British Comedy Guide

Top 20 best sitcoms of all-time Page 6

On The Buses should be nowhere near the top 20. At least it's better than the God awful Miranda.

Miranda is awful yeah however On The Buses should be in everyone's top 20.

Why should it? Its comedy doesn't stand up today, compared to Porridge, Blackadder, Only Fools, Steptoe, all timeless stuff. On The Buses is not timeless.

Maybe we could do a separate list. Top 20 shows that aren't funny anymore.

Ooops! That's going to piss off someone.

Already done my antipodean friend https://www.comedy.co.uk/forums/thread/11773/

And The Good life is surely a comedy that stands up today. It's subject matter, too, has never been as pertinent.

I think it stands up today too, good show. Not particularly funny.

What about Hitch Hiker's guide? Does that count as a sit-com? He really had a good grasp of irony.

Yes, H2G2 is a sitcom.

Hahaha H2G2? This place is mad.
I'm surprised it hasn't been mentioned. It's definitely one of my favourite sit-coms. Not sure how funny it is as I've watched it over and over.

Mad? H2G2 is the decades-old common and accepted shorthand.

The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy also mentions alcohol. It says that the best drink in existence is the Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster.

It says that the effect of drinking a Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster is like having your brains smashed out by a slice of lemon wrapped around a large gold brick.

The Guide also tells you on which planets the best Pan Galactic Gargle Blasters are mixed, how much you can expect to pay for one and what voluntary organizations exist to help you rehabilitate afterwards.

Should be on more people's lists.

A towel. Keep this enguarded with your life.
Eh?
Listen! It's a tough universe. There's all sorts of people and things trying to do you, kill you rip you off, everything. If you want to survive out there, you've really got to know where your towel is.

As ever, taste is subjective. But for me, these would be my personal favourites:

1) Fawlty Towers
2) Only Fools & Horses
3) Porridge
4) Blackadder (less so The Black Adder, but definitely 2, 3 and 4)
5) Rising Damp
6) Men Behaving Badly
7) The Office
8) Father Ted
9) I'm Alan Partridge
10) 'Allo 'Allo!
11) Whatever Happened To The Likely Lads?
12) The Good Life
13) Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em
14) One Foot In The Grave
15) Rab C. Nesbitt
16) The Fall & Rise Of Reginald Perrin
17) Yes Minister
18) Lead Balloon
19) Extras
20) Open All Hours

I'd probably go with Steptoe & Son, Ever Decreasing Circles and Citizen Smith next. There are a few notable omissions which are pretty much down to personal taste. I've never really found Dad's Army or Are You Being Served? particularly funny, or indeed most of the Croft/Perry et al comedies. By the same token, I haven't really found Roy Clarke's comedies funny. Open All Hours only just made the top 20 for me and I could not abide Last Of The Summer Wine or Keeping Up Appearances. Not overly fond of The Vicar Of Dibley, The Royle Family lost its allure after a couple of series while some comedies I enjoyed when I was younger seem rather dated now, such as Till Death Us Do Part and the spin-off series In Sickness And In Health.

Quote: joeinbrighton @ July 25 2013, 4:53 PM BST

As ever, taste is subjective. But for me, these would be my personal favourites:

1) Fawlty Towers
2) Only Fools & Horses
3) Porridge
4) Blackadder (less so The Black Adder, but definitely 2, 3 and 4)
5) Rising Damp
6) Men Behaving Badly
7) The Office
8) Father Ted
9) I'm Alan Partridge
10) 'Allo 'Allo!
11) Whatever Happened To The Likely Lads?
12) The Good Life
13) Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em
14) One Foot In The Grave
15) Rab C. Nesbitt
16) The Fall & Rise Of Reginald Perrin
17) Yes Minister
18) Lead Balloon
19) Extras
20) Open All Hours

I'd probably go with Ever Decreasing Circles and Citizen Smith next. There are a few notable omissions which are pretty much down to personal taste. I've never really found Dad's Army or Are You Being Served? particularly funny, or indeed most of the Croft/Perry et al comedies. By the same token, I haven't really found Roy Clarke's comedies funny. Open All Hours only just made the top 20 for me and I could not abide Last Of The Summer Wine or Keeping Up Appearances. Not overly fond of The Vicar Of Dibley, The Royle Family lost its allure after a couple of series while some comedies I enjoyed when I was younger seem rather dated now, such as Till Death Us Do Part and the spin-off series In Sickness And In Health.

Hi mate, welcome! Wave Do you like On The Buses? :)

Quote: David Smith @ July 25 2013, 4:55 PM BST

Hi mate, welcome! Wave Do you like On The Buses? :)

I'll be honest with you, I haven't really watched that much of it. What I have seen it, there are some decent laughs, but it does seem to have not aged particularly well. But then again, it was made in the 1960s and 1970s and the world and its audience was very different back then.

Quote: Nick81 @ July 24 2013, 12:40 PM BST

Why should it? Its comedy doesn't stand up today, compared to Porridge, Blackadder, Only Fools, Steptoe, all timeless stuff. On The Buses is not timeless.

exactly nick :D

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