To wish we had more TV like this?

[SaintlyLady]

Last night I watched The Two Ronnies Xmas Special from 1982 and Sorry! from 1988.

i literally laughed out loud at some of the sketches in the Two Ronnies -

and Sorry! is an excellent example of my VERY favourite TV genre -

Home Counties set,
middle class,
middle aged,
middle England, ‘
’middle of the road’
sitcoms 🙌

AIBU to want these programmes back on linear BBC1 and ITV?

Me and my DH just happened upon some of the Two Ronnies stuff the other night and even though we were only half watching/on our phones we were instantly chuckling - it was just such class comedy. We also do the same with old episodes of things like Father Ted, League of Gentlemen, the Fast Show and Alan Partridge.

It makes me sad that we have to keep watching repeats of what is now ancient tv - or American shows with big comedy scriptwriting budgets - to see anything remotely funny these days. I’m old though. I guess the next generation is all on Tik Tok laughing at people stating the bleedin’ obvious!

I disagree. But I have to say that Rising Damp ( if you can get past the 70s racism) actually still makes me laugh out loud. I think it's down to the actors. Leonard Rossiter especially - but they are all good.

Where is this generations Galton & Simpson, Eddie Braeburn, or, Croft & Perry?

McKenzie Crook
Simon Farnaby
Martha Douglas
Jim Howick
Diane Morgan
Lawrence Rickard
Mathew Baynton
Ricky Gervais
Stephen Merchant

I vaguely remember the Two Ronnies, constantly making fun of youth culture for the entertainment of older people. My parents loved them, I thought they were thoroughly obnoxious.

Me too & completely agree!

I think what we could all do with, OP, is something that brings everyone together in the way those shows once did. Morecambe and Wise were great for this. OK, my friend never thought they were funny, but most people did and - if you watch them - they are totally inoffensive, even by today's standards. They never went in for sexist or racist, or homophobic humour - or political 'humour'. That's one reason that they're still so well-regarded.

Yes, I thought bits of the 2 Ronnies were funny, but I wasn't as keen as some. Always preferred Ronnie Corbett - because even then, I found Ronnie Barker a bit uncomfortably sexist.

Something the whole country (whatever religion, ethnicity or political persuasion) could enjoy would be marvellous, and I think that's what you (and I) are yearning for - that sense of community and unity we've lost in our identity politics and love of screens, streaming and algorithm rabbit holes!

DH and I have recently finished watching "Waiting for God" which had a lovely story line along with the physical comedy and the witty dialogue. Now we're watching "Yes Minister" and "Dinner Ladies". I still love "Dad's Army" and "Porridge" and could quite happily sit and watch either of those.

But there are loads of excellent comedies now: Motherland, Ladhood, Am I Being Unreasonable, Outnumbered. I know The Office is 30 years old now but, in all honesty, it is still the best and funniest thing that's ever been written.

I think you probably miss more gentle comedy but really what you miss is being the age you were when you first watched them; a time when life was probably simpler for you (and everyone!)

Ok I must admit I’m not quite so keen on those and 1979 - 1986 is steadfastly ‘MY’ era - but

I quite like ‘To The Manor Born’
I quite like ‘Open All Hours’

havent watched much Porridge but - it’s ‘ok’ - because my sitcom era started 1979 it’s slightly before my time

‘Ghosts’ is great - an excellent original concept for a sitcom!

Ive never watched

Mapp and Lucia
Detectorists
Jam and Jerusalem

Although I know Alison from Corrie - Kevin Webster’s wife was in Jam and Jerusalem - I haven’t known her in any acting roles since!

Croft and Perry are my absolute favorites.
Very sharp social commentary and beautifully crafted gags.
You can tell that they had a real respect for the tradition as well. You see that with the character of Ted in Hi Di Hi, schooling the younger comic Spike. Almost every episode has him breaking down a piece of "old fashioned" comedy, explaining why the joke works and how it should be delivered.
It was a way of keeping the older vaudeville tradition alive, in the sit com age. Just lovely.

Omg no no no! As much as I loved the 80s, the 2 Ronnies and Sorry are sitcoms that I am happy never to have to sit through again, add Benny Hill to that too!

But I guess they were playing to their target audience! I don't suppose they expected youngsters to be watching.

But I agree that they weren't as universally acclaimed as say, M and W. As I said in my previous post, there was something creepy about Barker.

Actually - they sent up all kinds of ages, not just youth culture. There were lots of digs at what younger people would now call 'gammons' and boomers - in fact, I think most of it was aimed at them.

I'd differentiate them and say that Barker was a comic actor and Corbett a comedian. There's a difference.

Mapp and Lucia is fantastic - especially the most recent incarnation - all available on Youtube. The venom that can be put into the word "Darling" has to be seen to be believed!

Ghosts isn’t an original concept .. it was done in the 70s “The Ghosts of Motley Hall”

Oh no ! You’re TOTALLY different from me then I loved BH !!

"I'll see you at lunch!"

I've seen both and whilst the concept of a haunted house/visible ghosts is the same the writing and humour are streets apart.

"Although I know Alison from Corrie - Kevin Webster’s wife was in Jam and Jerusalem - I haven’t known her in any acting roles since!"

The actress Naomi Radcliffe wasn't in Jam and Jerusalem.

It’s a long time since I’ve seen it but it was brilliant because of its core of ‘quiet desperation’.

Arghh no. Benny Hill was cringeworthy even at the time. (Im nearly 65).

Hard no from me. Fine in their own time but for me/ my family virtually unwatchable.

We enjoy Outnumbered, Friday night dinner, ghosts, here we go, young sheldon, and (older kids) things like daddy issues, Mum, Amandaland, Catastrophe etc so definitely not cutting edge either…

The Likely Lads was brilliant!

So funny. I've a couple of DVDs of them and if I'm feeling particularly miserable I'll sometimes watch an episode or too.
I come from.the North East originally and was a student in Newcastle in the 1970s and so there's a big element of nostalgia in watching , as well as enjoying the wonderful humour.

ah sorry for some reason I thought she was

Home Counties set,
middle class,
middle aged,
middle England, ‘
’middle of the road’
sitcoms 🙌

Motherland. Not home counties, but London periphery.

The definition of your criteria changes with the times.

I must be a social anomaly - and I know this is a hugely unpopular opinion but I must be the only one who prefers The Two Ronnies to Morcambe and Wise! 😭