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?

Solo with Felicity Kendall. Not hilarious, but quite gentle.

I've seen this, on Youtube. A Carla Lane, I believe. Like you say, not hilarious, but gentle. I never remember it being on TV.

I was reading too that Felicity Kendal was criticised for then starring in another Carla Lane sitcom, "The Mistress". Not only was FK playing a mistress, but it was in stark contrast to "Solo", where her charactor was the one whose husband was the one who'd left her for his mistress.

I don't remember The Mistress either, but again I saw some recently, via Youtube.

Everyone loves Raymond. So funny

One foot in the grave
Dinner ladies
Boomers (Netflix)
Dad's army

Rising damp

Rising Damp
Fawlty Towers
League of Gentlemen
Blackadder
The Office
Fraser
Seinfeld
The IT Crowd
Father Ted
Open All Hours
The Good Life
To the Manor Born

That's all I can think of.

Only Fools and Horses for me. I wish there was something as funny but I’ve never seen anything as good. Anyone any suggestions of what I might like if I love OFAH?

It's funny, because now you've asked for suggestions, it's suddenly dawned on me that while I adore a great many sitcoms, there's little overlap or similarities between them - I either like something or I don't.

OFAH is not up there on my list of favourites, but I like it and will easily watch it when I see it on TV. Of all the episodes, the one with the faulty life-size dolls is the best for me - particulalry the part where Rodney and Del are walking them out the building, dressed in their late mother's clothes.

So many excellent shows-

Dads army
Butterflies
Red dwarf
Auf weidersehen pet

I loved this one! My Dad used to let me watch this followed by a repeat of "Whatever Happened To The Likely Lads". I thought both were so funny.

I am so pleased you remember it. Two stand out moments from NOK would be the trifle incident, and then when Georgia had to be collected from the police station...we think FINALLY ground is being broken when she hugs her grandmother and tells her she is so pleased to see her...and then says "but did you have to wear that hat???" 😂

I remember the first episode when the grandparents have to go and collect their grandchildren and all their pets and belongings. The youngest boy is sitting in the back of the car getting more and more upset, crying that they have forgotten "Pip". The Grandmother thinks Pip is another hamster. It turns out that it is their grandson Philip.

The Middle.

And there he is, sitting outside the house, refusing to leave. So sad.

But oh the lines that Maggie and Georgia got...!

Maggie: "REMEMBER - WE ARE ALL IN THIS SEPARATELY "

Georgia & Maggie: "I am crying because I understand why you did it".

"And that's a bad thing?"

"Of course it is! If i understand you, that means I'm going to grow up to be just like you" (much hysterical crying).

And Georgia saying she'd done everything & was bored, even "and I've already counted my blessings".

I have them all on DVD. Do you like Penelope Keith, @Jimmyspiano ?

Frasier. Used to watch it obsessively. I do think it went on a series or two too long, and ran out of steam a bit, although I must admit that the later series had a couple of episodes like the one with Patrick Stewart that are amongst my absolute favourites. I have been unable to watch it for a few years in case I now find it a disappointment. (Derek Jacobi was wonderful in the episode where he played a seedy actor. He was a revelation as "I, Claudius" and Kenneth Branagh movies were for me, at the time, his work with which I was most familiar)

I found the new series quite disappointing - that acerbic wit and perfect timing seems to be lacking.

I have seen a few minutes of The Good Life and To The Manor Born. I have not really seen much of Penelope Keith to be honest. I was quite young when I watched Next of Kin. My Dad let me stay up late to watch it every Tuesday because my Mum had taken my brother to his fencing lesson. I just remember absolutely loving it. I wonder if it is available anywhere.

Anything Rik Mayall and Ade Edmondson ever did.
Red Dwarf. 'The Polymorph' is one of the funniest programmes I've seen, ever.

I quite liked 'The Good Life', even though that was probably because of all the skits on 'The Young Ones'. Margo's wardrobe was awesome!

@Jimmyspiano In 1989, when I was 11 years old, The Good Life was repeated. I remember when it was so clearly, as our teacher that year was vile and constantly berated us pupils for watching TV (she had no time for it apparently). Anyway, this one day she was gushing about an episode of The Good Life she'd seen the night before, and I remember thinking "Oh, so you DO watch TV then...cow".

My mum liked To The Manor Born, but as a child I couldn't get into it. As an adult, I can appreciate it, but find it quite middle-of-the-road, possibly because the "conflict" is between type, though of course in this case Audrey is much poorer than her rival. I like sitcoms where the conflict is much more diverse, I think it makes it much funnier - like in The Good Life, where -following Tom & Barbara's plan to become self-sufficient - there's no overlap between the lifestyle of the Goods and the Leadbeaters, even if the latter frequently got dragged into helping out the Goods.

In 2003, ITV showed a film called Marjorie and Gladys. Penelope Keith played the recently widowed very posh Marjorie (not unlike Margo, but much more reserved open-minded), and June Brown (AKA Dot Cotton) her much less posh cleaning lady Gladys.

One morning Gladys apprehends a burglar while cleaning Marjorie's house. The burglar goes to attack her, when Marjorie bashes him over the head with a vase. Thinking he's dead, they go on the run Thelma & Louise style.

It is one of the funniest films I've ever seen, and I am so glad I got a copy on DVD before it was discontinued.

dead like me
red dwarf

Waiting for God
One Foot in the Grave
the Good Life

After Henry is on you tube, it's my go to comfort viewing. Prunella Scales and Mrs Richards from Fawlty. Also Birds of a Feather is really good watched in big chunks.

OMG I adore After Henry - Like you say, it's just comfort. Poor Vera!

Quite a few if the above (particularly Surgical Spirit and The IT Crowd). But my favourite is Drop the Dead Donkey. I still use the odd comedy Gus quote at work just to see if people are paying attention.
'Problems are merely the pregnant mothers of solutions' anyone? 🤣🤣🤣

loved drop the dead donkey
it crowd
green wing
black books
the only one i can rewatch is IT crowd though

One Foot in the Grave
Soldier Soldier
Londons Burning
Heartbeat