Recommend me British Comedies
 

Insomnia + PBS = Me starting to get interested in watching britcoms.

I'd seen the occasional episode of Are You Being Served? and Keeping up Appearances before, but I'd never really watched any before. Lately though, I've been watching the ones that come on late at night on my local PBS station. I only get a select few, and they only come on late at night on Saturday and Sunday, so I've been maybe thinking about buying some on DVD. Right now, their current lineup consists of:

Last of the Summer Wine
Keeping Up Appearances
Are You Being Served?
Brotherly Love
As Time Goes By
Monty Python's Flying Circus
Coupling
Red Dwarf
My Hero
My Family
'Allo 'Allo
Father Ted
Blackadder

They're about to replace about half the lineup with the new Doctor Who and Doctor Who Confidential episodes though, so I figured it might be a good time to start looking into some DVDs. Of the one's I've watched, I really like Coupling and Red Dwarf. I kinda like My Family, Blackadder, and Are You Being Served and Keeping up Appearances. The other ones, I'm kinda so-so about. I've already got Monty Python's Flying Circus. I think I'm probably going to get Red Dwarf and Coupling next. What are some other good ones that I haven't seen yet?

Absolutely Fabulous is one but it's more trashy. I guess that makes it fun. The first three series (seasons) were really good along with the specials but the last two series weren't anything special. If you do plan to get this show on dvd I would steer clear from the region 1 releases.

I love Are You Being Served; I started watching it on PBS in the 90's, and was immediately hooked. I'd recommend the earlier volumes, in particular; the show was good right up until the end, but there was definitely a decline in quality over the years, IMO. I've tried watching Keeping Up Appearances, and personally, I just don't care for it. I know a lot of people like it though.

I can't recommend Coupling highly enough; it's fantastic! I blind-bought Season 1 when it came out, and was hooked right from the first episode.

BTW, one that's not on your list, but I'd also recommend, is Fawlty Towers.

Rob

If you get BBC America, Saxondale and the Alan Partridge Show are both hilarious.

Are you being served? AGAIN! (Also known as 'Grace & Favor').

they only had 12 or 13 episodes but this is better than the original AYBS.
its on DVD and has alll the serie's episodes. it is abit pricy. i had to pay $44.99 for it but it is worth it, trust me.

Are you Being Served? Again!-the complete series

Father Ted Is One of the Funniest Shows of All Time

Fawlty Towers. Buy it now.

Others not mentioned yet: Get Black Books (only two of three season released so far), The Young Ones, The Office, and Men Behaving Badly.

The Office and Extras.

If you aren't having a laugh, then you don't know funny. Are you having a laugh?

"Flay Otters" :)

Peep Show. its great..
The 2 guys in it do the I'm a mac/I'm a PC ads in the UK.

Coupling (the frist 3 seasons) is the best comedy series ever.

Black Books it's kind of short (only 3 seasons of 6 eps ea) but every one of them is thoroughly enjoyable.

Spaced is pretty good too, but I think it's only available in R2 so far.

If you work w/ computer The IT Crowd can be kind of fun (again only R2 though) but it's very hit/miss. Most of the eps have things that work and just those that just don't.

IIRC, Lucas gave permission for using all the Star Wars stuff they use in the series as long as it does not get released on DVD in the US using it (meaning it would have to be edited out). I don't see either giving in. Therefore, it may never be released here.

Hustle
MI-5 (called Spooks in the UK)

Methinks you missed the final word in the thread title.

Yup. BBC America occasionally airs it.

Most of the others mentioned in this thread are well worth your time. One that hasn't been mentioned is As Times Goes By. One of the best series ever.

If you like a bit of slapstick, The Goodies!

Goodie Goodie Yum Yum!

Second!

Gervais & Merchant just may have topped themselves with Extras. That show is pure genious. I can't possibly give these shows high enough praise.

Others not mentioned above (most of which I used to watch as a kid growing up in England) ...

Only Fools And Horses (80's long-running hugely popular sitcom)
Green Wing (off-the-wall medical humour)
Porridge (another classic 70's comedy set in prison)
Rising Damp (70's hit)
Bottom (but see the Young Ones first - it's probably better)
'Allo 'Allo (80's WWII French Resistance comedy)

I'll 2'nd or 3'rd

The Young Ones - Great 80's nostalgia
Black Books - Bernard Black is my hero!
Spaced - Discovered this and Black Books after seeing Shaun of the Dead, you'll notice a lot of actors in these shows in the movie.
The Office - nuff said
The IT Crowd - latest and greatest (IMHO)

The Young Ones (though the R1 version is slightly edited)
Little Britain
The League of Gentlemen

Do like I did and get yourself a region 2 copy of the 3 disc special edition and a region free player for like 50 bucks on ebay. TOTALLY worth it.




Doc

Well to be honest some of the shows that you listed are just plain horrible IMO. I am an ex-pat and i grew up with shows like Are You Being Served and Last of the Summer Wine (the place where this is filmed is actually where one of my sisters lives). Most Brit comedies from the 70s were terrible and these two especially. They are more for the over 60s market.

Personally i would recommend the following:

The Young Ones - Brilliant show that comes on a really nice Region 1 DVD of the complete series 1 and 2.

Blackadder - Another great show and another great Region 1 with all four series and specials.

Black Books - My sister got me to watch this and i really liked it.

Knowing Me Knowing You / I'm Alan Partridge - Steve Coogan at his best. Someone i noticed in one of the posts recommended Saxondale. I can't say i like that show at all. Coogan is good at Partridge...but very little else (Paul Calf not withstanding).

Spaced - Only 2 series, but both brilliant with lots of great film references.

Garth Marenghies Darkplace - I just picked this up at X-mas as a blind buy and i do not regret it. Fantastic show. The idea of gun carrying doctors working in a hospital that gets its fair share of horror and sci fi invasions is amazing.

Man to Man with Dean Learner - This is a kind of follow up to Darkplace with the main two actors appearing again. The first episode is actually with Garth Marenghie. The show is very similar to Knowing Me Knowing You.

The Day Today / Brasseye - Both brilliant news send ups. Probably can't get them on Region 1, but the Region 2 is a great set.

Phoenix Nights - Two series so far and it was great stuff. Very Funny. Get the Peter Kay series as well which is fantastic.

Nathan Barley - Another Chris Morris great.

Its funny but i actually picked up Fawlty Towers at X-mas and also caught a few episodes of Father Ted. I used to love both shows, but rewatching them i didn't find either particularly funny. I guess time is kinder to some shows than others.

Another I forgot - Early Doors (written by the same people as the Royle Family).