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TV Comedy
The Comedians 1971-85; 1992
A non-stop session of British stand-up comics battering the studio audience with wall-to-wall gags (the cleaned-up versions, of course) from the working men’s club circuit.
- Broadcast date
- 1971 (30 minutes)
- Production company
- Granada Television
- Medium
- TV
- Genre
- comedy series
- Director
- John Hamp;Ian (1992) Hamilton
- Presenter
- Charlie Williams;Bernard Manning;Frank Carson;Mike Reid;Duggie Brown;Colin Crompton;Ken Goodwin;George Roper;Jimmy Bright;Pauline Daniels;Tom Pepper
- Notes
- Granada TV (the quickfire stand-up comedy show returned in 1992 under the producer-director Ian Hamilton for a short time).
Open All Hours 1976; 1981-82; 1985
Ronnie Barker was the mean, bullying corner-shop keeper named Arkwright. Between cheating his customers and counting his money he found time to intimidate his youthful assistant, Granville and make passes at buxom Nurse Gladys Emmanuel
- Broadcast details
- BB2; BBC1, 1976
- Production company
- BBC
- Medium
- TV
- Genre
- comedy series
- Producer
- Sydney Lotterby
- Director
- Sydney Lotterby
- Credits
- Roy Clarke
- Cast
- Barker, Ronnie; Jason, David; Baron, Lynda;
- Notes
- 1981-82 (BBC-2), 1985 (BBC-1)
Citizen Smith 1977-80
Wolfie Smith was the self-elected Che Guevara of the Tooting Popular Front, a small-change political movement.
- Broadcast details
- BBC1, 1977 (30 minutes)
- Production company
- BBC
- Medium
- TV
- Genre
- comedy series
- Director
- Dennis Main (3 series) Wilson;Ray (final series) Butt
- Credits
- John Sullivan
- Cast
- Lindsay, Robert; Grady, Mike; Millan, Tony; Sweeney, George; Hall, Cheryl
- Notes
- 28 eps X 30 mins
Empire Road 1978-79
Represented a racially mixed community of West Indians and Asians living in a suburban street in Birmingham, and focused on the life of West Indian landlord Everton Bennett: his humorous relationship with brother-in-law Walter and the romantic relationship between Bennett’s son Marcus and his Asian girlfriend Panjanaa. It was the first TV programme conceived and written by a black writer for a black cast.
- Broadcast details
- BBC2, 1978 (30 minutes)
- Production company
- BBC2
- Medium
- TV
- Genre
- comedy series
- Credits
- Michael Abensetts
- Cast
- Beaton, Norman; Marcell, Joe; Laryea, Wayne; Moonasar, Nalini; Skinner-Carter, Corinne; Walker, Rudolph
- Notes
- 15 eps X 30mins
To the Manor Born 1979-81
A very popular sitcom series built around class snobbery. Audrey Hamilton was an upper-class lady who was forced to move out of her stately home and reluctantly sell the property to nouveau millionaire businessman Richard DeVere. Marjory was her patient friend.
- Broadcast details
- BBC1, 1979
- Production company
- BBC1
- Medium
- TV
- Genre
- comedy sitcom series
- Director
- Gareth Gwenlan
- Credits
- Peter Spence
- Cast
- Keith, Penelope; Bowles, Peter; Thorne, Angela
Not the Nine o’ Clock News 1979-80; 1982
A group effort comedy series full of strange sketches and pretty much anything and everything of a questionable taste.
- Broadcast details
- BBC2, 1979 (25 - 30 minutes)
- Production company
- BBC2
- Medium
- TV
- Genre
- comedy series
- Producer
- Bill Wilson
- Director
- John Lloyd;Sean Hardie
- Cast
- Jones, Griff Rhys; Atkinson, Rowan; Smith, Mel; Stephenson, Pamela
- Notes
- 18 eps X 30/25 mins
Only when I laugh 1979-82
Sitcom set in the ward of an NHS hospital. Quoted from International movie database: Only When I Laugh' was a screamingly funny show from 'Rising Damp' author Eric Chappell. Three patients from differing social backgrounds - trouble making lorry driver Roy Figgis ( James Bolam ), naive Norman Binns ( Christopher Strauli ), and rich hypochondriac Archie Glover ( Peter Bowles ) - share a hospital ward. Their 'nemesis' is the pompous Dr.Gordon Thorpe ( Richard Wilson in what was his best television role before 'One Foot In The Grave' ). The Indian male nurse Gupte ( Derrick Branche ) was well-meaning but incompetent, and this led to the series being branded 'racist' in some quarters. Gupte mysteriously vanished from the later episodes. Bolam's 'Figgis' wasn't far removed from 'Terry Collier' of 'Likely Lads' fame, while Bowles' 'Glover' was a try-out for his later series 'The Bounder'.
Although it stretched credibility somewhat that all three men should be confined to hospital for such an incredibly long time, this was one of ITV's best sitcoms of the late '70's/early '80's. Great theme tune, too (based on the children's song "I'm H.A.P.P.Y")!
- Broadcast details
- ITV, 29 October 1979 (30mins)
- Production company
- Yorkshire TV
- Genre
- TV Comedy
- Director
- Vernon Lawrence
- Editor
- Vernon Lawrence
- Credits
- Eric Chappell
- Cast
- James Bolam; Peter Bowles; Christopher Strauli; Richard Wilson; Derrick Branche
- Notes
- Re-run on ITV3 in 2007. Shown several times in Sweden. Ref International movie database: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0077057/. Four seasons: 1. 6 Episodes Oct-Dec 1979; 2. 7 Episodes April-June 1980; 3. 8 Episodes Sept-Oct 1981 + Xmas specail on 24 Dec; 4. Nov-Dec 1982. DVD available
Yes Minister 1980-82
Comedy series featuring the Rt. Hon. James Hacker MP, a newly appointed Minister for Administrative Affairs, and Permanent Under-Secretary, Sir Humphrey Appleby, following their respective struggles to gain and hold on to the levers of power.
- Broadcast details
- BBC1, 1980
- Production company
- BBC2
- Medium
- TV
- Genre
- comedy series
- Credits
- Antony Jay; Jonathan Lynn
- Cast
- Eddington, Paul; Hawthorne, Nigel
The Comic Strip Presents
A series of genre parodies 'for the 1980s alternative comedy generation'. First was 2.11.82 'Five go mad in Dorset'; 20.2.88 'The Strike' -a parody of Miners' Strike (a Hollywood mogul casts a film).
- Series
- The Comic Strip Presents 1982-4; 1986; 1988;2000;
- Broadcast details
- Channel 4; BBC2, 2 November 1982 (25 - 52 minutes)
- Production company
- Filmworks-Comic strip productions-Michael White
- Medium
- TV
- Genre
- comedy series
- Credits
- Richardson, Peter; Richens, Pete; Edmondson, Adrian; Saunders, Jennifer; Mayall, Rick; Allen, Keith
- Cast
- Richardson, Peter; Edmondson, Adrian; French, Dawn; Mayall, Rik; Planer, Nigel; Saunders, Jennifer; Allen, Keith; Coltrane, Robbie; Sayle, Alexei;
- Notes
- TV comedy: Channel 4, 2/11/1982-20/3/1988, 12/4/1998 & 4/1/2000; BBC2, 1/2/1990-27/5/1993, 37 films of 25-52 mins each, colour/black & white
Brass 1983-84; 1990
Comedy series that followed the interwining lives of two families, the wealthy, business-owning Hardacres and their employees, the Fairchilds. Originally on ITV, a further six episodes, 23 April-28 May, ran on Channel Four in 1990.
- Broadcast details
- ITV, 1983 (30 minutes)
- Production company
- Granada Television
- Medium
- TV
- Genre
- sitcom
- Director
- Bill Podmore;Mark (Channel 4) Robson
- Credits
- John Stevenson; Julian Roach
- Cast
- West, Timothy; Blakiston, Caroline; Ewing, Barbara; Hinsliff, Geoffrey; Reynolds, Robert; Saxon, James; Harrison, Gail; Morgan, Emil; Cady, Gary;
Don't Wait Up 1983-90
Family-based sitcom series featuring the highs and lows in the muddled lives of father and son doctors Toby and Tom Latimer. Tom had come through an expensive divorce and now lived in a flat while his ex-wife, Helen had their house. Adding insult to injury, he also had to pay her rent to use his surgery.
- Broadcast details
- BBC1, 1983
- Production company
- BBC1
- Medium
- TV
- Genre
- comedy series
- Producer
- Harold Snoad
- Director
- Harold Snoad
- Credits
- George Layton
- Cast
- Britton, Tony; Latimer, Tom; How, Jane; Sheridan, Dinah
Blackadder 1983-90
BBC1 historical sitcom, with Rowan Atkinson as the eponymous anti-hero, Edmund Blackadder and Tony Robinson as his sidekick/dogsbody, Baldrick
- Broadcast details
- BBC1, 15 June 1983 (30 minutes)
- Medium
- TV
- Genre
- comedy sitcom series
- Editor
- John Lloyd
- Credits
- Richard Curtis; Rowan Atkinson; Ben Elton
- Cast
- Rowan Atkinson; Tony Robinson
Spitting Image 1984-94; 1996
Topical comedy sketch show with cruel caricatures of important (or otherwise) personalities. The impertinent attacks on leading political figures, particularly the outrageously funny characterizations of British politicians, turned the skillfully crafted puppets into near mascots for their public profile targets.
- Broadcast details
- ITV, 1984
- Production company
- Central TV
- Medium
- TV
- Genre
- comedy series
- Editor
- Jon Blair;Tony Hendra;John (1984-94) Lloyd;Giles (1996) Pilbrow
- Credits
- Peter Fluck; Roger Law
The Lenny Henry Show 1984-85; 1987-88;
Comedian Lenny Henry presents an assortment of caricatures such as Delbert Wilkins, PC Ganga, the nostalgic elderly Jamaican Deakus, Fred Dread and Theophilus P. Wilderbeeste. Lenny Henry Tonite (BBC-1, 1986), also written by Ben Elton, presented a short-run series with a new character and situation each week in a change from 2-minute per character sketch established earlier series.
- Broadcast details
- BBC1, Thursday 20.30 (30 minutes)
- Medium
- TV
- Genre
- comedy series
- Producer
- Geoff Posner
- Director
- Geoff Posner
- Presenter
- Lenny Henry
- Credits
- Ben Elton
Only Fools and Horses
Sitcom
- Broadcast details
- BBC1, 1985 (30 minutes)
- Medium
- TV
- Genre
- comedy sitcom series
- Producer
- Ray Butt
- Editor
- Susan Belbin
- Credits
- John Sullivan
- Cast
- Jason, David; Lyndhurst, Nicholas; Langton, Diane; Lloyd Pack, Roger; Murray, Patrick; Kirsch, Oona; Lloyd, Lala; Conwell, Nula; Davis, Ben;
Three Up, Two Down 1985-89
Registered the character comedy clashes of the snobbish Daphne Trenchard and the easy-going cockney Sam Tyler; Daphne’s daughter Angie was happily married to Sam’s son, Nick and they had a baby. The grandparents together shared the downstairs flat in the young couple’s house as childminders.
- Broadcast details
- BBC1, 1985
- Production company
- BBC1
- Medium
- TV
- Genre
- comedy series
- Editor
- David Askey
- Credits
- Richard Ommanney
- Cast
- Thorne, Angela; Elphick, Michael; Antony, Lysette; Burdis, Ray;
- Notes
- 30mins 6 Episodes
Blott on the Landscape
Farcical black comedy of how Sir Giles Lynchwood, a landowning MP for South Worfordshire, attempted to have a motorway built through his wife’s ancestral home, Hardyman Hall.
- Broadcast details
- BBC2, 6 February 1985 (50 minutes)
- Production company
- BBC2
- Medium
- TV
- Genre
- comedy series
- Director
- Roger Bamford
- Editor
- Evgeny Gridneff
- Credits
- Tom Sharpe; Malcolm Bradbury
- Cast
- Cole, George; James, Geraldine; Suchet, David;
- Notes
- 6 esp X 50 mins 6/2-13/3/85
Tandoori Nights1985-87
Sitcom set in an Indian restaurant in East London's Brick Lane
- Broadcast details
- Channel 4, 4 July 1985 (30 minutes)
- Production company
- Picture Palace and Angel Films
- Genre
- comedy sitcom series
- Director
- Jon Amiel
- Editor
- Malcolm Craddock
- Credits
- Dhondy, Farrukh; Syal, Meera; Nazareth, H.O;
- Cast
- Jaffrey, Saeed (Jimmy); Yunus, Tariq (Alladin); Wolf, Rita (Asha); Browne, Angela (Delia); King, Shelley (Bubbly); Segal, Zohra (Gran)
- Notes
- 4/7/1985-13/11/1987 12 x 30 min episodes in 2 series
Bread 1986-1991
Featured the sitcom stories of the Boswells, a Catholic, working-class Liverpool family who were unemployed (except for one initially) and who lived by their wits, and everything they could get out of the DHS.
- Broadcast details
- BBC1, 1986
- Production company
- BBC
- Medium
- TV
- Genre
- sitcom
- Editor
- Robin (1986-89) Nash;John B. (1990-91) Hobbs
- Credits
- Carla Lane
- Cast
- McGuire, Victor; Murray, Bryan; Hill, Melanie; Coman, Gilly; Watling, Giles; Waller, Kenneth; Forfar, Ronald; Bickley, Graham; Boht, Jean; Conway, Nick; Morris, Jonathon;
Help 1986; 1988
Was a roustabout comedy series following the exploits of three optimistic young Liverpudlians who were out of work and generally game for anything.
- Broadcast details
- BBC1, 1986
- Production company
- BBC Manchester
- Medium
- TV
- Genre
- comedy series
- Editor
- Mike Stephens
- Credits
- Joe Boyle
- Cast
- Albany, David; McGann, Stephen; Abraham, Jake;
Hot Metal 1986; 1988
Was a pleasantly foolish comedy series centred on a low-life newspaper, the Daily Crucible, which was taken over by the tycoon owner of Rathhouse International and placed under the editorship of the mysterious “Russel Spam”.
- Broadcast details
- ITV, 1986
- Production company
- London Weekend Television
- Medium
- TV
- Genre
- comedy series
- Editor
- Humphrey Barclay
- Cast
- Andrew Marshall; David Renwick
Yes, Prime Minister 1986-88
A sequel to ‘Yes, Minister’. When Hacker becomes Prime Minister Sir Humphrey is promoted to Cabinet Secretary.
- Broadcast details
- BBC2, 1986
- Production company
- BBC2
- Medium
- TV
- Genre
- comedy series
- Credits
- Antony Jay; Jonathan Lynn
- Cast
- Eddington, Paul; Hawthorne, Nigel; Fowlds, Derek;
Brush Strokes
The threat of competition from Jacko’s new decorating business starts to worry Lionel-especially when his staff begin to defect. Suddenly, however, he appears to have the upper hand-or does he?
- Broadcast details
- BBC1, 1986-1991 (30 minutes)
- Production company
- BBC TV
- Medium
- TV
- Genre
- comedy series
- Editor
- Harold Snoad
- Credits
- John Esmonde; Bob Larbey
- Cast
- Howman, Karl; Waldhorn, Gary; Counsell, Elizabeth; Walling, Mike; Lye, Jackie; Lewis, Howard; Hoffman, Erika
The New Statesman 1987-92
Political comedy series about Alan Beresford B’Stard, an unscrupulous politico who rode roughshod over everyone and everything to reach his personal objectives, usually of a financial and/or sexual nature.
- Broadcast details
- ITV, 1987 (30 minutes)
- Production company
- Yorkshire TV
- Medium
- TV
- Genre
- comedy series
- Editor
- David Reynolds
- Credits
- Laurence Marks; Maurice Gran
- Cast
- Mayall, Rik; Fitzalan, Marsha; Troughton, Michael
- Notes
- Note: A review of the series was broadcast on ITV 2 December 2008 in the Comedy Classics series.
French and Saunders
'The original press release announced this wonderfully wacko comedy-sketch series as a "spectacular full of spectacularness, dangerousness, star-guestness, and good old fashioned family fun. A must" And that about said it all' Vahimagi p.310
- Broadcast details
- BBC2, 1987-8;1990; 1993
- Production company
- BBC2
- Genre
- comedy sketch show
- Editor
- Geoff Posner
- Credits
- Dawn French; Jennifer Saunders
- Cast
- Dawn French; Jennifer Saunders
- Notes
- Various follow ups and spin offs see Vahimagi p.310. Including Absolutely Fabulous BBC2 1992
Carrott Confidential
Jasper Carrott returns for another series of shows from BBC Television Centre. As usual, the humour is fast and furious. Steve (Punt) and Hugh (Dennis) are his regular guests, and there are some surprise visits too.
- Broadcast details
- BBC1, 1989 (35 minutes)
- Medium
- TV
- Genre
- comedy series
- Director
- Geoff Miles
- Editor
- Bill Wilson
- Credits
- Carrott, Jasper; Alexander, Paul; Hills, Dick; Howgill, Christian; Punt, Steve; Shand, Neil; Sinclair, Pete; Yapp, Nick;
- Cast
- Jasper Carrott; Steve Punt; Hugh Dennis;
Desmond's 1988-94
Comedy series. The varied lives of Peckham barber shop proprietor Desmond Ambrose, his wife Sheila, three children and assorted locals and regulars.
- Broadcast details
- Channel 4, 5 January 1989 (30 minutes)
- Production company
- Humphrey Barclay Productions
- Medium
- TV
- Genre
- comedy series
- Editor
- Humphrey Barclay;Charlie Hanson
- Credits
- Trix Worrell; Joan Hooley
- Cast
- Beaton, Norman (Desmond Ambrose); Munroe, Carmen (Shirley Ambrose); Holder, Ram John (Porkpie); Asante, Gyearbour (Matthew); Walker, Kim (Gloria)
- Notes
- 5/1/1989-19/12/1994 6 series of 30 min episodes (70 in total) plus final 60-minute episode
Surgical Spirit
Comedy series around a busy hospital and featuring an excellent performance by Nichola McAuliffe as Sheila Sabatin, a sharp-tongued female surgeon renowned for acerbic putdowns.Sheila Sabatini (Nichola McAuliffe) is a brilliant surgeon, but her sharp tongue gets her into trouble with fellow consultant surgeons George Hope-Wynne (David Conville) and Neil Copeland (Emlyn Price). They think she's a "ghastly woman", mainly because she likes to unearth their lazy and hypocritical behaviour at every opportunity. However, her best friend Joyce (Marji Campi) and her anaesthetist Jonathan Haslam (Duncan Preston) thinks she's marvellous. Can she make it in the hospital's old boy network, keep her relationship with her teenage son at least semi-functional at the same time as sorting out how she feels about Jonathan? (info from internet movie database)
- Broadcast details
- ITV, 1989-1995 (30 minutes)
- Production company
- Granada Television
- Medium
- TV
- Genre
- sitcom
- Editor
- Humphrey Barclay
- Credits
- Roseanne Hodge; Peter Learmouth
- Cast
- Sabatini, Sheila; Preston, Duncan; Campi, Marji; Conville, David; Price, Emlyn; McAuliffe, Nichola
- Notes
- See International movie database for notes and comments
Drop the Dead Donkey 1990-98
Sharp newsroom satire with a topical edge. Behind the scenes in the hectic newsroom of Globelink News TV, recently acquired by media tycoon Sir Roysten Merchant, who operates a determinedly 'hands-off' policy - he leaves manager Gus to do his interfering for him...
- Broadcast details
- Channel 4, 9 August 1990 (30 minutes)
- Production company
- Hat Trick Productions
- Medium
- TV
- Genre
- comedy series
- Editor
- Andy Hamilton;Guy Jenkin;Sue Howells
- Credits
- Andy Hamilton; Guy Jenkin
- Cast
- Duncan, Robert (Gus); Gwynne, Haydn (Alex Pates); Pearson, Neil (Dave); Rawle, Jeff (George Dent); Swift, David (Henry); Tompkinson, Stephen (Damien); Wicks, Victoria (Sally); Doyle, Susannah (Joy); Norris, Hermione (Octavia); Lacey, Ingrid (Helen Cooper);
- Notes
- 9/8/1990-9/12/1998 65 X 30 min episodes in six series
Health and Efficiency 1993-95
Health & Efficiency is a pre-watershed comedy concerning the day-to-day medical and personal problems of a group of doctors in the fictitious General and Surgical "B" Unit at St. James's Hospital.
- Broadcast details
- BBC1, 1 December 1993
- Production company
- BBC TV
- Medium
- TV
- Genre
- sitcom
- Editor
- Richard Boden
- Credits
- Andrew Marshall
- Cast
- Olsen, Gary (Michael Jimson); Reddihough, Alison (Nurse); Acquah, Janice (Nurse); Sloan, Sean (Porter); Montagu, Felicity (Kate Russell); Norton, Deborah (Diana Ewerts); McGuire, Victor (Phil Brooke); Andoh, Adjoa (Sister Beth Williams); Lloyd-Pack, Roger (Rex Regis); Underwood, Cathy (Nurse)
- Notes
- 1 December 1993-1 February 1995