A British sitcom or a Britcom is a situational comedy programme produced for British television .
174-445: One Foot in the Grave is a British television sitcom written by David Renwick . There were six series (each consisting of six half-hour episodes) and seven Christmas specials over a period of ten years from early 1990 to late 2000. The first five series were broadcast between January 1990 and January 1995. For the next five years, the show appeared only as Christmas specials, followed by
348-410: A comic foil to Victor's misfortunes. Examples include fearfully asking if a cat found frozen in their freezer is definitely dead and mentioning a friend who died of a terminal illness. When Victor reminds her that the woman actually fell from a cliff, Margaret retorts she only did so because "she went to the seaside to convalesce". In later episodes, Margaret develops into a more complex character. She
522-519: A television pilot broadcast in Barker's comedy anthology series Seven of One (1973), centred around the antics of the eccentric and miserly owner of a traditional English corner shop . Barker took his idea for Arkwright's famous stutter from the 1950s writer and performer Glenn Melvyn. Open All Hours came 8th in the 2004 Britain's Best Sitcom poll. Although it ended in 1985, Open All Hours had been repeated over 3,000 times by 2021. The theme tune
696-430: A " Galapagos Giant Turtle ", at the request of writer David Renwick , which "[serves] as a metaphor for grumpy old Victor Meldrew." Wane found the footage of the creature to be "not very upbeat visually for a comedy," but he found, "to [his] relief a shot of it stumbling on a rock which gave the sequence a bit of a lift." Most of the first five series of One Foot in the Grave were produced and directed by Susan Belbin ,
870-504: A 2001 Channel 4 poll Del Boy was ranked fourth on their list of the 100 Greatest TV Characters. The series influenced British culture , contributing several words and phrases to the English language. It was named one of the top 20 cult television programmes of all time by TV critic Jeff Evans. Evans spoke of: "[shows] such as Only Fools and Horses , which gets tremendous viewing figures but does inspire conventions of fans who meet in pubs called
1044-451: A BAFTA for Best Comedy Series in 1984. In a 2008 poll on Channel 4, "Hi-de-Hi!" was voted the 35th most popular comedy catchphrase. According to comedy researcher Mark Lewisohn , "Plots became somewhat outlandish during the latter episodes and by the time the BBC called it a day in 1988, it is arguable that the show had already outstayed its welcome by a good couple of years. All in all, though, this
1218-539: A Story", when she stayed with the Meldrews after her flat had been flooded and enraged Margaret with her complaining and laziness. Jean is also shown as a somewhat absent-minded character, as she has a pet cockatiel despite her lifelong allergy to feathers. She would often bore the Meldrews by showing them her complete collection of holiday pictures at the most unwelcome times. A running joke is her beating Victor at board games, including Trivial Pursuit and chess , while having
1392-420: A box"). The series follows Meldrew as he tries to fill his new-found leisure with odd jobs and unusual idiosyncrasies, or to get a new job. However, he regularly finds himself mistreated, misunderstood or simply the victim of bad luck, and consequently leads to his complaining heartily. Meldrew is famous for his catchphrase , "I don't believe it!!" (copied exactly from Trevor Baxter playing Professor Litefoot in
1566-604: A bus depot as a setting. It was then commissioned by Frank Muir, then at London Weekend Television who said it was "rather at the baked beans end of my menu". Despite poor critical reception, it gained an audience of up to 20 million. It has been described as cliche-ridden, stereotypical, occasionally racist and totally sexist by today's standards, with Varney's and Grant's characters both lecherous womanisers and ethnic minorities used inappropriately for humour. As David Stubbs wrote for The Guardian in 2008, Grant and Varney were playing "two conspicuously middle-aged men" (Varney
1740-491: A constantly cheerful, but incredibly boring, couple who provided yet another annoyance to the Meldrews, who dreaded any upcoming visits to them; Victor once said that he had hoped they were both dead. In "The Worst Horror of All", when the couple attempted a surprise visit, the Meldrews hid in their house to give the impression they were away on holiday and then took the phone off the hook for several days afterwards, though these efforts to avoid them were in vain. They are referenced
1914-770: A conversation with someone else. Doreen Mantle described her character as "wanting to do the right thing but always finding out that it was the wrong thing". Victor's annoyance with her is often demonstrated by shouting her name, sometimes repeatedly, in an impatient tone. Patrick Trench ( Angus Deayton ) – Patrick and his wife Pippa live next door to Victor from the second series. Patrick often catches Victor engrossed in seemingly preposterous situations, all of which in context are perfectly innocuous. The couple's relationship with their neighbours begins badly after Victor mistakes Patrick and Pippa for distant relations when they arrive outside with three suitcases – not realising that they are his next-door neighbours, having been on
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#17331151036932088-495: A cultured sales representative supposedly descended from African royalty, played by Don Warrington . Chappell defended the Rigsby character by saying he "was not a racist or a bigot, but he was prejudiced and suspicious of strangers. But he accepted Philip and his only concern afterwards was that he didn't get a leg over Miss Jones." Warrington, who played Smith, stated: "There were certain aspects of it that were politically incorrect. On
2262-449: A degree of optimism. Yet his polite façade collapses when events get the better of him and a full verbal onslaught is forthcoming. "Victor-isms" include "I do not believe it!", "I don't believe it!", "Un-be-lievable!", "What in the name of bloody hell?", "In the name of sanity!" Despite his grumpy demeanour Victor isn't totally devoid of compassion; in "Hearts of Darkness" he liberates elderly nursing home residents who were being mistreated by
2436-517: A departure from James' characteristic bawdy slapstick and famous 'dirty laugh' and ran for 65 episodes over 10 series. The series ended abruptly in 1976, when, just four days after the broadcast of the final episode, James died after collapsing on stage. Ironically, James had told Coupland, "It's such fun and so successful, we'll still be working on Bless This House till one of us kicks the bucket." In 2004, it came 67th in Britain's Best Sitcom . In 1972
2610-496: A divorced couple who accidentally moved next door to each other, Miss Jones and Son (1977–78) was about a single mother, and Rings on Their Fingers (1978–80) was about a young, unmarried couple. Another creation by Ronald Chesney and Ronald Wolfe is On the Buses , starring Reg Varney and Bob Grant . Running 1969–1973 for 74 episodes over 7 series, it was initially rejected by the BBC, who did not see much comedy potential in
2784-476: A favourite of Britain's clergy , was followed by two spin-offs also starring Nimmo: Oh, Brother! (1968–1970), 19 episodes written by David Climie and Austin Steele, with supporting roles by Sir Felix Aylmer , Patrick McAlinney and Derek Francis , and its sequel Oh, Father! (1973) with Felix Aylmer, Laurence Naismith , Pearl Hackney and David Kelly , also written by Climie and Steele. All Gas and Gaiters
2958-607: A fictional British prison . Porridge was critically acclaimed and was ranked No. 35 on the 100 Greatest British Television Programmes compiled by the British Film Institute in 2000. In 2004, Porridge placed seventh in Britain's Best Sitcom. Porridge was appreciated by British prisoners. Erwin James , an ex-prisoner who wrote a column for The Guardian , stated: "What fans could never know, however, unless they had been subjected to
3132-475: A freak accident (for which he unfairly blames Victor), he adopts a dachshund called Denzil, which Pippa describes as his "baby substitute". Denzil frequently appears with Patrick through series 3–5. Despite their animosity towards each other, Victor ends up saving Patrick's life in "The Wisdom of the Witch". Pippa Trench (née Croker) ( Janine Duvitski ) – Patrick's wife – a bus driver – sought friendly relations with
3306-448: A guest appearance on the comedy TV quiz show Shooting Stars , in which Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer purposefully misquoted his catchphrase by referring to him as "Richard 'I don't believe you' Wilson". In April 2023, Channel 5 aired a 67-minute special retrospective for their "Comedy Classics" series. Cast, crew and celebrities discuss and pay tribute to the show. The documentary features an interview with Wilson, sharing his memories of
3480-492: A house clearance firm Margaret had employed to clear her late cousin Ursula's country mansion. The workmen consequently cleared Patrick and Pippa's house of their entire furniture and sold it for a mere £475. Pippa is slightly dim-witted (Victor once described her as a "gormless twerp" on an answering machine message, unaware she was listening) – for example, believing Victor had murdered an elderly blind man simply because
3654-415: A household name and award-winning comedy performer." In addition, "So popular was his character that 'Victor Meldrew' has endured as a cultural reference for any grumpy old man." And finally and more loosely, "many viewers identified with his rages at the irritants of modern life: litter, junk mail, traffic, rudeness, streetlamps and car mechanics and to some, Victor Meldrew was a champion of the people, albeit
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#17331151036933828-411: A lengthy holiday from the day Victor and Margaret moved in. Victor subsequently invites the bemused pair to stay; this and later incidents cause Patrick to suspect that Victor is quite insane, possibly bordering on malicious. However, Patrick's rift with Victor eventually transforms him into a rather cynical character (much like Victor) and he often responds to him in similarly petty or vindictive ways as
4002-422: A means of trying to settle the score, such as writing complaints and grievances on Post-it Notes . This aspect of Patrick's character came to a head in the episode "The Executioner's Song" where his face temporarily morphs into that of Victor's as he looks into a mirror. It is mentioned several times that Patrick would like to have children. After Pippa miscarries and Patrick is, so he claims, rendered infertile by
4176-578: A mirror in the middle of the night after mistaking his own reflection for a burglar. Victor starts to warm to Alfred towards the end of his visit, but Alfred leaves early the next day after finding an unpleasant message about him that Victor had accidentally recorded on a dictaphone . He is not seen again, but keeps in touch with the Meldrews, as Victor is seen looking at some photographs Alfred had sent over in "The Trial". Cousin Wilfred (John Rutland) – Mrs. Warboys' cousin Wilfred, first appeared in an episode in
4350-554: A montage of some of the mishaps Victor encountered, which were mentioned in the episode – backed by " End of the Line " by the Traveling Wilburys . The programme received a number of prestigious awards. In 1992, it won a BAFTA as Best Comedy (Programme or Series). During its ten-year run, the series was nominated a further six times. Richard Wilson also won Best Light Entertainment Performance in 1992 and 1994 and Annette Crosbie
4524-425: A novel, published in 1992, featuring the most memorable moments from the first two series and the first Christmas special. The series features the exploits, mishaps and misadventures of irascible early retiree Victor Meldrew, who, after being made redundant from his job as a security guard at the age of 60, finds himself at war with the world and everything in it. Meldrew, cursed with misfortune and always complaining,
4698-605: A number of times in the series for giving the Meldrews bizarre and always unwanted presents that are seldom opened, usually involving a garish photograph of themselves. In the final series, however it was clear that their cheerfulness was a façade and, in a particularly dark scene, Mildred hanged herself "during a game of Happy Families ". The shot of Mildred's feet dangling outside the window is usually cut from pre-watershed screenings. Alfred Meldrew ( Richard Pearson ) - Victor's absent-minded brother, who lives in New Zealand . During
4872-408: A pair of boxing gloves . However, Margaret herself is shown to have contemplated infidelity with a man called Ben whom she met on holiday in the episode "Warm Champagne". She decides against cheating on Victor. In this episode, she sums up her relationship with Victor by telling Ben, "He's the most sensitive person I've ever met and that's why I love him and why I constantly want to ram his head through
5046-471: A particular genre to fit the mood of the scenes, frequently incorporating well-known pieces of music such as " God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen " or Intermezzo from Jean Sibelius ' Karelia Suite . In the Christmas special "Endgame" during Margaret's alleged death scene, a compilation of clips from past episodes are accompanied by the song "River Runs Deep" performed by J. J. Cale . The final episode ended with
5220-473: A power cut on the hottest night of the year). Despite Margaret's frequent exasperation with her husband's antics, the series shows the couple have a deep affection for one another. Victor Meldrew ( Richard Wilson ) – Victor is the main protagonist of the sitcom and finds himself constantly battling against all that life throws at him as he becomes entangled in complicated misfortunes and farcical situations. Renwick once pointed out in an interview that
5394-426: A production secretary and assistant, as well as other shows, meant that her style was similar to Belbin's, aiding the transition between directors. The show used Bournemouth to film some exterior sequences because of its favourable climate, easy access to London and economical benefits relative to filming in the capital. After the first series was filmed, the house—near Pokesdown , Bournemouth—which had been used for
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5568-638: A salesman, and Jill Christie as Pinwright's daughter. and produced and directed by John Glyn-Jones . The script editor was Ted Kavanagh , who during the World War II years also wrote the BBC Radio comedy series It's That Man Again ( ITMA ), which according to Foster and Furst was "entirely new, breaking away from the conventions of both radio and music hall comedy". Transferred to television in 1956 after 48 episodes on BBC radio which began in 1954, Hancock's Half Hour (1956–1961) by Galton and Simpson
5742-466: A short The Army Game scene was performed by Michael Medwin , Alfie Bass, Norman Rossington, Bill Fraser and Ted Lune at the Royal Variety Performance in front of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother . This was the last Royal Variety Performance that was not televised. This successful series inspired a film spin-off, I Only Arsked! (1958), and in 1958, just a year after the series debuted,
5916-671: A single with five remixes and a karaoke version in November 1994. Idle included a live version of the song on his album Eric Idle Sings Monty Python . It is preluded by a similar adaptation of " Bread of Heaven " to that used in the episode "The Beast in the Cage" by disgruntled car mechanics. The title music on the TV series is accompanied at the beginning and end of each episode by footage of Galápagos tortoises . The series also made extensive use of incidental music, composed by Ed Welch , which often hinted at
6090-419: A single-camera set-up or entirely on location, with no studio screening or laugh track, such as The Royle Family (1998–2000, 2006–2012), and PhoneShop (2009–2013). A subset of British comedy consciously avoids traditional situation comedy themes, storylines, and home settings to focus on more unusual topics or narrative methods. Blackadder (1983–1989) and Yes Minister (1980–1988, 2013) moved what
6264-414: A sixth and final series. Created and written by Roy Clarke for the BBC, Open All Hours ran for 26 episodes in four series (1976, 1981, 1982 and 1985) and starred Ronnie Barker and David Jason, with a regular supporting cast including Lynda Baron , Stephanie Cole , Barbara Flynn , Maggie Ollerenshaw , and Kathy Staff . The programme, produced and directed by Sydney Lotterby and developed from
6438-591: A stint of Her Majesty's Pleasure, was that the conflict between Fletcher and Officer Mackay was about the most authentic depiction ever of the true relationship that exists between prisoners and prison officers in British jails up and down the country. I'm not sure how, but writers Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais grasped the notion that it is the minor victories against the naturally oppressive prison system that makes prison life bearable." The ITV production of 28 episodes (1974–78) of Rising Damp written by Eric Chappell ,
6612-479: A television screen." She also begins to develop a sense of cynicism, slowly coming to see the world the way Victor sees it. This is especially evident in "Things Aren't Simple Anymore" in which she remarks that the world is "all speed and greed" and that "nobody does anything about anything". In "Rearranging the Dust", Margaret recounts the time she first chose Victor at a party and, during a power cut, "shared their bodies" in
6786-417: A vast amount of loyalty to Margaret as, throughout their entire 42 years of lifelong marriage together, not once has the thought of infidelity ever occurred to him. In "Rearranging the Dust", Victor and Margaret recollect the days of their courtship at a party after which Victor says "You were always my first choice", which leaves Margaret stunned. In another episode, Margaret recounts the time Victor took her to
6960-517: A very grumpy one." Meldrew's persona is so powerful that Richard Wilson is perceived as "99 per cent Meldrew" by at least one critic, and when taking on a serious role as Malvolio in Shakespeare's Twelfth Night , another critic felt that Wilson's "performance was overly influenced by his desire to 'shed the Victor Meldrew stereotype'". In the modern series of Doctor Who , after the debut of
7134-502: A young couple learning to cope with married life reflected social attitudes of the times, and provided its lead stars Richard Briers ( The Good Life , Ever Decreasing Circles ) and Prunella Scales ( Fawlty Towers ) with a significant boost to their careers. The supporting cast included Edward de Souza , Ronald Hines and Christine Finn . With its cast of only two regular characters played by Harry H. Corbett and Wilfrid Brambell , airing 1962–65 and 1970–74, Steptoe and Son
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7308-515: Is abused in an old people's home and, following complaints, the scene was slightly cut when the episode was repeated. In the DVD commentary for the episode, David Renwick stated his continued opposition to the cuts. Another controversial scene in the episode "Tales of Terror" saw the Meldrews visit Ronnie and Mildred on the understanding that Mildred had gone upstairs during a game of Happy Families and not returned; Ronnie then shows her feet hanging outside of
7482-490: Is an Irish mother's boy living in London. He is a top executive of a company and lives a bachelor lifestyle. However, his old-fashioned Catholic mother often puts a stop to his plans, many of them involving his girlfriend Miss Argyll, played by Joyce. The 1970s is often regarded as the golden era of British sitcom. Well-remembered series include John Cleese and Connie Booth 's farcical Fawlty Towers (1975, 1979) often cited as
7656-481: Is happy to remain unmarried. During the first series they do marry and in the second series they adjust to married life. A proposed fourth series would have concerned Sandy becoming pregnant unexpectedly, and Sandy and Oliver adapting to parenthood, but the series was not re-commissioned. Co-starring Penelope Keith as Audrey fforbes-Hamilton and Peter Bowles as Richard DeVere, To the Manor Born (1979–1981, 2007)
7830-399: Is married to long-suffering wife Margaret, who is often left exasperated by his many misfortunes. Amongst other witnesses to Victor's wrath are tactless family friend Jean Warboys and next-door neighbours Patrick (Victor's nemesis) and Pippa Trench. Patrick often discovers Victor in inexplicably bizarre or compromising situations, leading him to believe he is insane. The Meldrews' neighbour on
8004-419: Is mentioned as having a glass eye and has the habit of knitting bizarre items (such as six-fingered gloves) for Victor. Uncle Dick has a wooden arm; in the final Comic Relief (2001) episode, it transpires that a nurse had mistakenly placed a drip in the false arm for 18 hours after a trip to hospital after trying to remove a kidney stone with a wire coat hanger. Mimsy Berkovitz - Another unseen character, she
8178-470: Is never mentioned again. Jean Warboys ( Doreen Mantle ) – Mrs Warboys is a friend of Margaret's (and a rather annoying one in Victor's eyes) who has attached herself to the Meldrews, accompanying them on many of their exploits. Until the fourth series she is married to ( unseen ) Chris until he leaves her for a private detective she had hired, believing he was having an affair, and they divorce. She often bears
8352-436: Is not there. Margaret works at a florist 's until series five, when the shop closes. In a later series she has found a new job as a caregiver for the elderly, where she inadvertently discovers on a TV documentary that she has actually been unwittingly used as a sex worker by a man who did not need personal care but just enjoyed being bathed and dressed anyway. It is presumed that she left the job after making this discovery, as it
8526-427: Is often a domestic or workplace genre into the corridors of power. A later development was the mockumentary genre exemplified by series such as The Office (2001–2003), which also heralded the modern trend of the single-camera sitcom dispensing with live audiences. A 2004 poll by the BBC, ITV and Channel 4, "Britain's Best Sitcom", produced a list topped by traditional sitcoms with Only Fools and Horses holding
8700-413: Is often surprised by Mr Swainey's activities, ranging from archery and preparing amateur dramatics props, to bizarre games he arranges for his senile, bedridden mother, whom the audience never actually see. Despite his cheery demeanour, he does occasionally drop his guard, once displaying apparent depression at being nothing more than "an overgrown Boy Scout". Following his mother's death, he moved house near
8874-645: Is regularly repeated on BBC Two , Drama and Gold in the UK, PBS and BBC America in the United States, and BBC UKTV , Fox Classics and 9Gem in Australia, and Jones! in New Zealand. The series was nominated for the 1977 Best Situation Comedy BAFTA TV Award. A spin-off series, Grace & Favour , with some of the same main cast aired in 1991–1992, and a one-off episode with a new cast in 2016. Its feature film spin-off
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#17331151036939048-542: Is set in German occupied France during World War II. Starring Paul Eddington , with Nigel Hawthorne and Derek Fowlds in the supporting roles, Yes Minister which ran for 21 episodes on BBC2 (1980–1984), and its sequel Yes, Prime Minister (1986–88), which ran for 16 episodes, were political satires . Established Shakespearean actor Hawthorne picked up four BAFTA TV Awards for Best Light Entertainment Performance for his role. Created by Antony Jay and Jonathan Lynn ,
9222-572: Is set in an unnamed town in Southern England , where Victor takes involuntary early retirement. His various efforts to keep himself busy while encountering various misfortunes and misunderstandings are the themes of the sitcom. Indoor scenes were filmed at BBC Television Centre with most exterior scenes filmed on Tresillian Way in Walkford in Christchurch, Dorset . Despite its traditional production,
9396-571: Is shown to be fiercely protective of her marriage to Victor by becoming easily suspicious and jealous—for example, of a Dutch marionette that Victor becomes occupied with repairing in the episode "Hole in the Sky", eventually leading her to destroy it. In "The Affair of the Hollow Lady", a greengrocer (played by Barbara Windsor ) develops a soft spot for Victor and tries to convince Margaret that he has been unfaithful to her. In revenge, Margaret assaults her with
9570-409: Is sometimes called the best of all ITV sitcoms. It starred Leonard Rossiter as Rigsby, a miserly, seedy, and ludicrously self-regarding landlord of a run-down Victorian townhouse who rents out his shabby bedsits to a variety of tenants: Ruth Jones, an unmarried woman approaching middle age, played by Frances de la Tour ; Alan Moore, a medical student played by Richard Beckinsale ; and Philip Smith,
9744-477: Is the local agony aunt , whom many of the characters turn to for advice. In the episode "The Secret of the Seven Sorcerers", Patrick is heard talking to her on the radio, seeking her advice on how to cope when Victor and Margaret invite him and Pippa around to dinner. Mrs Birkett ( Gabrielle Blunt ) An elderly neighbour in the first series. She accidentally gets trapped in the Meldrews' loft when Victor closes
9918-434: The 1970s, drawing 23.95 million viewers. The final episode in 1981 received 17.80 million viewers. The series has been repeated over 1,000 times. Major supporting roles were played by Angela Thorne as Audrey's friend Marjory and Daphne Heard as Mrs Polouvicka, Richard's mother. Other members of the cast included Alan David , John Rudling , Michael Bilton , Gerald Sim , Michael Cochrane , and Georgie Glen . The music
10092-423: The 2009 Miranda series staged a highly successful comeback for the 'old school' 20th century concept of sitcoms with live audiences and multiple cameras. As a race, the British have one peculiarity that sets them apart from the rest of mankind: that extraordinary sense of humour; their ability to laugh at others, to laugh at the sublime and the ridiculous, to laugh at disaster and triumph, to be indifferent to
10266-445: The BBC's profile of the show as "the British sitcom by which all other British sitcoms must be judged", Fawlty Towers (1975 and 1979) is eminently quotable; the repetition in the episode known as The Germans of 'don't mention the war' has become a catch phrase ." In two series, only 12 half-hour episodes were made, because the writers, John Cleese and his then wife Connie Booth, felt that they could not continue to write comedy of
10440-696: The Best", alluding to the frequent and traditional caning of disobedient pupils in the UK at the time. The series was revived in colour with updated scripts in 1971–72, slightly retitled Whacko! . Other members of the cast included Arthur Howard (series 1–7), Julian Orchard (series 8), Kenneth Cope , Norman Bird , John Stirling, Peter Glaze , Edwin Apps (series 1–7), Peter Greene (series 8), David Langford, Keith Smith , Brian Rawlinson , Gordon Phillot, Harold Bennett (series 8), Frank Raymond, Gary Warren (series 8), and Greg Smith (series 8). A feature film, Bottoms Up ,
10614-523: The British box office in 1971. According to Jeff Evans , On the Buses was a "cheerfully vulgar comedy" in which "leering and innuendo dominate[d]." Some of the network's other ratings successes from this era included Love Thy Neighbour (1972–76) and Mind Your Language (1977–79, 1986), which attempted to find humour in racial or ethnic conflict and misunderstandings, but were increasingly criticised over time for "obvious racial name-calling... recurring with distressing regularity" and "offer[ing] only
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#173311510369310788-499: The Buses ), Frank Thornton , 135 episodes ( Are You Being Served? ), Brian Murphy , 73 episodes, ( Man About the House , George and Mildred ), Josephine Tewson , 62 episodes, ( Keeping Up Appearances ), Dora Bryan , 50 episodes, ( Happily Ever After ), June Whitfield , 44 episodes, ( Absolutely Fabulous , Father, Dear Father , Terry and June ), Trevor Bannister , 25 episodes, ( Are You Being Served? ), and over
10962-439: The Cage" (where Victor, Margaret and Mrs Warboys are stuck in a traffic jam), "Timeless Time" (where Victor and Margaret are in bed suffering insomnia), "The Trial" (where Victor is left alone in the house waiting to see if he has to take part in jury service ), "Rearranging the Dust" (where Victor and Margaret have a long wait in their solicitor's waiting room), and "Threatening Weather" (where Victor and Margaret try to cope during
11136-498: The Cage". They are regularly repeated on the digital speech station BBC Radio 4 Extra and are available on audio CD. Wilson dislikes saying his character's catchphrase ("I don't believe it!") and only performs the line for charity events for a small fee. This became a joke in the actor's guest appearance as himself in the Father Ted episode " The Mainland ", where Ted annoys him by constantly repeating his catchphrase. The situation
11310-590: The Channel 4 list of 100 greatest television characters. Other high-ratings mainstream, slice-of-life shows of the decade included Bread (1986–1991) written by Carla Lane, about a close-knit, working-class family in Liverpool . Running for 74 episodes, at its peak it attracted 21 million viewers. Another notable series was the Science fiction comedy Red Dwarf (1988–), while 'Allo 'Allo! another Croft and Lloyd creation
11484-545: The Children (1967–70), starring Wendy Craig . Women were usually only cast in secondary roles in this period, though several series with Craig in the lead were an exception. Sitcoms developed by Carla Lane , the first successful female writer in the form, began with The Liver Birds (1969–1979, 1996), initially in collaboration with others. Another change, with Steptoe and Son (1962–65, 1970–74) and The Likely Lads (1964–1966), producers began to cast actors, rather than
11658-793: The Grave ) would not be surprised that hostility contributes to mortality in grumpy old men." Similarly, The Daily Telegraph uses Richard Wilson's Meldrew to refer to people who enjoy "a good moan", while Jenny Turner in the London Review of Books can observe that "the timing and rhythm (of Geoff Dyer's Jeff in Venice, Death in Varanasi ) have the flippancy of stand-up comedy. The voice has Eeyore in it, and Morrissey and Victor Meldrew, and could only be English and from that postwar, post-punk generation". The BBC recalls first that "the role of Victor Meldrew transformed Scottish TV-actor Richard Wilson into
11832-472: The Meldrew's neighbours. Most outside locations were filmed in and around Bournemouth and Christchurch . These include Richmond Hill , Undercliff Drive and Boscombe Pier , Bournemouth Town Hall , Lansdowne College , Christchurch Hospital and the former Royal Victoria Hospital ( Boscombe ). Later episodes, such as "Hearts of Darkness", were filmed entirely on location. Victor's death by a hit and run driver in
12006-480: The Meldrews and, after a while, became good friends with Margaret. The two women usually attempt to get their husbands to make peace with each other at least once per series. Eventually Patrick proposes that the Trenches move house, but they soon realise that the Meldrew curse has followed them: Victor sent workmen to their home, thinking they were removal men who had initially come to the wrong house. They were in fact from
12180-474: The Meldrews' house in location sequences, changed hands and the new owners demanded nearly triple the usage fees that the previous owners had asked for. Rather than agree to this, the production team decided to find a new house and the first episode of the second series was rewritten to have the Meldrews' house destroyed in a fire (this was filmed on waste ground in Northcote Road, Springbourne ). This also gave
12354-479: The Nag's Head and wander round dressed as their favourite characters." The theme music was by Ronnie Hazlehurst (1981) and John Sullivan (1982–2003). Only Fools and Horses came top in a research and analysis by a team of scientists led by Dr Helen Pilcher , a molecular neurobiologist and stand-up comedian with a speciality in scientific humour. Running on the BBC for 295 episodes over 31 series and four decades, Last of
12528-485: The Summer Wine (1973–2010) was entirely written by Roy Clarke ( Keeping Up Appearances , Open All Hours and Still Open All Hours ) and produced by Alan J. W. Bell , with music by Ronnie Hazelhurst . It is the longest-running comedy programme in Britain and the longest-running sitcom in the world. The family-friendly show was about the antics of a group of male pensioners looking for adventure, "portraying
12702-408: The Summer Wine began in 1973 and ended in 2010, becoming the world's longest running sitcom. The decade also saw the broadcast of It Ain't Half Hot Mum (1974–81), which has been criticised for the "stereotypes of its handful of Indian supporting characters as alternately servile, foolish, lazy or devious". The commercial station ITV had successes with Rising Damp (1974–78, sometimes called
12876-429: The Trenches return as prominent characters, albeit living in a house some distance from the Meldrews. Despite appearing in five out of six series and three Christmas specials, neither of the Trenches ever share a scene with Mrs Warboys and Pippa only ever shares one scene with Nick Swainey (in the episode "Who Will Buy?"). Nick Swainey ( Owen Brenman ) – The excessively cheerful and often oblivious Mr Swainey appeared in
13050-407: The best of all ITV sitcoms), Man About the House (1973–76) and George and Mildred (1976–79). Rising Damp star Leonard Rossiter also played the lead role in the BBC's The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin (1976–79). The decline in cinema attendance meant that many of these series were turned into cinema films; the first film version of On the Buses (1969–73) was the biggest hit at
13224-516: The broadcast. ITV was accused of engineering this in order to damage the final episode's expected high ratings , but was later cleared by the Independent Television Commission . Due to the series' popularity, people who constantly complain and are irritated by minor things are often compared to Victor Meldrew by the British media . Renwick disputes this usage however, claiming that Victor's reactions are entirely in proportion to
13398-460: The brother and brother-in-law of Deayton's character. A few actors little-known at the time also appeared in one-off roles before going on to greater fame, including Lucy Davis , Joanna Scanlan , Eamonn Walker and Arabella Weir . The One Foot in the Grave theme song was written, composed and sung by Eric Idle . A longer version was produced for the special "One Foot in the Algarve", released as
13572-403: The brunt of Victor's temper due to muddled misunderstandings and in part due to her aloof nature. One such occasion saw Victor asking her to pick up a suit of his from the dry-cleaners, only for her to return with a gorilla suit . Another occasion saw her persuading Victor to take on a dog whose owner had just died. Victor spent time building a kennel in the garden and when Mrs Warboys arrives with
13746-534: The comedians around whom earlier series like Whack-O! , with Jimmy Edwards, or Hancock's Half Hour , had been built. As a spin-off sequel to The Army Game and also starring Bill Fraser and Alfie Bass, Bootsie and Snudge , (1960–1963, 1974) was written by a large team over its 104 episodes. Writers for the 1960–63 episodes included Marty Feldman, Barry Took, John Antrobus, Ray Rigby , David Cumming, Derek Collyer, James Kelly, Peter Lambda, Tom Espie, Jack Rosenthal , Harry Driver , and Doug Eden. The 1974 series
13920-457: The country, only to find that they have moved into adjoining cottages. The music was by Dennis Wilson . In 1973, one episode won a British Academy Television Award for Best Situation Comedy . During a repeat run in January 1980, one episode gained 19.3 million viewers and was the second most-watched programme that week. Set in a traditional London department store , the show follows the antics of
14094-507: The crudest caricatures". Increasing relaxation in regard to the discussion of sex allowed farce and camp humour to become a familiar form in the 1970s and were used in series like Are You Being Served? and comedian Frankie Howerd 's Up Pompeii! , which ran for 16 episodes (1969–70, 1975, 1991) and starred several female stalwarts from the Carry On film series, including Barbara Windsor, Wendy Richard and Valerie Leon . A feature of
14268-519: The dog, she forgets to mention that the dog is stuffed , much to Victor and Margaret's consternation. On another occasion she wins a competition where the prize is either £500 or to have a life-size waxwork model made of herself, which had to be delivered to the Meldrews' house; she chooses the waxwork. As it turns out, she hates it as much as Victor and Margaret do, and the waxwork ends up in the dustbin. Despite being friends, she has driven Margaret to distraction on several occasions, most notably in "Only
14442-411: The door of the Meldrews' car. Retrieving the roll after a brief spell in hospital, Trout attempts to leave the Algarve in a taxi but is involved in a car crash. The production of the show was in a conventional sitcom format, with episodes taped live in front of a studio audience , interposed with pre-filmed location material. The series' opening credits were designed by Pete Wane and feature footage of
14616-457: The elderly in a positive and non-stereotypical light." The show was filmed largely in the small town of Holmfirth in Yorkshire, a location recommended by Barry Took , and surrounding countryside. and features Bill Owen , 186 episodes, Peter Sallis , 295 episodes, and Kathy Staff , 245 episodes, along with Thora Hird , 152 episodes ( Bootsie and Snudge ), Stephen Lewis , 135 episodes, ( On
14790-519: The emerging alternative comedians began to develop sitcoms, partly as a response to series such as Terry and June (1979–87), with their "complacent gentility, outmoded social attitudes and bourgeois sensibilities". The alternatives' incursion began with The Young Ones (1982–84), written by Rik Mayall , Ben Elton and others. To help make it stand out, the group opted to combine traditional sitcom style with violent slapstick, non-sequitur plot turns, and surrealism. These older styles were mixed with
14964-440: The end of the series, but only went as far as the Trenches'/McVities' old house, claiming he had "always wanted to live in an end house, without leaving the area". This took Victor by surprise; he did not learn where Mr Swainey was moving to until, while reminiscing in the garden about his departure, Mr Swainey suddenly appeared from the other side. Ronnie and Mildred ( Gordon Peters and Barbara Ashcroft) – Ronnie and Mildred were
15138-399: The episode "The Broken Reflection", he comes to visit after 25 years, to the disdain of Victor. Alfred is an eccentric character, often walking around with his hat on fire and bringing over his and Victor's great-grandfather's skull. He is a clumsy character too, mistaking the table cloth for a napkin and dropping the entire contents of the table all over the floor when he stands up and breaking
15312-403: The episode, we would show it to some secret sources, always including somebody who was an expert on the subject in question. They would usually give us extra information which, because it was true, was usually funnier than anything we might have thought up." In a 2004 BBC programme paying tribute to the series, it was revealed that Jay and Lynn had drawn on information provided by two insiders from
15486-525: The exceptions being "Love and Death", which was partly directed by veteran sitcom director Sydney Lotterby and "Starbound", for which Gareth Gwenlan (who in fact had originally commissioned the series in 1989) stepped in to direct some sequences after Belbin was taken ill. Afterward, Belbin retired owing to ill-health, and the final series was produced by Jonathan P. Llewellyn and directed by Christine Gernon. Wilson and Renwick felt that Gernon's experience of working with Belbin on earlier series of One Foot as
15660-433: The final episode , Victor is killed by a hit-and-run driver, and although there is no explicit reference that Victor and Margaret had children, the episode "Timeless Time" contained a reference to someone named Stuart; the strong implication being that they once had a son who had died as a child. A number of episodes were also experimental in that they took place entirely in one setting . Such episodes include "The Beast in
15834-419: The final episode of The Talons of Weng-Chiang ). Other frequently used expressions of exasperation are "Unbe-lieeeve-able!", "What in the name of bloody hell ?!" and "In the name of sanity!" Victor is something of a hypochondriac , keeping a medical dictionary with him to look up every ailment he believes has befallen him (Margaret describes it as "browsing through to see what he can die of next"). The series
16008-706: The final episode was filmed at Shawford railway station , Hampshire . Fans left floral tributes at the site. Over the show's history, it featured a number of notable comic actors in one-off roles. These include Susie Blake , John Bird , Tim Brooke-Taylor , Peter Cook , Diana Coupland , Phil Daniels , Edward de Souza , Hannah Gordon , Georgina Hale , Roy Hudd , Jimmy Jewel , Rula Lenska , Stephen Lewis , Paul Merton , Brian Murphy , Christopher Ryan , Jim Sweeney , Barbara Windsor , Joan Sims and Ray Winstone . Two of Angus Deayton 's former Radio Active and KYTV co-stars, Geoffrey Perkins and Michael Fenton Stevens were cast, in separate episodes, as respectively
16182-449: The first Carry On film, the very similar Carry On Sergeant , was released, also featuring Hawtrey, Rossington and Hartnell. ITV sitcoms began with the channel's launch in 1957 and throughout the 1960s helped shape British comedy with varied and often experimental styles. In the 1960s, the BBC produced a then-rare workplace comedy with The Rag Trade (1961–1963, 1977–1978) written by Ronald Wolfe and Ronald Chesney . The success of
16356-448: The first episode, encouraging Victor to join his OAPs' trip to Eastbourne and being greeted with Victor's trademark abuse. When the Meldrews move house, they discover he is their neighbour, living on the other side of the Meldrews from the Trenches. He remains continuously optimistic; even his being told to "piss off" by Victor is laughed off. Despite this run-in he later befriends Victor and they frequently chat in their gardens, where Victor
16530-463: The first place, and included favourites such as David Croft's Dad's Army , Are You Being Served? , and Hi-de-Hi! . It was not until The Royle Family (1998–2000) in place 19 that a show without a live studio audience was featured. On a suggestion to Miranda Hart by sitcom writer Abigail Wilson, who collaborated with comedy actors Dawn French ( The Vicar of Dibley 1994–2000) and Jennifer Saunders ( Absolutely Fabulous 1992–1995),
16704-493: The format as the ideal vehicle for Hancock's comedic style. "Hancock's persona of the pompous loser out of his depth in an uncomprehending society still informs many programmes today", according to Phil Wickham. The final BBC series of this show was broadcast under the shorter title Hancock . In 1963, Hancock changed his writers and moved to ITV for a further 13-episode series also named Hancock . The series, though relatively well received, has been described as "clearly not up to
16878-435: The funfair and they ended up getting stuck in the hall of mirrors for over an hour. Victor had said he did not mind as he was happy to stay there and look at all the reflections of her. Victor's very best act of compassion comes in the episode "The Wisdom of the Witch" in which he ends up saving Patrick's life from his new secretary's psychopathic boyfriend by forcing Patrick's would-be murderer, along with himself as well, out of
17052-401: The garden. After this moment of passion, they went back inside and when the lights came back on, Margaret realised that she had "grabbed hold of the wrong person". Margaret's demeanour seemed to stem from an incident at school when she was a child. When she was five, she had two budgies; one day when she opened the door of their cage, one flew straight out and hit the window, killing itself, while
17226-411: The governments of Harold Wilson and James Callaghan , namely Marcia Falkender and Bernard Donoughue . The series was the favourite television programme of the then Prime Minister , Margaret Thatcher . In 2012, Prime Minister David Cameron admitted that "I can tell you, as prime minister, it is true to life." Set in 1959–60 in a fictional holiday camp, Hi-de-Hi! was filmed on location at
17400-724: The greatest sitcom of all time. John Esmonde and Bob Larbey 's self-sufficiency comedy The Good Life (1975–78) and To the Manor Born by Peter Spence and Christopher Bond were also highly successful. Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads? (1973–74), a sequel to The Likely Lads , is thought to have surpassed the original, while its writers, Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais , provided Ronnie Barker with his most significant sitcom vehicle, Porridge (1974–77). Barker also starred (along with David Jason ) in Open All Hours (1973, 1976–85), written by Roy Clarke , whose Last of
17574-550: The last episode) holds the record for the highest UK audience for a sitcom episode , attracting 24.3 million viewers. A ratings success with viewers, the series received numerous awards, including recognition from BAFTA , the National Television Awards and the Royal Television Society , as well as winning individual accolades for Sullivan and Jason. It was voted Britain's Best Sitcom in a 2004 BBC poll. In
17748-703: The lavish French farce in English based on the 1934 novel of the same name by Gabriel Chevallier , Clochemerle was adapted into 9 episodes by Galton and Simpson for the BBC. It was a stark contrast to the dark comedy of their Steptoe and Son and Hancock's Half Hour . Filmed on location in Colombier-le-Vieux , in the department of Ardèche , it starred Roy Dotrice , Wendy Hiller , Cyril Cusack , Kenneth Griffith , Cyd Hayman , Bernard Bresslaw , Hugh Griffith , Micheline Presle , Madeline Smith , Christian Roberts , Nigel Green , Wolfe Morris and Gordon Rollings , with narration by Peter Ustinov . The show
17922-781: The life of army conscripts during the last years of the National Service which ended in 1963. Written by Rodney Hobson, Pinwright's Progress (1946–1947) was the world's first regular half-hour televised sitcom. Broadcast live by the BBC from Alexandra Palace , it was about J. Pinwright, the proprietor of a small shop. Storylines involved his hated rival and his staff, who only added to his problems by attempting to be helpful. The series featured an ensemble cast including James Hayter as J. Pinwright, Clarence Wright as Aubrey, Sara Gregory as Sally Doolittle, Daphne Maddox as Miss Peasbody, Doris Palmer as Mrs Sigsbee, Leonard Sharp as Ralph, Benita Lydal as Mrs Rackstraw, Charles Irwin as
18096-607: The name "Victor" is ironic, since he almost always ends up as the loser. In the final episode, " Things Aren't Simple Any More ", Meldrew is killed by a hit-and-run driver. This eliminated any realistic possibility of a seventh series. Passers-by left bouquets of flowers in homage at the filming location, a railway bridge in Shawford , a small village in Hampshire . Phil Wickham of the University of Exeter observed that "the whole point of
18270-416: The name "Victor" was ironic, since he almost always ends up a loser. From being buried alive to being prosecuted for attacking a feisty pit bull terrier with a collection of coconut meringues, Victor tries to adjust to life after an automatic security system made him redundant at the office where he worked as a security guard, but to no avail. He believes everything is going wrong for him all the time and he has
18444-619: The nuances of British life. Early shows of the 1950s often featured archetypal British characters such as the staff and pupils in Whack-O! and the various facets portrayed in Hancock's Half Hour , and set the stage for what would become the British TV sitcom genre. They were set in post World War II working-class or domestic environments, highlighting issues of class, family dynamics, and British culture, while The Army Game , ITV's first sitcom, parodied
18618-496: The opportunity for a new interior set to be designed, as Belbin had been unhappy with the original set designed for the series, which she felt was too restrictive to shoot in. Beginning with series two, the exterior scenes of the Meldrew's home were filmed at Tresillian Way, Walkford, near Christchurch in Dorset. These later series make extensive use of specific street and garden locations in most episodes, particularly for scenes involving
18792-419: The other budgie never wanted to leave its cage. Margaret could be said to have a catchphrase, typically a long, exasperated use of the word "God", usually when coming to a realisation about the reason behind one of Victor's mishaps. These mishaps are occasionally inadvertently aided by herself in some way, such as leaving the phone off the hook or giving permission to someone to enter the Meldrews' house when she
18966-424: The other side, overly cheery charity worker Nick Swainey, also adds to Victor's frustration. Although set in a traditional suburban setting, the show subverts this genre with a strong overtone of black comedy . Series One's "The Valley of Fear" is an episode which caused controversy, when Victor found a frozen cat in his freezer. Writer David Renwick also combined farce with elements of tragedy . For example, in
19140-461: The other stayed in the cage despite her best efforts to get it to come out. The next day at school her teacher asked the class to write a story about something that had happened to them so Margaret wrote her story about the budgies. Her teacher made Margaret read it out loud in front of the whole class which resulted in everyone laughing at her. She then realised that the teacher had done it deliberately just to be cruel to her—whereupon she understood why
19314-525: The other, you can see how it held up a mirror to the way we were living." The series won the 1978 BAFTA for Best Situation Comedy and was the highest-ranking ITV sitcom in the BBC's Britain's Best Sitcom , coming in 27th overall. Frances de la Tour received an Evening Standard British Film Award in the category of "Best Actress" for her performance as Ruth Jones. Broadcast 1974–1979 on BBC1 for 41 episodes over 5 series, starring Terry Scott and June Whitfield , with Beryl Cooke , Happy Ever After
19488-494: The photos to the Profumo affair . On his way to sell the images, he loses the roll of film whilst arguing at a phone box with the Meldrews and subsequently pursues them across the Algarve to retrieve it. He suffers a number of disasters both related and unrelated to Victor and Margaret's own misfortunes, only to find that the film had actually fallen into the lining of his jacket and had been with him for much of his journey. He lost it in
19662-451: The programme title had to be changed, and, on 24 October 1979, Terry and June was born. It was similar to Happy Ever After without Aunt Lucy, but Terry and June's surname changed from Fletcher to Medford and the characters moved to Purley in London. In 2004, it came joint 73rd in Britain's Best Sitcom with Happy Ever After . The sci-fi sitcom Come Back Mrs. Noah , set in space in 2050,
19836-423: The real Warner's Holiday Centre at Dovercourt Bay. It ran for 58 episodes (1980–1988) on the BBC and is often repeated. It was co-written by Jimmy Perry , based on his experience as a Butlin's Redcoat, and director-producer David Croft . With its ensemble cast comprising Paul Shane , Simon Cadell , Ruth Madoc , Jeffrey Holland , Su Pollard , and David Griffin , the series gained large audiences and won
20010-651: The reproaches of her parents, played by Mitchell and Bird, a difficult social life, and a reduced income. The theme song, "Bright Idea", was written by Roger Webb . Also written by Richard Waring, Rings on Their Fingers (1978–80) ran from 1978 to 1980 for 20 episodes in 3 series and was and produced by Harold Snoad for the BBC. It concerns a young unmarried couple, Sandy Bennett, played by Diane Keen , and Oliver Pryde, played by Martin Jarvis . The cast also included Tim Barrett , Barbara Lott , Anna Dawson , John Kane and Royce Mills . Sandy wishes to marry whereas Oliver
20184-407: The rhythms of everyday life, the pain of the human condition and, of course, the joy of laughter. The origins of British TV sitcoms trace back to radio comedies of the 1940s and 1950s like Hancock's Half Hour , which aired on BBC Radio in 1954, British TV sitcoms were initially inspired by American comedy formats, but they quickly developed their own style that highlighted dry wit, social satire, and
20358-452: The right to be upset because it is always someone else's fault. Victor does not see himself as retired and is always trying to find another job, but most of his attempts end in failure. Victor is a tragic comedy character and sympathy is directed towards him as he becomes embroiled in complex misunderstandings, bureaucratic vanity and, at times, sheer bad luck. The audience sees a philosophical ebb and flow to his character, however, along with
20532-480: The role of a prison inmate, with his most significant sitcom vehicle, supported by Richard Beckinsale . It ran from 1974 to 1977 on BBC1 for 22 episodes over three series. The series features two major supporting characters, both prison officers : Mr Mackay , played by Fulton Mackay , and Mr Barrowclough , played by Brian Wilde . The sitcom focused on two prison inmates, Norman Fletcher, played by Barker, and Lennie Godber, played by Beckinsale, who are serving time in
20706-763: The same quality. The series starred Cleese as Basil Fawlty , Prunella Scales as Sybil Fawlty , Connie Booth as Polly Sherman , and Andrew Sachs as Manuel . Supporting roles included Major Gowen, played by Ballard Berkeley , Chef Terry, played by Brian Hall , and Miss Gatsby and Miss Tibbs, played by Renee Roberts and Gilly Flower . Other well known guests from stage and screen, usually two or three for each episode, were featured in various episodes and among many others included Yvonne Gilan , Conrad Phillips , Bernard Cribbins , James Cossins , Allan Cuthbertson , Ann Way , Brenda Cowling , Joan Sanderson , Elspet Gray , Geoffrey Palmer , Derek Royle , Richard Davies , Ken Campbell , Una Stubbs , and John Quarmby . The show
20880-507: The second greatest television character. The spin-off from Man About the House , starring Yootha Joyce and Brian Murphy, with Norman Eshley , Sheila Fearn , and child star Nicholas Bond-Owen , a domestic sitcom George and Mildred is focused on a clash of social class. Written by Brian Cooke and Johnnie Mortimer, it ran for 38 episodes and is regularly repeated on ITV3. Yootha Joyce died suddenly in August 1980, just before production of
21054-452: The series is that Meldrew is the only sane voice in a mad world". Jonathan Bignell in his book Media Semiotics observes that the reason people laugh at Victor Meldrew is not simply that his behaviour is excessive, but that it contrasts with how all the other characters in the TV series are behaving. Meldrew's name is associated with aggression or grumpiness; the journal Age and Ageing notes that "Viewers of Victor Meldrew ( One Foot in
21228-453: The series received several BAFTAs and in 2004 was voted sixth in the Britain's Best Sitcom poll. Writer Michael Dobbs said Jay and Lynn "really got to the heart of so much of what goes on in Whitehall and Westminster". As the series revolved around the inner workings of central government, most of the scenes take place privately in offices and exclusive members' clubs . Lynn said that "there
21402-516: The series subverts its domestic sitcom setting with elements of black humour and surrealism . The series was occasionally the subject of controversy for some of its darker story elements, but nevertheless received a number of awards, including the 1992 BAFTA for Best Comedy. The programme came 80th in the British Film Institute 's 100 Greatest British Television Programmes . Four episodes were remade for BBC Radio 2 . The series inspired
21576-563: The series was due partly to the strength of the female ensemble playing the workforce, who included Sheila Hancock , Barbara Windsor and Esma Cannon . It also made the earliest of Richard Waring 's domestic comedies, Marriage Lines (1961–1966), starring Richard Briers (later to star in The Good Life ) and Prunella Scales (who went on to star in Fawlty Towers ), and Not in Front of
21750-458: The series' run for its depiction of animal deaths. For example, in the episode "The Valley of Fear", a dead cat is found in the Meldrews' freezer; in another, a tortoise is roasted in a brazier. However, this was later cited as a positive feature of the programme's daring scripts in Britain's Best Sitcom by its advocate Rowland Rivron . The programme was censored, however, for a scene in the episode "Hearts of Darkness" in which an elderly resident
21924-431: The show was voted 13th in a British Film Institute poll of industry professionals of the 100 Greatest British Television Programmes. In 2004, championed by Phill Jupitus , it came fourth in the BBC poll to find Britain's Best Sitcom . As of 2022 it is one of British television's most regularly repeated sitcoms. Bringing the first light-hearted satirical look at the church , during 1966–1971 All Gas and Gaiters paved
22098-456: The show which inspired three films was Howerd's frequent breaking of the fourth wall . Other controversial topics for comedy included series written by Richard Waring and Wendy Craig. ...And Mother Makes Three (1971–73), and its sequel ...And Mother Makes Five (1974–76), starred Craig (who also co-wrote) as a widowed mother who eventually remarries a divorced single father. My Wife Next Door (1972), created by Brian Clemens , concerned
22272-469: The show, along with other cast members Doreen Mantle , who was 96 at the time, Angus Deayton , as well as director Christine Gernon. British sitcom British sitcoms have predominantly been recorded on studio sets, while some include an element of location filming. Live audiences and multi-cameras were first used in the US by Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball for their American show I Love Lucy in 1951 and
22446-464: The sixth and final series in 2000. The series features the exploits of Victor Meldrew , played by Richard Wilson , and his long-suffering wife, Margaret, played by Annette Crosbie . Wilson initially turned down the part of Meldrew and David Renwick considered Les Dawson for the role, until Wilson changed his mind. The programmes invariably deal with Meldrew's battle against a long series of problems, some of which he creates for himself. The location
22620-509: The staff of the retail ladies' and gentlemen's clothing departments. Are You Being Served? (1972–85) was created and written for the BBC by Jeremy Lloyd and David Croft and stars Frank Thornton , Mollie Sugden , Wendy Richard , and John Inman (whose camp characterisation of Mr. Humphries contributed greatly to the series' success), Richard and Nicholas Smith appeared in all 69 episodes. In 2004, it ranked 20th in Britain's Best Sitcom . The series proved to be highly exportable, and
22794-403: The staff, and in "Descent into The Maelstrom" he calls an incident room number and gives the location of an emotionally disturbed woman who abducted a baby and stole Margaret's mother's pearl earrings, which resulted in the woman being picked up by the police. However, because the woman was a friend of Margaret, and knowing she meant a lot to her, Victor never said anything. Victor has also shown
22968-460: The standard of [Hancock's] BBC work". Starring Jimmy Edwards in the lead role as Professor James Edwards, Whack-O! written by Frank Muir and Denis Norden , is about the drunken, gambling, devious, cane-swishing headmaster who tyrannised staff and children at the fictitious Chiselbury public school "for the sons of Gentlefolk". From 1956 to 1960 and 1971–1972, it ran for 60 episodes over 8 series. The first six episodes were subtitled "Six of
23142-419: The subject of the joke but to seek and find humour in everything.. Writing for the British Film Institute , Phil Wickham, film and TV critic and author of several books about British TV, concludes: Sitcoms have had an important influence on British life in the last 40 years. They have made us think about ourselves by making us laugh at our own absurdity. Good sitcoms are a kind of virtual reality - they reflect
23316-453: The system was adopted in the UK. Several are made almost entirely on location (for example, Last of the Summer Wine ) and shown to a studio audience prior to final post-production to record genuine laughter. In contrast to the American team writing system, Ray Galton and Alan Simpson 's huge successes were of such quality that they became the paradigm for British sitcom writing. By the time
23490-402: The television set had become a common part of home furnishing, sitcoms were significant expressions of everyday life and were often a window on the times of enormous social changes in the British class system and its conflicts and prejudices. The period from 1970 to 1979 in particular is often considered the 'Golden Age' of British sitcom. Since the turn of the century however, many are filmed on
23664-474: The things that happen to him. Renwick integrated some of the plots and dialogue from the series into a novel, which was first published by BBC Books in 1992. A second novel, One Foot in the Grave and Counting , was published in 2021. Renwick also adapted four episodes for BBC Radio 2 , which first aired between 21 January 1995 and 11 February 1995. The episodes are "Alive and Buried", "In Luton Airport, No One Can Hear You Scream", "Timeless Time" and "The Beast in
23838-603: The third series. In the final series the character returned, but the effects of a stroke had rendered him mute and forced him to "speak" with the aid of an electronic voice generator. His poor typing on the generator led to several misunderstandings, such as asking Victor for a "bra of soup" (as opposed to a "bar of soap") and describing a visit to his "brothel" (as opposed to "brother"). Great Aunt Joyce and Uncle Dick - Unseen characters, they are sometimes mentioned by Victor and Margaret, as an aging, grim couple whom Victor and Margaret dread having anything to do with. Great Aunt Joyce
24012-453: The trap door whilst she is up there looking for jumble that Margaret has prepared. She continues to be mentioned throughout the rest of the series but is not seen again. Martin Trout ( Peter Cook ) - A paparazzo in the 1993 Christmas special "One Foot in the Algarve". He manages to take a number of compromising photographs involving a high-ranking politician. Trout compares the potential impact of
24186-434: The victim had been found clutching a double-one domino in his hand and Victor had two pimples on his nose. New neighbours Derek and Betty McVitie replaced the Trenches for the 1997 special "Endgame". However, this turned out to be their only appearances in the series and they were said to have emigrated by the penultimate episode, which caused Nick Swainey to leap straight in with the offer for their old house. Series six saw
24360-517: The way for Bless Me, Father (1978–1981) with Arthur Lowe, and farcical ecclesiastical comedies such as Father Ted and The Vicar of Dibley in the 1990s. Starring Derek Nimmo with Robertson Hare , William Mervyn , John Barron , Joan Sanderson ( Please Sir! , Fawlty Towers ), and Ernest Clark , it was written by husband-and-wife team Pauline Devaney and Edwin Apps and directed by John Howard Davies and Stuart Allen. The successful series, which after an initial controversy became
24534-424: The window of the house in which they are trapped during a snowstorm. Margaret Meldrew (née Pellow) ( Annette Crosbie ) – Victor's long-suffering, tolerant and kind-hearted wife. Margaret tries to maintain a degree of calmness and to rise above her husband's antics. However, she is often engulfed in these follies, mishaps and confusion and often vents her anger at Victor. In early episodes, her character acts more as
24708-457: The window, revealing that she has ended her life by suicide. The Broadcasting Standards Commission received complaints about this scene. When the final episode, " Things Aren't Simple Any More " originally aired on 20 November 2000 at 9pm, it coincided with the broadcast of the first jackpot winner in the British version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? , which had been filmed the Sunday before
24882-644: The working and lower-middle class attitudes of the growing 1980s alternative comedy boom. Mayall was also the star of The New Statesman (1987–92), a series created by Maurice Gran and Laurence Marks , whose biggest success, Birds of a Feather (1989–98, 2014–20), also deviated from British practice in being scripted by a team of writers. The alternative comedy genre continued with Blackadder (1983–89), mainly written by Ben Elton and Richard Curtis and starring Rowan Atkinson , Tony Robinson , Tim McInnerny , Miranda Richardson , Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie . Atkinson's Edmund Blackadder came at number three in
25056-466: The worst British sitcoms ever made. It has never been repeated. Writing in The British Comedy Guide on 27 June 2021, in his article "Stranger Things: When sitcoms strain to be different", citing in detail three examples including Come Back Mrs. Noah , Graham McCann explains how a sitcom, even when written, produced and acted by a highly successful team, can go horribly wrong. In the 1980s,
25230-482: The years included many other actors for a total cast of 459. Victor Meldrew Victor Meldrew is a fictional character in the BBC One sitcom One Foot in the Grave , created by David Renwick and portrayed by Richard Wilson . The character epitomised the archetypal grumpy old man. Meldrew is a foil for the bothersome aspects of children, cars, animals, power cuts and next-door neighbours. The character
25404-675: The years with actors such as Geoffrey Palmer , Bill Fraser , Ted Lune , Frank Williams , Harry Fowler and Dick Emery appearing in subsequent series. The Army Game follows the exploits of Hut 29, a fictional dysfunctional group of conscripted National Service soldiers during the post-war years. Writers included creator Sid Colin , Larry Stephens , Maurice Wiltshire, Lew Schwarz, John Jowett, John Antrobus , John Foley , Marty Feldman , Barry Took , David Climie, David Cumming, Derek Collyer, Brad Ashton, John Junkin , Talbot Rothwell , Sidney Nelson, Stan Mars, Bob Perkins and Alan MacKinnon. At least three episodes are uncredited. In June 1959,
25578-413: Was a Galton and Simpson creation and ran for 57 episodes over 8 series. Producers included Duncan Wood , John Howard Davies , Graeme Muir, and Douglas Argent . In 2000, the show was ranked number 44 on the 100 Greatest British Television Programmes compiled by the British Film Institute . In a 2001 Channel 4 poll Albert was ranked 39th on their list of the 100 Greatest TV Characters , The series
25752-403: Was a 'feel-good' series following the leading characters' 'will-they-won't they' love story. Written by Peter Spence and Christopher Bond and produced and directed by Gareth Gwenlan , it was a sitcom with one of the largest audience ratings of the period. The final episode of series 1, which aired on 11 November 1979, was the most watched British television programme (excluding live events) of
25926-432: Was a good British sitcom." One of the most successful British sitcoms of all time, Only Fools and Horses (1981–2003) starred David Jason as Derek "Del Boy" Trotter and Nicholas Lyndhurst as his younger brother Rodney . It began in 1981 and ran for 64 episodes, with specials, until 2003. It was the most durable of several series written by John Sullivan . The 1996 episode " Time on Our Hands " (originally billed as
26100-652: Was broadcast on BBC1 from 17 July to 14 August 1978, with a pilot being aired on 13 December 1977, but it was not a success and ran for only six episodes. Although written by Jeremy Lloyd and David Croft, and featuring an all-star sitcom cast including Mollie Sugden ( Are You Being Served? ), Ian Lavender ( Dad's Army ), Gorden Kaye ( 'Allo 'Allo! ), Donald Hewlett ( It Ain't Half Hot Mum and You Rang, M'Lord? ) and Michael Knowles ( It Ain't Half Hot Mum and You Rang, M'Lord? ), along with Vicki Michelle ( 'Allo 'Allo! ) and Harold Bennett ( Dad's Army and Are You Being Served? ), some regarded it as one of
26274-401: Was composed by Burt Rhodes . In 2004, The Good Life came 9th in Britain's Best Sitcom . After its success, the four main cast members were given their own "vehicles" commissioned by the then Head of Comedy and producer of The Good Life , John Howard Davies . The series provided Felicity Kendal with her big break on television and significantly boosted her career on stage. Described in
26448-406: Was composed by Joseph Ascher (1829–1869), arranged for a brass band and performed by Max Harris , who also wrote the incidental music. A sequel, Still Open All Hours , with David Jason and many members of the original cast, began airing nearly 30 years later in 2013 and ran until 2019 for 41 episodes. First broadcast on ITV in 1977 and running for 12 episodes, Miss Jones and Son (1977–78)
26622-492: Was conceived when Father Ted writers Graham Linehan and Arthur Mathews sat behind Wilson at a performance of Le Cirque du Soleil at the Royal Albert Hall . They considered how "tasteless and wrong" it would be to lean forward to him every time that an acrobat did a stunt and yell the catchphrase and then they realised that that's exactly what their fictional priests would do. This was also played upon when Wilson made
26796-504: Was created specifically for Wilson, with whom Renwick had worked on the series Hot Metal , though Wilson initially turned the part down as at 53, he felt he was too young to play the 60-year-old Meldrew. Renwick considered Les Dawson for the part before Wilson changed his mind. In the first episode, Meldrew, aged 60, is forced into early retirement from his job as a security guard when the office where he worked installs an automatic security system (which he describes as "being replaced by
26970-573: Was criticised by campaigner Mary Whitehouse for its bad language, and due to changing attitudes in political correctness it is seldom repeated. Based on a World War II theme, Dad's Army (1968–1977) by Jimmy Perry and David Croft , was a gentle mockery of Britain's 'finest hour' and the Home Guard . One of the most enduring British sitcoms, it starred Arthur Lowe and John Le Mesurier , whose interaction with Lowe's character Captain Mainwaring
27144-507: Was derived from a one-off Galton and Simpson comic play, "The Offer", shown on their BBC series Comedy Playhouse in 1962. It is regularly repeated and gave rise to four feature films. Written by Johnny Speight and broadcast 1965–1968 and 1972–1975, Till Death Us Do Part featured Warren Mitchell as Alf Garnett and was an instant hit. Centred on the bigoted character of Alf Garnett, it addressed racial and political issues that had been becoming increasingly prevalent in British society. It
27318-421: Was described by The Times as "a memorable part of one of television's most popular shows". It also starred Clive Dunn , John Laurie , Ian Lavender and Arnold Ridley . During its original television run, the show was nominated for multiple British Academy Television Awards , including "Best Situation Comedy" in 1973, 1974 and 1975, although only won "Best Light Entertainment Production Team" in 1971. In 2000,
27492-502: Was in his 50s when the series began) pursuing "an endless array of improbably available 'dolly birds' ". The series was made into three films, On the Buses (1971), Mutiny on the Buses (1972), and Holiday on the Buses (1973). Starring Sid James of Carry On fame, with Diana Coupland and Sally Geeson , Bless This House was created by Vince Powell and Harry Driver , but mainly written by others including Dave Freeman and Carla Lane. Running from 1971 to 1976, It marked
27666-438: Was made in 1960. Peter Eton 's series of The Army Game (1957–1961) was probably British television's most successful sitcom of this period and ran for 154 episodes. Many of its stars went on to become household names. The original cast consisted of William Hartnell , Michael Medwin , Geoffrey Sumner , Alfie Bass , Charles Hawtrey , Bernard Bresslaw and Norman Rossington . The cast of The Army Game would change over
27840-596: Was nominated for the same award in 1994. The series also won the Best Television Sitcom in 1992 from the Royal Television Society and the British Comedy Award for Best Sitcom in 1992, 1995 and 2001. In 2004, One Foot in the Grave came tenth in a BBC poll to find " Britain's Best Sitcom " with 31,410 votes. The programme also came 80th in the British Film Institute 's 100 Greatest British Television Programmes . A number of complaints were made during
28014-454: Was not a single scene set in the House of Commons because government does not take place in the House of Commons. Some politics and much theatre takes place there. Government happens in private. As in all public performances, the real work is done in rehearsal, behind closed doors. Then the public and the House are shown what the government wishes them to see." Lynn and Jay explained: "After we wrote
28188-456: Was not well received. Considered daring at the time because it featured a man sharing a flat with two single women, the flat-share comedy Man About the House was created by Brian Cooke and Johnnie Mortimer . It starred Richard O'Sullivan , Paula Wilcox and Sally Thomsett , with Brian Murphy and Yootha Joyce as their landlord and landlady. 40 episodes were broadcast over six series on ITV , and ran from 1973 to 1976. A film version
28362-488: Was produced by John Howard Davies and Douglas Argent , directed by Davies and Bob Spiers and the music was by Dennis Wilson . The show was ranked first on a list of the 100 Greatest British Television Programmes drawn up by the British Film Institute in 2000, and in 2019 it was named the greatest ever British TV sitcom by a panel of comedy experts compiled by the Radio Times . Basil Fawlty has been listed by Channel 4 as
28536-599: Was produced by Michael Mills as a co-production between the BBC and West Germany's Bavaria Film . Incidental music was arranged by Alan Roper and played by L'Harmonie Du Rhone Orchestra, Lyon, under the musical direction of Raymond Jarniat. Created by Brian Clemens and written by Richard Waring, My Wife Next Door was shown on BBC1 in 1972 and ran for 13 episodes. The series concerns George Basset, played by John Alderton , and Suzie Basset, played by Hannah Gordon , who each try to start afresh after their divorce by moving to
28710-464: Was produced by Stuart Allen, John Howard Davies, and Robin Nash, and the music was provided by Stanley Myers . With Milo O'Shea , and Yootha Joyce ( Man About the House , George and Mildred ) in the lead roles, Me Mammy was written by Hugh Leonard , produced by James Gilbert and Sydney Lotterby for the BBC and aired 1968–1971 for 21 episodes over 3 series. Bunjy Kennefick, played by O'Shea,
28884-517: Was recorded in the presence of the Queen to mark her Silver Jubilee; it was reputedly one of her favourite shows. Felicity Kendal and Richard Briers starred as Barbara and Tom Goode – a middle-class suburban couple who decide to quit the rat race and become self-sufficient, much to the consternation of their snooty but well-meaning neighbour Margo, played by Penelope Keith , and her down-to-earth husband Jerry, played by Paul Eddington . The opening theme
29058-499: Was released in 1974. The series is regularly repeated on ITV3 . After the series ended in 1976, two successful spin-off series followed: George and Mildred , in which the Ropers move to the suburbs, and Robin's Nest , in which Robin gets married and opens a bistro . Based on life in a UK prison, the Porridge sitcom by writers Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais provided Ronnie Barker, in
29232-475: Was so successful that in the United Kingdom, "Victor Meldrew" has become a byword for a bitter and complaining elderly man. However, both Renwick and Wilson himself have disagreed that Victor is an example of this stereotype and he is shown to be more of a tragicomedy character, not bitter and grumpy by nature, but driven to it due to his habit of attracting trouble. Renwick once pointed out in an interview that
29406-416: Was the first modern TV sitcom. Whilst moving away from audio variety towards character development, the radio series had been influential in the development of TV situation comedy. The radio series continued to be produced alongside the TV version. Tony Hancock played a fictionalised version of himself, a loser whose plans and aspirations are continually ruined by bad luck. Its only other regular cast member
29580-422: Was the more worldly sidekick played by Sid James , later of Carry On fame and Bless This House . Other occasional participants included John Le Mesurier ( Dad's Army ), Kenneth Williams , and Patricia Hayes . Hancock's biographer John Fisher dates the first use of the term 'situation comedy' in British broadcasting to a BBC memo dated 31 March 1953 from radio comedy producer Peter Eton , suggesting
29754-458: Was written by John T. Chapman , Eric Merriman , Christopher Bond, John Kane and Jon Watkins. It was based on a Comedy Playhouse pilot called "Happy Ever After" which aired on 7 May 1974, with Scott and Whitfield playing a middle-class couple whose grown-up children had just left home. The Good Life (1975–1978), written by Bob Larbey and John Esmonde , aired on BBC1 for 30 episodes over four series and two specials. The final episode
29928-466: Was written by Ronnie Hazlehurst . Spun off from Happy Ever After after it ended, Terry Scott and June Whitfield returned to star in the 65 episodes of Terry and June (1979–1987). It was mostly written by John Kane . Chapman , one of the original writers, said that the original programme had run out of ideas and had to end. BBC Comedy, however, were unwilling to end a successful 'cozy' show, and so brought in fresh new writers; for legal reasons
30102-463: Was written by David Climie, Ronnie Cass and Lew Schwarz. The series established the reputation of actor Clive Dunn , leading to his role as Corporal Jones in Dad's Army . Running for 43 episodes over 5 series (1963–1966), first titled The Marriage Lines , Marriage Lines was written by Richard Waring and directed and produced by Robin Nash and Graeme Muir. The traditional domestic comedy about
30276-467: Was written by Richard Waring and produced and directed by Peter Frazer-Jones. It starred Paula Wilcox ( Man About The House ), Christopher Beeny , Charlotte Mitchell and Norman Bird . The series depicted the life of Elizabeth Jones, played by Wilcox, a young woman coming to terms with the responsibility of looking after her baby alone. Emotional support came in the form of next-door-neighbour and friend Geoffrey, played by Beeny. Difficulties included
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