Top 15 British Sitcoms

With the passing of one of sitcom’s greats Clive Dunn I’ve decided to compile – in no particular order – my top 15 British sitcoms. It was a hard list to cut down but I hope you enjoy!

1. Spaced

Before the highs of Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, Simon Pegg was working with Jessica Hynes on the hugely successful cult sitcom. Following the lives of 20 something Londoners Tim and Daisy and their numerous friends it was a hilarious sitcom. Crammed with pop culture references and a wealth of nerdy connotations, Spaced is one of the most underrated sitcoms. Running for just 2 series it ended perfectly and is essential viewing.

2. Blackadder

In the UK we usually know when a series should finish and the 4 series of Blackadder are pure perfection. True the 1^st series has a few more misses than the others, but it’s still better than some of the tosh that’s on nowadays (I really don’t get the appeal of Miranda). Following the various incarnations of Edmund Blackadder and his faithful dogsbody Baldrick, Blackadder demonstrates cutting British humour at its best. Full of sarcasm, guest stars, cutting remarks and slapstick, Blackadder never fails to entertain.

3. Red Dwarf

This wildly successful sitcom has gone on for a bit too long. The first 6 series were sitcom perfection, revolving around the crew of Red Dwarf stranded in deep space. However series 7 and 8 didn’t quite hit the mark, and the less said about Back to Earth the better. Series 10 on Dave has been happily refreshing with some of the original belly laughs returning. I would highly recommend watching the first 6 series of Red Dwarf purely for Chris Barrie’s phenomenal turn as Rimmer. Rarely has a character been so inherently annoying yet loveable.

4. The Inbetweeners

The newest series on my list and possibly one of the greatest ever, The Inbetweeners perked up British sitcom which was in dire straits. Following the lives of loser types Will, Simon, Neil and Jay it was an honest betrayal of life as a teen in a London suburb and it was full of laughs. From the vulgar to the stupid, throughout the 3 series it portrayed numerous hilarious situations. All the characters felt real and that’s what’s integral to a good show. The movie may have been 20 minutes too long, but it lived up to the hype and is well worth a watch – however, the American alternative should be avoided at all costs.

5. Fawlty Towers

Basil Fawlty’s frustration has never felt more relevant than now. The 12 episode sitcom is sheer perfection with not one duff episode. True it’s dated, but John Cleese embodies every frustrated man and makes the absurd hilarious. My favourite is A Touch of Class where Basil attempts to attract a richer clientele and instead befriends a con man. It’s almost like running on a treadmill for an hour watching a 20 minute episode as you’re right with Basil and his numerous inconveniences.

6. Black Books

There’s something we love about a lead character who’s an absolute tosser. In an American sitcom Bernard Black would never have worked, but in Black Books his grouchy and selfish behaviour makes for excellent entertainment. Supported by dim-witted Fran (Tamsin Grieg who can be seen in the fantastic Friday Night Dinner), and Manny (Bill Bailey), the sitcom explores the desperation of life with heart. Its final episode was moving and with just 3 series made it didn’t overstay its welcome.

7. Only Fools & Horses

Initially unsuccessful on its first release, it was only when it was repeated that Only Fools got the attention it deserved. The odd couple of David Jason and Nicholas Lyndhurst makes for exciting viewing and there’s something nostalgic about watching an episode. The final episode ended the series perfectly, and if the ill-fated Christmas specials are ignored than it is a perfect sitcom.

8. The Office

I’ve found that people either love The Office or hate it. I fall on the love side and thoroughly enjoy each episode. Ricky Gervais knew that David Brent didn’t have the staying power of Del-Boy so he finished after 2 series and a Christmas special. By keeping it short and sweet, the drama, comedy and the heart of The Office has rarely been matched. For those who watched the Christmas special and didn’t cry you have no heart.

9. Dad’s Army

When I think about Dad’s Army I think of being a child and it was always on a Sunday evening. Dad’s Army is the sitcom that children can watch and that you can still enjoy as an adult. It’s not pretentious and it deals with a subject that needs to be made light of. The inept Captain Mainwaring is a delight to watch and this is an ensemble sitcom cast at its finest. With the passing of Clive Dunn I’m sure we’ll be treated to an evening of classic Dad’s Army episodes.

10. The Vicar of Dibley

Dawn French’s Geraldine Granger was a rarity in that she was the female focus of a sitcom. It’s only recently that women have been able to take centre stage, but it all started in Dibley. The clergy are easy to caricature and French does it with a tenderness that makes it quintessentially British. The supporting cast made the show successful and exciting to watch. It’s been off air for a long time but I wonder if there’s another Christmas special left in them.

11. Porridge

Whoever had the idea of setting a sitcom in a prison was a genius. Ronnie Barker is cheeky, and likeable as Fletcher despite the fact that he is a criminal. Porridge subverts the form and makes it so that you don’t care what Fletcher did, you just want him to get one up on Mr Mackay. It managed to make prison seem fun which was probably unintentional; but watching the various high jinks that Fletcher and his cellmate Godber (Richard Beckinsale) get into is excellent to watch.

12. One Foot in the Grave

The thing about Britain is that we love a good moan, myself included. That’s why Victor Meldrew is the perfect sitcom character. The situations he gets himself in to are absurd yet highly entertaining and you can’t help but feel for his long suffering wife Margaret. When the show ended in with the episode Things Aren’t Simple Any More it took a different approach than you’d think. With the death of Victor Meldrew widely known, the final episode focused on Margaret and revealed a tenderness that ended the show wonderfully.

13. Keeping up Appearances

We all know someone like Hyacinth Bucket; always trying to better herself and uncomfortable if the table isn’t laid properly. By caricaturing this stereotype, it made for hilarious watching and the cruise ship episode sticks out in my memory. Her long suffering Richard is the male version of Margaret from One Foot in the Grave and you can’t help but wonder that when both respective partners snuffed it, they probably would have got on quite well. Keeping up Appearances is tame and chase but there are a fair few laughs in there.

14. Father Ted

Everyone loves to take the piss out of religion but with Father Ted they really pushed the boat out. Although it hasn’t aged that well, there are still some standout episodes – A Song for Ireland and Speed 3 particularly stand out. By combining the grumpy Ted with drunk Jack, slow Dougal and the unhinged Mrs Doyle each episode hit the mark spectacularly. Although it was tragically cut short by the death of Dermot Morgan in 1998 it is still repeated on TV and always raises a laugh.

15. Peep Show

I took a long time to get into Peep Show and although it should have finished a couple of series ago, it still raises a smile. The first few series were hilarious with the duo of David Mitchell and Robert Webb performing a hilarious double act. The different camera angles and alternative narration were revolutionary and added to why Peep Show has endured for so long. All I can say is “Ergonomic Keyboard”.