You can't beat a classic British sitcom. There have been some absolute corkers over the decades that have cemented British television's reputation for making the finest comedy anywhere in the world.
Of course, there have been some utter stinkers too - you can read Gary Bushell's verdict on the worst 11 British sitcoms ever made here, including at least one that stars an all-time TV legend.
While many people will probably immediately think of older classics like Fawlty Towers, Steptoe and Son or Porridge as the pinnacle of British situation comedy (and I wouldn't necessarily argue with them) the 1990s were most definitely also a golden age. Despite the 25 years that have passed since the 1990s ended, if you asked me to name the best British comedies, my mind would immediately leap back to that decade.
If you're wondering why some classics didn't make the list, I'll pre-empt you: Blackadder misses out because it was over before the 1990s began. So is The Office, which is as good as anything from the nineties but didn't first air until 2001. Razor sharp 1990s comedies like Brass Eye and The Day Today don't make the list because, while hilarious and ground-breaking, they're not sitcoms. The same goes for Shooting Stars and classic sketch show series like Harry Enfield and The Fast Show.
Rab C Nesbitt began as a Christmas special on BBC Scotland in 1988 and ran for eight series until 1999 before being revived again in 2008, with two more series and two specials between then and 2014. The show's writer had began his comedy career writing sketches for a niche comedy featuring Rik Mayall and Robbie Coltrane before teaming up with Gregor Fisher, who played the iconic Nesbitt.
" data-has-syndication-rights="1" data-portal-copyright="Mirrorpix" data-licensor-name="Mirrorpix" />One Foot In The Grave ran from 1990 to 2000, centred on the lives of Wilson's Victor Meldrew and his wife Margaret, played by Annette Crosbie. It won multiple major comedy awards throughout the decade. The BBC series' final episode led to a major controversy when ITV was accused of trying to "rig" the ratings by broadcasting the first ever jackpot winner of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? at the same time on November 20, 2000.
" data-has-syndication-rights="1" data-portal-copyright="Mirrorpix" data-licensor-name="Mirrorpix" />The name Hyacinth ("Bouquet") Bucket is part of the British vocabulary thanks to this all-time classic sitcom, which is reportedly the BBC programme most-bought by international broadcasters. It follows the ordinary Hyacinth and her attempts to climb the social ladder. Of course, there's just the small matter of her husband and her family getting in the way. It ran from 1990 to 1995 but feels like it was on much longer.
" data-has-syndication-rights="1" data-portal-copyright="Dick Williams/Mirrorpix/Getty" data-licensor-name="Dick Williams/Mirrorpix/Getty" />The frequent cameos from June Whitfield as Eddie's mum and Jane Horrocks as her daft assistant, Bubble, were regular highlights. Another sitcom that mostly took place in Eddie's exclusive home, one of the reasons was to limit the characters' interaction with the real world. Saunders said: "You don't want to see them too much with normal people".
" data-has-syndication-rights="1" data-portal-copyright="Mirrorpix" data-licensor-name="Mirrorpix" />The series' origins are remarkable for such a big hit: TV producer Beryl Vertue came across Nye's obscure 1989 novel, Men Behaving Badly, and quickly realised it would lend itself to a TV adaptation. After some perseverance, she tracked down the author to a bank where he was working and hired him to pen the show. And while it is Clunes and Morrissey that will always be the dream team, you may remember that Harry Enfield was Gary's first flatmate, called Dermot. In fact, it was Enfield cast first, and he persuaded his friend Clunes to join.
This was another classic:
"Another oyster?"
"No thanks, they disagree with me"
"No we don't!"
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