radio sketch comedies such asBeyond Our Ken (1958 - 1964) and its successorRound the Horne 1965 - 1968 and paved the way for the format of many television sitcoms.^[255] Took, with writing partnerMarty Feldman with whom he collaborated for over ten years in radio and television, created the early sitcomsThe Army Game in 1958 starringAlfie Bass (Till Death Us Do Part andAre You Being Served?) andBill Fraser (Hancock's Half Hour) and later wrote its sequelBootsie and Snudge (1960) of which 100 episodes were made, pioneering TV comedy with one of its most enduring features, 'the ill-sorted pair'.^[256]The team's first BBC series wasThe Walrus and the Carpenter (1965), starringWarren Mitchell andRonnie Barker.^[257][258] He became Head of Light Entertainment forLondon Weekend Television and he launched several shows, including the successfulOn the Buses, and was instrumental in launching the team that becameMonty Python's Flying Circus.^[255]

Royston Clarke (born 28 January 1930), usually known as Roy Clarke, began his career In the late 1960s writing thrillers for BBC Radio. Clarke is a prolific television drama creator who wrote sixteen of Britain's best known sitcoms. In 2002, he received anOBE for his contribution to British comedy. He was awarded the lifetime achievement award at the 2010British Comedy Awards. He is also the 1996 winner of the BAFTA Dennis Potter Award, the 2010 British Comedy Awards winner, and the 1971 Writers' Guild of Great BritainBest Writer award.^[259] Clarke was the sole writer ofLast of the Summer Wine, which at its peak had an audience of over 18 million viewers and is the longest-running comedy programme in Britain and the longest-running sitcom in the world.^[260][160] Among his well known works areKeeping Up Appearances,Open All Hours and its sequel series,Still Open All Hours.^[261][262]

David Croft (1922–2011) was ascreenwriter,producer anddirector. He produced and wrote a string of BBC sitcoms with partnersJimmy Perry andJeremy Lloyd, includingDad's Army,It Ain't Half Hot Mum andHi-de-Hi!. Like Perry, he served in tropical Asia during the Second World War. WhileDad's Army was still running, Croft began to co-writeAre You Being Served? with Jeremy Lloyd. He continued both writing partnerships for the rest of his career in other series includingYou Rang, M'Lord with Perry and'Allo 'Allo! with Lloyd. His last full series,Oh, Doctor Beeching! (1995–1997), was co-written withRichard Spendlove. He created a television pilot in 2007, entitledHere Comes The Queen, with Jeremy Lloyd, but the show was not continued as a series.^[263] Together with Perry, Croft was presented with a British Comedy Award in 2003 for lifetime achievement, and in 1978OBE for services to television. He also received the 1981Desmond Davies Award from theBritish Academy of Film and Television Arts, for his contributions to the industry.^[264]

Jimmy Perry (1923–2016) createdDad's Army with David Croft. The song he wrote for the series,Who Do You Think You Are Kidding, Mr Hitler?, won him anIvor Novello Award. Croft and Perry wrote together for over 30 years. Along with Frank Muir andDenis Norden, and Galton and Simpson, they were among the dominant writing teams of the period. Perry could send himself up as well as others. His autobiography was to be calledA Boy's Own Story, but it came out in 2002 under the titleA Stupid Boy.^[265] InDad's Army, he drew on his experience as a young member of the Home Guard, on his service in India and Burma^[266] during the war forIt Ain't Half Hot Mum, and his time as a Butlin's holiday camp Redcoat forHi-de-Hi, for which he wrote the song "Holiday Rock".^[267] When he said he wanted to be a film star or a comedian, his father responded: "You stupid boy!" Perry used the phrase inDad's Army and it became a catch phrase.^[266] Perry effectively retired afterYou Rang, M'Lord? finished.^[266] He was awarded anOBE in 1978.^[267] He won Lifetime Achievement Awards from the Writer's Guild (1995) and at the British Comedy Awards (2003).^[266]

Ray Galton and Alan Simpson (1930–2018 and 1929–2017) wrote together for over 50 years The standard of their scripts became a touchstone for sitcom style, helping to steer Britain down a different path from the American team writing system in.^[3] Their most famous series wereHancock's Half Hour andSteptoe and Son. Some of their scripts for Hancock almost repudiated a narrative structure altogether and attempted to reproduce an everyday environment with the intention of also reproducing its comedy. Both the character played by Tony Hancock inHancock's Half Hour, andHarold Steptoe, played byHarry H. Corbett, were pretentious would-be intellectuals who found themselves trapped by the squalor of their lives. The Galton and Simpson comedies were often characterised by a bleak and somewhat fatalistic tone.Steptoe and Son in particular was at times an example ofblack comedy, and close in tone toSocial realism drama.^[220]

Chesney and Wolfe was a prolific comedy scriptwriting team of Ronald Chesney and Ronald Wolfe whose partnership contributed significantly to the genre of British sitcoms. Spanning the years from the mid-1950s to 1989, among their best shows areThe Rag Trade starringDame Barbara Windsor (Carry On films) withDame Penelope Keith (The Good Life andTo the Manor Born), who also starred again together inWild, Wild Women with an all-star cast andAnna Karen who later starred in Chesney and Wolfe'sOn the Buses. These were workplace shows with sexist and humorously indecent comedy that obtained very high viewer ratings but were not well received by TV critics.^[268][269] Their other credits includeMeet the Wife, an episode of'Allo 'Allo! (1989), andWatch This Space in 1980 which was less of a success.^[270] Their shows featured many of the regular actors from award-winning comedy shows and films and including among many others,DameThora Hird - a household name and a British institution,Ian Lavender (Dad's Army),Reg Varney (On the Buses),Sheila Hancock (Mr Digby Darling),Prunella Scales (Fawlty Towers),Peter Jones (actor),^[269][270] Their 1971 spin-off film,On the Buses, the first of the three based on the TV series, was the highest British box-office earner of that year.^[271]

Jeremy Lloyd (1930–2014) co-wroteAre You Being Served? and'Allo'Allo!; his sitcoms have been called "the essence of Britishness".^[272]Are You Being Served? was based partly on his own experiences of working in a London department store as a suit salesman. Its success gave rise a spin-off,Grace and Favour, which was a collaboration with David Croft.^[273]During 1970 Lloyd was briefly married to actress, presenter and producerJoanna Lumley (Absolutely Fabulous) with whom he starred in the sitcomIt's Awfully Bad for Your Eyes, Darling.^[274][275] Lloyd was appointed an OBE in 2013.^[276]

John Howard Davies (1939–2011) joined the BBC as a production assistant in 1966, and became a television director and producer specializing in comedy. In 1978 he became the head of comedy, and in 1982 the head of light entertainment.^[277] For four decades, he was a major influence as commissioning producer on shows such as^[278]Fawlty Towers by John Cleese and Connie Booth, Galton and Simpson'sSteptoe and Son,All Gas and Gaiters,The Goodies, andThe Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin. Davies was also the producer of all four seasons ofThe Good Life. When asked what the best formula for a sitcom is, he replied "All the best sitcom characters are relentlessly horrible."^[277]

Brian Cooke andJohnnie Mortimer were a comedy writing duo whose career began in radio with the critically acclaimedRound the Horne of 1968, and its sequelStop Messing About created as a vehicle forKenneth Williams ofCarry On fame. Together they penned many of the 1970s popular TV sitcoms often featuring well known comedy actors such asPaul Eddington ofThe Good Life andYes Minister,Patrick Cargill (Father, Dear Father);Richard O'Sullivan,Yootha Joyce, andBrian Murphy ofMan About the House;Peter Butterworth (Carry On),Peter Jones,Beryl Reid,Roy Kinnear,Joan Sanderson. Independently, Cooke createdTripper's Day featuringLeonard Rossiter ofThe Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin andEric Chappell's highly successfulRising Damp. On his own, Mortimer wroteNever the Twain starringDonald Sinden (Two's Company) andWindsor Davies (It Ain't Half Hot Mum).

Rhodes wrote the title music forThe Good Life.^[279] He was a successful light entertainment composer and musical director including his arrangements for comedienneBeryl Reid's 1968-67Beryl Reid Says Good Evening.^[280] He collaborated with many stars includingJudy Garland,Pearl Bailey,Sammy Davis Jr.,Vic Damone andBruce Forsyth. Rhodes was often referred to as "the musicians' musician", counting musicians such as Ronnie Hazlehurst,Monty Norman andPhil Phillips among his friends. In 1958 he scored the theme forDr No, the firstJames Bond film.^[279]

A prolific composer for sitcoms, comedy productions, game shows and other programmes,Hazlehurst joined the BBC in 1961, and became a staff arranger; his early works included theincidental music forThe Likely Lads andThe Liver Birds.^[281][282] In 1968 he became the Light Entertainment Musical Director and composed the theme tunes of many sitcoms, includingAre You Being Served?,Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em,Last of the Summer Wine (where he also wrote all the instrumental music for the show),I Didn't Know You Cared,The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin,To the Manor Born,Yes Minister andYes, Prime Minister,Just Good Friends andThree Up, Two Down.^{[281][282][283]} He also arranged the themes forButterflies,Sorry! and the first series ofOnly Fools and Horses.^[282]His theme tunes often included elements designed to fit the programmes, such as acash till inAre You Being Served?, rises and falls inThe Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin and theBig Ben chimes forYes Minister.^[281][284] ForSome Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em, Hazlehurst usedMorse code to spell out the programme's title.^[285] During his career he composed the music for the opening of the BBC's coverage of the1976 Olympics.^[281]Jon Plowman, Head of BBC Comedy, said, "He was the composer of many of the best-loved signature tunes of the last 40 years of television - and some of his work is still heard today. He's associated with some of the best-loved shows of our lives."^[284]

Russell wrote the music forOn the Buses and the children's programmeThe Herbs.^[286] He studied composition withRichard Rodney Bennett andBill Russo. He was in Russo's London Jazz Orchestra and took over running this when Russo returned to the United States in 1965.^[287] He later became a busy composer and wrote the score of the musicalThe Matchgirls.^[288][289]

The title music forKeeping Up Appearances was written byNick Ingman, a visiting professor at theLondon College of Music. His collaborators includePaul McCartney,Mick Jagger,Björk, andThe X Factor.^[290] His arrangements have accounted for fourteen No. 1 singles and five double platinum albums in the UK and he has been nominated for aGrammy three times.^[291]

Brint was closely associated with theAlternative Comedy movement and contributed music to several associated projects including the sitcomsAbsolutely Fabulous and2point4 Children.

Dudley composed the title and incidental music forJeeves and Wooster. She is a composer, keyboardist, conductor and pop musician, winning many awards including anOscar forBest Original Musical or Comedy Score for the comedy filmThe Full Monty. Dudley was the firstBBC Concert Orchestra's Composer in Association in 2001,^[292] and has composed the scores for over twenty other films.^[293]

Brewis has music credits for several comedy programmes including the sitcomsThe Young Ones andFilthy, Rich and Catflap.

The title themes forThe Vicar of Dibley,Blackadder,Red Dwarf andMr. Bean are amongHoward Goodall's most memorable melodies. He also presents music-based programmes on television and radio, for which he has won many awards. In 2008, he was named as a presenter and Composer-in-Residence at the British radio stationClassic FM.^[294] In 2009, he was named "Composer of the Year" at theClassic Brit Awards.^[295]

A composer for many sitcoms and other comedies,Whitehead's sitcom credits includeBlack Books,Green Wing,Campus,Nathan Barley andRev. His music forGreen Wing was nominated for aBAFTA and won theRTS Award for Best Original Music. He occasionally wrote under the name "Trellis".^[296]

By 2020, at least 45 British sitcoms had been adapted into over 50 feature films;^[64] the first of the threeOn the Buses films was the biggest hit at the British box office in 1971.^[65] However, they were not always critical successes. In a review ofAre You Being Served?, Michael Stailey ofDVD Verdict regarded the1977 film as "guilty of violating almost every law of comedy and film."^[297] John Pym ofThe Monthly Film Bulletin also gave the film a negative review, stating that "The humour consists mainly of a withering selection of patent British puns; an inflatable brassiere, some let's-insult-the-Germans jokes and a ricketythunder-box which bolts from the outside are thrown in for good measure."^[88] The film holds a 58% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes; the cutoff for a positive rating is 59%.^[89] Moreover, as with the series they were based on, some films have been criticised for not meeting contemporary levels of political correctness.^[76]

Other sitcom adaptions from the era includedBottoms Up (1960), based onWhack-O!,Till Death Us Do Part (1968) and its sequelThe Alf Garnett Saga (1972),Dad's Army (1971),On the Buses (1971) and its sequels,Please Sir! (1971),Bless This House (1972),Steptoe and Son (1972) and its sequel,Nearest and Dearest (1972),Father, Dear Father (1973),Love Thy Neighbour (1973),Man About the House (1974),The Likely Lads (1976),Porridge (1979), andGeorge and Mildred (1980).

British sitcoms reflect changes in public opinion and culture through the times. They began at a time in which, for example, "class and ethnic prejudices were challenged and mocked".^[243] They heavily featuredslapstick humour and offensive slurs.^[243] Series such asLove Thy Neighbour (1972–76),^[67] andMind Your Language (1977–79, 1986),^[68] which attempted to find humour in racial or ethnic conflict and misunderstandings, have been increasingly criticised over time.^[62]Johnny Speight, the creator ofIn Sickness and In Health, defended its depiction of the central characterAlf Garnett, saying: "If you do the character correctly, he just typifies what you hear - not only in pubs but in golf clubs around the country. To make him truthful he's got to say those things, and they are nasty things. But I feel as a writer that they should be out in the open so we can see how daft these comparisons are."^[298]

The contemporaryIt Ain't Half Hot Mum has also been criticised for racism,^[62] homophobia, andwhitewashing its cast. The writer,Jimmy Perry, defended it saying those elements were true to life.^[299] Meanwhile,Whack-O!, a 1960s series set in a private school, has been described as "a little painful" to watch today for its depictions ofcaning.^[300] EvenFawlty Towers, considered one of the best sitcoms of all time, has been criticised for its cruelty.^[76]

In 2005, a group of scientists led by Dr.Helen Pilcher was commissioned by the satellite channelUKTV Gold to study 20 years of British sitcoms. Using the medical dramaCasualty as a control, the team came up with a formula for measuring the success or failure of sitcoms. This formula assessed the recognisability of the main character and their delusions of grandeur, the wittiness of the script, the physical injuries the cast suffer and their differences in social statues, and the success of any plans. There was a maximum score of 1120, andCasualty scored 5.5. The top shows and their scores wereOnly Fools and Horses (which scored 696),The Office (678),Father Ted (564),Fawlty Towers (557), andBlackadder (374.5).^[301]

The very worst sitcoms of the 20 year period were:

• Eyes Down (2003–2004), starringPaul O'Grady andSheridan Smith, which scored 96.^[301]
• According to Bex (2005), withJessica Stevenson, and written by Katie Douglas,Julia Barron andFred Barron.^[302] Critical reception to this show was negative, withThe Stage calling it "the biggest sitcom disaster of the year"^[303] and theBritish Comedy Guide describing it as "dull and predictable".^[304] Despite reports that a second series had been planned,^[305] the show was cancelled after the first series due to low ratings.^[306] Stevenson considered the series so bad that she quit her agent.^[307] It scored 67.^[301]
• Sam's Game (2001), starring TV presenterDavina McCall and comedianEd Byrne. Written by Byrne and uncredited contributors, it ran for only six episodes. It scored 22.^[301]
• Babes in the Wood (1998–1999), a flat-share comedy created and written byGeoff Deane.The Times called it "very shoddy".^[308]The Rough Guide to British Cult Comedy called it "hackneyed".^[309] TheDaily Mirror was highly critical ofClaire King's guest appearance.^[310] In an overview of ITV programmes, columnist Stuart Heritage ofThe Guardian namedBabes in the Wood as one of the worst shows in the network's history. He describedBabes in the Wood as "a show where some babes live inSt John's Wood and literally nothing else happens".^[311] It scored 8.^[301]
• 'Orrible (2001), written by and starringJohnny Vaughan, and lasting only for 8 episodes, came last with a score of 6.5.^[301]

British sitcoms are often seen on the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), usually thanks to the effort ofWGBH, and increasingly on cable television, includingBBC America andComedy Central.Are You Being Served?,Keeping Up Appearances andAs Time Goes By became sleeper hits when they aired on PBS, whileAbsolutely Fabulous enjoyed a significant following when it aired on Comedy Central andThe Office won aGolden Globe award in 2004 for "Best Television Series—Musical or Comedy", surpassing American series such asSex and the City andWill & Grace.

Several British sitcoms have been successfullyremade for the American market. Notable examples includeSteptoe and Son which becameSanford and Son,Till Death Us Do Part, which becameAll in the Family, andThe Office which was remade intoan American series of the same name.Three's Company, a remake ofMan About the House, had its own spinoffs:The Ropers, based onGeorge and Mildred, andThree's a Crowd, based onRobin's Nest. Other American remakes of British sitcoms includeWhat a Country!, based onMind Your Language. More recently, shows such asThe Inbetweeners was adapted intoan American version, as wasThe Thick of It asVeep. A large number of US adaptations end up being cancelled early or are not commissioned after their pilots are created. Another notable difference, which can be both positive or negative depending upon the skill of the cast and writers, is the American media culture of 20 or more episodes in a season, as opposed to the British tendency to have fewer than 10 episodes per series.

In Australia, many British comedy series are aired on theABC, which is the Australian equivalent of the BBC. British shows are also sometimes shown on the three commercialtelevision networks in Australia, especiallySeven Network during the 1970s. In New Zealand, state-runTVNZ also broadcasts many British series. The majority of British comedies now air in both countries on the subscription channelsThe Comedy Channel andUKTV.

Australian commercial television channels made their own versions of British comedies during the 1970s, often using members of the original casts. These included:Are You Being Served?,Father, Dear Father,Doctor Down Under,Love Thy Neighbour in Australia. In both countries, locally produced sitcoms have historically been heavily influenced by the structure of British sitcoms, such as in the New Zealand sitcomGliding On.

In the 1980s, India's national broadcasterDoordarshan showedFawlty Towers,Yes Minister andMind Your Language.

• Black comedy
• British humour
• List of BBC sitcoms
• List of American television series based on British television series

• Sitcom
• Lists of films based on British TV comedies

• The Sitcom Family,Duguid, Mark. British Film Institute, ScreenOnline

• Sitcom,Wickham, Phil. British Film Institute, ScreenOnline

• The Masters Of Sitcom: From Hancock To Steptoe, Ray Galton and Alan Simpson, Editor Christopher Stevens, 2011 Michael O'Mara Books. ISBN 978-1843176336