'Allo 'Allo! is absolutely rubbish.
Steptoe and Son however is the best place to start.
British Sitcoms of yesteryear Page 3
Strangely enough we were watching Clarence the other night. I really love this, shame they didn't do another series, but of course it was Ronnie's last role before he retired.
Other favourites are Sykes, George And Mildred, On The Buses, and Dad's Army.
The list could go on and on. 
Another favourite is Meet The Wife with Thora Hird and Freddie Frinton. This is an early comedy from the mid sixties and was really funny, but then Thora was brilliant in anything.
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I fail to see how anybody could say 'Allo 'Allo! was rubbish.
It's definitely high up on my greatest sitcom list.
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Steptoe And Son is the best place to start and to finish. 'Allo 'Allo! is not a tenth of the genre that Steptoe was/is.
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Try Chance In A Million, or Lucky Jim...
And avoid anything that has Paul Squires in it.
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Quote: john h @ November 25 2008, 11:30 AM GMTStrangely enough we were watching Clarence the other night. I really love this, shame they didn't do another series, but of course it was Ronnie's last role before he retired.
I think to some extent the subject matter wasa bit dodgy. Just like Mr Magoo making fun of his short-sightedness. (That was the one wasn't it?)
Yes, that's the one.
Quote: Matthew Stott @ October 29 2008, 2:34 PM BSTThe Good Life can be quite, well, good.
I agree. I just saw the series on DVD and it is a funny show. 
Marlies
Quote: Bad dog @ November 10 2008, 5:36 PM GMTI've got to catch up on Shelley, I only remember seeing some of the later ones with the excellent David Ryall as the landlord.
The early series written by Peter Tilbury were outstanding
Quote: Eat My Shirts @ November 10 2008, 6:02 PM GMTThe Brittas Empire.
This original series written by Fagan and Norris were excellent. It became pants when it was resurrected with inferior writers.
In answer to the original enquiry, you could do a lot worse than catch up with the current run of repeats of Porridge on BBC Two, possibly the finest sitcom ever.
Up Pompeii!. I don't think that's been mentioned. Frankie Howerd is brilliant in the lead role.
Quote: Ned1984 @ December 3 2008, 4:15 AM GMTUp Pompeii!. I don't think that's been mentioned. Frankie Howerd is brilliant in the lead role.
Wow cool question.
To start it has to be Hancock's Half Hour, and if you are able to the radio ones are priceless. Tony Hancock with Sid James, Hattie Jaques, Kenneth Williams and Bill Kerr is unbeatable in my opinion.
Wow so many. Definitely Steptoe, anything with Alf Garnett, Dad's Army. (Pure gold.)
Seventies has to be Whatever Happened To The Likley Lads?.
Eighties has to be Blackadder, Yes Minister and Yes, Prime Minister.
"If you walked into a nuclear missile showroom, you would buy Trident!
It's lovely, it's elegant, it's beautiful.
It is quite simply the best, and Britain should have the best.
In the world of the nuclear missile, it is the Savile Row suit,
the Rolls-Royce Corniche, the Château Lafite 1945.
It is the nuclear missile Harrods would sell you."
Quote: Dolly Dagger @ October 29 2008, 3:35 PM BST
Actually it's fibre glass.And it's been featured in comedy since Manor Born.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/comedysoup/A14341394
It can be just seen behind me.
That's cool.
But where's it been featured in comedy since Manor Born?
Any one mention Open All Hours? - Got to be a classic.