For this week's chat on TV series let’s move on from the murder & mayhem and focus on sitcoms. Earlier in the Beagle Log I touched on Frasier, asking the question were the TV character Daphne was from. Frasier was an extremely popular series here in the US. Kelsey Gramer (aka Frasier) has a new series this fall Back to You. I saw the primer, but will withhold judgment as to the show's possibility of rivaling Frasier.

Most British sitcoms on American TV are repeats at this time. Are You Being Served is in its 4th or 5th rerun and is still on prime time. Faulty Towers has relegated to the late hours. My wife and I are hooked on both shows as well as several others.

What are the popular sitcoms in your neck of the woods?

Morning Don,

I'm posting a list of my favourite, and I think, the funniest British sitcoms of all time. (others might disagree, of course!). I've added a link to more info about each one. All the casts are of especially talented actors, who have starred in other programmes, TV films and long-running series, not only comedy. All of these actors (and their characters) are well-loved in Britain. (well, by most of us anyway, I think!)

(Of all these though - Neil Morrisey is my favourite!! I think he's gorgeous!!)

Men Behaving Badly
http://www.menbehavingbadly.com/
Neil Morrissey, Martin Clunes, Caroline Quentin, Leslie Ash

One foot in the grave
http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/onefootinthegrave/index.shtml
Richard Wilson, Annette Crosbie

Keeping Up Appearances
http://www.phill.co.uk/comedy/kua/
Patricia Routledge (Hyacinth Bucket-pronounced 'Bouquet' as she's a snob)
Clive Swift (Her long-suffering husband, Richard)
Geoffrey Hughes (Onslow, the brother in law - a bit of a slob!!)

Only Fools and Horses
http://www.ofah.net/
Sir David Jason, Nicholas Lyndhurst.
Caracatures borrowed from OFAH website........ Love these!! Left to right........
Delboy, Rodney, Grandad, Uncle Albert,


Porridge (mid-late-1970s)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/porridge/index.shtml
Ronnie Barker, Richard Beckinsale**

The Lovers (1970-ish)
http://www.screenonline.org.uk/tv/id/1289920/index.html
Paula Wilcox & Richard Beckinsale**
(characters - teenagers Geoffrey and Beryl -& Beryl used to call him either "Geoffrey Boddles-bon-bon" or "Percy Filth" depending on whether he was in her good books or if she was mad at him. As I was about the same age as them at that time - I thought it was really funny and yet true to life!! - well I suppose that's what sitcoms are all about!)

** Richard Beckinsale died young, or I'm sure that his career also would have progressed as successfully as those others who started very young in these sitcoms - such as Martin Clunes, Caroline Quentin and Nicholas Lyndhurst, & who I'm sure still have much more & even better to offer us yet.

So watch out for those names coming to your screens in America, Don (if not already?)

________________________________________________
** >> Memorial Tribute Page to Richard Beckinsale >>
b. Richard Beckinsale 6 July 1947 Nottinghamshire, England.
d. 19 March 1979, Sunningdale, Berkshire, England.
________________________________________________

PS; Oops!! Just remembered another.........
"Rising Damp"!! oh and "Bread"

Will write about those later, unless anyone beats me to it!!

...and what was that other one where Ronnie Barker was the shopkeeper in a corner shop, and David Jason played his nephew. That was great too!!

Carole :ck-wink:

PS; I don't mind re-runs of any of all those I've mentioned. Can't think of any new ones started this decade that come up to the standard of those 1970s to 1990s ones. Can anyone else?
___________________________________

Hi Don
My favourites are
Steptoe and Son starring Wilfred Brambell and Harry H. Corbett as father and son "Rag and Bone" men.

The Likely Lads and What happened to The Likely Lads starring James Bolam and Rodney Bewes.

Carole

Open all Hours is the title of show with Ronnie Barker, but do you remember another show of his called Clarence, who was very short-sighted and always getting into trouble.

And of course Citizen Smith starring Robert Lindsay.

JFS

Hi JFS,

I like this Topic!! nothing I like better than a good laugh at a funny TV sitcom. When you look back on them like this - you realise just how many brill ones there are, don't you?

How the heck did I forget Citizen SMITH!! :ck-shocked: That should be right at the top of my list!! About 1970s/early 80s was it?And Robert Lindsay too!! one of my favourite actors. Which has also reminded me that there is one "this decade" - that I like - also with Robert Lindsay, & just recently a new series was run "My Family".......

Citizen Smith
a snippet from an image at Robert Lindsay's own website
http://www.robertlindsay.net/

© 2005 Robert Lindsay

My Family
http://www.sitcom.co.uk/my_family/characters.shtml
Robert Lindsay, Zoe Wanamaker, Kris Marshall,
Daniela Denby-Ashe, Gabriel Tompson, Siobhan Hayes

I can't remember much about the Ronnie Barker "Clarence" one - must have missed that!! But thanks for reminding me JFS of the title of the Shop one.........

Open all Hours
http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/openallhours/index.shtml
Haaaa haaa look at 'em!!
"Arkwright and Granville"

Ronnie Barker and David Jason

Yep, Likely Lads & Steptoe and Son - 2 of my old favourites too JFS.

Don, it will be interesting to know whether you've had any of these that we've mentioned, screened in America yet?

Carole

I'm sorry I'm too young to remeber some of these. :ck-shocked: I did like Citizen Smith with his ' Power to the People'

Hi Don,

Last of the Summer Wine - yes my dad loves this!! he roars with laughter at it! I think its just sort of - OK!

Vicar of Dibley hmmmm - OK, not mad about it!
Same for To The Manor Born
But that has reminded me about Penelope Keith - and another sitcom she used to be in with Felicity Kendal, years & years ago - they were next door neighbours. Ooh that was good - but can't remember the Title of it.

Waiting for God - don't know that one

I'm surprised that Only Fools and Horses hasn't been aired in America. This was a very long-running one over a lot of years & very successful.

Thanks Don - that was all very interesting to explore
Anything about telly, especially comedy or soaps - I like!!

Carole

Hola everyone!
Yes, its me again back from UK. More of that somewhere else but I just had to chip in here to say what about 'Dad's Army'? I don't think I have seen that mentioned. It was both hilariously funny and deeply moving in my opinion. My father was in the 'Home Guard' before going into the army in 1941 and many of the scripts seemed to be reflections of his tales of 'daring do' in the HG.

Although much of it was ridiculous it caught the spirit of the early WW2 response to the real fear of invasion - 'don't panic!'

Adios Gillian

Hola Gillian!!

Welcome back ... to Spain!!

Heck - Dads Army - how did we forget that! Yes I agree, it was hilariously funny and yet, as you say was very moving sometimes. I used to love it.

Have to sign off now. If I'm not back tonight - will be here at some time tomorrow.

Hope you had a great few days and that the wedding went off Ok, Gillian. Chat again soon.

Carole

Hola Don!
I think you should write a note to Father Christmas about the Dad's Army DVDs. They should be a lot of fun!
Cheers Gillian