What's the cleverest British sitcom you can think of? I'm talking about the subject, tone, content and such. Not writing.
Best I can think of right now is Yes Minister (and its successor, Yes, Prime Minister). Simply sublime.
Anything I'm missing?
Cleverest sitcom?
you know my answer.
I must agree with you.
Yep, agree with ‘Yes Minister’. Clever on the verge of being smug, but the content fitted the characters perfectly.
A really good question, so many sitcoms, which I’ve enjoyed, are now drifting through my head! Hmmm I “Really liked this and that but could they be described as clever? Nope!
I suppose the closest would be ‘The Thick Of It’ but that’s just a modernised ‘Yes Minister’….I’ll keep thinking!
Blackadder, in my opinion, not that my opinion is worth a great deal.
"The lights are on but mister brain has long since departed hasnt he Percy?"
The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin was a tremendously clever show, the likes of which I couldn't imagine anybody doing now. I'm not sure too many recent sitcoms could be classed as clever, or even borderline intelligent, although The Thick of It was a great updating of Yes, Minister. And spot on about today's political culture.
And Mark Taverner's radio stuff was always quite clever. I quite enjoyed His Masters Voice last year, and I always thought the radio version of Absolute Power was better than the TV version.
C4's 'Nightingales' was quite clever.
Red Dwarf at it's peak had some tremendously clever and well thought out episodes.
Blackadder for the excellent way it spoofs history and The Thick Of It for the way it tackles politics.
I'd say The Office is a contender for being so humanely real.
Bottom?
Coupling had some really clever plots (seeing the same scene from different characters points of view).
I'm not sure I've quite grasped the concept of this thread though. If you're after 'clever' as in sophisticated knowledgable characters then I nominate Absolute Power for the list (although I agree nothing beats Yes, Minister).
Broadening the subject matter slightly, what about clever American shows? As much as I love sitcoms from across the pond, I can't think of any really clever ones other than the episode of Seinfeld where time ran backwards.
The Simpsons. Larry Sanders. Arrested Development.
Quote: Mark @ February 29, 2008, 11:16 AMI'm not sure I've quite grasped the concept of this thread though. If you're after 'clever' as in sophisticated knowledgable characters then I nominate Absolute Power for the list (although I agree nothing beats Yes, Minister).
Clever as in high-brow subject, content etc. Not as in deep characters, intricate plots and sensitive issues. ("Not writing." I think I said in the original post.)
Just to reiterate:
Quote: Aaron @ February 29, 2008, 9:16 AMI'm talking about the subject, tone, content and such. Not writing.
Quote: Aaron @ February 29, 2008, 9:16 AMWhat's the cleverest British sitcom you can think of? I'm talking about the subject, tone, content and such. Not writing.
But all that is written. Do you mean the angle a subject is tackled at?