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.