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?

To the manor born

Till Death Us Do Part
The Young Ones
Ab Fab
Nathan Barley
Yes Minister/Prime Minister
Father Ted
Black Books
Green Wing

some of these may be slightly outside the time period:
Spaced
The Thick of It
Fifteen Stories High
Ideal
Burnistoun

(sorry, I actually have no idea of the years they were shown)

Do you (or anyone else for that matter) remember Penelope Keith in "Next of Kin", which ran 1995 to 1997?

Penelope played Maggie, William Gaunt played her husband Andrew, and just as they were about to retire to France they inherited three grandchildren overnight.

It is one of the most underrated and funniest sitcoms I have ever seen, but few people seem to recall it.

Porridge was great - social commentary as well as so much humour. Regularly re watch as it's on Gold all the time

Loved "a fine romance" and as pp said porridge. American ones Cheers and though it wasn't exactly a comedy, comedy drama maybe, Mash.

Oh and Ever Decreasing Circles

As an adult, I adore this. It didn't hold much value when I was little, though I loved Howard & Hilda.

The Good Life
Butterflies
Only Fools and Horses
Fawlty Towers
The Upper Hand
Man about the House
The Liverbirds
Just good friends

Spaced was brilliant, too.

Hi de Hi! Absolutely genius. The characters were so well written. Plus reminds me of dippy egg and soldiers in front of the fire 😊

The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin
Porridge
Fawlty Towers
The Likely Lads

I loved .. Dear John.
I think it was on a Monday night mid to late 80s maybe 1 or 2 series
And brush strokes too!
Favourite of all time is Dinner ladies

The Good Life - I even had the novel
Reggie Perrin
The Liver Birds

They're all popping into my head now. "Dads army", It ain't half hot mum" and "last of the summer wine" though only the early ones. And although not a sit com, the absolute highlight of tv family viewing when we were kids would be a Brian Rix farce. I think there were maybe a couple a year. My dad had an evening job but would always make sure he got the night off if it was on.

Oh and I can't believe I forgot dinner ladies @Wonkywinky Victoria Wood was Queen of comedy.

Me too! I loved Dinnerladies.

That is exactly it for me, my favourites are the ones I don’t really have a true memory of, but I remember watching them and being young and feeling safe. So in that section would be Terry and June, George and Mildred, things like that. The Good Life, obviously.

The Smoking Room - only got into it as it was ending and haven’t seen it repeated but I’d love it to be on BBC4 sometime.

Does Rev fit into the timeline?

What about Jam and Jerusalem?

In recent years I've rewatched (that have stood the test of time)

Only Fools and Horses
Porridge
Waiting for God
The Likely Lads
Dads Army
The Upper Hand
The Good Life
To the Manor Born

and the two that really stand out
Dinner Ladies
Yes Minister / Yes Prime Minister - so clever, and still so spot on today.

A Fine Romance yes!

And, it might have been a spin off from Man About The House, set in a restaurant with a one armed waiter? Main character was Robin maybe? Birds Nest or something?

And not a comedy, but the theme to Hill Street Blues - ahhhhhhhhh. Nice.

Robins Nest. I've never seen that one.

(Can I just squeeze this in here without @Thedayb4youcame noticing please, the first five minutes of Hill Street Blues with the theme tune. Not a sitcom but that’s ok, right?)

Yes that’s the one!

@NewName24

To the Manor Born and Yes Minister seem to be shown occasionally but never a complete series. I think if they stuck them on iPlayer they’d have a decent amount watching them.

I used to watch this as a child if I was home ill from school and loved it. Odd show for a kid but it had quite a charm.

Two-and-a-Half-Men (Charlie Sheen episodes) because of the narcissistic mother.
So funny.