Looking for some good comedies. I looked at the top shows on Brit Box (streaming channel in the US), and most of them are police procedurals! I think the first comedy is Gavin & Stacy, which I haven’t seen but isn’t there something newer? My wife and I have enjoyed Coupling and Inbetweeners. Any suggestions?
Nobody has mentioned Taskmaster yet!
Is that not on Brit Box? I watch on Youtube.
Taskmaster is so good!
My wife and I watched it all, then some other panel shows and standup comedy, and then went back to Taskmaster for a rewatch as we know more about these weird contestants.
You have the classics like;
- Fawlty Towers
- Black Adder
- Mr. Bean
- Monty Python’s Flying Circus
- Keeping Up Appearances
I’d throw in classics like:
- Hancock
- Rising Damp
- Steptoe & Son
- Dad’s Army
- Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em
- Are You Being Served?
- Allo Allo
I liked Detectorists! I’m not sure if it’s entirely comedy though, it’s partly slice-of-life as well.
A few that haven’t been mentioned so far:
- Flowers from 2016 - fairly dark.
- Inside No. 9 - from 2014, also fairly dark at times
- Here We Go - a one-off in 2020 and then seasons from 2022
- Yes Minister/Yes Prime Minister - from 1980
- Porridge - from 1973
- Red Dwarf - 1988
- The Royle Family
- Early Doors
- Alan Partridge - various iterations
- Brassic
- The Office
- Extras
- IT Crowd
- Black Books
- Phoenix Nights
- The Day Today
- Brass Eye
- The Thick of It
- Friday Night Dinner
- Outnumbered
This is my favourite list so far.
It’s mainly just the stuff I like minus things that have already been mentioned:
- Blackadder
- League of Gentlemen
- Inside No 9
- Darkplace
- Spaced
- Red Dwarf
- Misfits
- Extraordinary
I also missed:
- The Young Ones
- Bottom
- The New Statesman
They’re the ones I already own on home video (a lot are still only out on DVD) or plan to own.
And the classics I list in another post.
“Back” is Mitchell and Webb’s new show and pretty good, but anything with those two is great British comedy.
“Dick Turpin” on Apple has Noel Fielding, and he comes with a gang of Brits in everything. So not technically British, but a lot of Brits.
A lot of British comedy these days seems to be quiz/talk shows. Taskmaster has every season on YouTube, and the others like 8 out of 10 cats, or the Big Fat quizs get uploaded pretty quick to a couple different grey areas channels.
I really like British TV, but I never got Brit Box because, like you said it’s almost all police procedures. They don’t have everything even tho it’s advertised like they do.
- Peep Show
- Mitchell & Webb
There is a bunch on Amazon Prime - Spaced (Simon Pegg/Nick Frost) is a bit weird but I like it. There’s also Black Books and (I think) Green Wing.
But yeah, Brit Box is awful unless you like cop shows and people in fancy dresses
League of Gentlemen is quite a fun dark comedy. Not everyone’s cup of tea though, which is fair. Same with inside no. 9, made by the same cast, but is a bit more modern and drama-like.
Ok so I know I’m replying to my own comment but fuck it, since I haven’t seen it mentioned and it absolutely destroyed the brit comedy scene at its time, Only fools and horses. Really speaks to the working class struggle at the time (1980+) and even now.
Not a single mention of Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace so far? Shame on you all
Definitely shame on me - what was I (not) thinking?
One that I haven’t seen mentioned is Meet the Richardsons. At least the first two or three seasons were pretty funny, haven’t seen the newer ones yet.
I would also strongly recommend Detectorists, although it’s not usually laugh-out-loud funny it’s just such a pleasant and enjoyable watch.
Although I absolutely love Inside No. 9, I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it as a comedy aside from a handful of episodes, as it can be quite heavy and dark.
Also 15 Storeys High with a young Sean Lock and Benedict Wong is a good one that’s not as well known. It’s quite dry and sparse at times but also intermittently hilarious.
Also
- Extras
- The Office
- Keeping Up Appearances
Since I haven’t seen it mentioned, Still Game. Scottish characters in a retirement community. brutally funny, actual laugh out loud.
Watched it a few years ago for the 1st time, gas. Ye get fairly attached to the lads.
People seem to be ignoring your request for newer TV shows lol. Not sure if they’re on britbox but here are my recs:
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Stath Lets Flats: Sort of a modern The Office set in a flat rental agency. Genuinely hilarious.
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Fleabag: You probably know this already but do try it if not. Funny, explicit, poignant.
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This Way Up: Similar vibes to Fleabag but verging more into sadcom than right out comedy.
-
Catastrophe: About a couple who get together after a one night stand leads to pregnancy. Stars Sharon Horgan who’s also in This Way Up.
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Black Ops: Light-hearted comedy about institutional racism in the London police. Bit over the top but enjoyable.
-
We Are Lady Parts: About a group of Muslim girls who form a punk band.
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Ghosts (UK version): Couple move into an old house that turns out to be haunted by ghosts. Warm-hearted but still funny.
-
Derry Girls: Group of teenage friends growing up in Northern Ireland during the troubles. Funny and moving.
Comedies I haven’t watched but have heard good things about: Big Boys, Alma’s Not Normal, Raised by Wolves, The Outlaws, This Is Going to Hurt, Motherland
We actually saw the UK Ghosts before the US one started, and it’s hilarious. Also really liked Catastrophe and Fleabag. Heard of Derry Girls, but never saw it.
-
I really enjoyed “Extraordinary”. It has a lot of the same feel as coupling, maybe mixed with a bit of “Misfits”.
Speaking of which, “Misfits” first couple seasons are pretty great as well.
Really enjoyed Extraordinary (on Hulu in the US). Will have to check out Misfits.
Excellent! Make sure it’s the UK version of Misfits. There was a truly terrible attempt to make a US version.
Same thing happened with Coupling!
Minus things already mentioned (and in no particular order):
- The Thick of It (political comedy, has some amazing swearing)
- The Cleaner (British version of a German comedy)
- Ghosts (not the US remake, of course)
- 8 out of Cats Does Countdown (comedy version of the long running quiz show)
- Alan Davis’s As Yet Untitled (talk show with comedians)
- Gone Fishing (not a comedy show per se, a gentle fishing show featuring Bob Mortimer and Paul Whitehouse)
- Drunk History (British version of the American show/YouTube sensation from back in the day)
- Mighty Boosh (surreal humour, still gets referenced frequently in my house)
- Jeeves and Wooster
- Phoenix Nights (Peter Kay show, definitely check this out)
- Vicar of Dibley
