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Monsoons, sunburn, bad-tempered wasps: summer brings many things to Britain, but what it doesn’t tend to offer is a jam-packed, BAFTA award-winning television schedule. Boo. Before you suffer from overexposure to QI repeats then, now is a good time to invest in a series boxed set, and if it’s comedy you’re after, the choice is endless. Fortunately, we’re rather fond of British sitcoms, so we’ve compiled an A-Z list of our favourites, old and new, that must be watched.
“Eddie, don’t ever make me a cup of tea.”
When the title of this sitcom was announced, critics everywhere must have been wringing their hands with anticipation, ready to say how ‘unfabulous’ it was. However, they never got the chance, as Absolutely Fabulous was (and still is) exactly what it says on the tin. The brainchild of Jennifer Saunders and Dawn French, featuring an all-female regular cast, AbFab enjoyed run-away success and is widely considered to be the best sitcom of the 90s.
Synopsis: Over 36 episodes (made up of 5 series and numerous specials), the nation fell in love with Edina Monsoon (Saunders), owner of a PR company and involved in a role reversal with her sensible daughter Saffy (Julia Sawalha), who despairs at her mother’s refusal to grow up and at her resilient friendship with binge-drinker, drug addict, and 60s throwback Patsy Stone (Joanna Lumley in ‘act-everyone-off-the-stage’ mode). If ever a show proved to the naysayers that comedy is not just a man’s game, this was it, with tremendously talented women taking centre stage and, for once, not represented as being overly responsible or battleaxes.
Best Character: Bubble
Ms Lumley, I love you, and Patsy Stone truly is as likeable a monster as there has ever been, but the character that I always anticipate seeing the most is Bubble. Jane Horrocks is just perfect as The Worst PA on Earth, with her incredible density, wonderfully overdone Lancashire accent and fantastic outfits just lighting up the screen in her all-too-irregular appearances.
Best Episode: ‘Poor’
The first 3 series are filled with classic episode after classic episode, but I’m going to have to go with ‘Poor’, the series 2 episode in which Edina and Patsy go to the supermarket for the first time and, not only that, but Edina must also drive them there! It has to be seen to be believed, but this is a hilarious episode throughout, and it also contains Bubble’s finest moment.
Clip:
See also: ‘Allo ‘Allo, Are you being Served?
“Don’t you dare use the word ‘party’ as a verb in this shop!”
Nope, I’m not going to argue about this; Black Books most definitely deserves a place on this list, and if you don’t agree, I may have to throw books at you (and they won’t be paperbacks, either). Not only is this series written by the Almighty Graham Linehan – along with the marvellous Kevin Cecil and Andy Riley – but there are no limits to how silly it can get. No, it isn’t particularly iconic, and being set in a quirky little bookstore, it’s not making any bold statements about politics or society. The only message Black Books seeks to deliver is that everyone is pretty much bonkers.
Synopsis: The first episode sees Bernard (Dylan Moran) employ the quiet, but stressed, accountant Manny (Bill Bailey) as an assistant in his bookshop, possibly to increase sales, but mostly to have somebody to torment when there’s no customers left. Along with Fran (Tamsin Greig), who runs the shop next door, Manny attempts to drag the hermit Bernard into the real world, but always fails. Miserably.
Best character: Bernard Black
Mad, drunk, rude, childish, unclean… there are no redeemable features about this character at all. He calls his customers ‘time wasting b******s,’ makes ice lollies out of wine, and would rather be beaten up by Millwall supporters than do his accounts. I can’t see what’s not to like.
Best episode: ‘Grapes of Wrath’
One of the earlier episodes in which Bernard and Manny offer to look after a friend’s house for the evening and end up drinking a priceless, ancient wine by mistake. While booze is a recurring theme in just about every episode, it says a lot about Bernard that it wasn’t even the alcohol making him think a coaster was a ‘delicious biscuit.’
Clip:
See also: Blackadder, The Brittas Empire
"Bernard! Bernard! Bernard! Look, Bernard! Bernard! Bernard! I'm a prostitute robot from the future!"
Not to forget "I ate all your bees." "You... fucker."
That show is too quotable.
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