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.
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