Comedy S-Z
S
Shine On Harvey Moon1995
Revival of the 1980s demob comedy set in the East End of London. This time set in 1950s, with Nicky Henson taking over the role of Harvey.
The Sketch Show2001
Late night ITV - you guessed it - sketch show featuring Lee Mack, Tim Vine, Ronni Ancona, Karen Taylor, and Jim Tavaré.
Sorry!1982 BBC Television The Timothy Lumsden character became a byword for single men living with their parents well past thirty. Ronnie Corbett scored his biggest sitcom success as the shy librarian manipulated into a sense of obligation to his domineering mother yet also desiring to escape. Interplay between Corbett and Barbara Lott as Mrs Lumsden was both humourous and dark in contemplation of Tim's predicament. Gaynor Colbourn and Hugh Wisdom composed the acclaimed title music.
South Of The Border1985 Yorkshire Television Comedy starring Brian Glover, Belinda Sinclair, Robin Parkinson, Maggie Jones, Mossie Smith and Christopher Godwin. The series was written by Peter Tinniswood.
Q8 Spike Milligan1979
Spike Milligan's Q was a sketch show which ran on the BBC for almost 15 years. Using his surreal wit, sketches came thick and fast with no real pattern, ending abruptly or switching from one location to another for no apparent reason.
Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'EmAccident-prone, childlike, unemployable champion of the beige tank top Frank Spencer (Michael Crawford) somehow managed to wed - and conceive a child with(!) - the lovely Betty (Michele Dotrice). Ronnie Hazlehurst spelled out the name of the programme in Morse code on the piccolo to provide distinctive theme music. Both brilliantly and dubiously, Crawford made number 17 in the BBC's 100 Greatest Britons poll. Fans of his illustrious stage career may well have voted strongly, but you just know it had more to do with him ducking under a lorry while on rollerskates.
Spitting Image1991
A satirical puppet show from the 80s and 90s. Featuring the vocal talents of Chris Barrie, Harry Enfield, Steve Nallon and John Sessions, and created by Peter Fluck and Roger Law, Spitting Image sought to send up public figures, with politicians particularly in the firing line.
Steptoe and Son1962 BBC Television Steptoe and Son has to be considered as one of the best classic british comedies. Its original run was from 1962 to 1965 but returned to our screens from 1970 to 1974. The series starred Harry H Corbett and Wilfred Brambell. It was written by Alan Simpson and Ray Galton.
Sunnyside Farm1997
With theme sung by Damon Albarn, this sitcom set, unsurprisingly, on a farm starred Phil Daniels and Mark Addy. It was a rating loser and was cancelled only 4 episodes.
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Take A Letter Mr Jones1981 John Inman starring as Graham Jones , the secretary to high flying female executive Joan Warner (Rula Lenska) in this role reversal comedy.
Teach Yourself Gibberish1982
Children's skit and sketch show featuring Alberto Y Lost Trios Paranoias, a comedy rock band from Manchester.
Terry and June1979 BBC Television Terry and June ran from 1979 to 1987. The series starred Terry Scott and June Whitfield. These are the titles to the first episode from 1979.
Terry and June (Christmas Special)1980 BBC Television A rather unimaginative title sequence here from the 1980 Christmas special.
Terry and June1982 BBC Television Terry Scott and June Whitfield starred in this sitcom about domestic married bliss and was originally called "Happily Ever After."
That Beryl Marston1981 Georgie Bodley (Julia McKenzie) suspects that her husband Gerry (Gareth Hunt) is having an affair. The 'other woman' turns out to be Beryl Marston. Comedy set in Brighton.
That's Life!1982 BBC Television
That's Life was something of a British institution during its 21 year run from 1973 to 1994. The show was produced and hosted by Esther Rantzen. Members of the team over the years included Michael Groth, Bill Buckley, Gavin Campbell, Joanna Monro, Doc Cox, Cyril Fletcher, Adrian Mills, Chris Serle, Paul Heiney, George Layton, Molly Sugden and Kieran Prendiville.
There's a lot of it about1982
Following on from Q, There's A Lot Of It About was again a showcase for the surreal talents of Spike Milligan.
Three Up Two Downc1986
Nick (Ray Burdis) and Angie (Lysette Anthony) have just had a baby, and to help them financially they decide to rent out the basement. Both Nick's father, Sam Tyler (Michael Elphick) and Angie's mother, Daphne Trenchard (Angela Thorne) want the basement apartment and the only solution is to share. Sam is a Cockney, while Daphne is Cheltenham-bred and has not forgiven her daughter for marrying Nick, a 'common' photographer. Both Sam and Daphne are widowed, and stubborn. The comedy came from the clashes between Sam and Daphne, and the eventual romance that develops between them. The next-door neighbour, Rhonda, was a catalyst for bringing them together.
Thompson1988
Self indulgent "comedy" series from the late 80's. In between doing spots on "A Bit Of Fry And Laurie", Ms Thompson starred in her own sketch show that was universally panned by media and viewers alike. Even the titles are dire...you may want to think twice before viewing.
Till Death Us Do Part1960s BBC Television Till Death Us Do Part emerged from a pilot episode shown in the Comedy Playhouse series from 1965. It ran from 1966 to 1975. The series starred Warren Mitchell, Dandy Nichols, Anthony Booth and Una Stubbs. The writer was Johnny Speight.
Till Death....1981 The return of Johnny Speight's classic series, sees Alf Garnett (Warren Mitchell) and Else (Dandy Nichols) living in a retirement home in Eastbourne.
To The Manor Born1981
To The Manor Born ran from 1979 to 1981. The series starred Penelope Keith and Peter Bowles. The writer was Peter Spence.
Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps2007
Written by Susan Nickson, and starring Ralf Little, Will Mellor, Sheridan Smith and Natalie Casey, 2 Pints charts the lives of five twentysomethings in Runcorn.
The 11 O'Clock Show1998 - 2000 Channel 4 Channel 4's flagship late night satirical series only ran for two years. The show featured a number of comedians who went on to further success, including Iain Lee, Ricky Gervais and Sacha Baron Cohen.
The Climber1983 BBC Television The climber ran for just one series of six episodes from 20th January 1983 to 24th February 1983. The cast included Robin Nedwell, David Battley, Philip Dunbar, Jacqueline Tong and David Williams. It was written by Alex Shearer and was produced/directed by Alan J W Bell.
The Two Ronnies1981 BBC Television A total of 98 episodes of The Two Ronnies - Messers Barker and Corbett - were made between 1971 and 1987. The two got their big break when they filled in during a technical hitch at an awards ceremony, impressing the BBC's head of entertainment Bill Cotton enough for them to be given their own show, which soon became a hit with peak audiences of more than 20 million. The show attracted top writers, including most of the Monty Python stars and a man called Gerald Wiley aka Ronnie Barker.
The Vicar of Dibley2005
Following the death of their vicar in the middle of the service, the new vicar assigned to the small village parish of Dibley is a woman, Geraldine Granger (Dawn French). Created by Richard Curtis, this long running and well loved series ran for over decade.
Trippers Day1984 Thames Television Trippers Day only ran for one series in 1984. It starred Leonard Rossiter, Pat Ashton and Gordon Gostelow. It was written by Brian Cooke. It is generally considered to be Leonard Rossiter's worst sitcom which is a pity since it was his last due to his untimely death. A follow up series called Slinger's Day with Bruce Forsyth was made but this was also considered to be rather unsuccesfull and was dropped after only 2 series. A big thanks to Phil Glass of www.harryandwilf.co.uk for the footage.
TV Burp2009
Harry Hill's TV Burp is something of a coup in that the four terrestrial broadcasters permit the funnyman to ridicule their programmes (flimsy formats, weak scripts, unrealistic plots, wooden acting, etc). Mixing surreal antics, slapstick, and a fair few double entendres, this much accoladed show prevails with children and adults alike in a Saturday evening slot - its belch-accompanied title a stroke of comic genius.U
Under Manning1981
Based on the American game show You Bet Your Life, Bernard Manning meets people with unusual occupations, choosing some to take part in the quiz. Charles Collingwood is the quiz master.
Up Pompeii1970 BBC Television Up Pompeii originally ran for just two series from 30th March 1970 to 26th October 1970 following a Comedy Playhouse pilot on 17th September 1969. It was revised for two one off specials entitled Further Up Pompeii! on 31st March 1975 and 14th December 1991. The second of which was produced by LWT. The cast included Frankie Howerd, Max Adrian, Elizabeth Larner, Georgina Moon, Kerry Gardner, Jeanne Mockford and Willie Rushton. The series was written by Talbot Rothwell and Sid Colin.
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Waiting for God1990 - 1994 BBC Television
Graham Cowden and Stephanie Cole starred in this sitcom set in the Bayview retirement home.
Whacko!1956-1960 BBC Television
Whacko! is probably one of the best remembered sitcoms of the 1950s. It starred Jimmy Edwards and Arthur Howard and was set at the Chiselbury Public School. It's original run was from 1956 to 1960, but the series was revived from 1971 to 1972 . The writers were Frank Muir & Denis Norden.
Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?1974
Dick Clement and Ian Le Frenais returned with a 1970s follow up to The Likely Lads. Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads follows the renewed friendship of working class men Bob Ferris (Rodney Bewes) and Terry Collier (James Bolam) who has been away for five years. Bob has left the factory and now works in an office, is about to marry librarian Thelma (Brigit Forsyth), and at her request is now attending dinner parties and joining the local badminton club. Much of the humour focuses on the tension between the firmly working class Terry and Bob who has middle class aspirations.
White Goods1994
Starring Ian McShane and Lenny Henry, White Goods is a black comedy drama about a demolition expert and teacher who enter a TV snooker quiz. As the day of the competition nears, so the greed of the two player's families increases as they move closer to picking up the prizes on offer, and they have a major falling out over how to split the winnings.
Who's Line is it Anyway?Channel Four
An improvisational comedy show hosted by Clive Anderson, and featuring stars of British and North American comedy such as Steven Fry, Paul Merton, Ryan Stiles and Greg Proops creating scenes, characters and songs on the spot. Whose Line is it Anyway? enjoyed a ten year run on Channel 4.Y
Yes Minister1982 BBC Television Written by Anthony Jay and Jonathan Lynn, and set in the private office of a cabinet minister, Yes Minister follows the career of Jim Hacker (Paul Eddington), who struggles in his dealings with the civil service, especially with his Permanent Secretary, Sir Humphrey Appleby (Nigel Hawthorne). His Principal Private Secretary, Bernard Woolley (Derek Foulds) often gets caught in the middle.
Victoria Wood As Seen On TV1985-86 BBC Television
Brilliant comedy sketch series starring Victoria Wood, Julie Walters, Celia Imrie, Duncan Preston, Susie Blake and Patricia Routledge. The series ran for two series from 11th January 1985 to 18th December 1986. The series was produced and directed by Geoff Posner.
Yes Prime Minister1986 - 1988 BBC Television
Set in the corridors of power, this follow-up series to Yes Minister followed Jim Hacker as Prime Minister.
The Young Ones1982
The Young Ones ran for two series, in 1982 and 1984. The series starred Adrian Edmondson, Rik Mayall, Nigel Planer and Christopher Ryan as four lunatic students. Their landlord was played by Alexei Sayle. The writters were Ben Elton, Rik Mayall and Lise Mayer.
You Rang M'Lord?1990 - 1993 BBC Television
A follow-up to Hi-De-Hi, featuring many of the faces who featured who starred in that sitcom, You Rang M'Lord was set up and below stairs in a 1920s house and ran for four series. The theme music was sung by Bob Monkhouse.
You've Been Framed!1990 & 1994 Granada Television
Clip show featuring amusing footage sent in by viewers. Originally hosted by Jeremy Beadle and latterly by Lisa Riley.
You've Been Framed!1996 & 2001 Granada Television
The opening titles used in the 1996 and 2001 series.
