What comedies are not sexist?

[MMMarmite]

Following on from the Friends thread, what non-sexist comedies would people recommend? Recently I've started noticing the sexism in tv a lot more, it would be nice to watch something free from that.

Preferably stuff that avoids all the other -isms too, but I think I might be demanding the impossible now.

[AliceHurled]

I doubt there is anything free from it. It's all going to reflect our society, which is sexist.

[MMMarmite]

Yeah, perhaps. Some are definitely better than others though - I gave up watching How I Met Your Mother because of the amount unchallenged sexism.

[SardineQueen]

blackadder?

What sort of things do you like?
If something is very good and the characters are rounded it's easier to overlook a bit of sexism IYKWIM

[SardineQueen]

jeeves and wooster? (pg wodehouse is a great writer from a feminist POV I think, loads of strong female characters who are real people IYSWIM)

[Prolesworth]

the thick of it?

[MMMarmite]

I hadn't heard of Kate and Allie before, will have a look. Also will check out Jeeves and Wooster.

In the thick of it (of which I've only seen a few episodes) and Black adder seem to be dominated by male characters - I guess that's not necessarily sexist, but it does seem that a most comedies, except ones about dating, focus on men.

I've just remembered Miranda, which was quite good, unless there was sexism that I didn't notice in there.

[Wheezo]

Spaced?

Smack the pony?

the news quiz (R4 hosted by sand toksvig) generally have at least 1 female on each team

[Hassled]

Modern Family? The wife is a SAHM, apparently by choice, and is fully supported by her husband when she stands as a local councillor. The couple seem to share all decision making and parenting. The feistiest, most clever and most likely to succeed character is a teenage girl. One female character is very very beautiful, and while much is made of that, far more is made of the fact she's hilarious and opinionated. She is treated very much on her own terms.

[HillyWallaby]

One that doesn't have ANY pretty female actresses in it I guess.

[SardineQueen]

MMMarmite you have forgotten queenie and her nurse (bernard)

Yes it is lots of men being funny. But it is very, very funny

[CrunchyFrog]

I love the News Quiz, funny women every week. Sandi Toksvig is one of my heroes.

[colditz]

QI has never stuck me as sexist. The female content is low, but the ratio of female comics is low, the makers of QI only have famous people on, they can't help it.
#
Plus my favourite episode is when David Mitchel is on, and Stephen Fry can barely function as host because he's so entranced by David's wit

[laurawriter]

Really depressed by how hard it is to think of any! Apparently 2 broke girls is good and funny but I haven't seen it.

The one that really annoyed me was Bridesmaids - hailed as such a huge achievement for 'feminism' in loads of articles/reviews just because it featured mostly women and was about women being funny, yet conformed to all the usual sexist stereotypes, portrayed the female characters' self-worth and happiness depending on men, showed the pretty ones to be catty, bitchy and jealous of one another, the fat ones to be funny for no other reason than that they were fat, contained an utterly, utterly gratuitous lesbian kiss, displayed female friendship as fickle and full of spats and tearful reunions...the list goes on and on and on.

[blackcurrants]

I thought Green Wing was great. Don't remember it being 'feminist' but it's 'feminist friendly' I think.

[SpringHeeledJack]

what about Pulling? (BBC3 comedy series, stacks of female characters, written by Sharon Horgan, male characters mostly there to move things along etc rather than being central to the plot iykwim)

got the chop after series 2

fancy that!

[messyisthenewtidy]

I was excited about 2 Broke Girls too, but it's pretty racist.

[TanteRose]

Ab Fab

Rosanne

I suppose you should do the movie Bechtel test on TV comedies

1. It has to have at least two women in it, with names
   
2. Who talk to each other
   
3. About something other than a man

[FairPhyllis]

I like Arrested Development. The number of women in the core cast is low, but they are good characters and very funny. I think the fact that as a show it is essentially about family relations rather than another boring sitcom about people in their 20s dating means it avoids a lot of the stereotype 'gosh men and women are different!' crap.

[belindarose]

30 Rock, I think.

[Krumbum]

I like south park because firstly its hilarious and because it satirises sexism, racism, homophobia, classism, making the sexist etc the butt of the joke It's very clever writing and very underestimated.

[KatMeow13]

"Kids in the Hall", all male comedian troupe who take turns playing female roles, it's very funny and has lot's of social commentary.
"Latin Divas of Comedy" has a great selection of female stand up comics.
"Strangers with Candy" starring Amy Sedaris, this comedy series mocks the simplistic problem solving of after school specials, and the sexist, prejudiced culture present in our world, it is a very dark kind of comedy and is only funny if it is understood that the comedians are playing caricatures of really terrible people.
I second
"Absolutely Fabulous"
and
"Roseanne"
"Margaret Cho" is a great stand up comedian as well!

[notcitrus]

Dinnerladies with Victoria Wood. Bit patchy but mostly female cast and at its best, excellent.

[SingingSilver]

Parks & Recreation?

[SingingSilver]

belindarose Some people have a problem with 30 Rock because of a few scenes (one shows a man having sex with his wife while she's asleep, we're supposed to find it funny because she's fat...) It's a shame because it's actually a good show for the most part, then it lets itself down.