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33-550: The Likely Lads is a British sitcom created and written by Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais and produced by Dick Clement. Twenty episodes were broadcast by the BBC, in three series, between 16 December 1964 and 23 July 1966. However, only ten of these episodes have survived. This show was followed by a sequel series, in colour, entitled Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads? , broadcast between 9 January 1973 and 24 December 1974. This

66-479: A live studio audience using a multiple-camera setup , the latter of which continues in some modern productions such as The Big Bang Theory and Fuller House . Other formats make use of a laugh track or "canned laughter". Since the 1990s, sitcoms have since expanded to animated sitcoms , with successful shows of the genre including The Simpsons , King of the Hill , and Family Guy . Critics have debated

99-529: A 30-minute time slot. Throughout their history, American sitcoms have often drawn inspiration from British counterparts. Popular shows like All in the Family , Three's Company , and Sanford and Son were adapted from successful British series. More recently, The Office achieved significant popularity in the United States , following the success of its British counterpart. Numerous television networks in

132-532: A 90-minute Christmas Day special on BBC 1 called Christmas Night with the Stars 7:15 p.m. to 8:45 p.m., in which Bob and Terry have an argument over Bob's encyclopaedic knowledge of "Rupert Bear" Annuals ("It was Edward Trunk!"). This recording still exists in the BBC Broadcast Archive . An edited version, which included 'The Likely Lads' sketch, was screened on BBC2 over Christmas 1991. Sixteen of

165-544: A core group of characters who interact in a recurring setting, such as a family, workplace, or institution. However, British sitcoms typically consist of shorter series, often six episodes, and are frequently developed by a smaller writing team. The majority of British sitcoms are half-hour comedies recorded in studio settings using a multiple-camera setup. While many adhere to traditional sitcom conventions, some have ventured into more unconventional territory. For example, Blackadder and Yes Minister/Yes Prime Minister shifted

198-542: A regular gay character (Terry Bader as journalist Leslie). In 1987, Mother and Son won the Television Drama Award for portraying a woman suffering from senile dementia and her interaction with her family, presented by the Australian Human Rights Commission . In 2007, Kath & Kim ' s first episode of series 4 attracted an Australian audience of 2.521 million nationally. This

231-543: A staple of the government broadcaster Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). In the 1970s and 1980s many British sitcoms also screened on the Seven Network . By 1986, UK comedies Bless This House and Are You Being Served? had been re-screened several times by ABC Television ; they were then acquired and screened by the Seven Network. In 1981, Daily at Dawn was the first Australian comedy series to feature

264-556: Is one of the leading channels in India, dedicated entirely to Sitcoms. Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah is the longest-running sitcom of Indian television and is also known as the flagship show of SAB TV . On Tiptoes and Shabhaye Barareh were among the first and most important sitcoms that led to the growth of this type of comedy in Iran, both receiving wide critical and audience acclaim. El Chavo del Ocho , which ran from 1971 to 1980,

297-484: The Army but is rejected because of his flat feet . Terry, who decides at the last minute to enlist to keep Bob company, is accepted and shipped away for three years. It was gradually revealed that Terry and Bob's full names are Terence Daniel Collier and Robert Andrew Scarborough Ferris ( Scarborough not revealed until the 1970s colour series). According to the later feature film, made in 1976, both Lads were conceived during

330-716: The Canadian Screen Award for Best Comedy Series . In 2020, the sixth and final season of Schitt's Creek was nominated for 15 Primetime Emmy Awards . This broke the record for the most Emmy nominations given to a comedy series in its final season. During the 72nd Primetime Emmy Awards , the show became the first ever comedy or drama series to sweep the four acting categories ( Outstanding Lead Actor , Outstanding Lead Actress , Outstanding Supporting Actor , Outstanding Supporting Actress for Eugene Levy , Catherine O'Hara , Dan Levy , and Annie Murphy respectively) and one of only four live action shows, along with All in

363-735: The RTR channel. The "boom" of Russian sitcoms began only in the 2000s, when in 2004, the STS started the highly successful sitcom " My Fair Nanny " (an adaptation of the American sitcom " The Nanny "). Since that time, sitcoms in Russia have been produced by the two largest entertainment channels in the country — STS and TNT . In 2007, the STS released the first original domestic sitcom — " Daddy's Daughters " (there were only adaptations before), and in 2010, TNT released " Interns " —

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396-493: The middle class . Bob and Terry are two average working class lads growing up (despite Bob’s very West-Riding accent) in the industrial North East , whose hobbies are beer, football and girls. They are street-wise, yet they stumble into one scrape after another as they struggle to enjoy the Swinging Sixties on their meagre incomes. At the end of the third and final series in 1966, a depressed and bored Bob attempts to join

429-431: The 1990s these included: Dekh Bhai Dekh (1993), Zabaan Sambhalke (1993), Shrimaan Shrimati (1995), Office Office (2001), Ramani Vs Ramani (Tamil 2001), Amrutham (Telugu 2001–2007), Khichdi (2002), Sarabhai vs Sarabhai (2005) F.I.R. (2006–2015), Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah (2008–present), Uppum Mulakum (Malayalam 2015–present), and Bhabiji Ghar Par Hain (2015–present). SAB TV

462-477: The 2010s, resulting in a decline in sitcom popularity. Nevertheless, there have been recent efforts to revive the sitcom genre. For instance, Netflix released So Not Worth It in 2021, featuring many creators from popular South Korean sitcoms. Popular South Korean sitcoms include the High Kick series, which has spawned several spin-offs. British sitcoms , like their American counterparts, often revolve around

495-495: The BBC's archives, as a result of its wiping policy of the time. However, the BBC Archive Treasure Hunt , a public campaign, continues to search for missing episodes. Of the ten remaining lost episodes, only 'The Razor's Edge' was not recorded as part of the radio adaptation series. Guest star: Garfield Morgan Additionally, an eight-minute episode of The Likely Lads was broadcast on 25 December 1964, as part of

528-417: The Family , The Golden Girls , and Will & Grace where all the principal actors have won at least one Emmy Award. Sitcoms started appearing on Indian television in the 1980s, with serials like Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi (1984), Nukkad (1986), and Wagle Ki Duniya (1988) on the state-run Doordarshan channel. Gradually, as private channels were permitted to operate, many more sitcoms followed. In

561-581: The United States in 1926 with the radio show Sam 'n' Henry . The subsequent success of Amos 'n' Andy , also created by Freeman Gosden and Charles Correll , solidified the sitcom's place in American radio programming. The transition to television brought about significant changes in the sitcom format. Mary Kay and Johnny , which premiered in 1947, became the first American television sitcom. Today, American sitcoms typically run for 22 minutes, allowing for approximately eight minutes of advertising within

594-520: The eight (then) extant episodes were included, in spite of the cover stating that it contained all the surviving episodes. The eighth episode ("Other Side of the Fence") was included on the Likely Lads and Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads? combined box set, as an 'extra' rather than in chronological order. The two episodes rediscovered in 2018 have been released, as extras on the 2019 Network DVD release of

627-505: The exact definition of a sitcom, mostly regarding productions created at the turn of the 21st century. Many contemporary American sitcoms use a single-camera setup and do not feature a laugh track, instead more resembling documentaries or the comedy-dramas of the 1980s and 1990s. Although there have been few long-running Australian-made sitcoms, many American and British sitcoms have been successful in Australia, since sitcoms are considered

660-429: The feature film made in 1976. Sitcom The structure and concept of a sitcom have roots in earlier forms of comedic theater, such as farces and comedy of manners . These forms relied on running gags to generate humor, but the term "sitcom" emerged as radio and TV adapted these principles into a new medium. The word was not commonly used until the 1950s. Early television sitcoms were often filmed in front of

693-637: The first sitcom, filmed as a comedy (unlike dominated "conveyor" sitcoms). Sitcoms, or "시트콤" in Korean, gained significant popularity in South Korea during the 1990s. This popularity was fueled by the success of shows like Dr. Oh's People , LA Arirang , and Men and Women . The use of computer graphics (CG) in sitcoms began to increase in the late 1990s as more broadcasters adopted CG technology. This led to more visually dynamic and creative sitcoms. However, viewer preferences shifted towards dramas and thrillers in

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726-491: The focus from domestic or workplace settings to the world of politics. A more recent development in British comedy is the mockumentary , a style that blends documentary and comedic elements. Shows like The Office , Come Fly with Me , W1A , People Just Do Nothing , and This Country have successfully employed this format to explore a variety of topics and characters. Sitcoms, or situation comedies, made their debut in

759-475: The later film , this puts both characters at around 20 when the series started). After growing up at school and in the Scouts together, Bob and Terry are working in the same factory, Ellison's Electrical, alongside the older, wiser duo of Cloughie and Jack. The show's humour derived largely from the tensions between Terry's cynical, everyman , working class personality and Bob's ambition to better himself and move to

792-424: The same wartime air raid and were thus born in the same year, 1944. Although in the colour sequel much is made of Thelma, who is said to have been Bob's childhood sweetheart, she had appeared only once in the original show, in which Bob has no steady girlfriend and is forever seeking one, though Thelma is mentioned in some episodes in series three, including "Rocker" and "Goodbye to All That". The word "likely" in

825-519: The show has earned an estimated $ 1 billion in syndication fees alone for Televisa . Gliding On , a popular sitcom in New Zealand in the early 1980s, won multiple awards during its run including Best Comedy, Best Drama and Best Direction at the Feltex Awards . The first Russian sitcom series was "Strawberry", which resembled "Duty Pharmacy" in a Spanish format. It was aired from 1996 to 1997 on

858-794: The show's title is ambiguous. In some dialects in Northern England it means "likeable" but it may be derived from the phrase the man most likely to (i.e. likely to succeed, having potential), a boxing expression in common use on Tyneside , hence, in Geordie slang, "a likely lad". Another possible meaning is the ambiguous Northern usage of "likely" to mean a small-time troublemaker. Guest stars included George Layton , Garfield Morgan , Wendy Richard , Wanda Ventham , Susan Jameson (the real-life wife of James Bolam), Michael Sheard , Nerys Hughes , Geoffrey Hughes , Helen Fraser and Tony Caunter . Only eleven episodes survive (as film telerecordings ) in

891-1900: The television scripts were adapted for radio by James Bolam, and broadcast in two series during 1967 and 1968. Produced by John Browell , the radio adaptations were recorded at the Paris Studios in Lower Regent Street, London using the original television cast (although some minor parts had to be recast for some episodes, where the original actor was unavailable). Bob – Rodney Bewes Terry – James Bolam Audrey – Sheila Fearn Mrs Collier – Olive Milbourne Vicar, Uncle Walter – John Cazabon Auntie Peggy – Betty Hardy Cyril – Le Roy Lingwood Elaine – Carol Marsh Beryl – Rosalind Shanks Bob – Rodney Bewes Terry – James Bolam Audrey – Sheila Fearn Mrs Collier – Olive Milbourne Mario – George Layton Bob – Rodney Bewes Terry – James Bolam Motor Salesman – Reginald Jessup Nurse – Cheryl Molineaux Carol – Rosalind Shanks Bob – Rodney Bewes Terry – James Bolam Mrs Winsor – Rhoda Lewis Jack – Donald McKillop Cloughy – Bartlett Mullins Sheila, Elsie – Madeleine Mills Bob – Rodney Bewes Terry – James Bolam Audrey – Sheila Fearn Jack – Donald McKillop Margaret – Dorothy White Jane, Baby – Shirley Jaffe Rose – Kate Story June – Janet Kelly Bob – Rodney Bewes Terry – James Bolam The Scoutmaster – Peter Hawkins The Postmistress – Kathleen Helme Jack – Donald McKillop Valerie – Janet Kelly Susan – Kate Story Cafe Proprietor, Lorry Driver – David Brierly Bob – Rodney Bewes Terry – James Bolam Jack – Donald McKillop Cloughy – John Henderson Audrey – Sheila Fearn Mrs Ferris – Kathleen Helme Elsie – Madeleine Mills Thelma – Susan Jameson Big Duggie – Michael Kilgarriff Blakey – Douglas Hankin The part of Thelma

924-2074: Was also recast, with Susan Jameson playing the role on this occasion. She had previously appeared in the television series as a different character, in the episode "Double Date". Bob – Rodney Bewes Terry – James Bolam Mum – Julie May Sally – Sara Kestelman Denise – Madeleine Mills Sam – Wilfred Carter Bob – Rodney Bewes Terry – James Bolam Granddad – Bert Palmer Mrs Perrin – Noel Dyson Mr Perrin – Glenn Melvyn Lorna Perrin – Angela Lovell Bob – Rodney Bewes Terry – James Bolam Jack – Donald McKillop Cloughy – Bartlett Mullins Blakey, Roger – Richard Moore Nesbit – Michael Sheard Holgate – Eric Dodson Judith – Anneke Wills Sally Anne – Didi Sullivan Bob – Rodney Bewes Terry – James Bolam Audrey – Sheila Fearn Mrs Collier – Olive Milbourne Jack – Donald McKillop Cloughy – Erik Chitty Louise, Waitress – Anna Gilchrist Colette – Bettina Le Beau Bob – Rodney Bewes Terry – James Bolam Audrey – Sheila Fearn Deirdre – Dilys Watling Pat – Susan Jameson Bob – Rodney Bewes Terry – James Bolam Jack – Donald McKillop Cloughy – Bartlett Mullins Duggie – Derek Newark Helen – Helen Fraser Archie – Roger Avon Podge – Geoffrey Hughes Mrs Foster – Doris Rogers Bob – Rodney Bewes Terry – James Bolam Ursula – Isobel Black Jack – Donald McKillop Cloughy – Bartlett Mullins All other female parts – Jennifer Croxton All other male parts – Peter Hawkins Bob – Rodney Bewes Terry – James Bolam Audrey – Sheila Fearn Sgt Jeffcock – Garfield Morgan Ralph – Barry Linehan Jack – Donald McKillop Cloughy – Bartlett Mullins Cecile – Veronica Lang Blakey – George Layton Bob – Rodney Bewes Terry – James Bolam Audrey – Sheila Fearn Jack – Donald McKillop Cloughy – Bartlett Mullins Mrs Collier – Olive Milbourne Mr Collier – Alex McDonald George – Barry Stanton Army Sergeant – Tony Caunter Mrs Ferris – Irene Richmond Youth – Andrew Robertson Recruit – Hugh Walters In one DVD release, only seven of

957-916: Was criticized by several social commentators as inappropriately disrespectful to the office of the Prime Minister. The show nevertheless proved very popular with both television audiences and critics, becoming the most-watched Australian scripted comedy series of 2011. It was nominated at the 2012 Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards for Best Television Comedy Series. Although there have been several notable exceptions, relatively few Canadian sitcoms attained notable success in Canada or internationally. Canadian television has had much greater success with sketch comedy and dramedy series. The popular show King of Kensington aired from 1975 to 1980, at its peak garnering an average of 1.5 to 1.8 million viewers weekly. The 1999 movie Trailer Park Boys

990-459: Was followed in 1976 by a spin-off feature film The Likely Lads . Some episodes of both the original black and white series and the colour sequel were adapted for BBC radio with the original television cast. The original show followed the friendship of two young working class men, Terry Collier ( James Bolam ) and Bob Ferris ( Rodney Bewes ), in the mid-1960s. Bob and Terry are assumed to be in their early 20s (when their ages are revealed in

1023-530: Was followed up by a television series of the same name that ran from 2001 to 2018, airing in Canada, the U.S., and the U.K. Corner Gas , which ran for six seasons from 2004 to 2009, became an instant hit, averaging one million viewers per episode. It has been the recipient of six Gemini Awards and has been nominated almost 70 times for various awards. Other noteworthy recent sitcoms have included: Call Me Fitz , Schitt's Creek , Letterkenny , and Kim's Convenience , all of which have been winners of

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1056-542: Was the highest rating for a first episode in the history of Australian television, until the series premiere of Underbelly: A Tale of Two Cities in 2009, which garnered 2.58 million viewers. In 2013, Please Like Me received an invitation to screen at the Series Mania Television Festival in Paris, was praised by critics, and earned numerous awards and nominations. Also in 2013, At Home with Julia

1089-534: Was the most-watched show on Mexican television and had a Latin-American audience of 350 million viewers per episode at its popularity peak during the mid-1970s. The show continues to be popular in Central America as well as in Colombia, Venezuela, Brazil, Spain, the United States, and other countries. Syndicated episodes average 91 million daily viewers in all its American markets. Since it ceased production in 1992,

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