British Sitcom History Podcast

In part 2 of our review of Hi-de-Hi!, we have a look at some of the supporting actors, consider the changes that came in the later series, and ask the usual question of, "is it healthy to watch 60 episodes of a show in three weeks?"بقلم British Sitcom History Podcast

Our new series starts with eighties classic Hi-de-Hi!, which means we finally get to deal with Jimmy Perry and David Croft. We also look at the principal actors, including Su Pollard and Ruth Madoc.بقلم British Sitcom History Podcast

Are you smarter than a 47 year old? To round off series 4 of the British Sitcom History Podcast, we have a quiz (loosely) based on the things we've just watched. There is a whole section on Oscar nominated sitcom stars, Coronation Street connections, and stand ups in sitcom. Play along and try and beat Gareth.…

BSH takes a field trip to visit The Royal Theatre Haymarket and say its goodbyes to the musical version of Only Fools and Horses. Allen saw it several years ago when it first started and wasn't that impressed, so will he have a better time with an American in tow and sitting in the worst seat in the house?…

I Only Arsked! has a special place in sitcom history because it was the first film spin-off ever. After the success of the first series of The Army Game, (most of) the original cast came together to make a film before they all went off to do Carry On films for twenty years.How does it hold up after 55 years?…

This week, we're taking a look at the film spin off from Porridge. It's one of the best sitcoms ever and probably one of the better of the film offerings as well but it's not exactly perfect.بقلم British Sitcom History Podcast

Part 2 of our clinical dissection of Miranda and this time we consider the influence of clowning techniques on the show and discuss the degradation of the show in the third series.بقلم British Sitcom History Podcast

For the last show of our series, we're looking at modern classic Miranda, from the mind of Miranda Hart. Can a 21st century audience empathise with a posh protagonist? Can a sitcom that ended eight years ago already feel out of date?بقلم British Sitcom History Podcast

Part 2 of our look at the first series of Blackadder includes closer inspections of Miriam Margolyes and Jim Broadbent as well as the original unaired pilot.بقلم British Sitcom History Podcast

This week we begin an epic journey through centuries of English history with the first series of Blackadder. The Black Adder sees Rowan Atkinson as spare to the throne and we're looking at episode four, where he is forced to marry the Infanta of Spain.بقلم British Sitcom History Podcast

Part 2 of our look at the 80s Jim Davidson vehicle Up the Elephant and Round the Castle and this week we also take a look at the supposed sequel Home James!, even though it was completely different and had no resemblance to the former.بقلم British Sitcom History Podcast

This week we take a look at the oft forgotten 80s sitcom designed as a vehicle for the unbound comic talent of Jim Davidson, Up the Elephant and Round the Castle. It wasn't good then and it's even worse now but is there anything of value to be salvaged from it?بقلم British Sitcom History Podcast

In part 2 of our look at Victoria Wood's dinnerladies, we take a closer look at Julie Walters and Maxine Peake and see how the series came to an end.بقلم British Sitcom History Podcast

This week we start our look at Victoria Wood's dinnerladies. In many ways it is classic sitcom in its purest form but does it also break the rules occasionally?بقلم British Sitcom History Podcast

In part 2 of our look at The Army Game, we focus more on the second generation cast and the spin off success of Bootsie and Snudge. Is this a rare example of a show getting better after a big cast change?بقلم British Sitcom History Podcast

This week we look at ITV's first sitcom, The Army Game. Starting in 1957, the show was a huge hit and made stars of Charles Hawtrey, William Hartnell, Bernard Bresslaw and many others. But how does it hold up in 2023?بقلم British Sitcom History Podcast

This week it's part 2 of our look at Porridge in which we go a bit deeper on Brian Wilde and his wife's gammon steak hawaii. We also continue our look at the episode Just Desserts and then throw cheap shots at Kevin Bishop.بقلم British Sitcom History Podcast

We're back and we're starting the new series with an absolute classic. Clement and La Frenais' Porridge was a vehicle designed for Ronnie Barker but is just as well remembered for its stellar supporting cast. Part one takes a look at the careers of Barker and Fulton Mackay and we start to comb through one of the episodes.…

It's Christmas time again and that means all the most reputable people in society are going down the pub. We go back to the pub by the gas works to see how the Pub Landlord is handling Christmas with his mother.بقلم British Sitcom History Podcast

Once again we delve into the world of film spin offs as we take a look at the pretty solid Till Death Us Do Part film and the absolutely woeful The Alf Garnett Saga.As usual, we are joined by film expert Sol Harris from Diminishing Returns Podcast. Having not seen much of the original series, he's coming into the films from an unbiased position, bu…

Gareth continues his look at what The Young Ones did after The Young Ones with Roll Over Beethoven. A Liza Goddard vehicle that in retrospect feels like Nigel Planer should have been the bigger name, Roll Over Beethoven ran for two (rushed) series in 1985. Written by the esteemed Marks and Gran, it has no laugh track and not that many laughs and it…

It's Part 2 of our look at Extras and we continue to journey through the Patrick Stewart episode and look at all the things that changed in series 2. Was it for the better? No. But we'll go into a bit more detail than that.بقلم British Sitcom History Podcast

This week we're looking at Extras, the Gervais/Merchant follow up to global sensation The Office. So what do you do after you've changed the world of comedy? And how badly has it aged in just fifteen years?بقلم British Sitcom History Podcast

When the Whistle Blows was a big hit with audiences but hated by the critics. It's ultimate downfall, however, was a personal one. In this episode of Forgotten Sitcoms we take a look at the show and the man behind it, Andy Millman.بقلم British Sitcom History Podcast

It's Part 2 of our look at political satire The New Statesman and Alan B'Stard's plan to drain Hackney Marshes of its rich oil deposits.We also take a closer look at some of the other cast members and the legacy that B'stard has left across the world of British politics.بقلم British Sitcom History Podcast

This week we take a look at the Rik Mayall vehicle The New Statesman, written by sitcom stalwarts Laurence Marks and Maurice Gran.After only two series of their biting political satire, Thatcher was toppled. Coincidence? You decide.بقلم British Sitcom History Podcast

For part 2 of our look at To the Manor Born, we continue on with our dissection of an episode of the classic sitcom and take a journey through the career of Peter Bowles. And then we throw in a little bit of politics. Everything comes back to Thatcher, don't you know.بقلم British Sitcom History Podcast

To the Manor Born starred Penelope Keith and Peter Bowles and was the smash hit of the late seventies and has stayed in the national consciousness as the classic "will they, won't they" story.But given that it exists in a strange rural upper class bubble and it was already out of date forty years ago, will it stand up to the rigours of a 2022 exami…

It's Part 2 of our look at just one slice of the epic Red Dwarf. Here we continue to break apart episode 3, Balance of Power, and we look at the early work of Danny John-Jules and Chris Barrie.This is a really personal one for us but will the series live up to our fond memories?بقلم British Sitcom History Podcast

This week we tackle the enormous Red Dwarf. In fact, it's so big that we've had to break it up a bit. So here we deal with just the first two series. The awkward growing years when it was still figuring out what it was. We take a deep dive on a specific episode and have a look at the brief pre-Dwarf careers of the main cast.…

It's part 2 of our look at the not exactly fondly remembered oddity Sean's Show, which graced our screens courtesy of Channel 4 back in the early nineties. This week we discuss some of the guest appearances and have a chat about other stand ups who made the transition to the world of sitcom.بقلم British Sitcom History Podcast

This week we take on our most obscure choice yet. Sean's Show was an early nineties sitcom that lasted two series and tried to capture the comic talents of Sean Hughes. Is it as good as we remember it or is it a load of post-modernist nonsense?بقلم British Sitcom History Podcast

It's Part 2 of our look at Till Death Us Do Part and we try to get to grips with Alf Garnett and his somewhat outdated views. How did the character develop as he went from 1965 to 1998?بقلم British Sitcom History Podcast

To start out the new series we've gone back to a classic, Till Death Us Do Part. But the show is not without its controversies. How well does it hold up after fifty years of societal change?بقلم British Sitcom History Podcast

For this bonus episode we're teaming up with SADDO Podcast to talk about the first American attempt to remake Fawlty Towers, Snavely, starring Betty White and Harvey Korman.بقلم British Sitcom History Podcast

It's Christmas so we're going back to where we started a year ago and visit Steptoe and Son as they plan a holiday. This was the last episode ever of Steptoe and it's a great send off after ten years.بقلم British Sitcom History Podcast

In his pre-Only Fools and Horses days, David Jason had several attempts at starring roles over at ITV. Lucky Feller was a one series wonder made in 1976 but does it stand up to scrutiny 45 years later?بقلم British Sitcom History Podcast

To cap off series 2 we've put together a quiz to test your general sitcom knowledge as well as how much you can remember from the shows we've talked about. Play along with Gareth and see if you can beat him.بقلم British Sitcom History Podcast

The spiritual middle child between The Young Ones and Bottom, Filthy Rich & Catflap managed one lonely series in 1987. With Ben Elton writing and the funny three from The Young ones all involved, what could possibly go wrong?Gareth steps up to the mic to give his analysis of the show and his controversial opinions of Rik Mayall.…

It's Halloween and that means it's time for a spooky special. Unfortunately, British sitcoms haven't particularly embraced this particular holiday so it's slim pickings. But a good excuse to look at Bottom.بقلم British Sitcom History Podcast

Starring Prunella Scales and Joan Sanderson, After Henry was a big hit for ITV back in the eighties but it's pretty much forgotten now. Perfect fodder for a new episode of Forgotten Sitcoms.بقلم British Sitcom History Podcast

After our recent look at The Inbetweeners, we decided to team up with our friends at Diminishing Returns Podcast to review the film spin-offs.They were some of the most successful British comedies of all time but how do they measure up to the series?بقلم British Sitcom History Podcast

It's Part 2 of our look at The Inbetweeners and this week we conclude our review of the episode "The Field Trip" and see what the actors have been doing since the show ended.بقلم British Sitcom History Podcast

To round out series 2, we're taking on a modern classic. The Inbetweeners seemed to speak to every 6th former in the country and spawned new catchphrases with every episode. But does it still hold up after ten years?بقلم British Sitcom History Podcast

In part 2 of our look at Sorry! we continue our analysis of an episode and take a look at the other actors as well as a sitcom spotlight on Ronnie Hazlehurst.بقلم British Sitcom History Podcast

This week we take on eighties Ronnie Corbett vehicle Sorry! We do a big old biography section on Corbett himself and try to work out if Phyllis Lumsden is the most horrific villain in sitcom history.بقلم British Sitcom History Podcast

It's part 2 of our look at classic sixties sitcom The Rag Trade and this week we delve into the career of Reg Varney and evaluate the LWT remake from the seventies.بقلم British Sitcom History Podcast

We're going all the way back to the early sixties this week to look at the original incarnation of The Rag Trade starring Miriam Karlin and Sheila Hancock with Reg Varney.بقلم British Sitcom History Podcast

It's Part 2 of our look at the first three series of Only Fools and Horses and this time we'll be looking at the early years of Nicholas Lyndhurst and continuing our dissection of The Long Legs of the Law.بقلم British Sitcom History Podcast

Here it is, the big one. Too big actually so we've had to break it up for parts. Here we tackle Only Fools and Horses - The Grandad Years, encompassing the first three series of John Sullivan's British institution.بقلم British Sitcom History Podcast