h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I'm not even sure where to begin with this one ...

There will clearly be differences between what UK and US residents have seen. Being Canadian I saw most of everything.

Monty Python's Flying Circus
M*A*S*H
Frasier
Absolutely Fabulous
The Dick Van Dyke Show
Yes Minister
I Love Lucy

For starters ...


azahar

The usual suspects:

Yes Minister/Prime Minister,
Blackadder,
Fawlty Towers,
Father Ted,
The Young Ones,
Frasier,
M.A.S.H,
Monty Python,
Most Haunted.

There were many others that seemed great at the time but weren't really that funny (Not The Nine O'Clock News springs to mind.)

Gaaaa! How could I have forgotten Blackadder and Father Ted?

Which is the good thing about a thread like this as you are reminded of programmes you may have forgotten about.

I have to say that I *never* found Fawlty Towers funny in general, though there were some laugh out loud moments. And I'm a real John Cleese fan ...

Never saw The Young Ones or Most Haunted.

az

I don't think Most Haunted is meant to be a comedy, but a comedy it surely is.

You didn't see The Young Ones? Crikey.

Which reminds me: Bottom.

http://www.livingtv.co.uk/mosthaunted/default.php

Most Haunted's site. It really isn't meant to be funny but, you know, how can a chap *not* laugh>?

Nog tells me that The Young Ones was an 80's series, and obviously one that didn't make it to Canada. (I moved to the UK in 1990)

He also says Bottom was rather hit and miss ... I don't know.

az

Bottom got better with alchohol. To a large extent it was Rik Mayall and Adrian Edmonson playing the same characters they played in The Young Ones, but a few years older. Filty, Rich and Catflap was in a similar vein.

If you've seen,


ooh, hang on...


...The Comic Strip Presents!


Anyway, if you've seen The Comic Strip Presents 'Mr Jolly Lives Next Door' you'll have seen pretty much the same characters, and if you haven't seen it you should.

NOW!

"It's Nicholas Bloody Parsons!"

This one?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyuGjhTDNUs



az

Oh, this one seems more like it ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qSkl3mhEMA&mode=related&search=

az

That's the fella!

Bottom, no...but the Young Ones - I think I'll never forget Neil sneezing inside that black bin liner.

Yes Minister, Ab Fab, Fawlty Towers...

Don't know if it rates as "of all time" but Drop the Dead Donkey was brilliant (and still is - I've bought a couple of series on DVD and they've worn well considering they were topical)

Father Ted - yup

Black Books...

Cheers Az, I was going to start a best US comedies thread until I remembered one of my favourites was Canadian.

A Bit Of Fry & Laurie
Blackadder
Black Books
Cheers
Fast Show
Father Ted
Frasier
Futurama
Hyperdrive
Kids In The Hall
Larry Sanders Show
Monty Python's Flying Circus
Red Dwarf
Rosanne
Scrubs
Simpsons
South Park
Whose Line Is It Anyway? only - Drew Carey killed it
Will & Grace
Yes Minister

I rather like Eight Simple Rules - the later ones with David Spade are just inspired IMO.

One of my favourite old comedy series is a Canadian one that probably most people here have never heard of - called SCTV, or Second City Television. It was a fictional television station that featured the cheesiest programming ever - very funny stuff. It also featured such talented comedic actors as John Candy, Harold Ramis, Catherine O'Hara, Martin Short, Andrea Martin, Dave Thomas, Rick Moranis and Eugene Levy. I know that some of these actors went on to make some pretty awful Hollywood comedy feature films, but back when they were on SCTV they were brilliant.

Here is a rather good Wikipedia entry on it...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_City_Television

Couldn't find a Guide Entry on SCTV ... hey, maybe I should write one!


az

I'll add another vote for "Frasier", and in particular the episode that Kelsey Grammer calls his fovortie, "Ham Radio":

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ham_Radio_(Frasier)

Roz, under the infulence of the dentist's novocaine, trying to say "multiple murderer":

Roz : I can't believe that any of my guests could be a mobboba mobbobo.

One taht rarely gets a mention in lists such as these, so I'll mention it: Absolutely.

Also, its spin-off Mr Don & Mr George was a timeless piece of surreality.

RF

Love thy neighbour .

Men Behaving Badly made me laugh. I think It was so long ago, I can't remember.

I think the best canadian serie is surely Corner Gas, we can found lot of canadian winks, canadian actors, real flesh canadian ministers, canadian athletes,... And of course, it's hilarious !!! And there's not any too mature subject nor vulgarity which is very pleasant. The only thing I don't like is the background music at every scene... Always the same.
But the best television comedies of all time should be the Monty Python, everyone know them (Canada don't count...).

I like Vicar of Dibley. You can watch it several times and not be bored, and the Christmas Specials were very good too. It isn't very in your face comedy, more of a very english laid back sort, but very enjoyable none the less.