The Britcompilation: Day 31- Bad Education

So, it's finally over. This month long voyage into the world of the British sitcom has finally concluded. I've really loved gushing over these series, because let's face it, all I need is an excuse to talk about how much I love comedy. It's been beyond fun to discuss how they've evolved over time, and it's been fun to revisit a lot of these shows. But the thing is, I hadn't actually seen all of the shows I've discussed this month before I started. See, I decided that if I was going to do this, I'd do it right, and check out some series that I hadn't seen before. Most of these ones were ones that I'd seen before, and knew I'd talk about, but I thought it'd be interesting to talk about some shows that I was unfamiliar with. Till Death Do Us Part, On the Buses and Extras were all ones that I hadn't seen before this, but safe to say that these discoveries paid off (mostly). And the other show that I checked out for this event was Bad Education.

Jack Whitehall is okay. In terms of comics that I like, he's one that I find funny, and I always like him in things. Like Fresh Meat, which I decided not to count because it's more of a comedy drama than anything else. But then there's Bad Education, an out and out comedy series, about a really terrible teacher in an equally questionable school. And the show is actually okay. Jack Whitehall is a pretty decent lead, and he sells the awkardness that this show kind of runs on. I think that everything in this show is quite hit or miss, so I'll just talk about what does and doesn't work.

First of all, let's talk about what's not good here. Some of the jokes are just in poor taste. And some of the crude jokes do work, but when a joke fails here, it just falls flat. What's especially bad is that the bad jokes are unnecessarily long, and become drawn out and painful over time. The plots themselves usually aren't too clever, and tend to be a little predictable. The flaws here are way too noticeable to ignore, and really drag the show down. There's a nastiness to this show that makes everything a little awkward, and not always in a good way. These issues really get in the way of this show, and never go away as the show progresses.

But, in fairness, there's good stuff here too. The principal is the standout here, and is the absolute saving grace of the show. He's legitimately hilarious, and he singlehandedly makes up for the shows shortcomings. The supporting cast is okay too. All of the students are essentially just jokes as characters, but they work okay. But the best thing in this show isn't a character, or an episode, it's a moment. The last episode is mainly just decent, but the scene where Jack Whitehall watches the video alone in the room at the end of the year is legitimately fantastic. There's no dialogue, no big joke, nothing stupid. The show just lets it sit, and it's genuinely great. I was expecting the show to ruin it some way, but it actually pulled a moment like that off fantastically. I was legitimately surprised by this, and I think that it almost makes up for the show's failings.

So do I recommend Bad Education? Maybe? It's fine. It has it's ups and downs, but I'd be lying if I said it was bad. I don't love it, but there is good stuff here, enough to reward curiosity at least. It has it's moments for sure, but it does have several issues holding it back. It isn't a bad show, and I'm actually glad that I checked it out. Though I definitely regret watching the movie. More on that another time, though

So, where is British comedy? Is it in good hands? You know what? I think we're at a great point. Okay yeah, so the current crop aren't like the classics, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing. Shows like Fleabag and Game Face prove that a fresh perspective makes a difference, while stuff like Catastrophe and Fresh Meat exhibit how much drama can enhance comedy. Derry Girls and The Young Offenders both debuted only this year, but have been so bold and fresh that they feel like revelations. And who knows? Maybe in years to come, stuff like Chewing Gum and Crashing will be held in the same regard as classics like Only Fools and Horses and Fawlty Towers. It's hard to tell how things will pan out, but I think that we're in an interesting time for British comedy. Only time can tell what will happen next, but I'm definitely up for seeing where we go next.

The Britcompilation: Day 30- Mrs Browne's Boys

And now for one that splits opinions. Some love it, some hate it, but everyone has an opinion on it. And I quite like it. Brendan O'Carroll plays Agnes Browne, the crass matriarch of an Irish family. Look, it isn't a particularly clever premise, it tends to rely on crass humour a bit too much, and by this point it's become beyond repetitive, but I actually have a soft spot for this one.

What I think it is for me is that it makes up for all of its shortcomings in very simple ways. It's not a clever premise, or an especially complicated one, but it compensates for that with how strong the characters are. Even if they are all played for laughs, the performances actually work like they're supposed to, and that really makes up for the simplicity of the whole thing. Yeah it uses a lot of crude humour, but it never feels nasty or mean spirited. Even when it falls flat, I always feel that it's heart's in the right place. Everything seems to be done with good intentions here, and there is a twisted warmth to the show that helps me forgive it when it puts a foot wrong. And if it ever feels repetitive (and it seriously does by this point), I'm willing to overlook that, because the cast do have a really interesting, believable chemistry (not surprising, considering that many of them are actually related)

Though this show's hallmark is that if someone messes up, they leave it in. Something like that could get annoying if handled poorly, but it's so ingrained into the ethos of this show that it rarely becomes annoying to me. Look, I get that not everyone is going to like this one, and I get why some people hate it, because it is love it or hate it. So yeah, I'm not going to say that this one is perfect, or that everyone is going to like it, but it is one that I do genuinely enjoy. Imperfect, but thoroughly enjoyable. I absolutely understand if you don't like it, because it is one of those shows, but I do enjoy this one.

But the movie is godawful. The chat show is okay though.

The Britcompilation: Day 29- The Inbetweeners

One thing that I find quite interesting about discussing comedy is that the more you do it, the more you start to see how it's evolved over time. That was one of my aims with the Britcompilation, to kind of give a general sense of where British comedy was, how it has changed, and maybe even get a sense of where it's going. The shows that I picked, for the most part, are ones that I think affected the landscape of comedy in a significant way. And I think that The Inbetweeners is a very good example of a show that shows how the Britcom evolved over time.

It isn't family entertainment, and it isn't general viewing, but I think that it does give a sense of how far things have come. Just like how Steptoe defined the kitchen sink realism of the 60s, and The Young Ones defined the anti establishment mindset of the 80s, I think that the laddish humour of The Inbetweeners will make it one of the standout Britcoms of the 2000s. Because it does make good use of this very crass humour, and it isn't afraid to be awkward, which I think is fitting for a coming of age series. It captures the general experience of being an awkward teenager very well. The four main characters are actually really realistic, and the performances are fairly believable.

Unfortunately, it's not one that I really enjoy all too much. Yes, it's a good coming of age show, and yeah, I think that it'll be a key sitcom of it's time, and one that probably will be looked back on as a landmark series, but I just don't enjoy watching it. I think that it's unnecessaryily crude. I don't have an issue with crass comedy, or cringe comedy (I love it when it's done well), but I personally I think that The Inbetweeners takes it further than it needs to. I think that it's cruder than it often needs to be. Like it has a legitimately funny situation, but then it'll make a joke that just feels like it's in bad taste, at least for me.

Yeah, I get the appeal, but I think that the jokes here are a little poorly timed, and a fair few of them feel like they're too much. For me, it feels like it doesn't know when to stop. Because the thing about cringe comedy is that the further you take it, the more you need to be able to handle it. And I think that this show just doesn't hit the mark for me. And while I do think that the performances are really good and authentic, I don't actually find any of the characters too likeable. I never find myself wanting to follow these guys, or being that invested in their adventures. Again, I think that it is a good show for defining the modern Britcom, but it just isn't one that appeals to me. It's not bad, I definitely get why everyone loves it, but I just don't care for it that much. Don't think I have too much more to say about it, except Greg Davies is pretty great in it. Yeah, that's kind of all I have to say about this one.

The Britcompilation: Day 28- The I.T. Crowd

And now for my favourite show by Graham Linehan, and one that I've actually talked at length about before. In case you don't know, I ranked every episode of The I.T. Crowd, so I'll just give a brief description of the show and my thoughts on it here. Check out my ranking for more details.

So essentially it's about the I.T. department at Reynholm Industries, a company that makes... something. In the basement, there's Roy the slacker, Jen the overly ambitious relationship manager, and Moss, who is just.... well, he's just Moss. Together with their boss Denyholm, and later his son Douglas, they go on some crazy adventures. What I love about this show is how much of the comedy comes from the characters. And you could say that about a lot of shows, because it isn't something unique to The I.T. Crowd, but it's something that I think this show really excels at, and so is one of the best examples of it. The situations here come from each of these characters ineptitudes. Again, it's not like this show invented this, but I think that it's something that really defines the show as a whole and makes it work as a result. When you factor in Linehan's knack for incredible awkwardness, you've got something pretty great. Like maybe Roy will want to get out of a situation because he's lazy. But his attempts to avoid doing anything will trigger incredibly uncomfortable things to happen. Like that disabled bathroom scene. Or maybe Jen will act on her aspirations, only for the world to remind her that she'll probably never get out of the basement. Lest we forget that it's just not for her.

And yet it's not a pessimistic show. Unlike something like The Office, which had a fairly bleak sense of humour, The I.T. Crowd is a show that feels very playful. Like as awkward as it's situations get, the show always maintains this gleefully silly tone that keeps it funny. It does contain some comically unfortunate setpieces, but it's willingness to acknowledge it's own ridiculousness makes it so awesome. As much as I love the acidity and cynicism of Black Books, I always find myself coming back to the generally more upbeat I.T. Crowd. It isn't afraid to use mean spirited humour, but it makes it fit in with the general silliness of the setups and situations.

This is a show that I absolutely adore. Yes, I'm not crazy about it's ending, but that doesn't affect its place in my favourites list. This is a show that I just love. It's got one of the best casts I've seen in a comedy show, the situations are usually clever and always funny, and it actually gets better the more I watch it. The quotes and jokes are burned into my memory. And holy shit, does this show have good jokes. The Internet, Moss on Countdown, Friendface, Jen speaking Italian, Aunt Irma, Gay! A Gay Musical, Spaceology, Dungeons and Dragons, the bomb disposal robot, a fire at a Seaparks, I could go on all day. I absolutely love this show. If you want to hear me gush about this show even more, check out my rankings of the show's episodes. But for now, just know that this show is phenomenal. If you've not seen it, correct that immediately.

The Britcompilation: Day 27- Extras

So, as I've said before, I really love The Office. And Ricky Gervais as a whole actually. And he followed up The Office with Extras, which is a generally more conventional sitcom, dropping the mockumentary style in favour of a standard approach to the sitcom. But Extras has a gimmick, and one that I find is quite interesting. Each episode features a celebrity guest, usually quite a prominent actor. This is actually pretty cool, because let's face it, how many times do you get to say "I watched a Britcom last night and Robert de Niro was in it". It's a fairly interesting idea, with the celebrity guest usually playing a warped version of themselves. Like Kate Winslet being an desperate Oscar chaser. Or David Bowie being an expert insult comic.

That Bowie episode is excellent, and a great example of why Extras works so damn well. It's not just Ricky Gervais being like "oh look who I know, amn't I great". It's a show about how weird showbusiness is, and uses real people to give an impression of realism, and to give an edge to it's satire. Like how The Office lampoons the tedium of its workplace through a mockumentary style, Extras satirises the film industry by portraying the real people within it as a load of weirdos who are nothing like how you'd expect them to be. It's obvious that these people are nothing like how they're portrayed, but the effectiveness of Extras comes from how it uses its exaggerated portraits to deliver real observations on the entertainment industry. The Bowie episode works so well because it's unexpected. It was an unpredictable move for Bowie to belt out a (fantastic) number on how Gervais' character has sold out, and do it in a way that's so insulting and so surprising. This is how you do observational comedy. The result of the observation should be unexpected, and it should be a little bit strange. Through its use of caricature and exaggeration, it delivers some pretty great insights into the acting world, and dissects issues such as recognition, fame, image and artistic integrity in ways that feel unique and fairly refreshing. And because it's Gervais, it isn't without it's moments of dark humour either. It's the exact kind of sharp satire you'd expect from him (and Steven Merchant, who co created both this and The Office).

Extras might not be top of anyone's all time greatest Britcom list, but I do think that in terms of great modern comedy shows, it stands out. Okay yeah, it might not be as widely discussed today as The Office, but I definitely think that Extras is a brave, bold Britcom, and one that I do think will stand the test of time. Just like other observational comedies, it taps into ideas and topics that I think will remain recognisable for a while to come. Or I'd like to think so anyway. It's one that I don't think gets enough credit, and I'd even put it on par with The Office in terms of Gervais' best stuff. By allowing big Hollywood actors to laugh at themselves, Gervais had allowed everyone who watches this show to laugh at showbusiness itself. And that's just really great.

The Britcompilation: Day 26- The Mighty Boosh

Surrealism isn't rare in British comedy. In fact, it's one of it's hallmarks. Weird shit is fairly commonplace, and the Britcom is no exception. I've talked about shows that do this well before, but The Mighty Boosh takes the cake. This show, man. It's awesome. It's weird. It makes no sense. I love it. Essentially, it's about a zoo/flat/second hand shop. Except it isn't. It's about whatever the hell it wants to be about. Noel Fielding and Julian Barrett play zookeepers/flatmates/second hand shopkeepers who keep finding themselves in crazy, nonsensical situations. It's hard to talk about why it works, because it taps into this beautiful, odd and even sometimes disturbing surrealism that's fairly hard to describe. When you're watching this show, you're essentially taking a voyage into the bizarre, where the humour comes from how strange everything is. It's not the only sitcom to do weird comedy, but I don't think any series does it this well.

This is a show that begins with a fight between a man and and a monster kangaroo (sorry, Killeroo) and ends with the exploits of an alcoholic crab. Yep. Throw in some musical numbers and you've got.... something. The beauty of The Mighty Boosh is that it isn't necessarily supposed to be understood. It gets how to do surrealism without feeling overly random or in your face about anything. It always feels like part of the show, and it never feels like they're trying too hard to be weird. The weirdness is organic. It's insane, but in its own way, it makes sense. There's a gorilla, because of course there is. Same goes for Naboo the shaman. These are characters that don't need context, because it just makes sense that they're there. Once the show establishes that the rules are that there aren't any rules, everything starts to work. Everything is in the context of surrealism. Everything makes sense because it actually doesn't make sense. That may sound like an oxymoron, but the show never sets parameters for what might happen, so you come to expect anything to happen, however nonsensical. It's not mindless weirdness either. The show is good at knowing what lengths it can take a particular joke or story beat, and it never feels gratuitous or stupid. This show is fantastic, because it's the epitome of surreal comedy. It just wants to show you shit you wouldn't find anywhere else, and for that reason, it's awesome. It may not be for everyone, but it is a definite favourite of mine.

The Britcompilation: Day 25- The Office

Oh how I love Ricky Gervais. This guy is awesome, and The Office is awesome too. It's another show that's just made by the presence of a single character, and in this case, it's David. Goddamn. Brent. Oh my god, what can you even say about this guy? He's not just a comic goldmine, he's what really makes this show work. See, The Office hinges on this great comic pessimism, and uses terribly cringe inducing and awkward humour to deliver it's jokes, and nothing embodies that idea as much as Brent. He makes already awkward situations nearly unbearable to watch. The Office is a show that has fun with its cringe worthy moments. It's bleak, but it makes that funny.

It uses its mockumentary style to heighten it's comic realism. As I said, this show makes great use of awkward humour, and because it's shot like it's real, it has this wonderfully natural feel to it. Everything feels real in The Office. When a situation is hard to watch, it's hard to watch because it feels like it's actually happening. You believe the situations in this show, because they feel like real people being real people, which is to say awkward, weird and occasionally unlikeable. Gervais' Brent works because he's recognisable. He's somebody that everyone has come across at some point, and that makes the show all the funnier. Everyone in the show feels familiar to be honest. This is a show that mines it's humour from the mundanity and tedium of its real situation. They emulate the documentary style perfectly, and it feels like you are watching a documentary on the most dysfunctional workplace ever. It feels like a realistic worst case scenario, and it's just incredible.

The Office is a true cult classic, and it stands apart from most other Britcoms because it has this really distinct flavour. It's not like anything else. And it takes this powerful uniqueness and runs with it. Every episode harnesses that wonderful awkardness. And better yet, it invites the viewer to do the same. It's a bleak show, and is fairly pessimistic, but the comedy comes from the sheer strength of its bleakness. With its style and weird charisma, it's a truly fantastic show. It's hilariously painful to watch, and it's gone down in legend because of that. What can you say? Its The Office. Everyone loves it, and for damn good reason.

The Britcompilation: Day 24- Black Books

Finally, another excuse to gush over Graham Linehan (it will not be the last). Black Books is a masterclass in comic cynicism. Dylan Moran is a fantastically funny man, and he makes this show (literally, he co-wrote it). He's Bernard, a nihilistic, alcoholic bookshop owner. And he is glorious. And when you get him with Bill Bailey's well meaning Manny and Tamsin Greg's frustrated Fran, you're in for a winner. And Black Books certainly is that. It feels like a precursor to The I.T. Crowd in a lot of ways, even beyond the Linehan connection. Both shows are about three individuals who almost feel trapped by their own ineptitude, where any ambition is instantly cancelled out by a crazily awkward situation. Although it definitely stands in its own merits, because The I.T. Crowd was never quite this cynical. It's this twisted view that Bernard has if the world that makes this show. Because his personality leaks out through the screen and becomes a part of the experience. When you watch Black Books, you're essentially seeing the world through the eyes of a madman, one who can never quite catch a break. And like the best of Linehan's stuff, when something bad happens, it's surreal, it's awkward and it's beautiful.

Like a heatwave triggering mass Dave's Syndrome. Or an all night Sweeney marathon transforming Manny into a gruff detective (hey, it's happened to me before). It's a perfect example of why I love Linehan. He operates on a level that most don't, one that just has a very distinct flavour to it. And Black Books is the definition of Linehan. It's admittedly darker than the stuff you'll find on Craggy Island or Reynholm Industries, but it's still some of his best regardless. He takes the maddest side of humanity and molds it into something really special. Combine that with the crass darkness of Dylan Moran and things get good.

Black Books is a fantastic show. I don't love it as much as another Linehan sitcom, but I really do adore the acidic humour in this one. It never comes off as too edgy or off-putting, and I think that Dylan Moran is perfect as Bernard. It's not going to be one that everyone is going to like, but it's one of my favourite sitcoms because it scratches that Linehan itch that I find myself having time and time again. If you like Linehan or Moran, you'll love this. It's a great balance of surreal humour and acidic nihilism, and it just works.

The Britcompilation: Day 23- The League of Gentlemen

Black comedy is something that you find a lot of in British sitcoms. And I think that one of the most iconically dark series is The League of Gentlemen. I think what made this series so popular was that is was surreal and cynical in a way that a lot of stuff wasn't. At least not in the mainstream. Britcoms had definitely made good use of dark comedy before, as well as surrealism, but League of Gentlemen has an almost sketch comedy feel to it that makes it unique. The focus of the series is on the town more so than any particular character, and the humour is derived from the general atmosphere in Royston Valley. The cast of characters is pretty big, even if they are played mainly by three guys.

This is another series that I admire greatly, even if it wouldn't be one of my favourites. I'm a lover of surreal humour, so I do appreciate the use of insane and often nonsensical comedy here, but if in being honest, it does tend to feel one note after a while. Like don't get me wrong, the black comedy is great. The writing is clever and fresh and I still really like this show and respect how influential it's been. It's just that for me, there are a lot of characters, and they all feel kind of one dimensional. That might sound odd to say about a Britcom, but I think that the best sitcoms have big personalities at the centre of then, with a fairly wide variety of traits that lend themselves to different situations. But here, each of the characters are kind of just jokes in themselves. And that's fine, it's just that after a while, I feel like some of the fun is lost. But there are enough characters to make up for this, and some of them are incredibly funny (Papa Lazarou is awesome), so it really isn't much of an issue. It's definitely a small problem I have with a very funny show. Again, I don't love it, but I understand the appeal of it, because it is crazy and it is funny and it is endlessly quotable. So I get the cult following, I really do. The League of Gentlemen is a strong series, one that I think stands on its merits fairly well. Overall, it's a pretty great show.

The Britcompilation: Day 22- Spaced

So it's safe to say that I've established myself as a pretty big fan of Edgar Wright. And as such, I love Spaced. Created by Simon Pegg and Jessica Hynes and directed by Edgar Wright, Spaced is about two people pretending to be dating so they can keep a flat. Kind of. If you've seen Spaced, you'll know that it's anything but normal. See, Spaced makes reference to a huge amount of movies, and often plays with common tropes. Why I love this is because it balances that against its fairly mundane setting and becomes something else entirely. Spaced works because it creates a world that's kind of like our own, but also has this almost fantasy feel to it, where a new job can become One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, or returning from a night out can become an epic (imaginary) shootout.

I love how this show wears it's love of media on its sleeve. Every parody is purely affectionate, and the eye to detail with some of the easter eggs is clearly the work of someone who cares. Every episode is jammed with jokes, and most of the time it demands to be revisited. It's funny in a surreal way, and it's beyond charming. I guess you could say it's like a dry run of the Cornetto trilogy, but I think there's something else about Spaced. It just has this feeling of narrative freedom because everything seemed possible in this show. It was spontaneous, unpredictable and laugh out loud funny. Even now, it stands up there with some of Wright's best directorial work, and it's hands down one of my personal favourite Britcoms. It's a simple situation written from such a unique perspective, and I don't see myself loving it less any time soon.

The Britcompilation: Day 21- I'm Alan Partridge

I don't have any particularly strong feelings on Steve Coogan. Some love him, some hate him, I'm just neutral. That's actually a lie. I like his more dramatic stuff because he can actually act. But as a comedian? I don't sway one way or the other. He's fine. And his most famous character is without a doubt the failed radio presenter, Alan Partridge. I think this guy is interesting because he's so meta. Like he was a character before this sitcom, so this is just following him at this point in his life. That's actually a cool idea. He appeared in spoof radio shows and TV series, so it is quite interesting to see him and his life. As ideas go, it's a strong one.

But the series is.... fine. Just like how I feel about Coogan, I don't really have a strong opinion on Alan Partridge himself. Or the show. He's a buffoon of a character, and I guess his hubris and stupidity get a laugh sometimes, but other than that, I don't really have much to say about him. And because he's the focus, I also don't have much to say about the show. Yeah, considering how much I've raved about Steptoe, Fawlty Towers and The Young Ones, you would think I lose my mind over all classic and iconic sitcoms, but honestly, I'm Alan Partridge doesn't do an awful lot for me. It's quite a bleak series actually, focusing on how his life is kind of descending into misery, but even then, because I can't get behind the character, it just leaves me feeling kind of empty. I get that this is like a non write up, but it is how I feel about this show. It's a shame considering how much everyone loves it, because I want to love it too. But I don't. It  just exists for me. Some moments do make me laugh, but overall, it's not one that stands out to me. Considering how love him or hate him Coogan is, I know that a lot of people will disagree with me, but honestly, I don't know. It's a fine show. Maybe not the reaction you were expecting out of a comedy enthusiast, but there you go. Can I go back to Bottom now?

The Britcompilation: Day 20- Father Ted

I spent some time deciding on if this was a Britcom or not. I mean, with an Irish setting and an Irish cast, the only British thing about it is the network, Channel 4. In the end, I decided to count it, because I do think it's a key sitcom. Essentially it's about the hapless priests of Craggy Island. It was made by Graham Linehan, who I just love. This guy is one of the sharpest, funniest writers in television, and while I actually think that Father Ted isn't quite as good as some of his other shows, I do think that it's a really good watch.

So the plot follows the mishaps of three priests, Ted, Dougal and Jack. Each of them was sent to Craggy Island for a specific incident in their past. And the show just follows them from there, along with the housekeeper Mrs Doyle. The series really gets a lot out of these characters, and the situations that they're in are often fuelled by their ineptitudes and quirks, and like the best of Linehan's stuff, the situations get needlessly complicated, which of course makes everything so much funnier. 

Linehan excels at painfully awkward comic setpieces, and there's a fair few of those in Father Ted. Like that incredible racism episode. The show as a whole massively benefits from the simple likeability of it's cast and the strange genius of it's setups. The show has that Linehan magic, where basic problems become huge and impossibly awkward. I don't think it has the acid of Black Books, or the quirkiness of The I.T. Crowd, but there is a simple charm to Father Ted that allows it to hold up nicely. I can see why it's held in such high regard by so many people. Because like all of his series, the simple situations often generate the strangest and most awkward moments of genius. And I think that the stuff in Father Ted is perhaps the simplest of his stuff, but also mines some really good stuff from it's setups. It's one that I can really see why it's beloved by many, and I think it was the first indication that Graham Linehan is a true genius, and trust me, we haven't seen the last of Mr. Linehan....

The Britcompilation: Day 19- The Vicar of Dibley

We've had Saunders, now let's try French. Absolutely Fabulous was definitely a landmark series in that it kind of pioneered a new breed of female fronted Britcoms, and I think that The Vicar of Dibley, which premiered two years after, also played a hand in this. And what's better, it kind of knows it, too. Essentially it's about the first female vicar in the village of Dibley, Geraldine Granger, played by Dawn French. And if a show is as good as it's protagonist, Vicar of Dibley is absolutely great for a multitude of reasons, many of which are down to French and her impossibly optimistic vicar.

I said that this is a series that's aware of how interesting and different it was, and I really think it is. Because although there were female oriented sitcoms before this (Keeping Up Appearances and Absolutely Fabulous being two key ones), few were this self aware and even subversive about it. It's not impossible to read the liberal female vicar arriving at a fiercely old fashioned village as a mirror to a fresh and bold new voice in the generally male oriented world of British comedy. That it also works as its own genuinely hilarious and charming series is actually really special.

French's Geraldine is a wonderful character; incredibly charming and very, very funny. Her optimism is infectious, and she's definitely the heart and soul of the show. Throw in the late Emma Chambers as the loveable and naïve Alice, Gary Waldhorn as the old fashioned and conservative (yet weirdly likeable) David, and James Fleet as his clueless yet good natured son Hugo, and you've got one hell of a main cast.

The Vicar of Dibley is just such a charming, funny and pleasant show. It's a fantastically uncynical watch, and I think that it hold up very well twenty odd years on. As the series progresses, ideas of community begin to really be discussed, and when Geraldine eventually adjusts to life in Dibley (and they adjust to her), the series seriously begins to benefit from its rich, character driven comedy, and solidifies itself as a definite favourite. It's yet another series that defined and redefined the Britcom and what it could be, and it's still great today.

The Britcompilation: Day 18- Absolutely Fabulous

So men behaving badly is one of the staples of the British sitcom. But in 1992, we saw that concept flipped on it's head. If Absolutely Fabulous wasn't the first show with women behaving badly, it was certainly the biggest. Britcoms had always had strong female characters who were often just as funny as the men, but with Absolutely Fabulous, we saw female characters in roles and situations usually attributed to men, and I think that that's a really noteworthy thing. This show showed that women could be irresponsible, and crass, and it was pretty cool to see stuff like this in the mainstream. I think this show did change how women were portrayed in Britcoms, and that's really awesome.

But the show itself isn't a favourite of mine. I really admire it's edginess, and how it broke new ground, but honestly it's not one that I've ever been too enthusiastic about. Jennifer Saunders is a very funny woman (Joanna Lumley is too), but honestly the humour here never really appealed to me. There's nothing wrong with the show, it's really clever and raucous in a way that most shows weren't at the time, but for me it's always been one that I respect and admire more than I actually enjoy.

Absolutely Fabulous is a fairly landmark Britcom. It's a very good show. But it probably wouldn't be one of my favourites. There isn't anything it does wrong, it just isn't something I'm a huge fan of. But I really appreciate it, because it showed that female oriented comedy if this nature can work, and work well. It's portrayal of the fashion industry also seems fairly accurate, but I'm fairly clueless there. I definitely think it deserves it's place in best sitcom lists, because it did a lot that was new and different, and I think it's pretty cool for that. Hugely influential, just not a personal favourite.

The Britcompilation: Day 17- Bottom

Oh hey, something I've actually talked about before. Last June Jokefest, I did a whole piece about my five favourite episodes of Bottom, one of my favourite sitcoms. And since then, nothing has changed. I love this one. It's a little like a spiritual successor to The Young Ones, but I actually prefer this one. I think by 1991, Rik Mayall and Ade Edmunson has honed their craft. And made a show that's somehow even more cacophonous and stupid than The Young Ones. Bottom is about two men who live in a flat. That's it. But if you've seen it, you'll know that the story is hardly important. Hell, episodes often end having nothing to do with what they started with. An episode that starts with Ade Edmunson's Eddie coming back from the pub could end with them holding a burglar hostage. Or an episode that starts with a visit from the gas man could end with a perilous trip into the neighbouring apartment.

So the plot doesn't matter. What does is the insane, surreal and even occasionally offensive humour, perfectly personified by two fantastic performances. Rik Mayall is almost perfect as Richie, the depraved pervert yearning for some sort of class, while Ade Edmunson is equally great as Eddie, a crazed drunk who's always seconds from violence. These two bounce off of each other in what has to be one of the most violent and off the wall Britcoms ever. The insane antics of these guys never fail to tickle me, and the slapstick is nearly perfect. The timing is fantastic, the sound effects are great, the dialogue is filled with brilliant weirdness, it's just perfect. Okay so it isn't art, it's not clever, but it is it's own work of genius. It works on its own madcap logic. But few Britcoms are this mental, and pull that madness off so well.

Bottom is a work of madness, but it's one that I think I'll always love. It's sharply written, brilliantly dark, and often genuinely unpredictable. The gas man episode is something truly special, as is almost every other episode. It's one of my all time favourite sitcoms, and one of the best comedies that I've seen too. It truly needs to be seen to be believed. Bottom is a riot. 'Nuff said.

The Britcompilation: Day 16- One Foot in the Grave

So, between Steptoe and Son and Till Death do us Part, it's safe to say that the old curmudgeon is a staple of the British sitcom. But I don't think that any series made the pains of old age any funnier than One Foot in the Grave. Essentially it's about retired security guard Victor Meldrew, the grumpiest old man you can imagine. The series, while initially quite benign, is actually one of the more daring and dark Britcoms you'll find. It hides some hilarious black comedy under it's charming suburban setting, and was the subject of a fair bit of controversy because of that. This is what sets it apart from the majority of its contemporaries. Not many series contain episodes with cats in freezers, after all.

There were also a fair amount of concept episodes, like the traffic jam episode, which is outstanding, by the way. Also the final, which, no spoilers, takes a fairly tragic turn, but a typically dark one. Despite the darkness though, the show remains funny. Victor and his wife Margaret are damn good characters, and you actually do believe that these two love each other, even with all of the bickering. They're the heart and soul of the series, and I think that's what grounds the sardonic humour of the series, and also what balances out the darker stuff.

It's that strange charm that allowed this series to run for as long as it did. It's darkly hilarious, oddly endearing and features one of the most put upon old gits ever. All this adds up to a legendary and iconic series, one that even almost 30 years on, is still an incredibly fun watch, and broke new ground with its pitch black humour. Even now, it holds up. Which is damn impressive, considering how badly black comedy tends to date. But One Foot is a really funny show, and one that I don't think will be any less relevant any time soon. If you haven't seen it, you're in for a treat.

The Britcompilation: Day 15- Mr. Bean

And now for an all time favourite, and Rowan Atkinson's best work. What the hell can I even say about Mr. Bean, because it's practically perfect. It's maybe the simplest idea for a show (totally inept man gets into a variety of situations), but it gets by because of how fantastic Rowan Atkinson is as Bean. He's incapable of doing anything right, and that makes the simplest situation become so incredibly complicated. From there, it's comedy magic. And also one of the most successful sitcoms, spawning an animated series (which I've never seen), two movies (one of which is pretty poor, the other surprisingly really good), and a handful of specials.

That's damn impressive for such a simple show. Although to be honest, it's not much of a surprise, and I think there's two reasons why. First, Bean himself is such a lovable character. Not a complex one, admittedly, but Atkinson has such a knack for comedy that I think people just love watching him. He's transcended the series' potentially overly simplistic concept with sheer charm. But the second reason, and why it's one of my favourites, is because Bean has no limits. Britcoms are usually centred on a premise, and so the various stories operate within the parameters of the setting. Don't get me wrong, there have been fantastic rulebreaking series that work within their premise, and have been funnier for it (The Young Ones, Till Death Do Us Part, Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em). But because Mr. Bean's concept is pretty much just a character, there aren't really any hard and fast limits to what they can and can't do. Just putting him into a situation yields great results. He's not restricted to a single location, and so the series remained varied.

That doesn't automatically make Mr. Bean the funniest show ever, but it is one of the things I love about it, and it makes it one of my favourite comedies to watch. It's hilarious, and it holds up to repeat viewings. So many of the scenes and setpieces have passed on into legend. And some of them are genuinely some of my favourite comic scenes (the sweet in the church, the turkey on the head, meeting the queen). Mr. Bean is the embodiment of simple, pure, endearing fun for me. It's easygoing, joyful comedy, and it doesn't date because of that. It could go anywhere and do anything, and damn if it isn't a work of genius because of that.

The Britcompilation: Day 14- Red Dwarf

Sitcoms and science fiction don't exactly go hand in hand. As in, there are barely any mainstream sci-fi Britcoms. I guess it's fortunate then that the only major sci-fi Britcom is a really good show. Red Dwarf is often considered to be one of the best sitcoms, and you can definitely see why. Essentially, it's about Dave Lister, the last surviving human and a member of the crew of the mining ship Red Dwarf. The series follows Lister, the hologram of his former superior Rimmer, the being that evolved from Lister's cat (named Cat), the service droid Kryten, and the ship's computer, Holly.

What I love about Red Dwarf is it's ability to work using just ideas, which compensates for the smaller cast. The ideas are treated fairly seriously here, and the series even prods at some existential stuff, like how Lister is god to the race of cat people. The series is great at handling these ideas, particularly the time stuff. It's definitely one of the best science fiction series that doesn't even feature aliens. The ideas are at the series' core, but what keeps it funny and watchable is how great the cast is. The chemistry that they have is undeniable, and each of the characters has their own kind of charm. It keeps the big ideas easy to watch, and makes up for the general lack of recurring characters for most of the show. It's a very strong core cast, and it's a very good show overall. It does well it it's big ideas, but it's also funny, entertaining and just a lot of fun. It's a solid series overall, and it really deserves it's cult following. So, overall? A classic

The Britcompilation: Day 13- Blackadder

And now for Mr. Rowan Atkinson to take the stage. This guy. He's a legend. And although Blackadder isn't his best series, it's definitely an all time classic. Essentially, it's a series of four Britcoms that all revolve around Edmund Blackadder, and his companion, Baldrick. Both of these guys exist in a variety of different incarnations across several time periods. The situations and the other characters change period to period, but Atkinson and Tony Robinson stay the same each time. Set in Medieval times, Elizabethan times, Georgian times, and the First World War, respectively, we follow these guys and their antics in each incarnation.

Blackadder himself ranges from a prince to a soldier, but most of his traits remain intact. He's usually a cynic, always an opportunist, and definitely always self centered. What keeps this guy watchable is the scope of his character. No matter which time period he's in, this guy always steals the show. Rowan Atkinson plays him with huge bravado, and he's an absolute delight to witness.

Blackadder also has one of the best finales ever. Goodbyeee, the last episode of the show, is legitimately excellent, with that last scene being one of my favourites in any show. But I think the topic of finals is one for another day....

Anyway, Blackadder is another solid sitcom, a fantastic era hopper that's always funny, no matter what period it's set in. Rowan Atkinson is a fantastically charming and funny guy anyway, and here, he's almost at his best. Almost. Because of the elephant in the room, but we'll get there. For now, just know that Blackadder is an outstanding classic sitcom.

The Britcompilation: Day 12- The Young Ones

Ah, The Good Life. What a classic. A celebration of simple values. A staple of British comedy and-

Wait

This isn't The Good Life

I think that it's fair to say that Rik Mayall and Ade Edmunson changed the face of comedy. There wasn't anything quite like The Young Ones. Hell, I don't even think that there's anything like it now. It was a comic revolution. Which is interesting if you check out it's development. Rik Mayall had the characters, and situations to put them in, but was struggling to come up with any real material (check out the fascinating interview with Ben Elton for more info on that). Needless to say, things worked out, and now we're here.

The Young Ones really changed the sitcom landscape. There were some absolute gems before this one, but they all existed within certain boundaries. But The Young Ones refused to play anything safe. It was edgy, it was chaotic, and it was a damn good zeitgeist for what was going on at the time. It was a series about the youth of England for the youth. This was a real game changer, and it really stood out from the relatively safe stuff before it. And it was really just about four students and their various hijinks. But what sets it apart is it's willingness to be weird, surreal and offbeat.

And it still holds up. Okay, it's pretty rough, but there's a really raw, pure, fun chaos to The Young Ones that is kind of missing from the majority of mainstream comedies. Nothing was like this, and it marked a landmark movement in British pop culture: the alternative movement. People weren't afraid to be anti establishment, and with series like this keeping it funny, things really did change. It's an unabashedly 80s series, but it revels in its own audacity, and is all the better for it. That reference to The Good Life is no coincidence, they refused to play anything safe, and better still, they knew it.

The Britcompilation: Day 11- 'Allo 'Allo!

Dad's Army wasn't the only WW2 set satire, because we also had 'Allo 'Allo!, which, like Dad's Army, is a true classic. 'Allo 'Allo is probably one of the busiest Britcoms, and summing it up is actually a bit tricky, because so much goes on. Basically, it's about René, a French café owner during the war. And the series generally revolves around the various shenanigans that occur in the café. These range from hiding art from the Nazis, aiding the resistance, sheltering British pilots, and embarking on a series of affairs with various women. Compared to relatively simple series such as Open All Hours or Fawlty Towers, there really is a lot going on in this one, but I actually think it's better for it. It definitely sets 'Allo 'Allo apart from it's contemporaries, and gives the series a distinct edge on top of that.

There's a lot of characters in this series, so instead of listing all of the performances, I'll single out three. First, Gordon Kaye as René, who's definitely one of the strongest leads in a Britcom. He's a very entertaining and fairly engaging everyman who just happens to be involved in both sides of the war. Second, Vicki Michelle as Yvette, because she's Vicki Michelle and she's awesome. And my personal favourite character, Jack Haig as LeClerc, the master of disguise. This guy is an absolute riot, and one of my favourite things about this show.

Dad's Army may be a foundational sitcom, but for me, 'Allo 'Allo is much more fun, and actually funnier. I feel that it's better satire, and with all the different plot points and characters, it's just a more entertaining watch (though I love them both). It's one that I really love, and the farcical approach to the Second World War is one the strongest I've seen. It's also held up very well, and I think it deserves the acclaim it's received. Overall, 'Allo 'Allo is still an incredibly charming series, and it's one that I think will hold up for many more years to come.

The Britcompilation: Day 10- Only Fools and Horses

And now for the greatest British comedy series of all time.... if you believe the most recent Channel 4 poll anyway. Few sitcoms have a following that's as dedicated as Only Fools and Horses. Essentially it's about two brothers and their grandad, who carry out a variety of get rich quick schemes.

David Jason plays Del Boy, the eldest brother and one of the most iconic characters in British comedy. And while I think that the entire cast are damn strong, it's Del Boy that's the core of the series. He's an eternal optimist, and he's always got a plan ready. He's a magnetic character who's fairly hard to dislike, and a lot of that comes down to how Jason plays him. David Jason just has an inherent likeability anyway, and as Del, he's just impossible to not love watching. Even if none of his schemes actually worked, it was still incredibly entertaining just watching him.

That said, Only Fools and Horses wouldn't be one of my favourites. I'm not sure why, it's just not one that I'd rush out to watch. Not that there's even anything massively wrong with it, it's just never been one of my favourites. I'll definitely watch it when it's on, and I'll enjoy it, but to be honest, I'm talking about it mainly because of its legacy and iconic status. It's definitely a classic, and I can see why, but would I call it the greatest sitcom ever? No. Do I like it? Yes. It's not my absolute favourite, but there's some really good stuff here, so it earns it's status for sure.

The Britcompilation: Day 9- Fawlty Towers

I think big characters are at the heart of the Britcom. Because the concepts are usually so basic, you almost need a strong personality to make up for it. As a result, the best sitcoms almost hinge on their main character, and these characters pass on into legend. And I don't think any character has personified a series as much as Basil Fawlty does Fawlty Towers.

I constantly find myself in awe of John Cleese. Because every time I see him, I'm reminded of just how funny he is. And I think his absolute magnum opus would be Fawlty Towers. In case you don't know, Fawlty Towers revolves around Basil Fawlty, the owner of a semi failing Torquay hotel. Despite the fact that they only made 12 episodes, the series is absolutely loaded with gags, the majority of which come from how batshit crazy Basil is as a character. Short tempered, overly pedantic and constantly yearning for some kind of class in his hotel, Basil is an ingenious comic creation. He has a knack for complicating any situation he finds himself in, and that's where the real genius of the show comes in. Because with Cleese at the helm, the simplest situations become huge escalations if epic proportions. A loose hamster, a dead body and some visiting Germans are but a few of the setups that this show employs.

The support is fairly excellent too. Prunella Scales oozes acid as Basil's wife Sybil, Connie Booth is the sole voice of reason as chambermaid Polly, and Andrew Sachs gives a delightfully inept turn as Manuel, quite possibly the worst waiter in the world. With a quartet like this, you're definitely guaranteed some laughs, and the dozen episodes that were made are pretty much perfect. They're simple ideas fantastically executed, almost like jokes in themselves. Combine that with Cleese's beautifully wry dark humour and you've got a genuine work of genius.

Fawlty Towers is definitely up there for me as one of my favourites. John Cleese is one of my all time favourite comedians anyway, and I don't think he's ever been better than he is here. Every episode of Fawlty Towers is a pure delight. My favourite has got to be The Kipper and the Corpse, but it's one of those series where I'd understand if any of these was your favourite. It's a truly legendary show, and even after 40 years, it's still magnificent. 

The Britcompilation: Day 8- Porridge

And now for the other sitcom that Ronnie Barker made. And like Open All Hours, Porridge is a true classic. Barker plays Fletcher, a criminal serving a sentence in prison. The series revolves around Fletcher's relationships with his naïve cellmate Godber, as well as the officers in the prison, particularly the stern Mackay and the timid Barrowclough. There isn't actually much to the series beyond that, but I think Fletcher is such a strong character, and has such good chemistry with the rest of the cast, that's it's still a really fun watch. Barker plays Fletcher as a cynical smart alec who always has some sort of scheme going on, and it's the sheer likeability of Fletcher that makes Porridge work despite it's relative simplicity.

The supporting cast is fantastic too, but really it's all about Barker. He's what makes this such a good show, and he's just so fantastically watchable. I mean, when something just works, what can you say about it? Porridge is probably one of the most solid Britcoms, because it just works. Ronnie Barker had this effortless charm about him, and it's because of that that makes Porridge work. He's just so funny, with impeccable timing and fantastic charm. Every episode is just a great half hour of television, and a lot of that comes down to Barker. Open All Hours was a bit like that too, where the immense likeability and simple comedy just makes the show work. Porridge is a well oiled machine of a series, and it truly deserves it's place in the pantheon.

The Britcompilation: Day 7- Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em

I think that the British really excel at spoken comedy. They just have a penchant for wordplay and dry wit that just cannot be matched. If you look at Ealing, or Python, or really any major British comic, you'll notice that it almost always comes back to dialogue. It's something that the Brits really do better than anyone else. Even so, there's something to be said about physical comedy too, and in that area, nothing matches Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em.

The tale of a well meaning but ultimately hopeless man named Frank Spencer, this series chronicles his inability to get anything right. Or more accurately, his incredible ability to get everything wrong. Where other sitcoms balanced sharp writing with occasional slapstick, this series is all about the stunts, which were actually performed by Michael Crawford. You really have to admire the spectacle here, and how the most mundane situation can turn into an epic chain of unfortunate events. Something as simple as a driving test turns into a huge spectacle, and these setpieces are damn impressive.

Michael Crawford plays Frank as a meek but well intentioned man, and that makes it funnier when even the simplest things he does become insanely huge. This show is gloriously mad, and the stuntwork is genuinely fantastic. This is one of the best examples of slapstick because it's so perfectly composed, and because it's done practically, it's fairly believable too. It's such a fun series to watch, because you never quite know what's going to happen next. This show masters the idea of comic escalation. Every episode is like it's own joke, with each individual setpiece upping the ante. Few sitcoms are as impressive to witness as this one, because few sitcoms did what this one did. Hell, there isn't really anything now doing what this did. It's crazy, and it's all the better for it. Simply put, Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em is an out and out classic

The Britcompilation: Day 6- Open All Hours

There are many icons in British comedy, but few are as indelible as Ronnie Barker. It's easy to see why this guy is as loved as he is, because the mark he left on the world of comedy is monumental. Love him or hate him, you've got to respect him, because this guy is a true legend. And he's at the centre of two of the most beloved sitcoms ever, one of which being the 1970s classic, Open All Hours. Ronnie Barker plays Arkwright, a frugal shopkeeper who is assured by his put upon nephew, Granville, played by David Jason. Like the best sitcoms, it makes up for it's simple setups with the sheer likeability of it's characters. Barker and Jason have great onscreen chemistry, and the series is at its best when it's just them bouncing off of each other. The banter here is really something special, and it's played with enough wit and charm to make up for the fairly simple plots. The series has a likeability to it that makes it an easy and fun watch.

Even though there are other recurring characters, the series tends to stay focused on the relationship between Granville and Arkwright. This is fine because their rapport is more than entertaining. It's the heart of the show, and it isn't just funny, it's actually kind of believable too. Similar to Steptoe and Son, the comedic dysfunction of their relationship hides some genuine heart and pathos. Over the course of the series, you do get the impression that these two actually do care about each other. As I said when I talked about Steptoe, that kind of underlying humanity really enhances the humour.

So Open All Hours. What can I say? It's a classic, and for good reason. With how likeable the two leads are, and how strong their characterisations are, it stands the test of time flawlessly. It's effortlessly charming and incredibly funny, and it absolutely solidifies Ronnie Barker as an all time legend. Well, that and another series....

The Britcompilation: Day 5- On the Buses

Revisiting older sitcoms often feels like rolling the dice. Sometimes you get something like Steptoe and Son, which holds up pristinely. Sometimes you get something like Till Death Do Us Part, which is arguably funnier now than it was at the time. And then you'll get something like On the Buses. It's interesting because although it holds up terribly now, it actually wasn't too beloved at the time either, despite being massively popular with audiences. It centres around a bus depot, which in fairness isn't a bad setup. Unfortunately, the characters are fairly poorly drawn and one dimensional. I know sitcoms aren't generally known for detailed characterisations, but at least great sitcom characters are distinct and memorable. The cast here are fairly standard archetypes.

Which would be fine, if the humour was good. And honestly? It's dated, it's archaic, and it never quite hits the mark.I get that older series will contain jokes that don't necessarily age well, but the best ones compensate for that with memorable characters and other gags that are genuinely hilarious. But the majority of the jokes in On the Buses are either awkwardly unfunny or borderline offensive. Especially when you put it beside something like Till Death Do Us Part, which holds up well by putting it's misogyny in the context of the character. The stuff about how unattractive Olive especially did not age well. On the Buses is awkward at best and cringe inducing at worst. Which is a shame, because it's not actually a bad idea for a show, and if it was done right, it'd probably be pretty good. But honestly, I think that this is something best left in the 70s.

Wait, it got HOW many seasons?

The Britcompilation: Day 4- Dad's Army

If you have any sort of interest in British pop culture, then you're probably familiar with Dad's Army. It's one of the most beloved Britcoms, and frequently ranks highly in polls of the best British series. And I have to say, it's hard to argue with its legacy. For a series that approaches the Second World War from a tangent (the British Home Guard), it actually does hold it's own as one of the most iconic British comedies. It actually holds up okay, and I think that's because of how varied the humour is in this one. There's physical comedy, sharp dialogue, and even some dark humour in there too. The characters are strong as well, being a quintessential group of lovable misfits;  the overly patriotic Mainwaring, the anxious Jones, the laid back Wilson, the dour Frazer, the shifty Walker, the mild mannered Godfrey and the immature Pike. They're admittedly simple characters, but they're so vastly different and have such distinct personalities that the writers can wring humour from even the simplest situations.

This is a show that gets by on the likeability and personality of it's characters. That's what makes it more than just another WW2 satire, how enjoyable the Home Guard is to watch. They're fairly incompetent, but they're very entertaining. I think that's the reason that this is such a beloved series, because the characters are these really memorable and enjoyable personalities, and because the humour is so character driven, so much of this show has passed into legend (seen with the sheer magnitude of catchphrases).

So overall, Dad's Army is a bonafide classic. It's one that I really admire, because it certainly paved the way for excellent ensembles in Britcoms. It definitely helped to define the sitcom as a character driven medium, and even generally simple setups became incredibly funny (the episode where they take shelter in a "haunted" house). Safe to say, without this show, the sitcom as we know it would be incredibly different. All these years later, Dad's Army is still a quintessentially hilarious series that launched a thousand tropes.

The Britcompilation: Day 3- Till Death Do Us Part

Nobody does a curmudgeon quite like the British, and one of the greatest examples of this character has to be Alf Garnett. This guy hates everyone, but he's beyond fun to watch. The series is kind of built around his character, with the other members of the cast being there to bounce off of him. What I find interesting about this series is the satire. It'd be easy to take it seriously, given some of the values of the era (some people did actually agree with his views), but it's actually a massive piss take of close minded bigots, and I'd argue that's part of the reason it holds up so well. If the racism and bigotry were played straight, it probably wouldn't hold up as well as it does.

That's something that I think is down to the writing, which is generally fantastic. Obviously it goes without saying that some of the dialogue is a touch dated, but this is a series about old fashioned values, and the mockery of those values. Alf Garnett is a great character because he's exaggerated. He's big and he's loud and he's prejudiced, and that's why he works so well. He's a complete product of his time, but he's written with such irony that the show is never a product of it's time. That's a thin line to walk, but the fact that this show stands the test of time is a testament to how well Alf is portrayed. He's got gleefully dysfunctional relationships with the other characters, especially his son in law, the "randy Scouse git". The show has a huge amount of fun with these character interactions, and that's where the series really shines.

Overall, Till Death Do Us Part is a solid Britcom. I mean, potentially a show like this could be beyond dated and even borderline offensive, but for me it stays fresh because Alf Garnett is a great caricature. And it's a solid piece of satire that more than stands the test of time. If you want to check out a fantastic 60s comedy series, this is a big one.

The Britcompilation: Day 2- The Likely Lads

Men behaving badly are a staple of the Britcom, and I think that The Likely Lads was definitely one of the first shows to tap into this idea. Now, if you know about this show, you'll also probably know that a lot of it doesn't actually exist. See, the BBC wiped a lot of their series from this time, so only eight episodes of The Likely Lads actually exist, with the rest of them being lost. This may make talking about it as little bit difficult, but it's still a quintessential sitcom, so I'm still going to cover it.

Basically, it's about the friendship between two working class men in Newcastle, and the various shenanigans they get up to. And while that is a typically simple premise, honestly it's not one that stands out for me very much. I mean it's definitely a classic, and it's got it's funny moments, but it just doesn't have anything exemplary going for it. Don't get me wrong, it's overall a very fun show, but compared to other sitcoms from that period, it just doesn't stand out all that much for me.

So why am I talking about it? Well, it's an essential Britcom for sure, being the first major example of men behaving badly, and it's also a pretty nice time capsule for 60s culture too. It's also a noteworthy example of how the wiping policy affected shows, and I think that it's partial destruction is part of the reason it doesn't stand out all that much. Yeah Britcoms typically don't have too many episodes anyway, but that's usually by design. With this show, it feels like there's more to be said, because there evidently is. Look, it's a really fun show, and it's undoubtedly harmless, but if you're looking for the funniest, best written and most overall memorable Britcom, look elsewhere

The Britcompilation: Day 1- Steptoe and Son

Another post, another reminder that I love comedy. And nobody does it better than the British. I've mentioned some Britcoms before, but for the month of July, I'm gonna be discussing quite a few of them. Think of it like a substitute for June Jokefest, but a little more specific. Because there's something special about the Britcom. See, I kind of want to focus on shows that chart the evolution of British comedy over time. So these aren't necessarily the best (though some of them are), or even my favourites (though some of them definitely are), but they're ones that I feel have impacted the British comedy landscape in some significant way. So, let's honour them, shall we?

And for me, there's no better place to start than with Steptoe and Son. It wasn't the first Britcom, but I think it's the perfect starting place, not just because it's a classic, but also to see how the British sitcom has evolved over time. And if some 60s series have dated, Steptoe certainly isn't one of them. This show is an absolute classic. The series revolves around two rag and bone men: Harold, and his cantankerous father Albert. Like the majority of Britcoms, it runs off a simple premise, but for me it succeeds on the strength of its characters, as well as it's tone.

Harold and Albert make for one of the best pairings I've seen in a series. Albert is so filthy and stubborn, and he makes the perfect foil for the uptight Harold, who dreams of a better life for himself. These two are such polar opposites, but the rapport between Wilfrid Brambell and Harry H. Corbett is undeniable. The begrudging respect that these two have for each other despite their monumental disagreements ties this show together. The more disgusting and difficult Albert is, the more extreme and, usually funny Harold's response will be. This is what makes the show so funny, the idea of their relationship, with all of Harold's aspirations foiled by his father's.... well, his everything.

But what makes this show special is how the tone and pathos plays into the show. Steptoe and Son is a classic example of the British kitchen sink style. The Steptoes live in bleak conditions, and though Albert foiling his son's plans to make a better life for himself is undoubtedly hilarious, it goes deeper than that. Albert is scared of being left alone, and his attempts to sabotage Harold's plans come from his underlying worries of loneliness and isolation. That's heavy stuff, but the truly awesome thing about Steptoe and Son is that all this sorrow and pathos is in the subtext, and doesn't get in the way of the humour. Yes it's about two men living in squalor, and deals with themes of poverty and elderly loneliness, but it's still one of the funniest series to come out of Britain even half a century on. It doesn't even have that many flaws, because the jokes that don't work are overshadowed by the ones that do, and the relationship between the two leads is engaging enough to forgive any missteps. You should watch Steptoe and Son not just because it's a surprisingly thoughtful and well written series, but also because it's just damn funny. It holds up, and that's pretty marvellous.