Favourite sitcoms

[Thedayb4youcame]

Following on from another thread about Hyacinth Bucket, what was your favourite sitcom from pre year 2005 (because if you ask me, it was around then that everything stopped being funny). Although, I will make a huge exception for the Birds of a Feather return.

I was born in 1978. Raised in the 80s on all manner of sitcoms. Right through my teenage years and into adulthood, the sitcoms kept coming. There was something for everyone.

Of course, times change, and as a lot of the (rather thin) plot of most episodes of a sitcom relies on a telephone call being missed and everything then going tits belly-up thereafter, it wouldn't work so well with today's methods of communicating.

As an adult, I love re--watching so many sitcoms, and love the fact that many of those I watched as a child have a whole new meaning to me as an adult, as I can see the sub-plots and inference, unlike when I was little and took it all at face-value, thinking it to be nothing more than slapstick. Indeed, "You Rang M'lord" has a whole load of things going on that only an adult would pick up on.

I'm currently working my way through The Brittas Empire (again). but if I had to pick just ONE, my go-to would be Terry & June.

What say you?

Goodnight Sweetheart!

That's being repeated on at least two channels right now, on a loop! I can't get into it as an on-going plot, but I do like watching an episode in isolation.

Allo allo is a great British sitcom but it could never be made now. Mainly love it for the nostalgia trip. Its still watchable (mainly in horrified fascination). Unlike "coupling" which I thought was funny in the 00s and is unbearable now.

I loved sitcoms as a child. I'm the same age as you OP.

Favourite sitcom for funniest ever, maybe Fraiser. If American comedies count.

Oh yes, they count, and yes, I loved Frasier too!

Frasier is the best!
Seinfeld.
Cheers..

I loved -
Allo Allo
Blackadder
Faulty towers
The young ones
Bread

I also liked a lot of American shows -
Roseanne
Cheers
Golden girls

I still like Only Fools if it happens to be on. It is a nostalgia thing. Frasier is my favourite although recently I haven’t found it as funny it’s more like a comfort blanket. Like Friends.

I am also same age!

Only Fools and Ab Fab

And Bread - had forgotten about that one @autienotnaughty

Iplayer stared rerunning "as time goes by". Judy Dench must only have been in her 50s but was treated like she was ancient. The suits the women wear and the clothes in general are a scream and everyone has a normal figure not overly dieted and exercised so they look like "real" people. It was gentle and nice and took me back.

Of the more recent sitcoms, The Smoking Room I adore. Also Gimme Gimme Gimme (though much less so the third and final series, but still like it).

In fact, Gimme X3 has come under fire in recent times, but when it first aired it was really very up-to-date with attitudes of the time and was understood for what it was...it resonated with me and my lifestyle on several levels...it kills me to think it may no longer be PC 😆

One that my grandmother adored was "That's My Boy!" where Mollie Sugden played a housekeeper who ended up working for the son she had adopted when he was three months old. I don't know if I like these shows because I think they're funny, or because it reminds me of a very simple childhood.

Bread is never off one of the Freeview channels ATM! I think it's "That's TV" channel.

One foot in the grave
Blackadder

In my head I disliked Are You Being Served, because over the years people told me it was awful.

I watched a documentary about it a few weeks ago and it was really funny (of its time and ribald, yes, but well written).

Watching.😆
Surgical Spirit.😷
Both classics which I watch once a year (have the DVD's).
Last Of The Summer Wine. Glad Drama have it on a loop, still makes me chuckle.

It pains me to think Nicola Mcauliffe was a lot younger there than I am now...she looked sooooooooooo middle-aged in Surgical Spirit. It's another one I've enjoyed loads as a kid and then as an adult.

Watching
The upper hand
The brittas empire
Maid Marion & her merry men (a kids programme but it was so good!)
One foot in the grave
The thin blue line
Waiting for god

So many good ones in the late 90s it's hard to choose!

I still watch AYBS? now, and the sequel "Grace & Favour" is currently being repeated too, which I am finding a whole lot funnier than when it first aired, although I was only 14 at that time.

Just Good Friends is my absolute favourite

Open All Hours

Green Wing
Thin blue line
Allo allo

And - from May to December

I caught an episode of Waiting For God, betwixt the first & second lockdowns of 2020. Thus, I bought the DVD box set and watched the lot.

I thoroughly enjoyed it, but whether it was due to my anxiety of all that was happening in the world in 2020 or what, I couldn't bring myself to watch them again, as Diana was such a bit*h! And then when she lost all her money, I was heartbroken for her. A great show, though I would have preferred it without the crazy chef and his staff.

Waiting for God! I loved that
One foot in the grave started funny but then became just a lot of I don't believe it

Open all hours was great, with nurse Gladys Emmanuel, a vicious till and a very young David Jason.

Ooh anyone remember "May to December "? About an age gap couple.

I loved Maid Marion (and can still sing the song!). But the best kids sitcom ever was Press Gang by Steven Moffat.