Overall Best Cast

There are stand-out performances in almost every show, but which one boasts most in one and the same cast? Here's my top 4:

1) OFAH (10: Delboy, Rodney, Trigger, Boycie, Uncle Albert, Denzel, Mickey Pearce, Mike, Raquel, Alan)
2) Are You Being Served? (8: Mrs. Slocombe, mr. Rumbold, Capt. Peacock, mr. Grainger, mr. Lucas, mss. Brahms, Young mr. Grace, mr. Humphries)
3) The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin (8: Reginald Perrin, C.J., Elizabeth Perrin, Joan, Tony, David, Doc Morrissey, Jimmie)
4) I'm Alan Partridge (6: Alan, Lynn, Michael, Dave Clifton, Sonja, staff of Linton Travel Tavern)

Just would like to mention my all-time non-British favourite: The Simpsons (too many to mention here).

British...

Blackadder: Rowan Atkinson, Tony Robinson, Stephen Fry, Hugh Laurie, Miranda Richardson, Tim McInnerny.

Non-british...

Seinfeld: Jerry Seinfeld, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Michael Richards, Jason Alexander, Wayne Knight.

Scrubs: JD, Turk, Elliot, Carla, Kelso, Todd, Cox, Janitor, Jordan, Laverne, Ted

Dad's Army - surely the best...

Green Wing had a great cast, that often elevated some pretty self-indulgent material. The Office also had a really good cast of unknowns.

Of shows of yesteryear, Dad's Army was obviuosly chock fuull of talent doomed to die young.

Hancock's Half Hour/Hancock on both radio and TV had brilliant regular support in the form of Sid James, Hattie Jacques, Bill Kerr, Kenneth Williams, plus a huge wealth of talent in supporting roles. The Lift in particular was brilliantly cast.

Dad's Army definitely - Messrs Lowe, Le Mesurier, Dunn, Laurie, Beck, Ridley, Lavender, Pertwee, Sinclair, Williams.
On The Buses - Varney, Lewis, Grant, Courtneidge (later Hare), Robbins, Karen.
Early Last Of The Summer Wine - Owen, Sallis, Bates, Wilde, Comer, Staff, Freeman.
Steptoe & Son - Corbett and Brambell.
Fawlty Towers - Cleese, Sachs, Scales, Booth.
Porridge - Barker, Wilde, Mackay and Beckinsale.
One Foot In The Grave - Wilson, Crosbie, Deayton, Duvitski, Bremmen.

Quote: Jack Massey @ June 24 2009, 11:40 AM BST

Fawlty Towers - Cleese, Sachs, Scales, Booth.

View original

My choice for #2. Rising Damp and Peep Show would be thereabouts too.

Quote: Jack Massey @ June 24 2009, 11:40 AM BST

Fawlty Towers - Cleese, Sachs, Scales, Booth.

View original

Booth? She was no great shakes in Fawlty, if anything she was bland and flat. Though you could argue that a large part of the reason for that is that her part wasn't really very developed, but then she wrote the bloody thing too, so it's her own fault!

Quote: chipolata @ June 24 2009, 10:20 AM BST

Green Wing had a great cast, that often elevated some pretty self-indulgent material.

View original

Very strong cast, yes. Heap and Mangan in particular are great, I don't think Greig does as stellar a job as she did on Black Books, but still a fine performance nonetheless. My favourite character on the show has to be Sue, though - she's great. Some memorable minor characters play their part too.

The 2nd series was kind of disappointing, but it couldn't have wished to live up to the terrific 1st if we're being honest.

1. Only Fools and Horses
2. My Family
3. One Foot in the Grave
4. Steptoe & Son

Everyone will probably think I'm insane, but I think the cast of Keeping Up Appearances is fantastic. They just belonged together, especially Daisy and Onslow.

Quote: AndreaLynne @ June 25 2009, 1:45 AM BST

Everyone will probably think I'm insane, but I think the cast of Keeping Up Appearances is fantastic. They just belonged together, especially Daisy and Onslow.

View original

Agreed. Strangely watchable because of them.

Quote: Jack Massey @ June 24 2009, 11:40 AM BST

Porridge - Barker, Wilde, Mackay and Beckinsale.

View original

plus Sam Kelly, Peter Vaughan, Tony Osaba, the bloke who played the Governor, David Jason and Alun Armstrong.

Dad's Army excellent as well.

Larry Sanders - Garry Shandling, Rip Torn, Jeffrey Tambor, Janeane Garofalo, Penny Johnson, Wallace Langham and the woman who played Darlene.

Don't know if it's already been mentioned but Arrested Development had a great cast. Jason Bateman. Will Arnett. Jeffrey Tambor. David Cross. Michael Cera. The hot blonde lesbo. The old woman.

'Allo 'Allo!'s cast was a superb ensemble.