Classic British Comedy

[Theoretical Skeptic]

I think South Park is the best television show ever. Mom and Rosanne were good. The Twilight Zone, though not a comedy was awesome.

Classic British comedy, though, is the best.

Fawlty Towers, Father Ted, the first three "seasons" as we Americans say, the British say series of Absolutely Fabulous. Monty Python.

The Young Ones, Keeping Up Appearances, French And Saunders, Waiting For God, Red Dwarf, Black Books, The IT Crowd. . . .

I never cared for the Black Adder, Are You Being Served, Vicar OF Dibley.   

[Owlswing]

I think South Park is the best television show ever. Mom and Rosanne were good. The Twilight Zone, though not a comedy was awesome.

Classic British comedy is the best.

I wasn't aware that the shows quoted above were British comedy, classic or otherwise!

[Gordon]

I think South Park is the best television show ever. Mom and Rosanne were good. The Twilight Zone, though not a comedy was awesome.

Classic British comedy is the best.

Fawlty Towers, Father Ted, the first three "seasons" as we Americans say, the British say series of Absolutely Fabulous. Monty Python.

The Young Ones, Keeping Up Appearances, French And Saunders, Waiting For God, Red Dwarf, Black Books, The IT Crowd. . . .

I never cared for the Black Adder, Are You Being Served, Vicar OF Dibley.   

Most of them are o.k. except for Red Dwarf, which didn't appeal to me, and I haven't seen The IT Crowd. I'd agree regarding the Vicar of Dibley (which was twee pants), and maybe Fawlty Towers should be included. There was an excellent Scottish comedy in Still Game, but I'd imagine the use of West of Scotland vernacular might be problematic for a US audience. Father Ted is a work of genius.

[Sebastian Toe]

Most of them are o.k. except for Red Dwarf, which didn't appeal to me, and I haven't seen The IT Crowd. I'd agree regarding the Vicar of Dibley (which was twee pants), and maybe Fawlty Towers should be included. There was an excellent Scottish comedy in Still Game, but I'd imagine the use of West of Scotland vernacular might be problematic for a US audience. Father Ted is a work of genius.

IT crowd definitely worth a watch IMO.
I might be biased though as I worked in IT for most of my working life. Too much like real life in some instances!

[Anchorman]

I think South Park is the best television show ever. Mom and Rosanne were good. The Twilight Zone, though not a comedy was awesome. Classic British comedy is the best. Fawlty Towers, Father Ted, the first three "seasons" as we Americans say, the British say series of Absolutely Fabulous. Monty Python. The Young Ones, Keeping Up Appearances, French And Saunders, Waiting For God, Red Dwarf, Black Books, The IT Crowd. . . . I never cared for the Black Adder, Are You Being Served, Vicar OF Dibley.

Well, 'Classic' British comedy is olderr than that; Dad's Armey, 'Some Mothers do 'ave em', 'It ain't half hot, mum'....or the wondrous and deliciously politically incorrect "Till death us do part'. And I haven't even mentioned Carla Lane's witty 'Bread' and 'The Liver Birds'. There are about a dozen more before I reach back into the sixties.....

[Anchorman]

Most of them are o.k. except for Red Dwarf, which didn't appeal to me, and I haven't seen The IT Crowd. I'd agree regarding the Vicar of Dibley (which was twee pants), and maybe Fawlty Towers should be included. There was an excellent Scottish comedy in Still Game, but I'd imagine the use of West of Scotland vernacular might be problematic for a US audience. Father Ted is a work of genius.

   



Te canny hae Still Game without starting with the string vested philosopger Rab C Nesbitt!
And talking about John Cleese...might be blasphemous, but, yes, I enjoyed Fawlty Towers....but I prefereed The Goodies to Monty Python.

[Harrowby Hall]

And some of us remeber Hancock's Half Hour.

[Anchorman]

And some of us remeber Hancock's Half Hour.

   
Ah....the Blood donor........

[Sebastian Toe]

Not to forget, Love thy neighbour".

No , actually forget it, permanently!

[Theoretical Skeptic]

I wasn't aware that the shows quoted above were British comedy, classic or otherwise!

I didn't even know there was a difference between the term British and English. I thought British was just another word for English. I think Father Ted was British, but I'm still unsure of the distinctions. England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland. I thought the UK was just England like the US is just America. If that makes any sense. North, South, Central and Latin America. No idea.

Anyway, there was something about what we call British Comedy. I just found out they tried to make an American version of Fawlty Towers with Harvey Corman and Betty White. They made the pilot but it thankfully never aired. Dreadful. No life in it whatsoever.

It was called Snavely, 1978. Full episode on You Tube. Only worth checking out to see how awful it was.

Most of the shows mentioned in this thread other than the ones I've listed I've never heard of. 

[Nearly Sane]

I didn't even know there was a difference between the term British and English. I thought British was just another word for English...

Apart from you being  wrong about that, you have misconstrued Owlswing's point  that he specifically quoted your line about non UK shows.

'I think South Park is the best television show ever. Mom and Rosanne were good. The Twilight Zone, though not a comedy was awesome.'

[Nearly Sane]

I talked at my father's funeral about the connection we had because of Fawlty Towers. Generally we had nothing in common, but on a Tuesday we did. 

[Gordon]

I didn't even know there was a difference between the term British and English.

There is: I am British, unfortunately, but I'm not English.

I thought British was just another word for English.

Now you know better.

I think Father Ted was British

Father Ted is Irish (as in Republic of Ireland).

but I'm still unsure of the distinctions. England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland. I thought the UK was just England like the US is just America. If that makes any sense. North, South, Central and Latin America. No idea.

These four nations are bound currently together politically as the United Kingdom, excluding the Isle of Man and Channel Islands (which are classed as Crown dependencies), whereas Britain (or Great Britain) consists of three of the four UK nations, excluding Northern Ireland. Some of us would prefer that Scotland was not part of the United Kingdom at all (but that is a separate topic altogether).
 

[Anchorman]

There is: I am British, unfortunately, but I'm not English.

Now you know better.

Father Ted is Irish (as in Republic of Ireland).

These four nations are bound currently together politically as the United Kingdom, excluding the Isle of Man and Channel Islands (which are classed as Crown dependencies), whereas Britain (or Great Britain) consists of three of the four UK nations, excluding Northern Ireland. Some of us would prefer that Scotland was not part of the United Kingdom at all (but that is a separate topic altogether).
 

   
Agreed...except I'd put 'many of us' instead of 'some of us'.
Oh, and I missed out 'The Vital Spark'....Neil Munro would turn in his grave, 'cos it was 'chust wonderful'.

[Aruntraveller]

A programme I have been reminded of lately was "Misleading Cases" with Alistair Sim and Roy Dotrice.

Sadly very little of it was preserved.

But here is a clip:

https://youtu.be/uAQgWiNPpBw

Silly, but sublime comedy.

[Steve H]

The Fry and Laurie version of Jeeves and Wooster, the roles they were born to play. I enjoyed the 60s version with Ian Carmichael and Dennis Price at the time, as well, but Fry and Laurie were better. Also, the Blandings Castle dramatisations, with Sir Ralph Richardson as Lord Emsworth in the 60s, and Timothy Spall in the 2010s. I vaguely remember the 60s version - Richardson, being tall and gangly, was the right physique for Lord E. Spall, being short and plump, definitely isn't, but he did a great job. Now that Fry and Laurie are getting on a bit, maybe Laurie could play Lord Emsworth, and Fry Beach, the butler, in a new series.

[Nearly Sane]

Hated the Tim Spall Blandings adaptation, clumsy leaden footed Dundee cake when it should be a soufflé

[Anchorman]

A programme I have been reminded of lately was "Misleading Cases" with Alistair Sim and Roy Dotrice.

Sadly very little of it was preserved.

But here is a clip:

https://youtu.be/uAQgWiNPpBw

Silly, but sublime comedy.   

I know I'm being political, but did you know that Sim was told to supress his Scottish accent and politics if he wanted to get anywhere in the theatre business?

[ad_orientem]

My favourites are Only Fools And Horses, Men Behaving Badly, Porridge, The Two Ronnie's, Red Dwarf, Fast Show and Blackadder. Favourite two comedy actors for me are easily Ronnie Barker and David Jason.