The Kennedys

10 British TV comedies that ended too soon

Some sitcoms come to a natural end after a long run. Others are not so lucky and get cut short in their prime. And then Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps runs for 80 episodes. Here are 10 of the best comedies that ended far too soon...

The Kennedys claims RT comedy show champion title

BBC comedy The Kennedys has toppled Ricky Gervais' Derek to become Radio Times Comedy Show Champion 2015.

Second series of The Kennedys in 2016?

Writer/creator Emma Kennedy was answering a Twitter enquiry about whether the first series would be available on DVD* and wrote: "Not for a very long time (ie next year when series 2 goes out)" she later added that "We don't know for SURE until end of Nov."

Review: The Kennedys

The Kennedys is silly and sharp-witted; the music is fantastic, the characters well-rounded and the entire production heart-warming, original and uplifting- surely a programme not to be missed.

Following the farcical exploits of 10-year-old Emma and her upwardly mobile parents on a "new town" estate in 70s Stevenage, Emma Kennedy's autobiographical sitcom has been consistently hilarious - and far from misty-eyed.

The Kennedys review

The Kennedys lives up to the high expectations of other nostalgic childhood comedies, with Raised By Wolves and Cradle To Grave as impressive rivals.

Katherine Parkinson isn't, for a change, the one chewing the most scenery in the penultimate episode of the family comedy. That's because Emma Pierson (as Jenny) spends much of the show wailing at full tilt, as one disaster follows another on what seems to be an ill-starred day to be marrying Tim. As ever, it's hard to see what purpose the 1970s setting is meant to serve, apart from to justify using some good if incoherently programmed music on the soundtrack, and as an excuse for using some tired sitcom standbys.

Opportunity knocks at Jessop Square as the family prepare for a talent show. Tony (Dan Skinner) has turned his hand to kung fu, while Brenda (Katherine Parkinson) tackles disco. All-out war breaks out on the talent front and soon the neighbours become embroiled in an alarming yet impressive dance-off, the highlight of which comes in the form of the Palmers' interpretation of Grease. Elsewhere, Emma asks her parents for a skateboard, but can she bribe enough money out of them to save up for it?

Emma Kennedy on writing her new sitcom The Kennedys

Once upon a time Emma Kennedy was a lawyer, then she jacked it all in to become a comedy writer. Nine books and nearly 20 years later, her new BBC One sitcom proves the gamble has paid off, writes Claire Black.