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175-644: British sitcoms have predominantly been recorded on studio sets, while some include an element of location filming. Live audiences and multi-cameras were first used in the US by Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball for their American show I Love Lucy in 1951 and the system was adopted in the UK. Several are made almost entirely on location (for example, Last of the Summer Wine ) and shown to a studio audience prior to final post-production to record genuine laughter. In contrast to

350-518: A television pilot broadcast in Barker's comedy anthology series Seven of One (1973), centred around the antics of the eccentric and miserly owner of a traditional English corner shop . Barker took his idea for Arkwright's famous stutter from the 1950s writer and performer Glenn Melvyn. Open All Hours came 8th in the 2004 Britain's Best Sitcom poll. Although it ended in 1985, Open All Hours had been repeated over 3,000 times by 2021. The theme tune

525-508: A 2001 Channel 4 poll Del Boy was ranked fourth on their list of the 100 Greatest TV Characters. The series influenced British culture , contributing several words and phrases to the English language. It was named one of the top 20 cult television programmes of all time by TV critic Jeff Evans. Evans spoke of: "[shows] such as Only Fools and Horses , which gets tremendous viewing figures but does inspire conventions of fans who meet in pubs called

700-454: A BAFTA for Best Comedy Series in 1984. In a 2008 poll on Channel 4, "Hi-de-Hi!" was voted the 35th most popular comedy catchphrase. According to comedy researcher Mark Lewisohn , "Plots became somewhat outlandish during the latter episodes and by the time the BBC called it a day in 1988, it is arguable that the show had already outstayed its welcome by a good couple of years. All in all, though, this

875-676: A band, the Siboney Septet, and began making a name for himself in Miami. Xavier Cugat , after seeing Arnaz perform, hired him for his touring orchestra, playing the conga drum and singing. Becoming a star attraction encouraged him to start his own band, the Desi Arnaz Orchestra. Arnaz and his orchestra became a hit in New York City's club scene, including a club named La Conga, where he is credited with introducing

1050-510: A battalion under a lieutenant-colonel), and were embodied annually for training, or as required by war or emergency. Volunteers, organised under appointed Captains of Forts , also manned fortified coastal artillery batteries to maintain a standing defence against enemy vessels or landing parties. This Militia was raised under acts of the colonial Parliament of Bermuda , which required periodic renewal. Bermuda had received its first regular (English Army) unit (an Independent Company , detached from

1225-597: A bus depot as a setting. It was then commissioned by Frank Muir, then at London Weekend Television who said it was "rather at the baked beans end of my menu". Despite poor critical reception, it gained an audience of up to 20 million. It has been described as cliche-ridden, stereotypical, occasionally racist and totally sexist by today's standards, with Varney's and Grant's characters both lecherous womanisers and ethnic minorities used inappropriately for humour. As David Stubbs wrote for The Guardian in 2008, Grant and Varney were playing "two conspicuously middle-aged men" (Varney

1400-491: A crowd of 35,000. Arnaz was known to be very loving to his grandchildren. Arnaz and his second wife eventually moved to Del Mar, California where he lived the rest of his life in semi-retirement. He owned a horse-breeding farm in Corona, California and raced Thoroughbreds . The Desi Arnaz Stakes at Del Mar Racetrack is named in his honor. Arnaz was a regular smoker for much of his life and often smoked cigarettes on

1575-498: A cultured sales representative supposedly descended from African royalty, played by Don Warrington . Chappell defended the Rigsby character by saying he "was not a racist or a bigot, but he was prejudiced and suspicious of strangers. But he accepted Philip and his only concern afterwards was that he didn't get a leg over Miss Jones." Warrington, who played Smith, stated: "There were certain aspects of it that were politically incorrect. On

1750-520: A departure from James' characteristic bawdy slapstick and famous 'dirty laugh' and ran for 65 episodes over 10 series. The series ended abruptly in 1976, when, just four days after the broadcast of the final episode, James died after collapsing on stage. Ironically, James had told Coupland, "It's such fun and so successful, we'll still be working on Bless This House till one of us kicks the bucket." In 2004, it came 67th in Britain's Best Sitcom . In 1972

1925-499: A divorced couple who accidentally moved next door to each other, Miss Jones and Son (1977–78) was about a single mother, and Rings on Their Fingers (1978–80) was about a young, unmarried couple. Another creation by Ronald Chesney and Ronald Wolfe is On the Buses , starring Reg Varney and Bob Grant . Running 1969–1973 for 74 episodes over 7 series, it was initially rejected by the BBC, who did not see much comedy potential in

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2100-478: A favourite of Britain's clergy , was followed by two spin-offs also starring Nimmo: Oh, Brother! (1968–1970), 19 episodes written by David Climie and Austin Steele, with supporting roles by Sir Felix Aylmer , Patrick McAlinney and Derek Francis , and its sequel Oh, Father! (1973) with Felix Aylmer, Laurence Naismith , Pearl Hackney and David Kelly , also written by Climie and Steele. All Gas and Gaiters

2275-626: A fictional British prison . Porridge was critically acclaimed and was ranked No. 35 on the 100 Greatest British Television Programmes compiled by the British Film Institute in 2000. In 2004, Porridge placed seventh in Britain's Best Sitcom. Porridge was appreciated by British prisoners. Erwin James , an ex-prisoner who wrote a column for The Guardian , stated: "What fans could never know, however, unless they had been subjected to

2450-461: A guest. Arnaz also headlined a Kraft Music Hall special on NBC that featured his two children, with a brief appearance by Vance. Arnaz suffered a severe attack of diverticulitis in 1971, which required an operation and several years of recovery. He worked with Universal Studios for two years working on development deals for two shows that eventually fell through, Dr. Domingo (the character did appear on one episode of Ironside ) and Chairman of

2625-404: A live audience that became the standard for subsequent situation comedies . The use of film enabled every station around the country to broadcast high-quality images of the show. Arnaz was told that it would be impossible to allow an audience onto a sound stage , but he worked with Freund to design a set that would accommodate an audience, allow filming, and adhere to fire and safety codes. Due to

2800-520: A particular age beyond which no one in that job would be enlisted. For example, lighthouse keepers and police officers were "reserved" at 18 years old. From 1943, some conscripts were directed into the British coal mining industry and become known as the " Bevin Boys ". Provision was also made for conscientious objectors , who were required to justify their position to a tribunal, with power to allocate

2975-523: A religion. There was a system of tribunals to adjudicate upon claims for exemption on the grounds of performing civilian work of national importance, domestic hardship, health, and conscientious objection . The law went through several changes before the war ended. Married men were exempt in the original Act, although this was changed in May 1916. The age limit was also eventually raised to 51 years old. Recognition of work of national importance also diminished. In

3150-445: A response to series such as Terry and June (1979–87), with their "complacent gentility, outmoded social attitudes and bourgeois sensibilities". The alternatives' incursion began with The Young Ones (1982–84), written by Rik Mayall , Ben Elton and others. To help make it stand out, the group opted to combine traditional sitcom style with violent slapstick, non-sequitur plot turns, and surrealism. These older styles were mixed with

3325-645: A salesman, and Jill Christie as Pinwright's daughter. and produced and directed by John Glyn-Jones . The script editor was Ted Kavanagh , who during the World War II years also wrote the BBC Radio comedy series It's That Man Again ( ITMA ), which according to Foster and Furst was "entirely new, breaking away from the conventions of both radio and music hall comedy". Transferred to television in 1956 after 48 episodes on BBC radio which began in 1954, Hancock's Half Hour (1956–1961) by Galton and Simpson

3500-505: A short The Army Game scene was performed by Michael Medwin , Alfie Bass, Norman Rossington, Bill Fraser and Ted Lune at the Royal Variety Performance in front of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother . This was the last Royal Variety Performance that was not televised. This successful series inspired a film spin-off, I Only Arsked! (1958), and in 1958, just a year after the series debuted, the first Carry On film,

3675-411: A sixth and final series. Created and written by Roy Clarke for the BBC, Open All Hours ran for 26 episodes in four series (1976, 1981, 1982 and 1985) and starred Ronnie Barker and David Jason, with a regular supporting cast including Lynda Baron , Stephanie Cole , Barbara Flynn , Maggie Ollerenshaw , and Kathy Staff . The programme, produced and directed by Sydney Lotterby and developed from

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3850-475: A statement. Read by Robert Stack as a posthumous statement, Arnaz wrote, "P.S. I Love Lucy was never just a title." Family home video later aired on television showed Ball and Arnaz playing together with their grandson Simon shortly before Arnaz's death. Arnaz suffered from knee injuries as a young man shortly before and during his military service in World War II. The pain was troublesome enough that he

4025-540: A stint of Her Majesty's Pleasure, was that the conflict between Fletcher and Officer Mackay was about the most authentic depiction ever of the true relationship that exists between prisoners and prison officers in British jails up and down the country. I'm not sure how, but writers Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais grasped the notion that it is the minor victories against the naturally oppressive prison system that makes prison life bearable." The ITV production of 28 episodes (1974–78) of Rising Damp written by Eric Chappell ,

4200-453: A struggling young orchestra leader and Lucy an ordinary housewife who had show business fantasies but no talent. The character name "Larry Lopez" was dropped because of a real-life bandleader named Vincent Lopez, and was replaced with "Ricky Ricardo". The name was inspired by Henry Richard, a family friend and the brother of P.C. Richard of P.C. Richard & Son . This name translates to Enrique Ricardo. Ricky often appeared at, and later owned,

4375-500: A young couple learning to cope with married life reflected social attitudes of the times, and provided its lead stars Richard Briers ( The Good Life , Ever Decreasing Circles ) and Prunella Scales ( Fawlty Towers ) with a significant boost to their careers. The supporting cast included Edward de Souza , Ronald Hines and Christine Finn . With its cast of only two regular characters played by Harry H. Corbett and Wilfrid Brambell , airing 1962–65 and 1970–74, Steptoe and Son

4550-493: Is an Irish mother's boy living in London. He is a top executive of a company and lives a bachelor lifestyle. However, his old-fashioned Catholic mother often puts a stop to his plans, many of them involving his girlfriend Miss Argyll, played by Joyce. The 1970s is often regarded as the golden era of British sitcom. Well-remembered series include John Cleese and Connie Booth 's farcical Fawlty Towers (1975, 1979) often cited as

4725-485: Is happy to remain unmarried. During the first series they do marry and in the second series they adjust to married life. A proposed fourth series would have concerned Sandy becoming pregnant unexpectedly, and Sandy and Oliver adapting to parenthood, but the series was not re-commissioned. Co-starring Penelope Keith as Audrey fforbes-Hamilton and Peter Bowles as Richard DeVere, To the Manor Born (1979–1981, 2007)

4900-426: Is often a domestic or workplace genre into the corridors of power. A later development was the mockumentary genre exemplified by series such as The Office (2001–2003), which also heralded the modern trend of the single-camera sitcom dispensing with live audiences. A 2004 poll by the BBC, ITV and Channel 4, "Britain's Best Sitcom", produced a list topped by traditional sitcoms with Only Fools and Horses holding

5075-532: Is often considered the 'Golden Age' of British sitcom. Since the turn of the century however, many are filmed on a single-camera set-up or entirely on location, with no studio screening or laugh track, such as The Royle Family (1998–2000, 2006–2012), and PhoneShop (2009–2013). A subset of British comedy consciously avoids traditional situation comedy themes, storylines, and home settings to focus on more unusual topics or narrative methods. Blackadder (1983–1989) and Yes Minister (1980–1988, 2013) moved what

5250-618: Is regularly repeated on BBC Two , Drama and Gold in the UK, PBS and BBC America in the United States, and BBC UKTV , Fox Classics and 9Gem in Australia, and Jones! in New Zealand. The series was nominated for the 1977 Best Situation Comedy BAFTA TV Award. A spin-off series, Grace & Favour , with some of the same main cast aired in 1991–1992, and a one-off episode with a new cast in 2016. Its feature film spin-off

5425-546: Is set in German occupied France during World War II. Starring Paul Eddington , with Nigel Hawthorne and Derek Fowlds in the supporting roles, Yes Minister which ran for 21 episodes on BBC2 (1980–1984), and its sequel Yes, Prime Minister (1986–88), which ran for 16 episodes, were political satires . Established Shakespearean actor Hawthorne picked up four BAFTA TV Awards for Best Light Entertainment Performance for his role. Created by Antony Jay and Jonathan Lynn ,

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5600-408: Is sometimes called the best of all ITV sitcoms. It starred Leonard Rossiter as Rigsby, a miserly, seedy, and ludicrously self-regarding landlord of a run-down Victorian townhouse who rents out his shabby bedsits to a variety of tenants: Ruth Jones, an unmarried woman approaching middle age, played by Frances de la Tour ; Alan Moore, a medical student played by Richard Beckinsale ; and Philip Smith,

5775-483: The 2024 general election and was announced as such on 25 May 2024, despite the Conservative defence minister Andrew Murrison stating just two days prior that government policy was that circumstances demanded a volunteer professional military and that national service would have a negative effect on morale. Under these plans, which would have cost £2.5 billion, all 18-year-olds would have been required to perform

5950-646: The 2nd Regiment of Foot ) in 1701. This was withdrawn in 1763, following the Seven Years' War , and replaced by a company detached from the 9th Regiment of Foot in Florida and a detachment from the Independent Company of the Bahamas, but these were withdrawn in 1768, leaving only the militia and volunteer gunners. Two companies of the invalid Royal Garrison Battalion were posted to Bermuda during

6125-686: The American War of Independence , but this unit was disbanded at Bermuda in 1783. Regular British Army infantry (a detachment of the 47th Regiment of Foot ) was detached to Bermuda to re-establish the Bermuda Garrison in 1793 as the French Revolution led to war between Britain and France. This unit was joined in 1794 by a company Invalid Royal Artillery from the Board of Ordnance Military Corps (and not at that time part of

6300-744: The Bermuda Garrison , with the reserve units taking on greater responsibilities). Conscription into the Bermuda Militia Artillery and the Bermuda Volunteer Rifle Corps was discussed during the First World War , but had not been put into place before the cessation of hostilities. It was introduced during the Second World War , with conscripts serving full-time for the duration in the BMA, BVRC,

6475-759: The Bermuda Volunteer Engineers (raised in 1931), or the Bermuda Militia Infantry (raised in 1939). Those unable to serve full-time were directed into the Bermuda Home Guard (raised for the duration of the war). Although conscription ended with the war, a shortfall of volunteers led to its reintroduction to the BVRC in 1957 (when the regular army components of the Bermuda Garrison were withdrawn, leaving only

6650-507: The Cuban House of Representatives . His maternal grandfather was Alberto de Acha, an executive at rum producer Bacardi & Co. A descendant of Cuban nobility , Arnaz was a great-great-great-grandson of José Joaquín, a mayor of Santiago de Cuba. The Cuban Revolution of 1933 forced Arnaz and his family to lose everything and flee Cuba. A mob attacked and destroyed the family's houses, property, and livestock. Arnaz narrowly escaped

6825-793: The Cyprus Emergency , Kenya Emergency , and the Korean War , where conscripts to the Gloucestershire Regiment took part in the last stand during the Battle of the Imjin River . In addition, National Servicemen served in the Suez Crisis in 1956. During the 1950s there was a prohibition on serving members of the armed forces standing for election to Parliament. A few National Servicemen stood for election in

7000-554: The Indian Wells Country Club  [ nl ] in Palm Desert, CA. He also taught classes at San Diego State University in studio production and acting for television. Arnaz and Ball decided that I Love Lucy would maintain what Arnaz termed "basic good taste" and were therefore determined to avoid ethnic jokes , as well as humor based on physical handicaps or mental disabilities. Arnaz recalled that

7175-509: The Isle of Man were liable to be called up, with some exemptions: Pregnant women were not exempted, but in practice were not called up. Men under 20 years old were initially not liable to be sent overseas, but this exemption was lifted by 1942. People called up before they were 51 years old but who reached their 51st birthday during their service were liable to serve until the end of the war. People who had retired, resigned or been dismissed from

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7350-659: The Territorial Force (later renamed the Territorial Army ) in Britain in 1907–1908, with the introduction of terms of service (specific lengths of service for which volunteers enlisted), but this did not occur in Bermuda until the 1920s (1921 for the BVRC and 1928 for the BMA, as post-war reductions of the British Government's defence budget let to the reduction of the regular army components of

7525-633: The United States Army during World War II . He was assigned to direct United Service Organization (USO) programs at the Birmingham General Army Hospital in the San Fernando Valley . It was his responsibility to keep injured soldiers entertained while they recovered in the hospital. Thanks to his Hollywood connections, Arnaz was able to bring celebrities to visit the hospital and boost morale of

7700-678: The World War II Victory Medal . Arnaz was discharged as a staff sergeant on September 30, 1945. On December 1, 1945, Arnaz formed another orchestra, which was successful in live appearances and recordings. He sang for troops in Birmingham Hospital with John Macchia and hired his childhood friend Marco Rizo to play piano and arrange for the orchestra. For the 1946–47 season, Arnaz was the bandleader, conducting his Desi Arnaz Orchestra, on Bob Hope 's radio show ( The Pepsodent Show ) on NBC . In 1951, Arnaz

7875-457: The vaudeville -style touring act that led to I Love Lucy . At that time, most television programs were broadcast live, and as the largest markets were in New York, the rest of the country received only kinescope images. Karl Freund , Arnaz's cameraman, and even Arnaz himself have been credited with the development of the multiple-camera setup production style using adjacent sets in front of

8050-412: The 1951 and 1955 general elections in order to be dismissed from service. National Service ended gradually from 1957. It was decided that those born on or after 1 October 1939 would not be required, but conscription continued for those born earlier whose call-up had been delayed for any reason. In November 1960 the last conscripted men entered service, as call-ups formally ended on 31 December 1960, and

8225-430: The 1970s, drawing 23.95 million viewers. The final episode in 1981 received 17.80 million viewers. The series has been repeated over 1,000 times. Major supporting roles were played by Angela Thorne as Audrey's friend Marjory and Daphne Heard as Mrs Polouvicka, Richard's mother. Other members of the cast included Alan David , John Rudling , Michael Bilton , Gerald Sim , Michael Cochrane , and Georgie Glen . The music

8400-422: The 2009 Miranda series staged a highly successful comeback for the 'old school' 20th century concept of sitcoms with live audiences and multiple cameras. As a race, the British have one peculiarity that sets them apart from the rest of mankind: that extraordinary sense of humour; their ability to laugh at others, to laugh at the sublime and the ridiculous, to laugh at disaster and triumph, to be indifferent to

8575-516: The American team writing system, Ray Galton and Alan Simpson 's huge successes were of such quality that they became the paradigm for British sitcom writing. By the time the television set had become a common part of home furnishing, sitcoms were significant expressions of everyday life and were often a window on the times of enormous social changes in the British class system and its conflicts and prejudices. The period from 1970 to 1979 in particular

8750-704: The Best", alluding to the frequent and traditional caning of disobedient pupils in the UK at the time. The series was revived in colour with updated scripts in 1971–72, slightly retitled Whacko! . Other members of the cast included Arthur Howard (series 1–7), Julian Orchard (series 8), Kenneth Cope , Norman Bird , John Stirling, Peter Glaze , Edwin Apps (series 1–7), Peter Greene (series 8), David Langford, Keith Smith , Brian Rawlinson , Gordon Phillot, Harold Bennett (series 8), Frank Raymond, Gary Warren (series 8), and Greg Smith (series 8). A feature film, Bottoms Up ,

8925-479: The Board starring Elke Sommer . Arnaz moved on to work on his autobiography for two years. To promote his autobiography, A Book , on February 21, 1976, Arnaz served as a guest host on Saturday Night Live , with his son, Desi, Jr., also appearing. The program contained spoofs of I Love Lucy and The Untouchables . The spoofs of I Love Lucy were supposed to be earlier concepts of the show that never made it on

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9100-648: The British Army). Royal Engineers officers had already been posted to Bermuda to survey the defences and oversee their improvement. There were no Royal Sappers and Miners present, however, until the 19th century, and civilians (including retired soldiers) were hired locally to carry out the construction work. At the same time, the Royal Navy established in Bermuda what was to become the Royal Naval Dockyard, Bermuda and an Admiralty House , and

9275-519: The British box office in 1971. According to Jeff Evans , On the Buses was a "cheerfully vulgar comedy" in which "leering and innuendo dominate[d]." Some of the network's other ratings successes from this era included Love Thy Neighbour (1972–76) and Mind Your Language (1977–79, 1986), which attempted to find humour in racial or ethnic conflict and misunderstandings, but were increasingly criticised over time for "obvious racial name-calling... recurring with distressing regularity" and "offer[ing] only

9450-503: The Buses ), Frank Thornton , 135 episodes ( Are You Being Served? ), Brian Murphy , 73 episodes, ( Man About the House , George and Mildred ), Josephine Tewson , 62 episodes, ( Keeping Up Appearances ), Dora Bryan , 50 episodes, ( Happily Ever After ), June Whitfield , 44 episodes, ( Absolutely Fabulous , Father, Dear Father , Terry and June ), Trevor Bannister , 25 episodes, ( Are You Being Served? ), and over

9625-603: The Channel 4 list of 100 greatest television characters. Other high-ratings mainstream, slice-of-life shows of the decade included Bread (1986–1991) written by Carla Lane, about a close-knit, working-class family in Liverpool . Running for 74 episodes, at its peak it attracted 21 million viewers. Another notable series was the Science fiction comedy Red Dwarf (1988–), while 'Allo 'Allo! another Croft and Lloyd creation

9800-549: The Children (1967–70), starring Wendy Craig . Women were usually only cast in secondary roles in this period, though several series with Craig in the lead were an exception. Sitcoms developed by Carla Lane , the first successful female writer in the form, began with The Liver Birds (1969–1979, 1996), initially in collaboration with others. Another change, with Steptoe and Son (1962–65, 1970–74) and The Likely Lads (1964–1966), producers began to cast actors, rather than

9975-604: The Hispanic community, encouraging them to take the 1980 census to increase federal funding for their communities. Arnaz and Lucille Ball were married on November 30, 1940. Their marriage was always turbulent. Convinced that Arnaz was being unfaithful to her, along with him coming home drunk several times, Ball filed for divorce in September 1944. The interlocutory decree became final in October 1944, but because they had spent

10150-644: The Ministry of Defence and a spokesman for the British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak publicly denying this was a plan by the armed forces, with the former issuing a statement declaring "The British military has a proud tradition of being a voluntary force and there is absolutely no suggestion of a return to conscription". Reintroduction of mandatory national service was a key plank of the Conservative Party manifesto for

10325-480: The Nag's Head and wander round dressed as their favourite characters." The theme music was by Ronnie Hazlehurst (1981) and John Sullivan (1982–2003). Only Fools and Horses came top in a research and analysis by a team of scientists led by Dr Helen Pilcher , a molecular neurobiologist and stand-up comedian with a speciality in scientific humour. Running on the BBC for 295 episodes over 31 series and four decades, Last of

10500-427: The Summer Wine (1973–2010) was entirely written by Roy Clarke ( Keeping Up Appearances , Open All Hours and Still Open All Hours ) and produced by Alan J. W. Bell , with music by Ronnie Hazelhurst . It is the longest-running comedy programme in Britain and the longest-running sitcom in the world. The family-friendly show was about the antics of a group of male pensioners looking for adventure, "portraying

10675-407: The Summer Wine began in 1973 and ended in 2010, becoming the world's longest running sitcom. The decade also saw the broadcast of It Ain't Half Hot Mum (1974–81), which has been criticised for the "stereotypes of its handful of Indian supporting characters as alternately servile, foolish, lazy or devious". The commercial station ITV had successes with Rising Damp (1974–78, sometimes called

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10850-827: The Television Academy's Hall of Fame. The Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz Center museum is in Jamestown, New York , and the Desi Arnaz Bandshell in the Lucille Ball Memorial Park is in Celoron, New York . Desi Arnaz appears as a character in Oscar Hijuelos 's 1989 novel The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love and is portrayed by his son, Desi Arnaz Jr., in the 1992 film adaptation, The Mambo Kings . Conscription in

11025-569: The Tropicana Club, which under his ownership he renamed Club Babalu. Initially, the idea of having Ball and the distinctly Latin American Arnaz portray a married couple encountered resistance as they were told that Desi's Cuban accent and Latin style would not be agreeable to American viewers. The couple overcame these objections, however, by touring together, during the summer of 1950, in a live vaudeville act they developed with

11200-683: The United Kingdom was also allowed to become a paper tiger after the conclusion of the Napoleonic Wars and the American War of 1812, and was not restored until the 1850s, from which time it recruited only volunteers; the Volunteer Force was raised at the same time to boost Britain's defences). The British Government spent the next eight decades unsuccessfully asking, pleading and cajoling the local government to restore

11375-452: The United Kingdom#After 1945 In the United Kingdom, military conscription has existed for two periods in modern times. The first was from 1916 to 1920, and the second from 1939 to 1960. The last conscription term ended in 1963 although many soldiers chose to continue in the service beyond 1963. It was legally designated as "Military Service" from 1916 to 1920, and as "National Service" from 1939 to 1960. However, between 1939 and 1948, it

11550-439: The United States with no money and Desi had to live with his father in a garage that was infested with rats and roaches. In the summer of 1934, he attended Saint Leo Prep (near Tampa ) to improve his English. His first jobs included working at Woolworth's and cleaning canary cages in Miami. He then went into the tile business with his father before turning to show business full time. After finishing high school, Arnaz joined

11725-402: The air, such as "I Love Louie", where Desi lived with Louis Armstrong . He read Lewis Carroll 's poem " Jabberwocky " in a heavy Cuban accent (he pronounced it "Habberwocky"). Desi Jr., played the drums and, supported by the SNL band, Desi sang both " Babalú " and another favorite from his dance band days, " Cuban Pete "; the arrangements were similar to the ones used on I Love Lucy . He ended

11900-516: The applicant to one of three categories: unconditional exemption; exemption conditional upon performing specified civilian work (frequently farming, forestry or menial hospital work); exemption from only combatant service, meaning that the objector had to serve in the specially created Non-Combatant Corps or in some other non-combatant unit such as the Royal Army Medical Corps . By 1942 all male British subjects between 18 and 51 years old and all females 20 to 30 years old resident in Great Britain and

12075-410: The attack because he was able to hop in a car driving away. His father, Alberto Arnaz, was jailed and all of his property was confiscated. He was released after six months when his father-in-law, Alberto de Acha, intervened on his behalf. The family then fled to Miami, where Desi attended high school (his classmates included Albert 'Sonny' Capone, only child of Chicago mobster Al Capone ). They came to

12250-404: The best of all ITV sitcoms), Man About the House (1973–76) and George and Mildred (1976–79). Rising Damp star Leonard Rossiter also played the lead role in the BBC's The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin (1976–79). The decline in cinema attendance meant that many of these series were turned into cinema films; the first film version of On the Buses (1969–73) was the biggest hit at

12425-456: The broadcast by leading the entire cast in a conga line through the SNL studio. In 1976, CBS paid tribute to Lucille Ball with the two-hour special CBS Salutes Lucy: The First 25 Years. Both Ball and Arnaz appeared on the screen for the special, which is the first time they appeared together in 16 years since their divorce. When asked about returning to television in a 1976 newspaper article, Arnaz said, "People ask me to go back on TV but

12600-516: The building trades, were released in 1945, although restrictions on their immediate employment were supposed to be enforced. All women were released at the end of the war. National Service as peacetime conscription was formulated by the National Service Act 1948 introduced by Clement Attlee's Labour government. From 1 January 1949, healthy males 17 to 21 years old were required to serve in the armed forces for 18 months, and remain on

12775-530: The comedians around whom earlier series like Whack-O! , with Jimmy Edwards, or Hancock's Half Hour , had been built. As a spin-off sequel to The Army Game and also starring Bill Fraser and Alfie Bass, Bootsie and Snudge , (1960–1963, 1974) was written by a large team over its 104 episodes. Writers for the 1960–63 episodes included Marty Feldman, Barry Took, John Antrobus, Ray Rigby , David Cumming, Derek Collyer, James Kelly, Peter Lambda, Tom Espie, Jack Rosenthal , Harry Driver , and Doug Eden. The 1974 series

12950-406: The company grew much larger, and he felt compelled to seek outlets to alleviate the stress. Arnaz also suffered from diverticulitis . Ball divorced him on March 2, 1960, which was coincidentally his birthday. When Ball returned to weekly television, she and Arnaz worked out an agreement regarding Desilu, wherein she bought him out. Edith Mack Hirsch (née McSkimming) was Arnaz's second wife. After

13125-402: The concept of conga line dancing to the United States. He came to the attention of Rodgers and Hart who, in 1939, cast him in their Broadway musical Too Many Girls . The show was a hit and RKO Pictures bought the movie rights. Arnaz went to Hollywood the next year to appear in the show's movie version at RKO, which also starred Lucille Ball . Arnaz and Ball fell in love during

13300-460: The country, only to find that they have moved into adjoining cottages. The music was by Dennis Wilson . In 1973, one episode won a British Academy Television Award for Best Situation Comedy . During a repeat run in January 1980, one episode gained 19.3 million viewers and was the second most-watched programme that week. Set in a traditional London department store , the show follows the antics of

13475-463: The crisis, eventually resulting in a successful war for independence . Conscription legislation lapsed in 1920. However, as a result of the deteriorating international situation and the rise of Nazi Germany , the Secretary of State for War , Leslie Hore-Belisha , persuaded the cabinet of Neville Chamberlain to introduce a limited form of conscription on 27 April 1939. The Military Training Act

13650-510: The crudest caricatures". Increasing relaxation in regard to the discussion of sex allowed farce and camp humour to become a familiar form in the 1970s and were used in series like Are You Being Served? and comedian Frankie Howerd 's Up Pompeii! , which ran for 16 episodes (1969–70, 1975, 1991) and starred several female stalwarts from the Carry On film series, including Barbara Windsor, Wendy Richard and Valerie Leon . A feature of

13825-460: The elderly in a positive and non-stereotypical light." The show was filmed largely in the small town of Holmfirth in Yorkshire, a location recommended by Barry Took , and surrounding countryside. and features Bill Owen , 186 episodes, Peter Sallis , 295 episodes, and Kathy Staff , 245 episodes, along with Thora Hird , 152 episodes ( Bootsie and Snudge ), Stephen Lewis , 135 episodes, ( On

14000-402: The episode, we would show it to some secret sources, always including somebody who was an expert on the subject in question. They would usually give us extra information which, because it was true, was usually funnier than anything we might have thought up." In a 2004 BBC programme paying tribute to the series, it was revealed that Jay and Lynn had drawn on information provided by two insiders from

14175-530: The expense of 35mm film, Arnaz and Ball agreed to salary cuts. In return, they retained the rights to the films. This was the basis for their invention of re-runs and syndicating TV shows (a huge source of new revenue). In addition to I Love Lucy , he executive produced The Ann Sothern Show and Those Whiting Girls (starring Margaret Whiting and Barbara Whiting ), and was involved in several other series such as The Untouchables , Whirlybirds , and Sheriff of Cochise / United States Marshal . While he

14350-443: The film's production and eloped on November 30, 1940. Arnaz appeared in several movies in the 1940s such as Bataan , starring Robert Taylor (1943). His portrayal of Felix Ramirez, the jive-loving California National Guardsman, was described by New York Times critic Bosley Crowther as one of several supporting players who were "convincing in soldier roles". On April 27, 1943, Arnaz received his draft notice. However, Arnaz

14525-461: The first place, and included favourites such as David Croft's Dad's Army , Are You Being Served? , and Hi-de-Hi! . It was not until The Royle Family (1998–2000) in place 19 that a show without a live studio audience was featured. On a suggestion to Miranda Hart by sitcom writer Abigail Wilson, who collaborated with comedy actors Dawn French ( The Vicar of Dibley 1994–2000) and Jennifer Saunders ( Absolutely Fabulous 1992–1995),

14700-501: The forces before the war were liable to be called back if they had not reached 51 years of age. Britain did not completely demobilise in 1945 , as conscription continued after the war. Those already in the armed forces were given a release class determined by length of service and age. In practice, releases began in June 1945, and the last of the wartime conscripts had been released by 1949. However, urgently needed men, particularly those in

14875-489: The format as the ideal vehicle for Hancock's comedic style. "Hancock's persona of the pompous loser out of his depth in an uncomprehending society still informs many programmes today", according to Phil Wickham. The final BBC series of this show was broadcast under the shorter title Hancock . In 1963, Hancock changed his writers and moved to ITV for a further 13-episode series also named Hancock . The series, though relatively well received, has been described as "clearly not up to

15050-407: The governments of Harold Wilson and James Callaghan , namely Marcia Falkender and Bernard Donoughue . The series was the favourite television programme of the then Prime Minister , Margaret Thatcher . In 2012, Prime Minister David Cameron admitted that "I can tell you, as prime minister, it is true to life." Set in 1959–60 in a fictional holiday camp, Hi-de-Hi! was filmed on location at

15225-733: The greatest sitcom of all time. John Esmonde and Bob Larbey 's self-sufficiency comedy The Good Life (1975–78) and To the Manor Born by Peter Spence and Christopher Bond were also highly successful. Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads? (1973–74), a sequel to The Likely Lads , is thought to have surpassed the original, while its writers, Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais , provided Ronnie Barker with his most significant sitcom vehicle, Porridge (1974–77). Barker also starred (along with David Jason ) in Open All Hours (1973, 1976–85), written by Roy Clarke , whose Last of

15400-468: The help of Spanish clown Pepito Pérez, together with Ball's radio show writers. Much of the material from their vaudeville act, including Lucy's memorable seal routine, was used in the pilot episode of I Love Lucy . Segments of the pilot were recreated in the sixth episode of the show's first season. During his time on the show, Arnaz and Ball became TV's most successful entrepreneurs. With Ball, Arnaz founded Desilu Productions in 1950, initially to produce

15575-507: The home video reissues of the Ball/Arnaz material not owned by CBS (successor-in-interest to Paramount Television , which in turn succeeded the original Desilu company). This material included Here's Lucy and The Mothers-In-Law , as well as many programs and specials Ball and Arnaz made independently of each other. In the 1970s, Arnaz co-hosted a week of shows with daytime host and producer Mike Douglas . Vivian Vance appeared as

15750-470: The innovators of the syndicated rerun , which they pioneered with the I Love Lucy series. Arnaz and Lucille Ball co-founded and ran the television production company called Desilu Productions , originally to market I Love Lucy to television networks. After I Love Lucy ended, Arnaz went on to produce several other television series, at first with Desilu Productions, and later independently, including The Ann Sothern Show and The Untouchables . He

15925-480: The last conscripted servicemen left the armed forces in May 1963. Section 23(3) of the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 precludes the government from using that act to make emergency regulations that would "require a person, or enable a person to be required, to provide military service". The British overseas territory of Bermuda was the last jurisdiction to abolish conscription. Service in

16100-570: The last episode) holds the record for the highest UK audience for a sitcom episode , attracting 24.3 million viewers. A ratings success with viewers, the series received numerous awards, including recognition from BAFTA , the National Television Awards and the Royal Television Society , as well as winning individual accolades for Sullivan and Jason. It was voted Britain's Best Sitcom in a 2004 BBC poll. In

16275-603: The last year of the war there was support for the conscription of clergy, though this was not enacted. Conscription lasted until mid-1919. Due to the political situation in Ireland, conscription was never applied there; only in Great Britain ( England , Scotland , and Wales ). An attempt to do this caused a huge backlash from the Irish public, defeating it, with Irish nationalism gaining significant support because of

16450-709: The lavish French farce in English based on the 1934 novel of the same name by Gabriel Chevallier , Clochemerle was adapted into 9 episodes by Galton and Simpson for the BBC. It was a stark contrast to the dark comedy of their Steptoe and Son and Hancock's Half Hour . Filmed on location in Colombier-le-Vieux , in the department of Ardèche , it starred Roy Dotrice , Wendy Hiller , Cyril Cusack , Kenneth Griffith , Cyd Hayman , Bernard Bresslaw , Hugh Griffith , Micheline Presle , Madeline Smith , Christian Roberts , Nigel Green , Wolfe Morris and Gordon Rollings , with narration by Peter Ustinov . The show

16625-782: The life of army conscripts during the last years of the National Service which ended in 1963. Written by Rodney Hobson, Pinwright's Progress (1946–1947) was the world's first regular half-hour televised sitcom. Broadcast live by the BBC from Alexandra Palace , it was about J. Pinwright, the proprietor of a small shop. Storylines involved his hated rival and his staff, who only added to his problems by attempting to be helpful. The series featured an ensemble cast including James Hayter as J. Pinwright, Clarence Wright as Aubrey, Sara Gregory as Sally Doolittle, Daphne Maddox as Miss Peasbody, Doris Palmer as Mrs Sigsbee, Leonard Sharp as Ralph, Benita Lydal as Mrs Rackstraw, Charles Irwin as

16800-531: The militia until the requirement of consent for American investment into the Princess Hotel and the dredging of the channel into the St. George's Harbour led the local parliament to pass new militia and volunteer acts in 1892. During the interim, Bermudian volunteers had been recruited for local-service only into the regular army and the Board of Ordnance Military Corps, under terms of service similar to those of

16975-446: The newly formed Desi Arnaz Productions, he made The Mothers-In-Law (at Desilu) for United Artists Television and NBC . This sitcom ran for two seasons from 1967 to 1969. During its two-year run, Arnaz made four guest appearances as a Spanish matador, Señor Delgado. Arnaz's company was succeeded-in-interest by the company now known as Desilu, Too. Desilu, Too and Lucille Ball Productions worked hand-in-hand with MPI Home Video in

17150-429: The night together the day before, California state law at the time had declared it null and void. Arnaz and Ball subsequently had two children, actors Lucie Arnaz (born 1951) and Desi Arnaz Jr. (born 1953). Hollywood procurer of prostitutes Scotty Bowers claimed in his memoir Full Service that he had procured as many as two to three prostitutes per week for Arnaz, each of whom was paid 200 dollars, as opposed to

17325-634: The nuances of British life. Early shows of the 1950s often featured archetypal British characters such as the staff and pupils in Whack-O! and the various facets portrayed in Hancock's Half Hour , and set the stage for what would become the British TV sitcom genre. They were set in post World War II working-class or domestic environments, highlighting issues of class, family dynamics, and British culture, while The Army Game , ITV's first sitcom, parodied

17500-632: The old Bermuda Militia from 1612 to 1816, as in the Militia of the Kingdom of England (including the Principality of Wales) and subsequently the English and Welsh Militia of the Kingdom of Great Britain , had been compulsory, with all able-bodied, military-aged males, whether free, indentured, or enslaved, liable. The Militia was divided into nine companies, one for each parish (collectively forming

17675-660: The old militia. From 1894, recruitment into the new part-time military reserves raised under the 1892 acts had originally followed the post-1850s practices in England for the Militia of the United Kingdom , in which soldiers voluntarily enlisted for six years (embodied for the duration of wars or emergencies, or otherwise only for annual training), and the Volunteer Force , in which part-time soldiers served voluntarily and could quit their service with 14 days' notice, except while embodied for training, war, or national emergency. The Militia, Volunteer force, and Yeomanry were merged into

17850-413: The only exception consisted of making fun of Ricky Ricardo's accent; even these jokes worked only when Lucy, as his wife, did the mimicking. Arnaz was a lifelong Catholic . A lifelong Republican , Arnaz was deeply patriotic about the United States. In his memoirs, he wrote that he knew of no other country in the world where "a sixteen-year-old kid, broke and unable to speak the language" could achieve

18025-521: The other, you can see how it held up a mirror to the way we were living." The series won the 1978 BAFTA for Best Situation Comedy and was the highest-ranking ITV sitcom in the BBC's Britain's Best Sitcom , coming in 27th overall. Frances de la Tour received an Evening Standard British Film Award in the category of "Best Actress" for her performance as Ruth Jones. Broadcast 1974–1979 on BBC1 for 41 episodes over 5 series, starring Terry Scott and June Whitfield , with Beryl Cooke , Happy Ever After

18200-477: The outbreak of war, on 3 September 1939, the Military Training Act was overtaken by the National Service (Armed Forces) Act 1939 . The first intake was absorbed into the army. This act imposed a liability to conscription to all men aged 18 to 41 years who were living in Great Britain. Men could be rejected for medical reasons, and those engaged in vital industries or occupations were "reserved" at

18375-626: The premiere of I Love Lucy in October. When he became successful in television, he kept the orchestra on his payroll, and Rizo arranged and orchestrated the music for I Love Lucy . On October 15, 1951, Arnaz co-starred in the premiere of I Love Lucy , in which he played a fictionalized version of himself, Cuban orchestra leader Enrique "Ricky" Ricardo. His co-star was his real-life wife, Lucille Ball, who played Ricky's wife, Lucy. Television executives had been pursuing Ball to adapt her very popular radio series My Favorite Husband for television. Ball insisted on Arnaz playing her on-air spouse so

18550-670: The primary role of the growing military garrison became the protection of the main base of the Royal Navy's North America and West Indies Station as the British Government came to view Fortress Bermuda more as a base than a colony. The build-up of the regular military forces led to the Parliament of Bermuda allowing the Militia Act to lapse after 1816 as the reserve forces were perceived as an unnecessary expense (the Militia in

18725-455: The programme title had to be changed, and, on 24 October 1979, Terry and June was born. It was similar to Happy Ever After without Aunt Lucy, but Terry and June's surname changed from Fletcher to Medford and the characters moved to Purley in London. In 2004, it came joint 73rd in Britain's Best Sitcom with Happy Ever After . The sci-fi sitcom Come Back Mrs. Noah , set in space in 2050,

18900-421: The real Warner's Holiday Centre at Dovercourt Bay. It ran for 58 episodes (1980–1988) on the BBC and is often repeated. It was co-written by Jimmy Perry , based on his experience as a Butlin's Redcoat, and director-producer David Croft . With its ensemble cast comprising Paul Shane , Simon Cadell , Ruth Madoc , Jeffrey Holland , Su Pollard , and David Griffin , the series gained large audiences and won

19075-671: The reintroduction of national service in the UK to give young people "a sense of belonging rather than a sense of violence." In 2024, Chief of the General Staff General Patrick Saunders delivered a speech advocating a volunteer "citizen army" of the willing in the wake of global turmoil, specifically the Russo-Ukrainian War and the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine , which elements of the press mischaracterised as advocacy of conscription; these statements generated controversy, and led to

19250-652: The reproaches of her parents, played by Mitchell and Bird, a difficult social life, and a reduced income. The theme song, "Bright Idea", was written by Roger Webb . Also written by Richard Waring, Rings on Their Fingers (1978–80) ran from 1978 to 1980 for 20 episodes in 3 series and was and produced by Harold Snoad for the BBC. It concerns a young unmarried couple, Sandy Bennett, played by Diane Keen , and Oliver Pryde, played by Martin Jarvis . The cast also included Tim Barrett , Barbara Lott , Anna Dawson , John Kane and Royce Mills . Sandy wishes to marry whereas Oliver

19425-434: The reserve list for four years. They could be recalled to their units for up to 20 days for no more than three occasions during these four years. Men were exempt from National Service if they worked in one of the three " essential services ": coal mining , farming , and the merchant navy for a period of eight years. If they quit early, they were subject to being called up. Exemption continued for conscientious objectors, with

19600-406: The rhythms of everyday life, the pain of the human condition and, of course, the joy of laughter. The origins of British TV sitcoms trace back to radio comedies of the 1940s and 1950s like Hancock's Half Hour , which aired on BBC Radio in 1954, British TV sitcoms were initially inspired by American comedy formats, but they quickly developed their own style that highlighted dry wit, social satire, and

19775-480: The role of a prison inmate, with his most significant sitcom vehicle, supported by Richard Beckinsale . It ran from 1974 to 1977 on BBC1 for 22 episodes over three series. The series features two major supporting characters, both prison officers : Mr Mackay , played by Fulton Mackay , and Mr Barrowclough , played by Brian Wilde . The sitcom focused on two prison inmates, Norman Fletcher, played by Barker, and Lennie Godber, played by Beckinsale, who are serving time in

19950-762: The same quality. The series starred Cleese as Basil Fawlty , Prunella Scales as Sybil Fawlty , Connie Booth as Polly Sherman , and Andrew Sachs as Manuel . Supporting roles included Major Gowen, played by Ballard Berkeley , Chef Terry, played by Brian Hall , and Miss Gatsby and Miss Tibbs, played by Renee Roberts and Gilly Flower . Other well known guests from stage and screen, usually two or three for each episode, were featured in various episodes and among many others included Yvonne Gilan , Conrad Phillips , Bernard Cribbins , James Cossins , Allan Cuthbertson , Ann Way , Brenda Cowling , Joan Sanderson , Elspet Gray , Geoffrey Palmer , Derek Royle , Richard Davies , Ken Campbell , Una Stubbs , and John Quarmby . The show

20125-491: The same tribunal system and categories. In October 1950, in response to the British involvement in the Korean War , the service period was extended to two years; in compensation, the reserve period was reduced by six months. National Servicemen who showed promise could be commissioned as officers . National Service personnel were used in combat operations, including the Palestine Emergency , Malayan Emergency ,

20300-508: The second greatest television character. The spin-off from Man About the House , starring Yootha Joyce and Brian Murphy, with Norman Eshley , Sheila Fearn , and child star Nicholas Bond-Owen , a domestic sitcom George and Mildred is focused on a clash of social class. Written by Brian Cooke and Johnnie Mortimer, it ran for 38 episodes and is regularly repeated on ITV3. Yootha Joyce died suddenly in August 1980, just before production of

20475-457: The series received several BAFTAs and in 2004 was voted sixth in the Britain's Best Sitcom poll. Writer Michael Dobbs said Jay and Lynn "really got to the heart of so much of what goes on in Whitehall and Westminster". As the series revolved around the inner workings of central government, most of the scenes take place privately in offices and exclusive members' clubs . Lynn said that "there

20650-579: The series was due partly to the strength of the female ensemble playing the workforce, who included Sheila Hancock , Barbara Windsor and Esma Cannon . It also made the earliest of Richard Waring 's domestic comedies, Marriage Lines (1961–1966), starring Richard Briers (later to star in The Good Life ) and Prunella Scales (who went on to star in Fawlty Towers ), and Not in Front of

20825-589: The set of I Love Lucy . He smoked cigars until he was in his sixties. Arnaz was diagnosed with lung cancer in 1986 and underwent treatment. Lucille Ball visited him during this time in the hospital and the two watched VHS tapes of I Love Lucy . His daughter Lucie was by his side constantly during his final days. On November 30, 1986, Ball called him. They talked for a short time due to Arnaz's state of health, as he had barely spoken to anyone and had not eaten for three days. According to Lucie, her mother simply said "I love you. I love you. Desi, I love you," repeating

21000-423: The show as "the British sitcom by which all other British sitcoms must be judged", Fawlty Towers (1975 and 1979) is eminently quotable; the repetition in the episode known as The Germans of 'don't mention the war' has become a catch phrase ." In two series, only 12 half-hour episodes were made, because the writers, John Cleese and his then wife Connie Booth, felt that they could not continue to write comedy of

21175-430: The show was voted 13th in a British Film Institute poll of industry professionals of the 100 Greatest British Television Programmes. In 2004, championed by Phill Jupitus , it came fourth in the BBC poll to find Britain's Best Sitcom . As of 2022 it is one of British television's most regularly repeated sitcoms. Bringing the first light-hearted satirical look at the church , during 1966–1971 All Gas and Gaiters paved

21350-456: The show which inspired three films was Howerd's frequent breaking of the fourth wall . Other controversial topics for comedy included series written by Richard Waring and Wendy Craig. ...And Mother Makes Three (1971–73), and its sequel ...And Mother Makes Five (1974–76), starred Craig (who also co-wrote) as a widowed mother who eventually remarries a divorced single father. My Wife Next Door (1972), created by Brian Clemens , concerned

21525-578: The soldiers. For example, upon discovering the first thing the wounded soldiers requested was a glass of cold milk, he arranged for movie starlets to meet them and pour the milk for them. Arnaz served two years, seven months and four days. His primary unit was the 9th Service Command, Army Service Forces. For his service during World War II, he was awarded the Army Good Conduct Medal , the American Campaign Medal , and

21700-506: The staff of the retail ladies' and gentlemen's clothing departments. Are You Being Served? (1972–85) was created and written for the BBC by Jeremy Lloyd and David Croft and stars Frank Thornton , Mollie Sugden , Wendy Richard , and John Inman (whose camp characterisation of Mr. Humphries contributed greatly to the series' success), Richard and Nicholas Smith appeared in all 69 episodes. In 2004, it ranked 20th in Britain's Best Sitcom . The series proved to be highly exportable, and

21875-459: The standard of [Hancock's] BBC work". Starring Jimmy Edwards in the lead role as Professor James Edwards, Whack-O! written by Frank Muir and Denis Norden , is about the drunken, gambling, devious, cane-swishing headmaster who tyrannised staff and children at the fictitious Chiselbury public school "for the sons of Gentlefolk". From 1956 to 1960 and 1971–1972, it ran for 60 episodes over 8 series. The first six episodes were subtitled "Six of

22050-493: The subject of the joke but to seek and find humour in everything.. Writing for the British Film Institute , Phil Wickham, film and TV critic and author of several books about British TV, concludes: Sitcoms have had an important influence on British life in the last 40 years. They have made us think about ourselves by making us laugh at our own absurdity. Good sitcoms are a kind of virtual reality - they reflect

22225-756: The successes that he had. He was a supporter of Richard Nixon and member of the Spanish-Speaking Committee for the Re-Election of the President in 1972. Nixon appointed Arnaz as the U.S. roving ambassador to Latin America in the early 1970s. He was a supporter of Ronald Reagan and spoke at campaign rallies, such as one hosted by the National Republican Hispanic Assembly in 1980. He was an advocate for

22400-513: The thin' is, it's too tough competing with the Ricky Ricardo of 20 years ago. He looks a lot better than I do." Arnaz made a guest appearance on the TV series Alice , in 1978 starring Linda Lavin and produced by I Love Lucy co-creators Madelyn Pugh (Madelyn Davis) and Bob Carroll, Jr. His last acting role was as Mayor Leon Quiñones in the 1982 film, The Escape Artist . Arnaz owned

22575-483: The two married on March 2, 1963 (Arnaz's 46th birthday), he greatly reduced his show business activities. The two were married for 22 years until Edith died from cancer on March 23, 1985. Although Arnaz and Ball both married other spouses after their divorce in 1960, they remained friends and grew closer in his final decade. For Lucy's appearance at the Kennedy Center Honors in 1986, Arnaz had written

22750-599: The two territorials in Bermuda) and the BMA in 1960. Since the two units were amalgamated in 1965, conscription was retained until July 2018, making the Royal Bermuda Regiment the last conscripted force serving under the British Crown. In 2015 Prince Harry made a call for bringing back conscription. Following the launch of his 2009 film Harry Brown , English actor Michael Caine called for

22925-434: The two would be able to spend more time together. CBS wanted Ball's Husband co-star Richard Denning . The original premise was for the couple to portray Lucy and Larry Lopez, a successful show business couple whose glamorous careers interfered with their efforts to maintain a normal marriage. Market research indicated, however, that this scenario would not be popular, so Jess Oppenheimer changed it to make Ricky Ricardo

23100-426: The usual 20. Lucille Ball confronted Bowers about this and publicly slapped him in the face, yelling "You! Stop pimping for my husband!" Arnaz's marriage with Ball began to collapse under the strain of his growing problems with alcohol, gambling, and infidelity. According to his memoir, the combined pressures of managing the production company, as well as supervising its day-to-day operations, had greatly worsened as

23275-419: The very similar Carry On Sergeant , was released, also featuring Hawtrey, Rossington and Hartnell. ITV sitcoms began with the channel's launch in 1957 and throughout the 1960s helped shape British comedy with varied and often experimental styles. In the 1960s, the BBC produced a then-rare workplace comedy with The Rag Trade (1961–1963, 1977–1978) written by Ronald Wolfe and Ronald Chesney . The success of

23450-513: The way for Bless Me, Father (1978–1981) with Arthur Lowe, and farcical ecclesiastical comedies such as Father Ted and The Vicar of Dibley in the 1990s. Starring Derek Nimmo with Robertson Hare , William Mervyn , John Barron , Joan Sanderson ( Please Sir! , Fawlty Towers ), and Ernest Clark , it was written by husband-and-wife team Pauline Devaney and Edwin Apps and directed by John Howard Davies and Stuart Allen. The successful series, which after an initial controversy became

23625-524: The words over the phone. Arnaz finished the conversation by answering "I love you, too, honey. Good luck with your show." Lucie hadn't realized the solemnity of this last time, not until she checked her diary to notice the date had been the 46th anniversary of Ball and Arnaz's wedding. He died two days later on December 2, 1986, at the age of 69, just 3 years before Lucy's death. Arnaz was cremated and his ashes were scattered at Sea of Cortés in Mexico . Ball

23800-644: The working and lower-middle class attitudes of the growing 1980s alternative comedy boom. Mayall was also the star of The New Statesman (1987–92), a series created by Maurice Gran and Laurence Marks , whose biggest success, Birds of a Feather (1989–98, 2014–20), also deviated from British practice in being scripted by a team of writers. The alternative comedy genre continued with Blackadder (1983–89), mainly written by Ben Elton and Richard Curtis and starring Rowan Atkinson , Tony Robinson , Tim McInnerny , Miranda Richardson , Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie . Atkinson's Edmund Blackadder came at number three in

23975-547: The worst British sitcoms ever made. It has never been repeated. Writing in The British Comedy Guide on 27 June 2021, in his article "Stranger Things: When sitcoms strain to be different", citing in detail three examples including Come Back Mrs. Noah , Graham McCann explains how a sitcom, even when written, produced and acted by a highly successful team, can go horribly wrong. In the 1980s, the emerging alternative comedians began to develop sitcoms, partly as

24150-413: The years included many other actors for a total cast of 459. Desi Arnaz Desiderio Alberto Arnaz y de Acha III (March 2, 1917 – December 2, 1986), known as Desi Arnaz , was a Cuban-American actor, musician, producer, and bandleader. He played Ricky Ricardo on the American television sitcom I Love Lucy , in which he co-starred with his wife Lucille Ball . Arnaz and Ball are credited as

24325-673: The years with actors such as Geoffrey Palmer , Bill Fraser , Ted Lune , Frank Williams , Harry Fowler and Dick Emery appearing in subsequent series. The Army Game follows the exploits of Hut 29, a fictional dysfunctional group of conscripted National Service soldiers during the post-war years. Writers included creator Sid Colin , Larry Stephens , Maurice Wiltshire, Lew Schwarz, John Jowett, John Antrobus , John Foley , Marty Feldman , Barry Took , David Climie, David Cumming, Derek Collyer, Brad Ashton, John Junkin , Talbot Rothwell , Sidney Nelson, Stan Mars, Bob Perkins and Alan MacKinnon. At least three episodes are uncredited. In June 1959,

24500-410: Was a Galton and Simpson creation and ran for 57 episodes over 8 series. Producers included Duncan Wood , John Howard Davies , Graeme Muir, and Douglas Argent . In 2000, the show was ranked number 44 on the 100 Greatest British Television Programmes compiled by the British Film Institute . In a 2001 Channel 4 poll Albert was ranked 39th on their list of the 100 Greatest TV Characters , The series

24675-402: Was a 'feel-good' series following the leading characters' 'will-they-won't they' love story. Written by Peter Spence and Christopher Bond and produced and directed by Gareth Gwenlan , it was a sitcom with one of the largest audience ratings of the period. The final episode of series 1, which aired on 11 November 1979, was the most watched British television programme (excluding live events) of

24850-430: Was a good British sitcom." One of the most successful British sitcoms of all time, Only Fools and Horses (1981–2003) starred David Jason as Derek "Del Boy" Trotter and Nicholas Lyndhurst as his younger brother Rodney . It began in 1981 and ran for 64 episodes, with specials, until 2003. It was the most durable of several series written by John Sullivan . The 1996 episode " Time on Our Hands " (originally billed as

25025-544: Was a skilled yachtsman since childhood), fishing, and cooking Cuban dishes. He suffered from numerous health issues later in life. He contributed to charitable and nonprofit organizations, including San Diego State University . He was active in politics and made occasional public appearances. He was the guest of honor at the Carnival Miami in March 1982 where he performed with his children, Lucie and Desi Jr., in front of

25200-477: Was also the bandleader of his Latin group, the Desi Arnaz Orchestra. He was known for playing conga drums and popularized the conga line in the United States. Arnaz was born in Santiago de Cuba , Cuba, to Desiderio Alberto Arnaz y de Alberni II (March 8, 1894 – May 31, 1973) and Dolores "Lolita" de Acha y de Socias (April 2, 1896 – October 24, 1988). His father was Santiago's youngest mayor and also served in

25375-578: Was arrested and charged with assault with a deadly weapon after an altercation with youth parking in front of his house. Two young men were allegedly partying nearby and harassing his then-15-year-old daughter Lucie and her friend. Arnaz confronted them, threatened to shoot their tires and cars, and then fired two shots that went into the ground. He spent three hours at the San Diego jail and was released on $ 1,100 bail. Desi Arnaz spent his retirement doing activities he enjoyed including sailing his yacht (he

25550-652: Was broadcast on BBC1 from 17 July to 14 August 1978, with a pilot being aired on 13 December 1977, but it was not a success and ran for only six episodes. Although written by Jeremy Lloyd and David Croft, and featuring an all-star sitcom cast including Mollie Sugden ( Are You Being Served? ), Ian Lavender ( Dad's Army ), Gorden Kaye ( 'Allo 'Allo! ), Donald Hewlett ( It Ain't Half Hot Mum and You Rang, M'Lord? ) and Michael Knowles ( It Ain't Half Hot Mum and You Rang, M'Lord? ), along with Vicki Michelle ( 'Allo 'Allo! ) and Harold Bennett ( Dad's Army and Are You Being Served? ), some regarded it as one of

25725-419: Was composed by Burt Rhodes . In 2004, The Good Life came 9th in Britain's Best Sitcom . After its success, the four main cast members were given their own "vehicles" commissioned by the then Head of Comedy and producer of The Good Life , John Howard Davies . The series provided Felicity Kendal with her big break on television and significantly boosted her career on stage. Described in the BBC's profile of

25900-404: Was composed by Joseph Ascher (1829–1869), arranged for a brass band and performed by Max Harris , who also wrote the incidental music. A sequel, Still Open All Hours , with David Jason and many members of the original cast, began airing nearly 30 years later in 2013 and ran until 2019 for 41 episodes. First broadcast on ITV in 1977 and running for 12 episodes, Miss Jones and Son (1977–78)

26075-582: Was criticised by campaigner Mary Whitehouse for its bad language, and due to changing attitudes in political correctness it is seldom repeated. Based on a World War II theme, Dad's Army (1968–1977) by Jimmy Perry and David Croft , was a gentle mockery of Britain's 'finest hour' and the Home Guard . One of the most enduring British sitcoms, it starred Arthur Lowe and John Le Mesurier , whose interaction with Lowe's character Captain Mainwaring

26250-506: Was derived from a one-off Galton and Simpson comic play, "The Offer", shown on their BBC series Comedy Playhouse in 1962. It is regularly repeated and gave rise to four feature films. Written by Johnny Speight and broadcast 1965–1968 and 1972–1975, Till Death Us Do Part featured Warren Mitchell as Alf Garnett and was an instant hit. Centred on the bigoted character of Alf Garnett, it addressed racial and political issues that had been becoming increasingly prevalent in British society. It

26425-420: Was described by The Times as "a memorable part of one of television's most popular shows". It also starred Clive Dunn , John Laurie , Ian Lavender and Arnold Ridley . During its original television run, the show was nominated for multiple British Academy Television Awards , including "Best Situation Comedy" in 1973, 1974 and 1975, although only won "Best Light Entertainment Production Team" in 1971. In 2000,

26600-421: Was disqualified from overseas service due to hypertension and knee injuries, which caused him pain with prolonged physical exertion, according to his military physical examination. He had injured his left knee prior to his enlistment and injured his right knee soon after enlisting on May 23, 1943, during a baseball game at Camp Arlington . He completed his recruit training, but was classified for limited service in

26775-542: Was disqualified from serving overseas. In the late 1960s, he was seriously injured in an accident when the floor collapsed and he was impaled by a tree stump in his home in Baja California. An operation saved his life, although his health was never the same after the incident. Throughout his life he periodically had to seek medical treatment for diverticulitis and intestinal issues, sometimes requiring hospitalization. After his second wife Edith's death in 1985, Arnaz

26950-464: Was given a game show on CBS Radio , Your Tropical Trip to entice Arnaz and Ball to stay at CBS over a competing offer from NBC, and to keep Arnaz and his band employed and in Hollywood, rather than touring. The musical game show, hosted by Arnaz and featuring Arnaz's orchestra, had audience members competing for a Caribbean vacation. The program aired from January 1951 until September, shortly before

27125-501: Was in his 50s when the series began) pursuing "an endless array of improbably available 'dolly birds' ". The series was made into three films, On the Buses (1971), Mutiny on the Buses (1972), and Holiday on the Buses (1973). Starring Sid James of Carry On fame, with Diana Coupland and Sally Geeson , Bless This House was created by Vince Powell and Harry Driver , but mainly written by others including Dave Freeman and Carla Lane. Running from 1971 to 1976, It marked

27300-436: Was made in 1960. Peter Eton 's series of The Army Game (1957–1961) was probably British television's most successful sitcom of this period and ran for 154 episodes. Many of its stars went on to become household names. The original cast consisted of William Hartnell , Michael Medwin , Geoffrey Sumner , Alfie Bass , Charles Hawtrey , Bernard Bresslaw and Norman Rossington . The cast of The Army Game would change over

27475-544: Was never nominated for an Emmy for his performance in I Love Lucy ; however, as executive producer of the series, he was nominated four times in the Best Situation Comedy category, winning twice. In 1956, he won a Golden Globe for Best Television Achievement for helping to shape the American Comedy through his contributions in front of and behind the camera of I Love Lucy . He was inducted into

27650-457: Was not a single scene set in the House of Commons because government does not take place in the House of Commons. Some politics and much theatre takes place there. Government happens in private. As in all public performances, the real work is done in rehearsal, behind closed doors. Then the public and the House are shown what the government wishes them to see." Lynn and Jay explained: "After we wrote

27825-453: Was not well received. Considered daring at the time because it featured a man sharing a flat with two single women, the flat-share comedy Man About the House was created by Brian Cooke and Johnnie Mortimer . It starred Richard O'Sullivan , Paula Wilcox and Sally Thomsett , with Brian Murphy and Yootha Joyce as their landlord and landlady. 40 episodes were broadcast over six series on ITV , and ran from 1973 to 1976. A film version

28000-610: Was often referred to as "War Service" in documents relating to National Insurance and pension provision . Conscription during the First World War began when the British Parliament passed the Military Service Act in January 1916. The Act specified that single men aged 18 to 40 years old were liable to be called up for military service unless they were widowed with children, or were ministers of

28175-604: Was one of hundreds to attend Arnaz's funeral, which was held at St. James Roman Catholic Church in San Diego County, California. His death came just five days before Lucille Ball received the Kennedy Center Honors . His mother outlived him by almost two years. Desi Arnaz has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame : one at 6301 Hollywood Boulevard for contributions to motion pictures and one at 6250 Hollywood Boulevard for television. Unlike his co-stars, Arnaz

28350-485: Was passed the following month. Only single men 20 to 22 years old were liable to be called up, and they were to be known as "militiamen" to distinguish them from the regular army. To emphasise this distinction, each man was issued with a suit in addition to a uniform. The intention was for the first intake to undergo six months of basic training before being discharged into an active reserve. They would then be recalled for short training periods and attend an annual camp. At

28525-418: Was persuaded by his children to seek treatment for his decades-long alcohol addiction, which by then had seriously damaged his health. Lucie Arnaz described her pride at attending a treatment meeting with her father where he stood up and said "I'm Desi, and I'm an alcoholic". Arnaz had a few run-ins with the law. He was arrested in 1959 on an intoxication charge while he was walking Hollywood Blvd. In 1966, he

28700-492: Was produced by John Howard Davies and Douglas Argent , directed by Davies and Bob Spiers and the music was by Dennis Wilson . The show was ranked first on a list of the 100 Greatest British Television Programmes drawn up by the British Film Institute in 2000, and in 2019 it was named the greatest ever British TV sitcom by a panel of comedy experts compiled by the Radio Times . Basil Fawlty has been listed by Channel 4 as

28875-601: Was produced by Michael Mills as a co-production between the BBC and West Germany's Bavaria Film . Incidental music was arranged by Alan Roper and played by L'Harmonie Du Rhone Orchestra, Lyon, under the musical direction of Raymond Jarniat. Created by Brian Clemens and written by Richard Waring, My Wife Next Door was shown on BBC1 in 1972 and ran for 13 episodes. The series concerns George Basset, played by John Alderton , and Suzie Basset, played by Hannah Gordon , who each try to start afresh after their divorce by moving to

29050-466: Was produced by Stuart Allen, John Howard Davies, and Robin Nash, and the music was provided by Stanley Myers . With Milo O'Shea , and Yootha Joyce ( Man About the House , George and Mildred ) in the lead roles, Me Mammy was written by Hugh Leonard , produced by James Gilbert and Sydney Lotterby for the BBC and aired 1968–1971 for 21 episodes over 3 series. Bunjy Kennefick, played by O'Shea,

29225-730: Was producing The Untouchables , Arnaz was allegedly the target of a mafia murder plot, which was later called off, due to the show's negative publicity of gangsters. These allegations were made in the 1980s by Jimmy Fratianno in his book, The Last Mafioso , although they were rejected by Arnaz. He also produced the feature film Forever, Darling (1956), in which he and Ball starred. The original Desilu company continued long after Arnaz's divorce from Ball and her subsequent marriage to Gary Morton . Desilu continued to produce its own programs in addition to providing facilities to other producers. In 1962, Arnaz sold his share of Desilu to Ball and formed his own production company after their divorce. With

29400-520: Was recorded in the presence of the Queen to mark her Silver Jubilee; it was reputedly one of her favourite shows. Felicity Kendal and Richard Briers starred as Barbara and Tom Goode – a middle-class suburban couple who decide to quit the rat race and become self-sufficient, much to the consternation of their snooty but well-meaning neighbour Margo, played by Penelope Keith , and her down-to-earth husband Jerry, played by Paul Eddington . The opening theme

29575-508: Was released in 1974. The series is regularly repeated on ITV3 . After the series ended in 1976, two successful spin-off series followed: George and Mildred , in which the Ropers move to the suburbs, and Robin's Nest , in which Robin gets married and opens a bistro . Based on life in a UK prison, the Porridge sitcom by writers Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais provided Ronnie Barker, in

29750-414: Was the first modern TV sitcom. Whilst moving away from audio variety towards character development, the radio series had been influential in the development of TV situation comedy. The radio series continued to be produced alongside the TV version. Tony Hancock played a fictionalised version of himself, a loser whose plans and aspirations are continually ruined by bad luck. Its only other regular cast member

29925-420: Was the more worldly sidekick played by Sid James , later of Carry On fame and Bless This House . Other occasional participants included John Le Mesurier ( Dad's Army ), Kenneth Williams , and Patricia Hayes . Hancock's biographer John Fisher dates the first use of the term 'situation comedy' in British broadcasting to a BBC memo dated 31 March 1953 from radio comedy producer Peter Eton , suggesting

30100-457: Was written by John T. Chapman , Eric Merriman , Christopher Bond, John Kane and Jon Watkins. It was based on a Comedy Playhouse pilot called "Happy Ever After" which aired on 7 May 1974, with Scott and Whitfield playing a middle-class couple whose grown-up children had just left home. The Good Life (1975–1978), written by Bob Larbey and John Esmonde , aired on BBC1 for 30 episodes over four series and two specials. The final episode

30275-464: Was written by Ronnie Hazlehurst . Spun off from Happy Ever After after it ended, Terry Scott and June Whitfield returned to star in the 65 episodes of Terry and June (1979–1987). It was mostly written by John Kane . Chapman , one of the original writers, said that the original programme had run out of ideas and had to end. BBC Comedy, however, were unwilling to end a successful 'cozy' show, and so brought in fresh new writers; for legal reasons

30450-462: Was written by David Climie, Ronnie Cass and Lew Schwarz. The series established the reputation of actor Clive Dunn , leading to his role as Corporal Jones in Dad's Army . Running for 43 episodes over 5 series (1963–1966), first titled The Marriage Lines , Marriage Lines was written by Richard Waring and directed and produced by Robin Nash and Graeme Muir. The traditional domestic comedy about

30625-464: Was written by Richard Waring and produced and directed by Peter Frazer-Jones. It starred Paula Wilcox ( Man About The House ), Christopher Beeny , Charlotte Mitchell and Norman Bird . The series depicted the life of Elizabeth Jones, played by Wilcox, a young woman coming to terms with the responsibility of looking after her baby alone. Emotional support came in the form of next-door-neighbour and friend Geoffrey, played by Beeny. Difficulties included

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