Some comedy ages really badly as the Allo, Allo thread proves.
What do you think has aged well?
Can I suggest:
Porridge - ok a bit of the language is not very 2021, but the underlying humour is good.
Yes, Minister - the ties are terrible, the jokes excellent.
But what else?
Frasier, is still very good.
Porridge, Black Adder and Father Ted are comedies that I can still watch, along with the earlier Only Fools and Horses.
When i watch it now i realised just how daft The Fast Show was, but i think because it was popular when i was 20/21 it still makes me laugh.
Still enjoy a spot of Red Dwarf!
Fawlty towers,steptoe & son also Hancocks Half hour have aged very well. Vic and bob is timeless for me and still game is an all time favourite that I think I will happily watch in years to come.
8 Out Of Ten Cats Does Countdown still works for me...
Not TV but I saw Simon Munnery reprise his Alan Parker character at a recent comedy festival. First saw him do this character around 1990 at university. It was superb, highlight of the weekend. Still relevant political humour.
I must have had a sense of humour bypass - the only ones mentioned I found funny even at the time are Porridge and Still game - Blackadder, only fools, Fawlty towers especially purile and unfunny even then
Porridge is utterly brilliant " a quiet night in" - how can you have half an hour of humour that is just to blokes locked in a cell overnight?
Blackadder.
Phoenix Nights is 20 years old now...
Bottom?
I've vanished down a bit of a 'Taxi' hole on YouTube since that other thread. Amazing how well it's aged.
Dad’s Army
Reginald Perrin.
Porridge and Yes Minister/Prime are classics. Probably my favourites. Black adder is good.
Porridge still creases me up. Fawlty Towers used to but now It's cringeworthy, Only Fools & Horses is still hilarious as is Dad's Army.
Now where's Morecombe & Wise when you need them? & Tommy Cooper cracked me up before he even spoke!
Porridge has always amazed me at how well it lasts, I think it's the understated performances.
Cheers makes for some pretty good comfort viewing!
Father Ted, Flight of the Concords, The Mighty Boosh, Dark Place and Black Books for me. All depends on what you find funny though I guess. Only Fools and Porridge do nothing for me
The Good Life
Everyone who's ever worked in an office can identify with Reggie
The Thick of It looks less like like satire and more like an instruction manual nowadays. I find myself viewing everything that happens through the prism of it. Its difficult not to when you're watching shit like this..
https://twitter.com/Zero_4/status/1431372211068227590?s=20
I’m sorry I haven’t a clue (ok that’s cheating a bit)
No mention yet for Vicar Of Dibley?
Great characters, brilliant script.
OK, so probably not pushing the boundaries of the sit-com genre, but always watchable.
Still game
From things my kids laugh at - Porridge, Blackadder, Yes (Prime) Minister, Vicar of Dibley, Dave Allen, even Allo Allo, ironically enough.
I have to confess to still laughing at Friends more than is appropriate, especially the first 4 series
Edit - forgotten Father Ted!
Spaced - watched it many many many times and still laugh at the bits I remember and still pick out new lines etc
Partridge. Not sure about him being back on the telly but Mid Morning Matters was gold.
Still game
Hilarious! I forgot about that one! We binge watched the lot in one go I think.
OFaHorses for the win. Cracking my mono-syllabic 15yr old up at the moment. Also Slackbladder, Father Ted, Red Dwarf, Friends (I know), Spaced is a good call. Faulty Towers always. Yes Minister/Prime Minister for sure. Porridge. The Brittas Empire (not really). Aware that I'm repeating, all of the above really.
Recently watched Stir Crazy which I looooved back in the day. Not only was it painfully unfunny, it annoyed me (specifically Gene Wilder and Richard Prior running around screaming) so much I had to turn it off
Peep show is as wrong as ever. I watched the lot again through lockdown, and it’s the work of unbridled genius
15 story's high
Pulling
Spaced, Black Books, still find the Fast Show funny after all those years, went back to Green Wing the other day when I was bored. Nuts and far too many ad breaks on More4 but still amusing.
Gasman, one of the best Bottom episodes. I love where they go on about putting him on a bus.
re-hashed repeats aside, Currently I think HIGNFY and QI are the only properly funny things on TV.. Ranganation is also very funny on occasion.
Black books is a good shout. I always found Only Fools and Horses tediously unfunny, and I don't think I ever got through a whole episode without either falling asleep or going to do something else. Not that I've tried to watch that many episodes. Mighty Boosh was good, and Friday Night Dinner. I did laugh at Fawlty Towers but find it too cringe-inducing now. Maybe I missed it but I haven't seen anyone mention Red Dwarf?
The Royle Family always ends up on in our house.
Early Doors is always a winner too.
No love for Green Wing?
I only discovered ‘Still Game’ during the first lockdown. Absolutely brilliant comedy.
Mrs Browns Boys?
Oh sorry, I though the thread was titled ‘comedy that never worked’
Black Books and Father Ted are great shouts.
I enjoyed some of the episodes of Coupling, some very clever writing at times.
The League of Gentlemen, Royston Vasey.
Thank you for reminding me of Black Books and Green Wing.
Sadly it’s also reminded me of the IT Crowd.
Hadn’t been thinking about standups, but yes Dave Allen, and also Billy Connolly.
And Morecambe & Wise. Simple concepts, just superbly executed.
Police squad, I educated some mates to it a couple of years ago on a mountain biking holiday, they didn't even know that the naked gun had come from a TV series.
The canned laughter on Blackadder grates with me now, even though I still think it is funny they really could do with editing out the laughter track. Porridge is still good as is yes minister and PM. Only fools and horses has aged very badly IMO. Father Ted is class.
This thread reminded me of the series that the BBC ran to find the best sitcom, back in 2004!!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Britain%27s_Best_Sitcom
I liked Ideal but seem to have missed the last few series and can't find it on iPlayer and I'm too tight to pay for the boxsets.
Dad's Army, Porridge, Red Dwarf, Father Ted, Still Game, Bottom, Only Fools and Horses (now, never really watched it when it was actually on), Yes Minister and Yes Prime Minister - not seen them all but the ones I have seen have been very good. Hitch Hiker's Guide was good, but hasn't aged well.
Blackadder - I found the 4th series to be the best and 3rd was good, 1st and 2nd were ok, but I don't tend to go back to them.
Fawlty Towers - I wouldn't make time to make sure I watched it, if it was on, I'd watch but it wasn't something I'd make sure I was sitting at the TV for.
Pretty much everything others have mentioned...
failedengineer
No love for Green Wing?
Really enjoyed the first season of Green Wing. Mark Heap who played Dr Alan Statham was brilliant.
