British Comedy, a list by Dani Suarez

8.7

/239890/

86

/11131/

83

/1721/

100

/140/

93

92

/40/

age 17+

A portrait into the mind of a dry-witted, sexual, angry, porn-watching, grief-riddled woman, trying to make sense of the world. As she hurls herself headlong at modern living, Fleabag is thrown roughly up against the walls of contemporary London, with all its frenetic energy, late nights, and bright lights.

89

8.8

/110392/

86

/3161/

83

/768/

100

/14/

92

age 13+

Owner Basil Fawlty, his wife Sybil, a chambermaid Polly, and Spanish waiter Manuel attempt to run their hotel amidst farcical situations and an array of demanding guests.

88

8.6

/25189/

82

/884/

81

/164/

100

/39/

94

age 14+

The lives of two eccentric metal detectorists, who spend their days plodding along ploughed tracks and open fields, hoping to disturb the tedium by unearthing the fortune of a lifetime.

88

8.4

/55090/

84

/4508/

80

/629/

100

/6/

93

age 14+

The Utopia Experiments is a legendary graphic novel shrouded in mystery. When a group of strangers find themselves in possession of an original manuscript, their lives suddenly and brutally implode.

88

8.5

/73740/

84

/3830/

81

/359/

99

/86/

95

87

/5/

age 15+

Amidst the political conflict of Northern Ireland in the 1990s, five secondary school students square off with the universal challenges of being a teenager.

88

8.7

/72799/

85

/2740/

80

/411/

96

/58/

93

age 17+

Peep Show follows the lives of two men from their twenties to thirties, Mark Corrigan, who has steady employment for most of the series, and Jeremy "Jez" Usbourne, an unemployed would-be musician.

88

8.8

/86644/

86

/1940/

82

/680/

100

/12/

86

age 14+

A British sketch comedy series with the shows being composed of surreality, risqué or innuendo-laden humour, sight gags and observational sketches without punchlines.

88

8.6

/148709/

82

/4376/

80

/1499/

100

/5/

93

age 10+

Mr Bean turns simple everyday tasks into chaotic situations and will leave you in stitches as he creates havoc wherever he goes.

88

8.5

/60381/

82

/1931/

79

/476/

100

/20/

96

age 14+

Spaced: the anti-Friends, in that it examines the lives of common 20 somethings, but in a way that is more down to earth and realistic. Here we have Daisy and Tim; two 'young' adults with big dreams just trying to get by in this crazy world. They are thrown together in a common pursuit of tenancy, which they find by posing as a couple. The house has a landlady and an oddball artist living there. The series explores the ins and outs of London living.

87

9.0

/82933/

84

/3633/

85

/363/

97

/29/

97

70

/17/

age 14+

Follow Jeremy Clarkson as he embarks on his latest adventure, farming. The man who on several occasions claims to be allergic to manual labour takes on the most manually labour intensive job there is. What could possibly go wrong?

87

8.5

/23396/

82

/1221/

80

/258/

100

/50/

90

An anthology of darkly comic twisted tales, each one taking place behind a door marked 'number 9'.

87

8.4

/19775/

86

/1780/

80

/142/

96

/18/

89

age 15+

Set in 1996 in Lincolnshire, the show tells the tragic and humorous story of a very troubled young girl Rae, who has just left a psychiatric hospital, where she has spent four months after attempting suicide, begins to reconnect with her best friend Chloe and her group, who are unaware of Rae's mental health and body image problems, believing she was in France for the past four months.

87

8.4

/27501/

80

/682/

80

/336/

100

/29/

91

age 7+

Go behind the curtains as Kermit the Frog and his muppet friends struggle to put on a weekly variety show.

86

8.3

/21996/

80

/1024/

76

/150/

Letterboxd

4.4

/23368/

96

/45/

92

91

/20/

age 15+

The unvarnished truth of life as a doctor working in obstetrics and gynaecology.

86

8.6

/21820/

82

/779/

82

/142/

99

/46/

86

84

/27/

age 10+

The heartwarming and humorous adventures of a young country vet in the Yorkshire Dales in the 1930s. A remake of the 1978 series.

86

8.4

/25168/

80

/809/

76

/151/

100

/19/

92

age 16+

A British comic fantasy containing humour and pop-culture references. Episodes often featured elaborate musical numbers in different genres, such as electro, heavy metal, funk, and rap. The show has been known for popularising a style called "crimping"; short acappella songs which are present throughout all three series.

86

9.0

/65398/

88

/976/

80

/290/

Only Fools and Horses.... Is a British sitcom created and written by John Sullivan. Seven series were originally transmitted on BBC One from 1981 to 1991, with sixteen sporadic Christmas specials aired until 2003. In working-class Peckham in south-east London, ambitious market trader Derek 'Del Boy' Trotter and his younger half-brother Rodney, explore their highs and lows in life, in particular their attempts to get rich. Initially not an immediate hit and receiving little promotion early on, it later achieved consistently high ratings, and the 1996 episode "Time on Our Hands" (originally billed as the series finale) holds the record for the biggest UK audience for a sitcom episode, attracting 24.3 million viewers. The series bears a significant influence on British culture, contributing several words and phrases to the English language.

86

8.4

/64045/

84

/3042/

80

/570/

93

/13/

91

age 15+

Black Books centres around the foul tempered and wildly eccentric bookshop owner Bernard Black. Bernard’s devotion to the twin pleasures of drunkenness and wilful antagonism deepens and enriches both his life and that of Manny, his assistant. Bearded, sweet and good, Manny is everything that Bernard isn’t and is punished by Bernard relentlessly just for the crime of existing. They depend on each other for meaning as Fran, their oldest friend, depends on them for distraction. Black Books is a haven of books, wine and conversation, the only threat to the group’s peace and prosperity is their own limitless stupidity.

86

9.0

/30247/

87

/1997/

82

/182/

Greg Davies is the Taskmaster, and with the help of his ever-loyal assistant Alex Horne, they will set out to test the wiles, wit, wisdom and skills of five hyper-competitive comedians. Who will be crowned the Taskmaster champion?

85

IMDb 43

8.3

/139262/

83

/6515/

80

/743/

97

/215/

87

82

/89/

age 16+

Follow a dysfunctional team of MI5 agents—and their obnoxious boss, the notorious Jackson Lamb—as they navigate the espionage world's smoke and mirrors to defend England from sinister forces.

85

8.5

/174429/

85

/14647/

82

/1536/

85

/31/

89

age 14+

The comedic misadventures of Roy, Moss, and their grifting supervisor Jen, a 'motley crew' of IT support workers at a large corporation headed by a hotheaded yuppie.

85

8.2

/25575/

78

/1265/

75

/158/

98

/161/

92

87

/47/

age 17+

Rob Delaney and Sharon Horgan write and star in a comedy that follows an American man and an Irish woman who make a bloody mess as they struggle to fall in love in London.

85

8.6

/18627/

86

/534/

83

/160/

Satirical sitcom set in the office of a UK Cabinet minister, Jim Hacker MP, who struggles with Civil Service bureaucracy and political machinations as he tries to get on with government business.

86

85

8.4

/13091/

81

/412/

77

/116/

93

/22/

97

The League of Gentlemen is a British comedy television series that premiered on BBC Two in 1999. The show is set in Royston Vasey, a fictional town in Northern England based on Bacup, Lancashire. It follows the lives of dozens of bizarre townspeople, most of whom are played by three of the show's four writers—Mark Gatiss, Steve Pemberton, and Reece Shearsmith—who, along with Jeremy Dyson, formed the League of Gentlemen comedy troupe in 1995. The series originally aired for three series from 1999 until 2002 followed by a film in 2005. A three-part revival mini-series was broadcast in December 2017 to celebrate the group's 20th anniversary.

85

8.4

/32277/

80

/1597/

79

/232/

96

/35/

92

81

/10/

age 14+

A cash-strapped young couple inherits a grand country house, only to find it is both falling apart and teeming with the ghosts of former inhabitants.

85

8.5

/21460/

82

/875/

80

/172/

Letterboxd

4.4

/16654/

87

/23/

94

age 15+

When the Hellmouth opens beneath Darkplace Hospital in downtown Romford, kiddy doctor, Vietnam veteran and ex-warlock Dr. Rick Dagless M.D. is the only man who can close it. Joined by best buddy Dr. Lucien Sanchez, fiery hospital boss Thornton Reed, and woman Liz Asher, Dagless must fight the forces of Darkness while dealing with the burden of day-to-day admin. From the chilling pen of best-selling horror writer Garth Marenghi comes this lost masterpiece of televisual terror. Dare you enter Garth's Darkplace?

84

8.2

/27791/

78

/817/

75

/121/

98

/27/

90

age 16+

Essex and Wales collide when Gavin and Stacey fall in love - bringing their friends, family and baggage with them.

84

8.3

/63124/

79

/1877/

78

/399/

88

/86/

94

83

/50/

age 15+

Andy Millman gave up his day job five years ago in the hope of achieving the big time, but he’s yet to land a speaking part, let alone saunter down the red carpet to pick up an Oscar. He remains optimistic however, as rubbing shoulders with the A-list on-set only serves to reinforce his belief that the big time is just a job or two away.

87

84

8.5

/9389/

80

/320/

78

/50/

96

/21/

96

age 15+

The lives of cousins Kerry and Kurtan in the rural village of Cotswolds.

84

8.3

/13465/

80

/490/

79

/106/

86

/18/

95

Follow new surgical registrar Dr Caroline Todd through her first day at work and beyond, starting out as she means to go on - dishevelled and under-deodorised! Along the way she meets an assortment of bizarre and demented characters. Be prepared for one of the most surreal journeys you're ever likely to take as you dive into the anarchic world of Green Wing Hospital!

84

8.2

/23037/

79

/708/

75

/174/

96

/21/

90

age 16+

Set in the world of fashion and PR, immature fun-loving mother Edina Monsoon and her best friend Patsy drive Eddie's sensible daughter, Saffron, up the wall with their constant drug abuse and outrageous selfishness. Numerous in-jokes and heavy doses of cruel humour have made this series a cult hit in the UK and abroad.

84

8.6

/14491/

85

/438/

83

/131/

James Hacker MP the Government's bumbling minister for Administrative Affairs is propelled along the corridors of power to the very pinnacle of politics - No. 10. Could this have possibly have been managed by his trusted Permanent Private Secretary, the formidably political Sir Humphrey Appleby who must move to the “Top Job” in Downing Street to support him, together with his much put upon PPS Bernard Wolley. What could possibly go wrong?

83

8.1

/20541/

78

/855/

76

/89/

97

/33/

87

78

/20/

age 13+

John Taylor lives in quiet solitude, designing puzzles for a living, under the nom-de-plume of 'Ludwig'. When his identical twin, James, disappears off the face of the earth, John takes over his brother's identity in a quest to discover his whereabouts.

85

83

8.4

/6505/

81

/347/

75

/38/

100

/29/

89

84

/14/

Big Boys is a silly, sweet comedy about two boys from very different ends of the “spectrum of masculinity” who become best mates at Brent Uni Freshers Week 2013.

83

7.7

/20201/

74

/1396/

73

/192/

100

/35/

91

77

/16/

age 15+

In a world where everyone develops a power on their 18th birthday, Jen didn't. She's turning 25 and is still waiting to get hers. Adrift in a big, confusing world and armed with nothing but a bit of hope and a lot of desperation, Jen begins her journey to find her maybe-superpower. But in doing so, she might discover the joy of being just kind of ok.

83

8.6

/35370/

85

/1560/

79

/268/

Comedy quiz show full of quirky facts, in which contestants are rewarded more if their answers are 'quite interesting'.

83

7.9

/14468/

79

/1648/

72

/168/

97

/23/

96

79

/19/

age 14+

Thousands of dead people have risen from their graves and nearly destroyed Britain. A cure has been found - but can the treated zombies be rehabilitated back into living society?

83

8.0

/43379/

84

/2694/

79

/519/

85

/29/

89

Black Adder traces the deeply cynical and self-serving lineage of various Edmund Blackadders throughout British history, from the muck of the Middle Ages to the frontline of the First World War.

83

8.2

/16359/

78

/553/

73

/117/

94

/39/

94

77

/9/

In 1935, financially strapped widow Louisa Durrell, whose life has fallen apart, decides to move from England, with her four children (three sons, one daughter), to the island of Corfu, Greece. Once there, the family moves into a dilapidated old house that has no electricity and that is crumbling apart. But life on Corfu is cheap, it's an earthly paradise, and the Durrells proceed to forge their new existence, with all its challenges, adventures, and forming relationships.

83

8.4

/17993/

81

/752/

84

/231/

age 17+

A group of working-class friends finding unconventional ways to win at life in suburban northern England. These lads have dealt, scammed, bribed and conned their way through adolescence, but now, their dealing and stealing is catching up with them and a whole load of trouble is heading their way.

83

8.0

/242742/

76

/13383/

80

/3450/

94

/89/

92

77

/21/

age 17+

James is 17 and is pretty sure he is a psychopath. Alyssa, also 17, is the cool and moody new girl at school. The pair make a connection and she persuades him to embark on a darkly comedic road trip in search of her real father.

83

8.0

/23769/

77

/1268/

71

/154/

98

/41/

91

age 17+

After finding out he has an STI, Dylan must get back in touch with every girl he has ever had sex with to let them know the bad news.

83

8.7

/29056/

84

/1127/

80

/194/

age 16+

Set in the corridors of power and spin, the Minister for Social Affairs is continually harassed by Number 10's policy enforcer and dependent on his not-so-reliable team of civil servants.

82

7.7

/186331/

75

/7138/

76

/1045/

Letterboxd

4.0

/602704/

99

/70/

80

88

/18/

age 16+

When a struggling comedian shows one act of kindness to a vulnerable woman, it sparks a suffocating obsession which threatens to wreck both their lives.

82

8.3

/7655/

80

/528/

75

/73/

97

/68/

75

84

/29/

age 15+

An anarchic, laugh-out-loud music comedy following a Muslim female punk band called Lady Parts, tracking the highs and lows of the band members as seen through the eyes of Amina Hussein — a geeky doctorate student who is recruited to be their unlikely lead guitarist.

82

8.7

/135473/

85

/7507/

75

/831/

age 12+

This fast-paced and stunt-filled motor show tests whether cars, both mundane and extraordinary, live up to their manufacturers' claims. The long-running show travels to locations around the world, performing extreme stunts and challenges to see what the featured cars are capable of doing. The current hosts are Paddy Mcguinness, Chris Harris and Andrew "Freddie" Flintoff.

82

8.5

/11572/

80

/481/

79

/96/

89

/28/

98

63

/13/

age 14+

David Tennant and Michael Sheen (playing themselves) were due to star in a production of 'Six Characters in Search of an Author' in the West End. The pandemic has put an end to that, but their director (Simon Evans) is determined not to let the opportunity pass them by.

82

7.5

/15091/

74

/932/

72

/233/

100

/65/

89