For many years Britain has enjoyed something of an unparalleled reputation amongst global audiences for its hit comedies.
And with the global marketplace being ever more important to TV providers with the advent of new technologies, we thought we’d take a look back at some of the UK’s best comedies to see how they’ve succeeded.
The Goon Show
For many, The Goon Show set the ball rolling in terms of British comedy. Although it only featured on BBC Radio, it launched the careers of Peter Sellers, Harry Secombe and Spike Milligan as well as dozens of popular catchphrases that resonate to this very day.
Monty Python
And then in late sixties, six highly creative and chaotic individuals revolutionised comedy with Monty Python’s Flying Circus. The show lasted well over a decade and spawned many critically acclaimed films and is considered one of our national treasures.
The Young Ones
Borrowing some of Monty Python’s surreal humour and injecting it with a great deal of anarchism was the Young Ones. Starring Adrian Edmondson, Rik Mayall, Nigel Planer and Christopher Ryan, it signalled a new dawn for alternative comedy and ushered in a whole new wave of national moral panic!
Blackadder
Another classic comedy that capitalised on the new wave of alternative comedy stars was Blackadder that launched the careers of Rowan Atkinson, Stephen Fry, Hugh Laurie and Tony Robinson. Ingeniously setting the show over different historical periods allowed the show’s subversive humour to blossom to great effect.
Only Fools and Horses
One of the nation’s favourite comedies has to be Only Fools and Horses that saw the hapless Delboy and Rodney in their eternal struggle to be millionaires. Although the pair never fully managed to make their fortune, they still regularly return for Christmas specials.
Little Britain
Signalling a new wave of comedic talent for the 21st century, Little Britain relied on an old-school sketch show format with catchphrases and instantly recognisable characters. But what really propelled this show to legendary status were the talents of Matt Lucas and David Walliams, and Little Britain has become so popular that it now has its own slot game where players can win impressive bonuses whilst being mocked by their favourite Little Britain characters!
Father Ted
And finally, one of the most unlikely recent success stories is that of Father Ted. This classic series saw three priests on the remote Craggy Island survive a series of surreal and hilarious mishaps that perfectly sums up the eccentricities of living a somewhat backwards parochial life!
(published Simon and Schuster UK 2013). It should have been a good read (interesting storyline about an English nurse working for the resistance in Crete during WW2) but there were some irritating anomalies and frequent failures to capitalise on opportunities for dramatic tension. I was left feeling dissatisfied, though I did learn some fascinating facts about Crete and WW2.
(published Sceptre 2013) and keenly anticipated reading it. But I wasn’t completely convinced by her portrayal of the main character and I found the plot unrealistic in places. However, it is well written; her use of language appealed to me, as did the pace of the book, and there are some excellent descriptive passages. I think I will try another of her books. One more to add to my list.
(published Fourth Estate 2002). This was in fact a re-read for me, but I relished the opportunity to have a fresh look at a book which has long been on my Top Ten List. It’s based on the true story of a Derbyshire village coping with an outbreak of plague in the seventeenth century and is one of those books which is almost unbearable to read, and yet equally you can hardly bear to put it down.
(published Fourth Estate 2014) and I wasn’t disappointed. Each individual story is a compelling read and all are powerful, harrowing, disturbing and haunting. In fact they made me question why I read. Is it for pleasure and relaxation? To learn? To be challenged? Or to appreciate the skill of the writer? In the case of this book, I think it is the latter two. And that is a tribute to Hilary Mantel who is a supremely good writer.
(published Pan Books 2014) Who doesn’t love Mary Berry and the Bake Off programmes? I’m a big fan, and this lighthearted tale of a harassed mother teaching herself with Mary Berry’s help to bake appealed to me. In fact I could have done with a bit more of the baking and a bit less of the rest of the story. It isn’t a book that will stick in my mind for years to come, but it is an enjoyable and relaxing read and I definitely recommend it if that’s the sort of book you’re looking for.
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, arrives on Blu-ray™, DVD and digital platforms on 9th March 2015, courtesy of StudioCanal
