Sitcoms

[sage]

What are your favourites?

Underated ones?

Why have they declined?

What was the the last great sitcom? 

[JoetheRam]

1 hour ago, sage said:

What are your favourites?

Underated ones?

Why have they declined?

What was the the last great sitcom? 

1. Peep Show, Catastrophe, Porridge

2. Motherland, The Good Life

3. They haven't, it's just the original audiences have got old and think everything that's been done since their youth is not as good.

There's more of them compared to 40 years ago but the overall quality ratio is the same, it's just the volume is higher. There's a couple of excellent ones, some good, mostly OK and some dross.

Most of the "classics" have aged badly though by now. Dad's Army, Fawlty Towers, even Only Fools... but people remember the 3 or 4 high points and that becomes the quality of the show. Only Fools... much as I like it, has so many episodes that you can watch and laugh once at best.

4. If "Great" is top 10, then probably The Office or Peep Show, whichever was last broadcast.

 

Edited December 16, 2021 by JoetheRam

[angieram]

I think that the fact we all used to sit down and watch at the same time made all TV, not just sitcoms, more relatable. If you were out, you'd miss it, so people literally used to stay home to watch the most popular titles.

Now we have to seek something out in competition with numerous other channels, are more likely to watch it at different times often weeks after airing, or binge watch before others have seen it. There's less discussion because we're all on different pages.

I used to like ? Butterflies, with Wendy Craig. Also Just Good Friends.

Dinnerladies very well scripted and the characters were spot on.

Also caught up with Gavin and Stacey in lockdown, thought it was excellent to start with, needed to stop it earlier though. 

Soap was of its time, but hilarious.

Ever Decreasing Circles. Me and my other half have turned into Howard and Hilda! 

I don't tend to rewatch old series, so have no idea why people worry about them aging. Maybe if you're watching them for the first time now but you have to remember they were of their time.

 

[TigerTedd]

Are we just listing Britain’s, or are American ones allowed. 

I find the difference between American and British sitcoms to be fascinating. Americans ones are written by a team, so they have a much bigger well to draw from, so they can go effectively forever, we’ll beyond the point at which they’ve jumped the shark. Whereas British sitcoms are normally written by just one or two people, and tend to just go for 2 or 3 seasons, which I think allows them to sit in the memory as a small but perfectly formed entity, all killer, no filler.

both approaches have merit I think. People often get all uppity about the American approach, but you can’t deny, that when you have a room full of writers, they are usually able to perfectly craft their jokes, and you get some iconic moments.

Modern Family was great, and ran for a lot longer than I realised. Maybe didn’t get quite as mainstream as something like Friends as it was exclusively on sky. 

Arrested Development was always great too. I loved how every episode was like one long build up with a massive punch line at the end.

From a Britcom point of view, I loved the IT Crowd. That was the last great one for me.

[ariotofmyown]

Spaced is probably my favourite UK one.

I loved Modern Family for many of the series, but Community is the best US one.

[Mostyn6]

There was a little known sitcom about 25 years ago called Joking Apart. Had me in bits at the time. Keep looking for it being streamed to see if it’s stood the test of time. 
 

[sage]

1 hour ago, JoetheRam said:

1. Peep Show, Catastrophe, Porridge

2. Motherland, The Good Life

3. They haven't, it's just the original audiences have got old and think everything that's been done since their youth is not as good.

There's more of them compared to 40 years ago but the overall quality ratio is the same, it's just the volume is higher. There's a couple of excellent ones, some good, mostly OK and some dross.

Most of the "classics" have aged badly though by now. Dad's Army, Fawlty Towers, even Only Fools... but people remember the 3 or 4 high points and that becomes the quality of the show. Only Fools... much as I like it, has so many episodes that you can watch and laugh once at best.

4. If "Great" is top 10, then probably The Office or Peep Show, whichever was last broadcast.

 

I meant in popularity and in terms of % of output

I would agree about Only Fools and Horses it was a good sitcom that seemed great due to it's longevity and went on a few years too long like Stuart Broad

Edited December 16, 2021 by sage

[sage]

59 minutes ago, TigerTedd said:

Are we just listing Britain’s, or are American ones allowed. 

I find the difference between American and British sitcoms to be fascinating. Americans ones are written by a team, so they have a much bigger well to draw from, so they can go effectively forever, we’ll beyond the point at which they’ve jumped the shark. Whereas British sitcoms are normally written by just one or two people, and tend to just go for 2 or 3 seasons, which I think allows them to sit in the memory as a small but perfectly formed entity, all killer, no filler.

both approaches have merit I think. People often get all uppity about the American approach, but you can’t deny, that when you have a room full of writers, they are usually able to perfectly craft their jokes, and you get some iconic moments.

Modern Family was great, and ran for a lot longer than I realised. Maybe didn’t get quite as mainstream as something like Friends as it was exclusively on sky. 

Arrested Development was always great too. I loved how every episode was like one long build up with a massive punch line at the end.

From a Britcom point of view, I loved the IT Crowd. That was the last great one for me.

In terms of Americans ones, i loved Taxi and Cheers back in the day and Soap had its moments. Porridge, Steptoe and Son and Fawlty Towers for me are classics because they knew when to stop. 

 

[Ram-Alf]

In no particular order

 

Curb Your Enthusiasm...so many tiny plots, Got all 11 series on Sky.

Blackadder 1, 2, 3 and 4, I don't watch the last of series 4 when they go over the top...I get choked up.

Yes Minister/Priminister...I'm sure this is true to life

Young Ones, Bloody students

Green green grass

Married with Children...Peggy a MILF

Sorry...Timothy

Sienfeld...one plot with several sub plots...Kramer?

Dads Army...Love it, Just love it.

Plebs

Ever decreasing circles...Ange may be turning into Hilda, I'd be the Lorry Driver ?

The Office(English)Gervais is mostly good, Done some carp imo

Extras

The Inbetweeners

Royle Family

Motherhood

Porridge

After Life...series 3 out soon on Netflix

Little Britain

Only Fools and Horses

Till Death Us Do Part

Vicar of Dibley...My Dad would like to give you one Miss ?

The Good Life

Wracked my brain...i'm sure there's more, "Comedy" today I don't find amusing.

 

 

 

[sage]

14 minutes ago, sage said:

In terms of Americans ones, i loved Taxi and Cheers back in the day and Soap had its moments. Porridge, Steptoe and Son and Fawlty Towers for me are classics because they knew when to stop. 

 

In recent times Peep Show, Thick of It and IT Crowd, Missed Blackadder earlier.

 

[TimRam]

Some good ones here. I will say, after watching over 200 episodes (so far) of The Big Bang Theory, it's been consistantly good. Cannot recall a bad episode. How they made so many funny situations and lines from mostly science I'll never know.

Bottom was laugh out loud crazy. Peep Show was another good one. The Office was excellent.

Edited December 16, 2021 by TimRam

[GboroRam]

4 hours ago, sage said:

What are your favourites?

Underated ones?

Why have they declined?

What was the the last great sitcom? 

Friday Night Dinner, one that's not been mentioned so far.  

[NottsRam]

Love thy Neighbour was ahead of its time ?

[Anag Ram]

1 hour ago, Unlucky Alf said:

In no particular order

 

Curb Your Enthusiasm...so many tiny plots, Got all 11 series on Sky.

Blackadder 1, 2, 3 and 4, I don't watch the last of series 4 when they go over the top...I get choked up.

Yes Minister/Priminister...I'm sure this is true to life

Young Ones, Bloody students

Green green grass

Married with Children...Peggy a MILF

Sorry...Timothy

Sienfeld...one plot with several sub plots...Kramer?

Dads Army...Love it, Just love it.

Plebs

Ever decreasing circles...Ange may be turning into Hilda, I'd be the Lorry Driver ?

The Office(English)Gervais is mostly good, Done some carp imo

Extras

The Inbetweeners

Royle Family

Motherhood

Porridge

After Life...series 3 out soon on Netflix

Little Britain

Only Fools and Horses

Till Death Us Do Part

Vicar of Dibley...My Dad would like to give you one Miss ?

The Good Life

Wracked my brain...i'm sure there's more, "Comedy" today I don't find amusing.

 

 

 

Have a like for Curb! Raises so many moral and social dilemmas in hilarious fashion.

[DarkFruitsRam7]

37 minutes ago, GboroRam said:

Friday Night Dinner, one that's not been mentioned so far.  

Friday Night Dinner is really, really crap, but somehow it still works. Love watching it.

Edited December 16, 2021 by DarkFruitsRam7

[Gone]

What are your favourites?

Only Fools and Horses, The Office (UK), Inbetweeners, IT crowd, Men Behaving Badly, Vicar of Dibley, Phoenix Nights, Max and Paddy, Early doors,

Underated ones? Derry Girls & Not going out 

Why have they declined? Because of  the offended by everything brigade, someone got offended and that’s it you can’t joke anymore. We’ve reaped what we’ve sewn. 

What was the the last great sitcom? The Office 

Edited December 16, 2021 by TexasRam

[sage]

2 minutes ago, TexasRam said:

What are your favourites?

Only Fools and Horses, The Office (UK), Inbetweeners, IT crowd, Men Behaving Badly, Vicar of Dibley, Phoenix Nights, Max and Paddy, Early doors,

Underated ones? Derry Girls & Not going out 

Why have they declined? Because of  the offended by everything bridge, someone got offended and that’s it you can’t joke anymore. We’ve reaped what we’ve sewn. 

What was the the last great sitcom? The Office 

Those bridges have a lot to answer for and don't get me started on tunnels.

[Gone]

8 minutes ago, sage said:

Those bridges have a lot to answer for and don't get me started on tunnels.

? don’t know what you mean

Edited December 16, 2021 by TexasRam

[Ram-Alf]

29 minutes ago, Anag Ram said:

Have a like for Curb! Raises so many moral and social dilemmas in hilarious fashion.

Larry David is one of those writers/comics that I have a lot of time for, Ricky Gervais was in one episode, Must have been good when rehersing.

Series 11 episode 7-8 with Tracy Ullman...I almost wet myself laughing.

[Ram-Alf]

The thick of it

The two Ronnies

Fawlty Towers

It aint half hot mum

Mash

Soap

Open all Hours

Bilko

WKRP in Cincinati

Steptoe and Son

Sykes

The Likely Lads

Citizen Smith