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A British sitcom is a situation comedy (sitcom) produced in the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Like sitcoms in most other countries, they tend to be based around a family, workplace or other institution where a group of contrasting characters are brought together each episode. A common factor is the exploration of social mores, often with a mix of satire or pathos, in contrast to the sometimes uplifting sentiments of many classic American sitcoms. Mores (ˈmɔːreɪz are norms or customs Mores derive from the established practices of a society rather than its written Laws. Satire is often strictly defined as a literary genre or form; although in practice it is also found in the graphic and Performing arts In satire human Pathos (ˈpeɪːθɒs ( πάθος) is one of the three Modes of persuasion in Rhetoric (along with Ethos and Logos) British comedies are typically produced in series of six episodes each. More recently, the portmanteau term "Britcom" has been used by American commentators to distinguish the British idiom of situation comedy from its other (particularly American) counterparts.

Contents

Overview

Apart from the comparatively short series length of British sitcoms, there are few characteristics that can be identified to be singular to British comedies. The first significant British sitcom was arguably Hancock's Half Hour in the latter half of the 1950s, which was characterised by realism and irreverence. Hancock's Half Hour was a ground-breaking and influential BBC Radio comedy series of the 1950s starring Tony Hancock, with Sid James It could be argued that ever since, the climate in British comedy has been divided between the realist and the irreverent. The realist strand has been maintained by such comedies as Fawlty Towers (1970s), The Good Life, Only Fools and Horses (1980s), and My Family (2000s), while the irreverent or surrealist strand has been developed by such comedies as The Young Ones, Bottom, Green Wing, and The Mighty Boosh. Fawlty Towers is a British sitcom made by the BBC and first broadcast on BBC2 in 1975 The Good Life is a British sitcom that aired on BBC1 from 1975 to 1978 Only Fools and Horses is a British Television sitcom, created and written by John Sullivan, and made and broadcast by the BBC My Family is a British sitcom that has aired on BBC One since 2000 The Young Ones was a popular British sitcom, first seen in 1982, on BBC2. Bottom is an award-winning British sitcom of the early 1990s (and later a series of stage shows written by and starring Rik Mayall and Adrian Edmondson Green Wing is an award-winning British television Comedy set in the fictional East Hampton Hospital Trust. The Mighty Boosh, colloquially referred to as The Boosh, is the collective name for the creators of the British television situation comedy written by and starring

Characteristics

Style

It is often the everyday wit and wordplay traditionally attributed to pubs, shop floors and staff rooms up and down the country that provides much of the comedy in many British sitcoms. Wit is a form of intellectual Humour. A wit (person is someone skilled in making witty remarks Word play is a Literary technique in which the nature of the words that are used become the main subject of the work The most sedately written series repudiate structured jokes altogether and attempt to reproduce an everyday environment with the intention of also reproducing its comedy. The forerunner of this style is probably Hancock's Half Hour on TV and radio in the 1950s. Hancock's Half Hour was a ground-breaking and influential BBC Radio comedy series of the 1950s starring Tony Hancock, with Sid James More recent examples of this hyperreal approach include The Royle Family and The Office as well as many British comedy-dramas. In Semiotics and Postmodern philosophy, the term hyperreality characterizes the inability of Consciousness to distinguish Reality from Fantasy The Royle Family is a popular BAFTA award-winning television sitcom produced by Granada Television for the BBC, which ran for This article is about the original version of The Office For the US version see The Office (US TV series, and for a comparison of the various versions from around the Their reliance on character-led, rather than plot-led, humour requires strongly defined characters with whom the audience can identify.

With fewer writers in a project, more unusual and complex fantasy worlds can be created. A significant subset of British comedy therefore consciously avoids traditional situation comedy themes and story lines to branch out into more unusual topics or narrative methods. Such freedom and experimentation is one of the benefits of the British approach and has produced such series as The League of Gentlemen, Marion and Geoff, 15 Storeys High, Spaced and Green Wing. The League of Gentlemen is a quartet of British comedy writer/performers formed in 1995 by Jeremy Dyson, Mark Gatiss, Steve Pemberton Marion and Geoff was a BBC Television Comedy, produced by Baby Cow Productions and screened on BBC Two between Spaced is a British Television Situation comedy written by and starring Simon Pegg and Jessica Stevenson, and Green Wing is an award-winning British television Comedy set in the fictional East Hampton Hospital Trust.

Farce is also a common theme in British sitcoms, exemplified by Fawlty Towers and 'Allo 'Allo!. A farce is a Comedy written for the stage or film which aims to Entertain the audience by means of unlikely extravagant and improbable situations disguise and mistaken Fawlty Towers is a British sitcom made by the BBC and first broadcast on BBC2 in 1975 'Allo 'Allo! was a long-running British sitcom broadcast on BBC1 from 1982 to 1992 comprising eighty-five episodes The Restoration comedy tradition of bawdiness and innuendo has also been well served through series such as Are You Being Served? and Up Pompeii!. Restoration comedy is the name given to English comedies written and performed in the Restoration period from 1660 to 1710 Are You Being Served? was a long-running British sitcom broadcast from 1972 to 1985 Up Pompeii! was a British Television comedy series of the 1970s starring Frankie Howerd.

Novel approaches to the situation can be seen in Blackadder and Yes Minister, moving what is often a domestic or workplace genre into the corridors of power. Blackadder is the generic name that encompasses four series of an acclaimed BBC One historical sitcom, along with several one-off instalments Yes Minister is a multi-award winning satirical British sitcom written by Antony Jay and Jonathan Lynn that was first transmitted Another popular development in recent years has been spoof television series, as in KYTV, People Like Us and The Office. A parody (ˈpɛɹədiː US, [ˈpaɹədiː] UK) in contemporary usage is a work created to mock comment on or poke fun at an original work its subject People Like Us is a British comedy programme a spoof on-location documentary (or Mockumentary) written by John Morton, and starring Chris This article is about the original version of The Office For the US version see The Office (US TV series, and for a comparison of the various versions from around the

Themes

A key theme in many British sitcoms is social entrapment. Entrapment is the act of a law enforcement agent in inducing a person to commit an offence which the person would not have or was unlikely to have otherwise committed Characters as diverse as Basil Fawlty, Granville, Mildred Roper, Edmund Blackadder, René Artois are constrained and contained by their situation, despite their inner longing to escape. Basil Fawlty is the major character in the British sitcom Fawlty Towers, played by John Cleese. Open All Hours was a BBC Sitcom written by Roy Clarke which ran for four series (26 episodes in all between 1976 and 1985 with a pilot George and Mildred was a British sitcom produced by Thames Television that aired from 1976 to 1980 Blackadder is the generic name that encompasses four series of an acclaimed BBC One historical sitcom, along with several one-off instalments 'Allo 'Allo! was a long-running British sitcom broadcast on BBC1 from 1982 to 1992 comprising eighty-five episodes Victor Meldrew is plagued by the banalities of his retired life, the characters in The Office are stuck in a pointless job, Rodney and Delboy in Only Fools And Horses are continuously trying to strike it rich and Eddie and Richie in Bottom are trapped together by their respective character flaws. One Foot in the Grave was a BBC television Situation comedy series written by David Renwick. This article is about the original version of The Office For the US version see The Office (US TV series, and for a comparison of the various versions from around the } Rodney Charlton Trotter (born 26 February 1960 in Peckham, London) is a Fictional character in the BBC Sitcom } Derek Edward Trotter (born July 12, 1948 in Deptford) more commonly known as "Del Boy", is the fictional lead character in the popular Only Fools and Horses is a British Television sitcom, created and written by John Sullivan, and made and broadcast by the BBC Bottom is an award-winning British sitcom of the early 1990s (and later a series of stage shows written by and starring Rik Mayall and Adrian Edmondson Perhaps most blatantly, the characters in Porridge are prisoners. Porridge was a British situation comedy that was broadcast on BBC1 from 1973 to 1977 running for three series two Christmas specials as well as

History

The first true British sitcom was Pinwright's Progress, broadcast by the BBC from 1946 to 1947, but the form didn't really take off until the transfer of Hancock's Half Hour from BBC radio in the 1950s. Pinwright's Progress was British sitcom that aired on the BBC Television Service from 1946 to 1947 Hancock's Half Hour was a ground-breaking and influential BBC Radio comedy series of the 1950s starring Tony Hancock, with Sid James The series remains the most successful and fondly remembered early sitcom, and was successful enough to run simultaneously on BBC Radio and television throughout the late 1950s. BBC Radio is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927 It was renowned for its ability to evacuate pubs and streets as listeners stayed at home to tune in to Hancock's latest misadventures. Hancock's Half Hour, with its emphasis on character and believable situations, was probably the most influential of all British sitcoms. It was a significant part of the BBC's battle to win back audiences from the new channel, ITV, and its populist Light Entertainment shows. In the 1960s its creators, Ray Galton and Alan Simpson, would go on to write the almost equally popular Steptoe and Son, about a man's fractious relationship with his elderly father. Ray Galton OBE (born 17 July 1930) and Alan Simpson OBE (born 27 November 1929) are British scriptwriters Ray Galton OBE (born 17 July 1930) and Alan Simpson OBE (born 27 November 1929) are British scriptwriters Steptoe and Son is a British sitcom written by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson about two rag and bone men living in Oil Drum Lane a fictional street The series was the first to cast established actors in the leading roles, instead of comedians.

Unlike many American sitcoms, most British sitcoms are produced by just one or two writers, and are sometimes characterised as having fewer jokes than those from other countries, focussing on the situation as much as the comedy. The measured approach engendered by a single writer or a close writing partnership can permit greater control over the programme's direction and a structured approach to character and plot development. Individual writers who have made a significant contribution to the genre include John Sullivan, Johnny Speight, Roy Clarke, Jimmy Perry and David Croft (who are also regarded to have been superlative as a writing partnership), Richard Curtis and Ben Elton, while the most notable writing partnerships include Rob Grant & Doug Naylor (Grant Naylor), Ray Galton & Alan Simpson, Dick Clement & Ian La Frenais and John Esmonde & Bob Larbey. John Sullivan OBE (born 23 December 1946 in Balham London, England) is the writer of several British sitcoms including the immensely popular Johnny Speight ( 2 June, 1920 &mdash 5 July, 1998) was a TV scriptwriter of many classic British Sitcoms. Roy Clarke OBE (born 28 January 1930 in Austerfield, Yorkshire) is an English Comedy Writer. Jimmy Perry OBE (born 9 September 1923in Barnes, London) is an English Writer and Actor, most famous for devising Major David John Croft OBE (born 7 September 1922 in Sandbanks, Dorset, England as David John Sharland For the former state representative from Washington State see Richard Curtis (politician Richard Whalley Anthony Curtis, CBE (born Benjamin Charles Elton (born 3 May 1959 is an English Comedian, writer and director. Robert Grant is a British Comedy writer and Television producer, who was born in Salford and studied Psychology at Liverpool Doug Naylor is a British Comedy writer Science fiction writer and Television producer. Grant Naylor was the collective name used by writers Rob Grant and Doug Naylor for their collaborative work particularly the television series Ray Galton OBE (born 17 July 1930) and Alan Simpson OBE (born 27 November 1929) are British scriptwriters Dick Clement OBE (born September 5, 1937) is an English Writer. Ian La Frenais, OBE, (born 7 January 1937) age 71 is in partnership with Dick Clement, one of the most influential television writers in Britain John Gilbert Esmonde ( March 21, 1937 - August 10, 2008) and Bob Larbey (born 1934 were a successful British Television John Gilbert Esmonde ( March 21, 1937 - August 10, 2008) and Bob Larbey (born 1934 were a successful British Television This is in contrast to American sitcoms, for example, which traditionally employ teams of writers and attempt to include many jokes per episode.

In the same decade Johnny Speight's Till Death Us Do Part often caused a stir at the dinner table, inciting debate on political issues — particularly those surrounding race and immigration. Johnny Speight ( 2 June, 1920 &mdash 5 July, 1998) was a TV scriptwriter of many classic British Sitcoms. Till Death Us Do Part is a British sitcom that aired on BBC1 from 1965 to 1975 Meanwhile, Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais created their series The Likely Lads. Dick Clement OBE (born September 5, 1937) is an English Writer. Ian La Frenais, OBE, (born 7 January 1937) age 71 is in partnership with Dick Clement, one of the most influential television writers in Britain The Likely Lads was a hit British sitcom created and written by Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais. Clement and La Frenais would be among the most successful sitcom writing partnerships in Britain. Their later successes included Porridge and Auf Wiedersehen Pet. Porridge was a British situation comedy that was broadcast on BBC1 from 1973 to 1977 running for three series two Christmas specials as well as Auf Wiedersehen Pet was a popular British comedy-drama series about a group of seven British migrant construction workers Wayne, Dennis,

The 1960s also saw the creation of Dad's Army, (BBC), The Liver Birds, (BBC) and On The Buses, (ITV). Dad’s Army is a British sitcom about the Home Guard in the Second World War. The Liver Birds is a British sitcom that aired on BBC1 from 1969 to 1979 and in 1996 On The Buses was a British Situation comedy created by Ronald Wolfe and Ronald Chesney. Independent Television (generally known as ITV) is a public service network of British commercial television broadcasters set up under the Independent

The 1970s introduced several successful British sitcoms, including John Cleese and Connie Booth's farcical Fawlty Towers, John Esmonde and Bob Larbey's self-sufficiency comedy The Good Life, and Roy Clarke's Open All Hours and the long-running Last of the Summer Wine. John Marwood Cleese (ˈkliːz born 27 October, 1939) is a British Actor, Comedian, Writer, Film producer Constance Booth (born December 2, 1944) is an American Writer and Actress known for appearances on British television Fawlty Towers is a British sitcom made by the BBC and first broadcast on BBC2 in 1975 John Gilbert Esmonde ( March 21, 1937 - August 10, 2008) and Bob Larbey (born 1934 were a successful British Television John Gilbert Esmonde ( March 21, 1937 - August 10, 2008) and Bob Larbey (born 1934 were a successful British Television The Good Life is a British sitcom that aired on BBC1 from 1975 to 1978 Roy Clarke OBE (born 28 January 1930 in Austerfield, Yorkshire) is an English Comedy Writer. Open All Hours was a BBC Sitcom written by Roy Clarke which ran for four series (26 episodes in all between 1976 and 1985 with a pilot Last of the Summer Wine is a British sitcom written by Roy Clarke that is broadcast on BBC One.

The commercial station ITV found success with Rising Damp, Man About the House, George and Mildred, and the now decidedly politically incorrect Love Thy Neighbour, based on the rivalry between a black man and his bigoted white neighbour. Independent Television (generally known as ITV) is a public service network of British commercial television broadcasters set up under the Independent Rising Damp was a UK television sitcom produced by Yorkshire Television for ITV, first broadcast from 1974 to 1978 Man About the House was a British sitcom starring Richard O'Sullivan, Paula Wilcox and Sally Thomsett that was broadcast George and Mildred was a British sitcom produced by Thames Television that aired from 1976 to 1980 Love Thy Neighbour is a British sitcom which ran from 13 April 1972 to 22 January 1977, made by Thames Television Mind Your Language spent each episode making fun of other nationalities and was dismissed by some critics as crude caricature, although it also sold surprisingly well abroad. Mind Your Language is a British comedy television series, that premiered on ITV in late 1977 ITV has had few successful sitcoms in recent years, with rare successes like Hardware appearing in off-peak time slots. Hardware is a British sitcom that aired on ITV from 2003 to 2004 Men Behaving Badly, one of the biggest successes of the 1990s, began life as an ITV series in 1992, before being cancelled and picked up by the BBC. Men Behaving Badly is a British comedy --created and written by Simon Nye--that follows the lives of beer-guzzling flatmates Gary Strang and Tony Smart

Since the 1960s television comedy has depended on young talent; the Cambridge Footlights club, the London based Comic Strip club and the Edinburgh Fringe have been the breeding grounds for new modes of British comedy. Cambridge University Footlights Dramatic Club, commonly referred to simply as the Footlights, is an amateur theatrical club in Cambridge England, run by the students The Comic Strip is a group of British comedians known for their Television series The Comic Strip Presents The Edinburgh Fringe (officially the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, commonly just The Fringe) is the world’s largest Arts festival. The new wave of 1980s comedians produced The Young Ones, an anarchic, knockabout romp and, co-written by the same writer, the historical satire Blackadder. The Young Ones was a popular British sitcom, first seen in 1982, on BBC2. Blackadder is the generic name that encompasses four series of an acclaimed BBC One historical sitcom, along with several one-off instalments

Traditional sitcoms continued to prosper, however, particularly with John Sullivan's Only Fools and Horses which dominated the British sitcom scene in the 1980s and 1990s. For other men with the same name see John Sullivan (disambiguation. Only Fools and Horses is a British Television sitcom, created and written by John Sullivan, and made and broadcast by the BBC The series was voted "Britain's Best Sitcom" in the 2004 BBC poll of the same name. Britain's Best Sitcom was a poll conducted in 2004 by the BBC to identify the United Kingdom 's best Situation comedy. The 1980s also saw the unlikely success of the political satire Yes Minister and its sequel Yes, Prime Minister. Satire is often strictly defined as a literary genre or form; although in practice it is also found in the graphic and Performing arts In satire human Yes Minister is a multi-award winning satirical British sitcom written by Antony Jay and Jonathan Lynn that was first transmitted Other hits included Esmonde and Larbey's suburban sitcom Ever Decreasing Circles, and the sci-fi-comedy Red Dwarf. John Gilbert Esmonde ( March 21, 1937 - August 10, 2008) and Bob Larbey (born 1934 were a successful British Television South San Jose (cropjpg||thumb|A suburban development in San Jose California. Ever Decreasing Circles is a British Situation comedy which ran on BBC One for four series from 1984 to 1989 According to the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram, a red dwarf star is a small and relatively cool Star, of the Main sequence, either late K

The unlikely story of three priests — one vain, one simple, one alcoholic — gave the 1990s one of its biggest hits in Father Ted. Father Ted was a popular 1990s Television Situation comedy set around the lives of three Irish Catholic priests on the remote (and Shows such as Birds of a Feather and The Vicar of Dibley also maintained the popularity of the traditional sitcom, and One Foot in the Grave brought black comedy and suburban angst into the mainstream. Birds of a Feather is a British sitcom that aired on BBC One from 1989 to 1998 The Vicar of Dibley is a British sitcom created by Richard Curtis and written for its lead actress Dawn French, by Curtis and Paul One Foot in the Grave was a BBC television Situation comedy series written by David Renwick. Black comedy, also known as black humor or dark comedy, is a sub-genre of Comedy and Satire where topics and events that are usually regarded Angst is a German word for Fear or Anxiety. ( Anguish is its almost entirely synonymous Latinate equivalent

More unorthodox comedies, including The Royle Family, People Like Us and The League of Gentlemen, managed to breathe new life into the genre while appealing both to "mainstream" audiences and a new generation of viewers. The Royle Family is a popular BAFTA award-winning television sitcom produced by Granada Television for the BBC, which ran for People Like Us is a British comedy programme a spoof on-location documentary (or Mockumentary) written by John Morton, and starring Chris The League of Gentlemen is a quartet of British comedy writer/performers formed in 1995 by Jeremy Dyson, Mark Gatiss, Steve Pemberton Many of these more innovative series started life on BBC radio, building up a cult following before being remade for television. BBC Radio is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927 Other series that began in this way include The Mighty Boosh and The Day Today, the latter a spin-off from the radio series On the Hour. The Mighty Boosh, colloquially referred to as The Boosh, is the collective name for the creators of the British television situation comedy written by and starring The Day Today is a surreal British Parody of television News programmes It is an adaptation of the radio programme On The Hour On the Hour was a British Radio programme that parodied current affairs broadcasting broadcast on BBC Radio 4 between 1991 and 1992

The BBC has also begun using its digital channels BBC Three and BBC Four to build a following for off-beat series like The Thick of It. BBC Three is a television channel from the BBC broadcasting via Digital cable, terrestrial, IPTV and satellite platforms BBC Four is a BBC Television channel available to digital television ( Freeview, IPTV, satellite and cable) viewers in the The Thick of It is a British comedy Television series which satirises the inner workings of modern British government. Many of these series have dispensed with the studio audience and canned laughter tracks altogether, in the manner of The Royle Family and The Office. The Royle Family is a popular BAFTA award-winning television sitcom produced by Granada Television for the BBC, which ran for This article is about the original version of The Office For the US version see The Office (US TV series, and for a comparison of the various versions from around the The commercial station Channel 4 has also actively encouraged new writers to produce interesting work. Channel 4 is a public-service Television and Radio broadcaster in the United Kingdom centred around a television channel of the same name which began Some of its recent successes include Father Ted, Spaced, Phoenix Nights, Black Books, Green Wing and Peep Show. Father Ted was a popular 1990s Television Situation comedy set around the lives of three Irish Catholic priests on the remote (and Spaced is a British Television Situation comedy written by and starring Simon Pegg and Jessica Stevenson, and Peter Kay's Phoenix Nights is a BAFTA -nominated British sitcom about The Phoenix Club, a Working men's club in the Northern English Black Books was a British sitcom broadcast on Channel 4 starring Dylan Moran, Bill Bailey and Tamsin Greig Green Wing is an award-winning British television Comedy set in the fictional East Hampton Hospital Trust. --> Peep Show is a BAFTA

Many of the most critically acclaimed sitcoms of recent years have appeared on British television 'quality' channels, BBC2 and Channel 4, rather than on the more popular BBC1 and ITV. Channel 4 is a public-service Television and Radio broadcaster in the United Kingdom centred around a television channel of the same name which began Independent Television (generally known as ITV) is a public service network of British commercial television broadcasters set up under the Independent ITV has had very few successful situation comedies since the 1980s, while the only notable success for BBC1 in the last few years is the critically-derided My Family. My Family is a British sitcom that has aired on BBC One since 2000

See also British comedy

British sitcoms overseas

United States

In the United States, British sitcoms are rarely seen on the commercial networks, but are often seen on the Public Broadcasting Service and increasingly on cable television, including BBC America and Comedy Central. British Comedy, in Film, Radio and Television, is known for its consistently quirky characters plots and settings and has produced some of the most The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The Public Broadcasting Service ( PBS) is a Non-profit Public broadcasting Television service with 354 member TV stations in the BBC America is an American Television network owned and operated by BBC Worldwide Americas, and available on both cable and satellite Comedy Central is an American Cable television and Satellite television channel that carries predominantly Comedy programming

The most significant impediment to the success of British sitcoms in the USA, apart from differences in humour, is the low production rate of a typical show. Commercial networks expect to run at least 22 episodes in a complete season, although not all 22 are expected to be "in the can" when the season starts. A British sitcom, and indeed any British show, begins with much lower expectations. Runs of as few as 6 episodes per series are common (as with Fawlty Towers) and 13 episodes is generally the maximum. Fawlty Towers is a British sitcom made by the BBC and first broadcast on BBC2 in 1975 Commercial networks in the USA expect to capture and hold a time slot against the competition, hopefully with follow-on effects for shows in later slots. British sitcoms generally fail in this regard. The "team writing" approach used in the USA is a necessary part of the high production approach. In contrast, writers on British sitcoms are usually limited to one or two and have been known to complain of exhaustion in producing their more limited runs, cases in point being John Cleese of Fawlty Towers and Jennifer Saunders of Absolutely Fabulous. John Marwood Cleese (ˈkliːz born 27 October, 1939) is a British Actor, Comedian, Writer, Film producer Fawlty Towers is a British sitcom made by the BBC and first broadcast on BBC2 in 1975 Jennifer Jane Saunders (born 6 July 1958 is a BAFTA and Emmy Award -winning English Comedian, Screenwriter and actress Absolutely Fabulous (also known as Ab Fab) was a BAFTA and Emmy Award -winning British sitcom written by and starring

Even in the more limited field of cable networks and syndication, British sitcoms suffer because more commercials are expected to be inserted in the show, compared to the number inserted if they are broadcast on a commercial channel in the UK. This interferes with the rhythm of the plot as interruptions occur at least three times during the show proper, compared to the maximum single break of a half-hour show in the UK.

Despite this, Absolutely Fabulous enjoyed a significant following when it aired on Comedy Central in the 1990s, and The Office won a Golden Globe award in 2004 for "Best Television Series — Musical or Comedy", beating popular American favourites such as HBO's Sex and the City and NBC's Will & Grace. Absolutely Fabulous (also known as Ab Fab) was a BAFTA and Emmy Award -winning British sitcom written by and starring This article is about the original version of The Office For the US version see The Office (US TV series, and for a comparison of the various versions from around the The Golden Globe Awards are American awards for motion pictures and Television programs given out each year during a formal dinner Sex and the City was an American Cable television program The original run of the show was broadcast on HBO from 1998 until 2004 for a The National Broadcasting Company ( NBC) is an American Television network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Will & Grace is a popular Emmy Award -winning American television sitcom that was originally broadcast on NBC from 1998 to 2006 Keeping Up Appearances is also shown on the Public Broadcasting Service. Keeping Up Appearances is a British sitcom starring Patricia Routledge as eccentric social-climbing snob Hyacinth Bucket. The Public Broadcasting Service ( PBS) is a Non-profit Public broadcasting Television service with 354 member TV stations in the

A few British sitcoms were successfully reworked for U.S. audiences. Many successful British TV shows (particularly sitcoms and reality shows have been remade for the American market Four notable examples are Steptoe and Son which became Sanford and Son, Man About the House, which became Three's Company on ABC (along with its spin-offs George and Mildred and Robin's Nest which became The Ropers and Three's a Crowd), Keep It In The Family, which became Too Close For Comfort and Till Death Us Do Part, which became All in the Family on CBS. Steptoe and Son is a British sitcom written by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson about two rag and bone men living in Oil Drum Lane a fictional street Sanford and Son is an American Sitcom that premiered on the NBC Television network on January 14 1972, and was broadcast for Man About the House was a British sitcom starring Richard O'Sullivan, Paula Wilcox and Sally Thomsett that was broadcast Three's Company is an American Sitcom that aired from 1977 to 1984 on ABC. The American Broadcasting Company ( ABC) is an American Television network. George and Mildred was a British sitcom produced by Thames Television that aired from 1976 to 1980 Robin's Nest was a British sitcom starring Richard O'Sullivan as Robin Tripp one of the lead characters in the sitcom Man About the The Ropers was an American Sitcom that ran from March 13, 1979 to May 22, 1980. Three's a Crowd is an American Television Sitcom spinoff of Till Death Us Do Part is a British sitcom that aired on BBC1 from 1965 to 1975 For the US game show see Keep It In The Family (game show Keep it in the Family is a British Comedy CBS Broadcasting Inc ( CBS) is an American radio and Television network. Other series were not as lucky. Beanes of Boston, an Americanised version of Are You Being Served?, was not picked up in 1979, and remakes of Porridge, Red Dwarf and Dad's Army have all failed to get beyond a pilot episode. Are You Being Served? was a long-running British sitcom broadcast from 1972 to 1985 Porridge was a British situation comedy that was broadcast on BBC1 from 1973 to 1977 running for three series two Christmas specials as well as According to the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram, a red dwarf star is a small and relatively cool Star, of the Main sequence, either late K Dad’s Army is a British sitcom about the Home Guard in the Second World War. Fawlty Towers was made into a shortlived sitcom called Payne. Fawlty Towers is a British sitcom made by the BBC and first broadcast on BBC2 in 1975 In 1999, the U. S. version of Coupling, a series often compared to Friends, was cancelled shortly after premiering on NBC, but the network's American version of The Office, which debuted in 2005 and features Steve Carell in the lead, was by far more successful. Coupling is a British television Sitcom written by Steven Moffat that aired on BBC2 from May 2000 to June 2004 Friends was an The National Broadcasting Company ( NBC) is an American Television network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Steven John "Steve" Carell (born August 16, 1962) is a Golden Globe - and Screen Actors Guild Award -winning American

Some British series have themselves been based on American examples, including The Upper Hand (a remake of Who's the Boss), and Brighton Belles, an unsuccessful Anglicised version of The Golden Girls. The Upper Hand is a sitcom produced by Central Television and broadcast by ITV from 1990 to 1996. Who's the Boss? is an American Television sitcom starring Tony Danza, Judith Light, Alyssa Milano, The Golden Girls is an American sitcom that originally aired on NBC from September 14, 1985, to May 9, The Golden Girls is an American sitcom that originally aired on NBC from September 14, 1985, to May 9, More recently, My Family used a team of writers to mimic American-style sitcoms. My Family is a British sitcom that has aired on BBC One since 2000

Australia

Although many British comedies were shown on the three commercial TV networks in Australia in the 1970s and early 80s (e. A television network is a distribution network for Television content whereby a central operation provides programming for many Television stations g. On the Buses, Mind Your Language, Doctor in the House, The Upchat Line, The Upchat Connection, Haggard, Get Some In!, Sink or Swim, My Wife Next Door, The Piglet Files, 'Allo 'Allo, and Me and My Girl) the channels stopped showing them by the late 1980s. On The Buses was a British Situation comedy created by Ronald Wolfe and Ronald Chesney. Doctor in the House is a British television comedy series based on a set of books and a movie of the same name by Richard Gordon about the misadventures Get Some In! was a British television series about life in Royal Air Force National Service broadcast between 1975 and 1978 Sink or Swim is a TV show from the 80s with Peter Davison as the lead character Brian Webber My Wife Next Door was a BBC Sitcom written by Brian Clemens and Richard Waring first aired in 1972 The Piglet Files is a British sitcom produced by LWT (now part of Granada TV) 'Allo 'Allo! was a long-running British sitcom broadcast on BBC1 from 1982 to 1992 comprising eighty-five episodes Me and My Girl is a musical with book and lyrics by Douglas Furber and L One issue was the difficulty of fitting a half-hour BBC sitcom (without adverts) into a 25-minute Australian TV slot with advertising breaks.

Australian commercial television channels made their own versions of popular British comedies during the 1970s, which featured major stars of the various series having come to Australia for some reason (within the series' storylines). Australian versions of British series, complete with their original British stars, included: Are You Being Served? (with John Inman as "Mr. Are You Being Served? was a long-running British sitcom broadcast from 1972 to 1985 See also John Inman (golfer. Frederick John Inman (28 June 1935 &ndash 8 March 2007 was an English Actor who was best known Humphries"), Father, Dear Father (with Patrick Cargill as "Patrick Glover", and Noël Dyson as "Nanny"), Doctor in the House (with Robin Nedwell as "Dr. Father Dear Father was a British Television Sitcom produced by Thames Television for ITV Patrick Cargill ( 3 June, 1918 &ndash 23 May, 1996) was a British Actor known for his role on the British television Doctor in the House is a British television comedy series based on a set of books and a movie of the same name by Richard Gordon about the misadventures Robin Nedwell ( 27 September 1946 - 1 February 1999) was an English Actor. Duncan Waring", and Geoffrey Davies as "Dr. Geoffrey Davies (born December 15 1941) is an English Actor who studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts. Dick Stuart Clark"), Love Thy Neighbour (with Jack Smethurst as "Eddie Booth"), and Up the Convicts (with Frankie Howerd in a Lurcio-style persona). Love Thy Neighbour is a British sitcom which ran from 13 April 1972 to 22 January 1977, made by Thames Television Jack Smethurst (born 9 April, 1932 in Collyhurst, Manchester) is an English TV and film comic actor of the 1950s 60s 70s 80s and Frankie Howerd OBE (born Francis Alick Howard, 6 March 1917 &ndash 18 April 1992) was a distinctive English Up Pompeii! was a British Television comedy series of the 1970s starring Frankie Howerd.

British programs (including sitcoms) have long been standard fare on the other major channel, ABC. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly abbreviated to the 'ABC' is Australia's national public broadcaster. The large majority of major BBC sitcoms aired in Australia have been shown on the ABC, with some of the British sitcoms having been re-aired many times. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly abbreviated to the 'ABC' is Australia's national public broadcaster. The station lacks ad breaks, being funded by the Australian Federal Government. This article describes the federal government of Australia See Australian governments for other jurisdictions With the national sense of humour often akin to the British one, tending to be dry, deadpan, ironic or sarcastic, British sitcoms are popular in Australia, and the major ones are widely available in public libraries and video and DVD shops.

Canada

Since the days of Benny Hill and Fawlty Towers, British series have always fared well and have developed cult status with many Canadians. Alfred Hawthorne Hill ( 21 January 1924 &ndash 19 April 1992) better known as Benny Hill, was a prolific English Fawlty Towers is a British sitcom made by the BBC and first broadcast on BBC2 in 1975 The sense of humour is somewhat similar and transfers well with Canadians. Similar to Australian TV, Canadian TV's 30 minute programming format is actually more like 20 minutes with 10 minutes of adverts; thus, many British series have to be edited to fit the format. See also Media in Canada Television in Canada began with the opening of the nation's first television stations in 1952 Many Canadians also make up a large part of the audience of nearby American PBS channels, where they are able to view the British series unedited.

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