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Original poster

Worst British Sitcoms of all time!

507 replies

Babygirl66 · 10/04/2020 12:52

In your opinion what is the worst British sitcom of all time.

My definition of Sitcom, is a comedy that prime purpose is to be “funny”. For Example shows such as Being Human, Fleabag, my mad fat dairy, Brasic and Jonathan Creek don’t count as whilst they contain humour they are not what most would consider a sitcom as they contain to much of a serious undertone. (Not saying these are bad shows, I just see them refer to as sitcoms a lot when they technically are not)

OP posts:
70isaLimitNotaTarget · 12/04/2020 17:53

Does anyone remember the sitcom Doctors' Daughters? Yes and now that bloody theme tune is in my head Grin

"Keep It in The Family" Dad was a cartoonist who used a puppet to draw .

One with Brian Connely and Amanda Holden (Miss Titley) set in a school .
"Just a Gigalo" with Tony Slattery .

Anyone remember "The Big One" ? They used the theme tune I Close My Eyes my Dusty Springfield , love that song , can only remember a fridge that you had to kick in a certain way and the ex boyfriend knew just how to open it .
I loved " Steptoe and Son" and felt so sorry for poor 'arold . I wanted to rescue him and bury Albert under the slabs of the scrap yard Grin

PenguinsOnParade · 12/04/2020 18:02

One with Brian Connely and Amanda Holden (Miss Titley) set in a school

The Grimleys. I loved it but haven't seen it since it was first on. I'm going to guess it didn't age well.

TheRattleBag · 12/04/2020 18:37

"There was one very short lived sitcom that starred David Essex, living on a canalboat."

That would be "The River." He played a lock keeper and the love interest lived on the boat. I remember loving this at the time (and taped it) but on rewatching a few years later I couldn't sit through one episode!

I think I only watched it 'cos I found David Essex quite sexy in it!

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ALongHardWinter · 12/04/2020 18:56

There was one from the early 90s with Tessa Peake Jones in (Racquel from Only Fools and Horses) about a family moving into a house and discovering that it was haunted. I can't for the life of me remember the name of it though. It was awful. Wooden acting in the extreme.

70isaLimitNotaTarget · 12/04/2020 18:59
  • early 90s with Tessa Peake Jones

Oh was that "So Haunt Me" ?

LaneBoy · 12/04/2020 19:05

Aaah thank you I’ve been trying to think of that ghost one for ages! But couldn’t even remember the actor names

ALongHardWinter · 12/04/2020 19:08

70isaLimitNotaTarget That's the one!
I love your user name btw! Grin

70isaLimitNotaTarget · 12/04/2020 19:12

Oh "To The Manor Born" anyone ?

I'm sure I used to watch these programmes to put off going to bed when I was a kid .

I remember sitting up on Christmas night watching "Two's Company" (Elaine Strirch/ Donal Sinden) I must've been 10yo , but I didn't want Christmas day to end , though I did question why I was watching this

Zaphodsotherhead · 12/04/2020 19:16

Oh, So Haunt Me! Wasn't that the one with the gorgeous George Costigan in, who was writing The Great Mancunian Novel? I only watched it for him...

Pinkarsedfly · 12/04/2020 19:19

Anyone remember Lame Ducks?

Another one with Lorraine Chase, and an ensemble cast of oddballs, including a postman who was trying to walk around the world on a giant ball...Confused

Pinkarsedfly · 12/04/2020 19:24

And does anyone remember Nightingales, with Robert Lindsay and David Threlfall A’s night watchmen?

‘Ain’t nobody here but us chickens’ Grin

Pinkarsedfly · 12/04/2020 19:24
  • as
Applejaxx · 12/04/2020 19:26

About 15 years ago there was sitcom about a blended/step family that had Jasper Carrot as the Dad. It was possibly the worst programe ever broadcast. Absolute turgis drivel.

70isaLimitNotaTarget · 12/04/2020 19:33

And does anyone remember Nightingales, with Robert Lindsay and David Threlfall A’s night watchmen

My brother made me watch something with David T in it , I think he was a watchman or groundskeeper , donkeys years old .

What about "Sunnyside Farm" ?
Mark Addie, Micheal Kitchen and Phil Daniels . There was a line in either Ep 1 or 2 where Micheal K was on a horse and some ramblers were on his land (and I peed myself laughing but cannot remember it ) Probably not funny now .

IDefinitelyHaveFriends · 12/04/2020 21:10

Nightingales was batshit but we loved it.

Gingernaut · 13/04/2020 11:18

@Applejaxx, All About Me.

Agree. It was painful to watch.

Set in Brum, they used the building of the new Bullring as part of the scenery.

Carrott played a plumber.

Gingernaut · 13/04/2020 11:23

Sink or Swim, anyone?

Two brothers, played by Phil Glenister and Peter Davison own a canal boat in London.

3 series of duck out of water/exact opposites living together 'comedy'.

Liverbird77 · 13/04/2020 12:10

@Gingernaut this one has passed me by, but I would watch it just for Glenister. Yum.

Applejaxx · 13/04/2020 12:47

Yes Gingernaut. That’s it! Utter crap it was and hideously dated even then, and yet from memory there were several series of it! God knows who actually watched it. My DM said she thought it ‘sick’ and refused to watch it because one of the children was severely disabled and non verbal but would often ‘break the fourth wall’ and talk to the audience in a voice over. I get they were trying to be inclusive but Christ it was bad!

Likethebattle · 13/04/2020 13:14

Mrs Browns Boys is awful and last of the summer wine was just about pensioners getting into unfunny scrapes that usually ended in one of the careering down a hill in a tin bath.

On the buses was never funny and neither was Desmonds or those Alf Garnet racist ones.

Blibbyblobby · 13/04/2020 15:43

last of the summer wine was just about pensioners getting into unfunny scrapes that usually ended in one of the careering down a hill in a tin bath.

Grin you’ve just reminded me of Sean’s Show which was a “break the fourth wall” sitcom with Sean Hughes.

The only thing I remember was in probably the first episode Sean being very clear this was a new type of comedy and I t wasn’t going to be the sort of cheesey sitcom where he ends up sitting with Windsor Davies in a bath full of jelly.

Of course, things go awry and the last scene is indeed Sean Hughes in a bath of jelly with Windsor Davies.

Since then, my mental shorthand for cosy 80s sitcoms is Windsor Davies in a bath of jelly Grin

AuntMasha · 13/04/2020 16:14

There was a sitcom from the early ‘80s I think called ‘Agony’ starring Maureen Lipman about an agony aunt. I vaguely remember I used to quite like it, but I was young and didn’t know any better.

1forsorrow · 13/04/2020 17:18

I know it is American but if I see "Everyone Loves Raymond" I have this urge to scream, "No they don't."

I think the lockdown might be affecting my brain.

Hermanhessescat · 13/04/2020 17:20

Loved Not going out, also the Brittas empire although someone slated it upthread and it’s probably pretty crap in reality Grin Bob and vicks big night out ( first programme they did on c4 - name might not be right ), so surreal and daft but funny,
Was there a Harry hill comedy at the same time ? I remember him going on about the foxes parade ? Hilarious at the time, not so sure now.
Mind your language on itv with every foreign stereotype you could imagine...

Applejaxx · 13/04/2020 17:55

I loved The Brittas Empire at the time, but I'd imagine its hideously dated now.