Comedy A-F
2 Point 4 Children1991 BBC Television
Bill and Ben Porter (Belinda Lang and Gary Olsen) and their two children seem like just your average family. However, they find themselves in weird and wonderful situations which make them anything but average. Written by Andrew Marshall and with a strong supporting cast, 2 point 4 children ran for eight series.
7 of 11973 BBC Television 7 of 1 was a series of 7 comedy pilots, all starring Ronnie Barker. The "Porridge" and "Open All Hours" series came out of it.
Acorn Antiques1986
A soap opera set in an antique shop, complete with bad acting, terrible dialogue and wobbly sets, Acorn Antiques was a regular feature of Victoria Wood As Seen On TV. A send up of long running ATV series Crossroads, Acorn Antiques followed the daily lives of shop owner Miss Babs (Celia Imrie), her business partner Miss Berta (Victoria Wood), love interest Mr Clifford (Duncan Preston) and the elderly tea lady Mrs Overall (Julie Walters). One of the best remembered parts of Victoria Wood's award winning show, Acorn Antiques became a West End musical in 2005 with members of the original cast.
Alexei Sayle's Stuff1988 BBC Television The anarchic Alexei Sayle (of Comic Strip and Young Ones-fame) went on to have his own BBC2 series in 1988. Co-written by Andrew Marshall and David Renwick, the series concentrated on Alexei's manic observations of life and other such 'stuff'. Guests Tony Millan (Tucker in Citizen Smith), Felicity Montagu (Lynn in I'm Alan Partridge), Harriet Thorpe (Carole in The Brittas Empire), Mark Williams (of The Fast Show) and Angus Deayton (of Have I Got News For You) appeared regularly throughout the first series of 6 episodes.
Alexei Sayle's Stuff1989 BBC Television Alexei returned to BBC2 with a second helping of Stuff in October 1989. In this series he was joined by Jan Ravens (of Dead Ringers) and Owen Brenman (Mr Swainey in One Foot In The Grave), replacing Felicity Montagu, Harriet Thorpe and Mark Williams. Once again, 6 episodes were produced.
Alexei Sayle's Stuff1991 BBC Television The third and final series of Alexei Sayle's Stuff was shown on BBC2 in October 1991. All the regulars from series 2 remained for the last batch of 6 episodes.
Alfresco1983 A sketch show intended to be ITV's answer to Not the 9 O'Clock News, Alfresco was written by Ben Elton, with contributions from Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie. It also featured Robbie Coltrane, Siobhan Redmond and Emma Thompson.
Ali G In Da USA????
Voice of 'da yoof' Ali G (Sacha Baron Cohen) returns for a second outing and this time launches himself on unsuspecting public figures in America.
'Allo 'AlloBBC TV
Long running sitcom from Jeremy Lloyd and David Croft set in World War II, 'Allo 'Allo tells the story of Rene Artois (Gorden Kaye) whose café is being used as a safe house for the French Resistance while the town is occupied by the Germans.
Are You Being Served?BBC TV
Set in a large department store and created by Jeremy Lloyd and David Croft, Are You Being Served? was a mainstay of the BBC schedules for over ten years. Laden with innuendo and misunderstanding, characters included the effeminate Mr Humphries (John Inman), the haughty Captain Peacock (Frank Thornton) and the snobbish Mrs Slocombe (Mollie Sugden).
The Army Game1960 A comedy about National Service, The Army Game featured many stars that went on to become household names, such as Alfie Bass, Bernard Bresslaw, Dick Emery, William Hartnell and Charles Hawtrey.
A Bit of Fry and Laurie1992
An eccentric and sometimes high-brow sketch show, A bit of Fry and Laurie, showcased the talents of Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie. Using elaborate word play with some surreal moments, the show ran until the mid 90s on the BBC.
The Benny Hill Show1982
A comedy show which ran on Thames Television for twenty years, saw Benny Hill in the guise of many comic characters, in short sketches often involving slapstick and innuendo. Each episode ended with a 'Keystone Cops' style high speed chase, typically involving Hill and scantily clad women. Indeed, it was the portrayal of women as objects, being leered at by men in the show, that became a real cause of controversy by the 1980s. With growing criticism about it being old fashioned and sexist, Thames cancelled The Benny Hill Show in 1989, despite continued high ratings.
Benidorm2007 Benidorm was written by Derren Litten (writer and actor of The Catherine Tate Show). The series was filmed in a real hotel complex in Benidorm and it's based around the Brits on what must be the longest Spanish package holiday in history! This hilarious show features a fantastic cast list, including Johnny Vegas and Steve Pemberton (of League of Gentlemen fame). It first aired in 2007, and in 2008 was nominated for a BAFTA.
The Best of Bobby Davro On The Box1985
Sketches and songs parodying programmes of the day from impressionists Bobby Davro and Jessica Martin.
Birds of a Feather1993 BBC Television Birds of a Feather ran from 1989 to 1998. The series was written by Laurence Marks & Maurice Gran. Two sisters end up living together after their husbands are sent to prison. It starred Pauline Quirke, Linda Robson and Lesley Joseph.
The Black Adder1983 Written by Richard Curtis and Rowan Atkinson, and set in the middle ages. The first series of Blackadder follows the exploits of Edmund (Rowan Atkinson), the unfavoured second son of the King and his attempts to win favour with his father. It was a highly ambitious project with much on location filming and a large cast.
Blackadder II1986 Set during the reign of Elizabeth I (Miranda Richardson), Blackadder II sees Edmund, Lord Blackadder as a member of the aristocracy, but still very much a scheming cynic, hindered by his servant Baldrick (Tony Robinson). For the second series, Ben Elton replaced Atkinson as a writer, and filming was entirely studio based.
Black Adder The Third1987 Mr Edmund Blackadder serves as butler to the Prince Regent (Hugh Laurie) in Blackadder's third outing.
Blackadder's Christmas Carol1988 A Christmas special, featuring Ebenezer Blackadder, a kind and generous man who becomes bitter and vengeful after a visit from the Spirit of Christmas (Robbie Coltrane).
Black Adder Goes Forth1989 Set in the trenches on the Western Front in the First World War, Blackadder Goes Forth, sees Captain Blackadder trying to escape the trenches using various schemes, which are doomed to failure.
Bloomers1979 Stan (Richard Beckinsale) works for a small flower business in London. Bloomers centres on the day to day scrapes the workers got into doing odd jobs around town. The show was shelved before the end of the series, following the sudden death of Beckinsale from a heart attack.
The Bounder1982 Yorkshire Television The Bounder ran for just 2 series in 1982 and 1983. The series featured Peter Bowles as a fraudster just realeased from prison. It also starred George Cole, Rosalind Ayres and Isla Blair. The series was written by Eric Chappell. Notice how the ident was blended into the title sequence as was often the case with Yorkshires programmes at that time.
Brush Strokes1990
Sitcom following the ladish antics of Jacko, a cockney painter & decorator. The series, which ran from 1986 to 1991, was written by John Esmonde & Bob Larbey. It starred Karl Howman, Gary Waldhorn, Elizabeth Counsell, Mike Walling, Nicky Croydon & Howard Lew Lewis.
The Catherine Tate Show2004 A sketch show created by Catherine Tate and Derren Litten, The Catherine Tate Show features a multitude of characters including, argumentative teenage girl Lauren Cooper, foul mouthed grandmother 'Nan' Taylor, and Janice and Ray, a northern couple disgusted by multicultural Britain.
The Catherine Tate Show2005 These are the opening titles from series 2. Ms Tate also brought us such sayings as "How very dare you" and "Who dear? Me Dear? Gay, Dear? No, dear!" and the often uttered by school kids across the country - "Am i bovvered?".
Catherine Tate studied at The Central School of Speech and Drama in London where she met Litten and their writing and acting careers started. After 3 series she starred in a number of one off specials including a sketch with Tony Blair and performing in front (and taking the mickey out of) The Queen, no less at the Royal Variety Performance. She has now moved onto playing Donna Noble in Doctor Who.
Candid Camera Classics1976
Created by improbably named American producer Allen Funt, Candid Camera used hidden cameras to set up members of the public by putting them in ridiculous situations, often using trick props. When the joke was revealed, they were greeted with the immortal words 'Smile, you're on Candid Camera!' Making its way onto our screens in the 1960s, the British version of Candid Camera was fronted by Bob Monkhouse. It returned in the 1970s hosted by Peter Dulay. Candid Camera was the inspiration for more recent shows such as Just For Laughs, Trigger Happy TV, Punk'd and Beadle's About.
Carry On Laughing1975 ATV ATV's attempt in 1975 to transfer Carry On to the small screen. Numerous stars from the Carry On movies including Sid James, Hattie Jacques, Bernard Bresslaw, Peter Butterworth, Kenneth Connor and Barbara Windsor, made guest appearances in the 13 episodes produced between 1975 and 1976.
Casanova '731973
Leslie Phillips (who else?) stars in this short lived BBC1 sitcom about the dealings of Henry Newhouse ("casa nova" literally meaning "New house " in Italian) and was basically a bedroom farce in tv format. Written by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson, it was famously swapped places with Mastermind, which was a late night quiz at the time. Casanova disappeared after a while, while Mastermind found a whole new audience and became a huge success. 
Citizen Smith1978 BBC Television "Power to the People!" Robert Linsday starred as Wolfie Smith - workshy revolutionary and leader of the Tooting Popular Front. Other characters included Wolfie's girlfriend Shirley (Cheryl Hall), her parents (Peter Vaughan and Hilda Braid) and his friends Ken (Mike Grady), Tucker (Tony Millan) and Speed (George Sweeney). Following a sucessful pilot episode in 1977, four series and a further 30 episodes were produced, including a Christmas Special, between 1978 and 1980.
Class Act1994
Kate Swift (Joanna Lumley) attempts to regain the fortune which her husband had swindled her out of before he was murdered, with the help of ex jailbird Gloria O'Grady (Nadine Garner), and journalist Jack Booker (John Bowe).
Comic Relief1988
The centrepiece of 1988 - the original TV spectacular - was the sketch show "73 of a Kind". Apart from Henry, Rhys Jones, Ross, French, Saunders, Enfield et al, it featured at least 73 stars, everyone ranging from Sue Cook, Valerie Singleton, Phillip Schofield and Nick Ross, to Geoffrey Palmer, Penelope Keith, Ralph Bates and Martin Shaw, plus Kenny Everett, Tony Robinson, Celia Imrie and Gorden Kaye. Even Melvyn Bragg made an appearance as himself, in a South Bank Show spoof guest starring Timothy Spall as a pissed-artist.
Cool It1986 BBC Television After a number of years on the cabaret circuit, the very talented Phil Cool was given his own series by the BBC in 1985. This was followed with another in 1986 and just one more in 1988.
Crapston Villas
A satire of inner-city life in London made by Spitting Image Productions, Crapston Villas stars foul mouthed plasticine characters living in a squalid apartment block. Written by Sarah Ann Kennedy, and featuring the vocal talents of some of Britain's best known actors and comedians, including Morwenna Banks, Alistair McGowan, John Thomson, Alison Steadman and Felix Dexter.
Da Ali G Show2000
Ali G (Sacha Baron Cohen) is the voice of 'da yoof' and leader of the West Staines Massive. He talks to unsuspecting public figures about the issues of the day in his own inimitable style.
Dad's Army1968 BBC Television Dad's Army ran from 1968 to 1977. The series was written by Jimmy Perry and David Croft. It featured the antics of the British Home Guard at Walmington-on-Sea. It starred Arthur Lowe, John Le Mesurier, Clive Dunn, Ian Lavender, James Beck, John Laurie, Arnold Ridley and Bill Pertwee.
Dad's Army1969 BBC Television
In 1969, with the introduction of colour the title sequence was slighty modified.
The Darling Buds Of May1991 Yorkshire Television Comedy based on the books of H.E. Bates. The series starred David Jason, Pam Ferris, Philip Franks and Catherine Zeta Jones.
Dave Allen at Large1976
Irish comedian Dave Allen intersperses stand up (or sit down in his case) with sketches in this popular BBC series. This clip contains 3 funny sketches courtesy of the man himself.
Dawson & Friends1977 Yorkshire Television Les Dawson made numerous sketch and stand up series with Yorkshire Television from 1969 to 1977. Dawson & Friends consisted of four, one hour specials.
The Dick Emery Show1976 BBC Television The Dick Emery Show ran from 1963 to 1981. Guest stars included Roy Kinnear and Joan Sims. The series was produced by Harold Snoad.
Father, Dear Father1968 Thames Television Middle aged divorcee Patrick Glover (Patrick Cargill) is left to look after his two teenage daughters after his wife runs off with his best friend. Comedy of misunderstanding written by Johnnie Mortimer and Brian Cooke.
Fawlty Towers1975 & 1979 BBC Television Fawlty Towers is certainly considered as a classic of the 1970s. The programme only consisted of two 6 episode series. It starred John Cleese, Prunella Scales, Connie Booth and Andrew Sachs. The writers were John Cleese and Connie Booth.
Filthy Rich & Catflap1987 BBC Television Filthy Rich & Catflap was written by Ben Elton and starred Rik Mayall, Adrian Edmondson and Nigel Planer.
Frankie Howerd1966 BBC Television One of many standup shows which Frankie Howerd had over his long career.
Full Stretch1993
Porridge creators Dick Clement and Ian Le Frenais with a comedy about the misadventures of a limousine hire firm.
The Full Wax1991
American comedian Ruby Wax blends celebrity interviews with comedy in her most famous work.