Your favourite sitcom character and why Page 4

Quote: Frankie Rage @ October 7 2007, 11:39 AM BST

I saw all of these when they were first broadcast and I think that's important to point out because to a certain extent comedy is 'of it's time', and when you take them out of their time, a modern perception will alter the view (better/worse). The same applies to you as a 'viewer', you are of your time.

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I don't think that's important. I think good comedy is timeless. If one is sufficently well read (or well travelled) and/or has watched loads of movies from the past 70 years and loads of TV from the past 50 years, then one can view old TV sitcoms without having one's viewing pleasure altered by modern perceptions. I hate reading reviews of old films and TV shows that use terms like "it is dated" and "of its time". I would hope that most people are sufficiently intelligent to realize that something produced in 1974 will not look as if it was set in 2009.

EDIT: My favourite sitcom characters are too numerous to mention individually.

David Brent
Alan Partridge
Martin Bryce ('Ever Decreasing Circles')
Guy Secretan
Basil Fawlty

Quote: Jackson Neil @ April 16 2009, 12:32 PM BST

Prince George (Adder II) is tops in my opinion

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*Adder III

Sergeant The Honorable Arthur Wilson for me. I could watch John LeMesurier all day. Lots of comedy characters work well with other characters, but not many succeed on their own. Like Mainwaring- brilliant character, but needed someone to prick the pomposity. Wilson was nice and subtle; just right against the broadness of the others, and had a very rich 'life' to delve into.

Credits also to Father Dougal McGuire, Dr Alan Statham, Dr Niles Crane and Margo Leadbetter. I would say that Pvt Charles Godfrey MM is worthy of an honourable mention- a complete scene-stealer.

Quote: shaggy292 @ April 16 2009, 2:03 PM BST

*Adder III

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Yes, that's what I meant. My personal favourite Green Wing character would have to be Sue White.

Quote: chipolata @ April 16 2009, 1:11 PM BST

And I'd happily go for a drink at Cheers. Norm would be a great drinking buddy.

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Norm and Cliff are definitely the best on that show, Sam is great too. I love Ms Howe as much as Diane now (as a character, she was always nicer in the looks dept). A little of Carla is enough, though.

Lance Corporal Signwriter Foggy Dewhurst
Private Frazer

Ooh! ooh! Mr Mackay!

Quote: Maurice Minor @ April 16 2009, 3:33 PM BST

Ooh! ooh! Mr Mackay!

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Mackay's exchanges with Fletcher in Porridge are stuff of legend. Great character.

I couldn't possibly choose between Alan Partridge and Larry David (playing himself). They are both amazingly selfish but more often right than not.

For an outside shot Mark Corigan from Peep Show, the master of a one liner.

Edited by Aaron.

Quote: Darren Pomroy @ April 17 2009, 9:18 AM BST

I couldn't possibly choose between Alan Partridge and Larry David (playing himself). They are both amazingly selfish but more often than not right.

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I find that Larry David is more often than not right. His problem is that he vocalises his feelings needlessly, such as telling his wife that "til death do us part" means he intends to be a free agent in the afterlife. The times when he does something unconscionable, such as stealing flowers from a friend's dead mother's grave, are in the minority, and tend to belong to the later, weaker episodes.

Quote: David Bussell @ April 17 2009, 10:14 AM BST

The times when he does something unconscionable, such as stealing flowers from a friend's dead mother's grave, are in the minority, and tend to belong to the later, weaker episodes.

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I'm not sure he'd ever class Funkhauser as a friend. Although I agree the later episodes are the weaker ones.

Quote: chipolata @ April 17 2009, 10:17 AM BST

I'm not sure he'd ever class Funkhauser as a friend. Although I agree the later episodes are the weaker ones.

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Series 3 & 4 are the peak, with the restaurant and the broadway show. Series 5 wasn't great but still had its moments. I thought the introduction of the blacks was great though, mixed it right up. Not sure how he'll get away with 7 as it was rounded off nicely.

Quote: chipolata @ April 17 2009, 10:17 AM BST

I'm not sure he'd ever class Funkhauser as a friend. Although I agree the later episodes are the weaker ones.

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I mean friend in the sense that he's part of Larry's social circle, not a bosom buddy.

Captain Mainwaring for me. He was so wonderfully optimistic in even the most difficult of situations and he saw everything seriously and was very funny in his ways. But that was half the job, Arthur Lowe's performance took it to a much higher level, he had the character to a tee. He is a true legend.

I would go with Captain Mainwaring from Dad's Army or Rigsby from Rising Damp, neither is a particularly favourite show, but they are wonderfully realised and layered characters.

Quote: Kenneth @ April 16 2009, 1:43 PM BST

I hate reading reviews of old films and TV shows that use terms like "it is dated" and "of its time". I would hope that most people are sufficiently intelligent to realize that something produced in 1974 will not look as if it was set in 2009.

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I really do agree. I loathe some of the reviews we've got on the BSG/BCG (I'm trying to clear them up on the latter). Critcisms about "low production values" are particular wank.

Quote: Maurice Minor @ April 16 2009, 2:33 PM BST

Like Mainwaring- brilliant character

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Pllleeeease, for the love of God, put a space before the hyphen or use a semicolon!