Britain's Best Sitcom

I had to put this poll up having last Saturday, for the umpteenth time, watched the Fawlty Towers “The Germans” episode. Too many classic moments to mention, Sybil in hospital, the moose, the major on women, the fire drill and, of course, the Germans.

For those of you who aren’t in the UK, the BBC is currently running a “Best British Sitcom” poll over the next 10 weeks. Viewers have been voting on this over the past few months, and each of the top 10 are now getting a 1 hour program where a celebrity puts forward the case for that show to be the best British sitcom.

So I thought we would have an NOOL poll on this first. Don’t ask me how shows like The Office, Hancock, and The Royle Family didn’t make it into the top 10, but there you, the Great British public! So if you don't like any of the top 10, just say which show you would have chosen.

My vote – Fawlty Towers What else?

Moderators - Any chance of this one getting pinned to the top of this board for a while?

Balanced it up with Open All Hours - has dated, but I think has aged better than Farty Towels.

Shouldn't you have added those current british comedies Benny Hill & Are You Being Served for the American contingent. Long story, but when I went over last year for work that seemed to be all the English TV they were bothered about!!

Gone for Blackadder. The best easily - there were four different! Also love Fawlty, Open, Good and of course Only Fools. But the best wasn't in the top 10 - I'm Alan Partridge. A work of genius. The conservative British public relegated it to 42 or something. Outrageous.

Another Fawlty Towers vote 'cos I don't think there's a duff episode amongst that lot...don't think the same can be said for Blackadder - the second and fourth series were superb, the third was ok (tho' Baldrick had by this time become a string of personal hygiene/'look how stupid he is' jokes where these had been kept in check in series 2) but the less said about the first series, the better. I remember sitting stony faced through that one when it was first shown and then buying the videos when the BBC first released them after thinking that it couldn't be as bad as I remembered...unfortunately it was!

Originally posted by Al Jarvis You left one off the official list - Yes, Minister!

How did I miss that one off, it's late I guess? Anyway, here's the link to #'s 11-100 if anyone's interested:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sitcom/top11to100.shtml

and to the top 10:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sitcom/top10.shtml

Originally posted by Philip Collins Another Fawlty Towers vote 'cos I don't think there's a duff episode amongst that lot...don't think the same can be said for Blackadder - the second and fourth series were superb, the third was ok (tho' Baldrick had by this time become a string of personal hygiene/'look how stupid he is' jokes where these had been kept in check in series 2) but the less said about the first series, the better. I remember sitting stony faced through that one when it was first shown and then buying the videos when the BBC first released them after thinking that it couldn't be as bad as I remembered...unfortunately it was!

What!!! The first series was easily the best. Edmund's haircut for a start... The third was the least funny, but still a classic.

There ain't no Young Ones on there. Top 10 my arse.

Originally posted by The Paradise Man > Originally posted by Philip Collins> Another Fawlty Towers vote 'cos I don't think there's a duff episode amongst that lot...don't think the same can be said for Blackadder - the second and fourth series were superb, the third was ok (tho' Baldrick had by this time become a string of personal hygiene/'look how stupid he is' jokes where these had been kept in check in series 2) but the less said about the first series, the better. I remember sitting stony faced through that one when it was first shown and then buying the videos when the BBC first released them after thinking that it couldn't be as bad as I remembered...unfortunately it was!

What!!! The first series was easily the best. Edmund's haircut for a start... The third was the least funny, but still a classic. No way, Jose! The first series consisted of Rowan Atkinson pulling 'funny' faces and putting on a 'funny' voice while Brian Blessed once again showed us that he was paying attention during the 'How To Shout' class at acting school. Even Rowan Atkinson once commented that it wasn't funny...

Originally posted by His Holiness, The Pope There ain't no Young Ones on there. Top 10 my arse.

The Young Ones was about number 30 or so on the list...

Originally posted by PWS Shouldn't you have added those current british comedies Benny Hill & Are You Being Served for the American contingent. Long story, but when I went over last year for work that seemed to be all the English TV they were bothered about!!

They don't show Benny Hill round my way anymore, so I don't know about the rest of the US. It was nice to see that The Office won a Golden Globe award last night, one for best Television Series-Musical or Comedy, and Ricky Gervais won one for best performance by an actor in a Television Series - MUSICAL OR COMEDY. Good job on somebody's part.

Golden Globe winners

What about The Office?

Not rally a definitive top ten for us to pick from

I never watched Blackadder, primarily due to an aversion to all things Rowan Atkinson that stemmed from his initial TV forays. Out of these, Cleese gets my vote, with an honourable mention for The Vicar of Dibley. Never watched it to start with, but had to sit through a couple of episodes at the outlaws once and thoroughly enjoyed it. Personal vote would have gone to Father Ted, but that was taken out of my hands by the vagaries of the not always so great British public.

Blackadder for me. May have had some bad episodes but you could probably manage to find more than 12 good ones. I only really rate one or two of Faulty Towers' 12 anyway. Did enjoy Yes Minister but not in a laugh out loud way more a rye smile. Honourable mentions to Ever Decreasing Circles, Chance In A Million and Dear John.

That top ten looks like UK Golds programming for at least the next 12 months, so I'll ignore that.

Steptoe and Son, for me. Specificaly the episodes where the escaped cons turn up and Harold bums cigs of them , and the episode where they split the house into 'Harolds and ' Dads ' And I hope to God UK Repeats dont put 'em on heavy rotation

Interesting views. The Blackadder team, Atkinson included, didn't like the first series and the Beeb almost canned it there and then, although more for cost reasons than the comedy itself. Personally, my favourite was the second series where Miranda Richardson as Elizabeth I just walked off with it, and Rik Mayall had that unforgettable cameo as Lord Flashart.

I see my vote has just put Blackadder in the lead. Favourite series would have to be the second one. Never thought much of 'Blackadder goes forth' though.

If any of these shows are that popular, then I'll be bound to see a spinoff of the show as an American comedy

i love blackadder and fawlty towers, but the good life is just charming. apparrently they play it over here on PBS under some other name. i can't stand only fools and horses!!! i've always thought it was a pile of poo.

Despite stiff opposition from Fawlty Towers and Porridge, I'd go with Blackadder for number of great lines. I also think that the final episode of Blackadder Goes Forth is TV genius of the very highest calibre.

Originally posted by AgentWood i can't stand only fools and horses!!! i've always thought it was a pile of poo.

A woman after my own heart !

Originally posted by KnownPleasures > Originally posted by AgentWood> i can't stand only fools and horses!!! i've always thought it was a pile of poo.

A woman after my own heart !

indeed. it makes red dwarf look like spinal tap.

Fawlty Towers is probably the best comedy show ever made.

And how did Bottom not make the top 10!?

I thought I'd be on me own, opinion wise re: fools and horses. I always feel I'm bein told to like it, as if its been pre-ordained or something, I mean the so called hilarious Christmas specials, not a smile. Still, to each their own.

Not at all - maybe the backlash can be given greater exposure now though. I cannot abide anything in which David Jason attempts to be humourous. I like him in A Touch of Frost, but keep him away from things where they give him supposed comic parts.

I've gone for Basil.

I have a cunning plan...

I think I'll move this thread back up. This Friday it's Yes Minister which I stupidly left off my poll but which would certainly be in my top 5. The Sunday Times described it yesterday as being the original West Wing. Sheer quality.

Fawlty Towers with Blackadder close behind. From the more recent ones "The Legue of Gentlemen" stands out. But "The vicar of Dibley"????? A real vicar is surely funnier.

Blackadder

FYI for American fans of The Office: saw on Amazon that the second season will be released here in mid-April. Cheers to that.

The bad news is that the Christmas specials are, as of this moment, not gonna be on that set. Massive

no Phoenix Nights?,Whats all that about then?