Half way through the second series of The Returned. Really enjoying it. My dad raves about Silicon Valley but i've not seen it yet.
Loved the Yes Minister series. For politico comedies, you can't do much better than Mayall's Alan B'stard in The New Statesman.
It's been and gone! It's still on Demand 4/ 4od whatever it's called i think. Back end of last year it was on.
It's a bit like the Mitchell and Webb stuff. A few scenes/ sketches are fantastic and make it worthwhile, but some of it is hit and miss. This is a good sketch.
Yeah, That Mitchell and Webb Show was pretty good at times, but in comparison to Peep Show it is nowhere near as good. Peep Show is fantastic.
I'll see your Rising Damp and raise you a "Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin". My favourite sitcom of all time. Generally don't find US comedies at all funny. They invariably seem like they are written by computer. The one I am enjoying at the moment is Portlandia. Maybe wouldn't be as funny if you don't know the area.
Don't forget Spaced, it's funny, but more of a Championship/lower PL style comedy than top PL! When it comes to American sit coms, there's a few, Big Bang Theory is funny, but like most American stuff it starts going downhill & getting sickly sweet midway in, currently season 9 & although still funny it's getting there. Frasier I thought was excellent, went out a bit light, same with Friends. There's probably a few more, but off the top of my head, they are the ones I can watch random repeats of.
Absolutely Fabulous used to raise a giggle for me especially Patsy, as for the Americans, I think Cheers did well on both sides of the pond, in the early series especially the writing was superb and I still watch repeats and its still funny. As for today I think resurrecting Open All Hours, even with the brilliant David Jason, is a horrible mistake.
Well, the USA hasn't produced a good comedy show since Seinfeld went off the air in the 90's. I'd never heard of OF&H until this thread. My exposure to English comedy was The Goon Show and Fawlty Towers (and of course Benny Hill and Monty Python, which every American knows quite well).
Bluebottle: "He's fallen the water!", which I doubt many on here will remember. I seriously wonder how the Goon Show would go down today. Very fast, I suspect!
Minor edit above...says Bloodnok "No more curried eggs for me". All of the Pythons have stated that The Goon Show heavily influenced them. Their brilliant minds would have adapted to today I have no doubt. I listen to them still on a regular basis. My Canadian born son used to fall asleep to them - he prefered that to bed-time stories. http://www.thegoonshow.net/characters.asp Remember "Beyond our Ken" and "Round the Horne" ?
Not a sitcom, but for me, Shooting Stars is the show that has me laughing the loudest and hardest. In fact, anything from Vic and Bob at the top of their game
for me the greatest sit coms were One foot in the grave - the best written stuff ever AND it was on mainstream channel genius writing Blackadder 2,3,4 the first series was garbage though and "Goes Forth " as a stand alone is the best season on anything comedy or otherwise Young Ones - pure dope "Neil Neil Orange Peel , why did you have to die" - it was the way Rik too his frustrations out on the teddy - tho my fave ever clip was Rik faking having his ear stuck to the window the Office - (UK) i wasnt going to mention Gervais as some hate so much they cant get his comedy - the episode with the guitar - has it all ! Im Alan Partridge - the life of a cynical bitter middle aged man Fawlty Towers - there is a theme to what i find funny as you may gather Best of the US ? Curb your enthusiasm - as british as you can get and errrm Soap - i thought it was nuts as i kid
