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If sitcom characters ran every workplace, nothing would ever get done. This is proven most eloquently by the following two sitcoms – our entries for G and H – where senior doctors run amok with musical instruments, and sociopathic space officers are trusted to prevent intergalactic wars…
(Written by Teresa Pinto)
“I'll see you in Zurich.”
Green Wing is a comedy set in a hospital, but don't think Scrubs. Think Holby City on acid; now subtract the medicine, add some incest, dwarves and a menagerie of animal cameos, and you're closer to the essence of one of the most innovative British sitcoms of recent years.
Despite a lack of any medical element to the show itself, the hospital provides the perfect crucible for the interaction of an ensemble of eccentric characters, and the operation room scenes make great use of the hospital setting. A blend of surreal farce, word play and physical humour are the major comedic components that arise out of the various narratives that interconnect across the episodes, and these are skillfully woven together by a combination of dreamlike music juxtaposed with either slow or fast motion scene changes, which further contribute to the surreal feeling that pervades the show. It's undeniably smart and totally unique, and if you haven't already watched it, it's well worth a try.
Synopsis: The series follows Caroline Todd (Tamsin Greig), a new employee of East Hampton Hospital who is unlucky in love (and in every other aspect of her life) and her work colleagues, most of whom who are socially dysfunctional but somehow manage to hold down nine to five jobs in healthcare.
The on-going power struggle between Joanna and Sue (Pippa Haywood and Michelle Gomez), Alan Statham's (Mark Heap) dogged pursuit of Joanna and the unfolding mystery of the identity of Guy's long lost mother are developed throughout the series, but the overarching plot is the love triangle between Caroline, fellow surgeon/heartthrob Mac (Julian Rhind-Tutt) and the rogue, bigoted but strangely loveable anaesthetist Guy Secretan (Stephen Mangan). The various obstacles and situations that this storyline creates are highly entertaining and have surprisingly far reaching consequences – one of these is inciting the hatred of Sue White, who is obsessed with Mac and makes several very creative attempts on Caroline's life as a result.
Best character: Sue White
A tough one, but it's got to be the 'Mad Queen'; not only one of the most absurd characters of the bunch, but arguably one of the funniest female characters to ever grace the small screen. Michelle Gomez is scene-stealingly good as the outrageously Scottish staff-liaison officer, and her various insane antics (which over the course of the series involve arson, mastering the art of flying and wearing extendable arms) are a joy to behold.
Best episode: ‘The House Warming Party’
Caroline throws a house-warming party and everyone gets hammered; Alan unsuccessfully tries to kidnap Joanna, and Sue takes a self-conscious Martin clothes shopping which yields interesting results.
Best moment:
See also: Getting On, The Good Life, The Great Outdoors
“Chillax, Mr York. It’s just a weapon big enough to extinguish the stars - it’s not like we’re carrying some kind of, aha, Doomsday machine…”
Back in 2006, tucked away in a shadowy corner on Thursday evenings, was the futuristic and underrated Britcom Hyperdrive. Stopped at only two series’ long, it was almost as if the BBC was embarrassed by it, which is a shame. Being set on spacecraft HMS Camden Lock (which resembled the BT tower), and set in the distant future, comparisons against Red Dwarf were unavoidable, but unjustified. Hyperdrive wasn’t subtle humour exactly (as the quantity of grotesque alien costumes proved), but it was incredibly silly, marvellously absurd, and pretty darn funny.
Although penned by Kevin Cecil and Andy Riley (hello again), it’s also the talents of two fantastic comedic actors that truly make Hyperdrive worth watching: Kevin Eldon, as the deliciously creepy First Officer York, and (the Yorker TV team’s favourite) Miranda Hart, as Officer Chloe Teal. Of course, there’s Nick Frost, who temporarily unglues himself from Simon Pegg to play Commander Henderson, your classic well-meaning, but slightly incompetent leader; Dan Antopolski takes the “lol, BANTER” laddish role; and Steven Evans is Navigator Vine, who… er, well he must have had a personality at some point…
Synopsis: The team are enlisted with missions that include negotiating with various alien races and selling off bits of the British Empire (such as Petersborough). Inevitably, this is harder than it sounds and it’s a wonder the universe is still in one piece once the HMS Camden Lock has finished with it…
Best character: York
A total sadist who will happily shoot one of his fellow officers at any given notice, yet he remains grudgingly loyal to his Commander. Most of the time, anyway.
Best episode: ‘Harvest’
When York is found to be abusing alien visitors, he is fired and Teal is promoted to First Officer. Aside from tackling issues such as developing weapons for “the ample bosomed soldier,” she must also deal with an alien attack from the Red Shiny Robots (yes, really). The robots then attempt to harvest the crew’s minds, prompting the worst pun of the entire series: “Have you ever been to a harvester before?”
See also: Hi-De-Hi!, Hippies
See which sitcoms we chose for E and F here.
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