British Comedies

lolie · 15-02-2011 12:22AM

The young ones
Bottom
Only fools and horses
Fr Ted
First few series of shameless
Inbetweeners

Bazinga · 15-02-2011 12:22AM

Father Ted is Irish, shot in Ireland with Irish actors by Irish people but produced by a British company, it's Irish. Robbie Keane was born in Ireland but plays for a British soccer team, does that make him British?

It wouldn't have been made without C4 so they have to get the Kudos.

Hard to remember them all el weirdo!

For some reason I thought that clip was from the fast show.

billymitchell · 15-02-2011 12:23AM

The Royle Family. Maybe not always genuine LOL material, but I liak it

m@cc@ · 15-02-2011 12:24AM

piotrish wrote: »

technically Father Ted was English

Technically, maybe. But in terms of writing and delivery, it was very much Irish.

Captain Havoc wrote: »

I Father Ted is Irish, shot in Ireland with Irish actors by Irish people but produced by a British company, it's Irish.

The majority of it was filmed in studios in London.

Badgermonkey · 15-02-2011 12:27AM

Steptoe and Son was a mix of terrific performance and quality scripts that still hold up remarkably well.

The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin was also blessed with Leonard Rossiters extraordinary talent, great ensemble cast and and a wry take on the daily drudge of 9 to 5 existence in suburban England.

For me, Peep Show is the funniest comedy on British TV at the moment.

Ricardo G · 15-02-2011 12:32AM

Anyone remember these
Smith and Jones
Hale and Pace were class (used to love Jed and Dave the 2 stoners)
My father got me watchin Tommy Cooper, classic !!
Its the not the 9 o clock show
And of course Porridge

All the old ones were great

Hurricane-Dean · 15-02-2011 12:32AM

admiralofthefleet wrote: »

its an urban myth that father ted was an irish show. it was a british comedy

keeping up appearances and on the buses were classics too

Irish writers, but RTE thought it would be too offensive so channel 4 took it on board

El Weirdo · 15-02-2011 12:34AM

Hurricane-Dean wrote: »

...RTE thought it would be too offensive so channel 4 took it on board

Bollocks, bollocks, bollocks, bollocks, bollocks, bollocks.

Jesus! How many times?!

Hurricane-Dean · 15-02-2011 12:35AM

El Weirdo wrote: »

Bollocks, bollocks, bollocks, bollocks, bollocks, bollocks.

Jesus! How many times?!

What's bollocks?

Sergeant · 15-02-2011 12:35AM

Jesus Jumping Bean Christ, is it possible to discuss comedies without the same old drones going on about whether Father Ted was British or Irish. Who cares? It was funny.

El Weirdo · 15-02-2011 12:36AM

Hurricane-Dean wrote: »

What's bollocks?

The bit I quoted.

The bollocks.

Sanjuro · 15-02-2011 12:37AM

brummytom wrote: »

And 'The Thick of It' is absolute genius

QFT. It's one of the best comedy series to come out of Britain for quite some time.

Anything Chris Morris has done is absolute gold. And Peep Show is consistently one of the funniest things on television. Pound for pound, British comedies are vastly superior to American comedies.

billymitchell · 15-02-2011 12:39AM

Hurricane-Dean wrote: »

Irish writers, but RTE thought it would be too offensive so channel 4 took it on board

AFAIK, it was never offered to RTE.

Badgermonkey · 15-02-2011 12:40AM

Ricardo G wrote: »

Hale and Pace were class

Ricardo, someone's hacked your account and is posting nonsense likely to damage your reputation.

Hurricane-Dean · 15-02-2011 12:42AM

Willing to admit when im wrong, did a bit of reading there and although it was rumored that lenihan would offer it to RTE he went straight to Hat Trick and the rest is history. Forgive my ignorance.

Back to original discussion

dagdha · 15-02-2011 12:46AM

Green Wing is/was a class show. I seen an episode a few years ago and did'nt think it was great but last year I watched if from start to finish on 4od and it is hilarious, there is some great characters in it such as Dr. Alan Statham, he cracks me up so much. Another show which had its moments was Man Stroke Woman there was some great sketches in it although it could be hit and miss aswell.

4od is AWESOME!!

Captain Havoc · 15-02-2011 12:52AM

dagdha wrote: »

4od is AWESOME!!

Yes it is.

Ricardo G · 15-02-2011 12:55AM

Badgermonkey wrote: »

Ricardo, someone's hacked your account and is posting nonsense likely to damage your reputation.

I have every right to post a string of Hale and Pace clips on here after that remark

deathrider · 15-02-2011 01:00AM

I'm currently re-watching through the old Red Dwarf shows. It's been a few years since I watched them, and I still think they are hilarious. I once watched so much Red Dwarf , that I actually wound up with a dodgey Liverpool accent like Mister Lister... I've never even been to Liverpool.
Defo one of my all time favourite Brittish comedies.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_0xaOQWg6I

dxhound2005 · 15-02-2011 01:00AM

Joking Apart was very funny.

Badgermonkey · 15-02-2011 01:00AM

Ricardo G wrote: »

I have every right to post a string of Hale and Pace clips on here after that remark

I will retaliate with Mrs. Browns Boys.

Mutually assured destruction.

ricero · 15-02-2011 01:07AM

cant beat pheonix nights the greatest british comedy ever IMO

Debthree · 15-02-2011 01:21AM

Marion and Geoff was brilliant and Nighty Night, Reggie Perrin, Extras and The Office, as well as many others mentioned already like The Fast Show, Phoenix Nights, Little Britain, Father Ted, Alan Partridge. I presumed Gavin and Stacey was sh1t for years. Just realised recently that it's remarkably funny - not for the main characters (frankly anyone could play that pair) but Rob Brydon, Ruth Jones and Alison Steadman are excellent. Brass was a fantastic English comedy that was on in the 80s, dunno if anyone remembers it - about a very posh family and a very poor family in a mining town.

As for the Irish and comedy. I don't know. It doesn't make sense. I really think we have a high proportion of truly witty people in Ireland. That mix of sarcasm, cynicism and black humour is alive and well here. But it doesn't usually transfer to TV.

Killinascully was good for the first few episodes and then became absolute sh1t. Mike Murphys Golden Movies was great as was Dermot Morgan on The Live Mike and Scrap Saturday. Oh and Halls Pictorial Weekly was funny as well as the Blaithin sketches and the Kevin McAleer sketches on Nighthawks. Paths to Freedom was brilliant too.

But certainly there's a lot of rubbish on there as well. I think the clique in RTE inhibits creative humour. It seems once someone 'gets into' RTE they stay there regardless of whether they produce good work or not. THey keep pushing the same faces (like that feckin' dope in Mrs Browns whatever). They're reluctant to cancel a show it seems - either that or else the producers are rubbish at getting the best out of their actors.

Best US comedies: Arrested Development, Seinfeld, Curb Your Enthusiasm and Frasier. All superb and have contributed significantly to my life. lol!

Badgermonkey · 15-02-2011 01:34AM

+1 on Marion and Geoff Debthree.

Hope to god you're referring to the original Reggie Perrin though and not the Martin Clunes car crash.

Also from the US, The Larry Sanders Show was superb.

Dont be at yourself · 15-02-2011 01:36AM

Yeah, but what about Curb Your Enthusiasm?

nacho libre · 15-02-2011 01:36AM

Only one person has mentioned The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin so far:(

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBm-2-HyZPg&feature=channel

Classic.:D

Debthree · 15-02-2011 01:37AM

Oh jeez yes, I was referring to the original Reggie Perrin Badger. Fantastic show.

And YES, the Larry Sanders Show. I love that. Watched it again on dvd a few months ago - absolutely brilliant. Hank is THE ultimate loser.

Debthree · 15-02-2011 01:39AM

NekkidBibleMan wrote: »

Yeah, but what about Curb Your Enthusiasm?

You don't like CYE? Seriously, I'm suspicious of anyone who doesn't find that funny. lol!

Badgermonkey · 15-02-2011 01:44AM

Debthree wrote: »

Hank is THE ultimate loser.

Hey Now!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGyhOjjujV4

OPENROAD · 15-02-2011 01:45AM

ricero wrote: »

cant beat pheonix nights the greatest british comedy ever IMO

not sure it was Phoenix nights or max and paddy.... but that clip where they are driving the minibus and singing the road Amarillo,trying to encourage the passengers to sing, the camera pans to them and they are all old muslim elders

:D:D Can't find it anywhere on youtube though

British Comedies

Comments