A British sitcom or a Britcom is a situational comedy programme produced for British television .
152-555: Green Wing is a British sitcom set in the fictional East Hampton Hospital. It was created by the same team behind the sketch show Smack the Pony – Channel 4 commissioner Caroline Leddy and producer Victoria Pile – and stars Mark Heap , Tamsin Greig , Stephen Mangan and Julian Rhind-Tutt . It focuses on soap opera -style twists and turns in the personal lives of the characters, portrayed in sketch-like scenes and sequences in which
304-423: A non-linear editing (NLE) system. The advantage of non-linear editing is the ability to edit scenes out of order, thereby making creative changes at will. This flexibility facilitates carefully shaping the film in a thoughtful, meaningful way for emotional effect. Once the production team is satisfied with the picture editing, the editing is said to be locked . At this point the turnover process begins, in which
456-523: 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
608-509: 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
760-454: 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
912-475: A British sitcom, which typically has only one or two writers, the show had eight: Pile, her husband Robert Harley , Gary Howe , Stuart Kenworthy , Oriane Messina , Richard Preddy , Fay Rusling and James Henry . Pile and her co-writers initially used battery packs to represent characters, moving them around on her desk to develop scenarios for the show. The decision to make the characters doctors came later. Pile recalls that she mentioned to Peter Fincham that
1064-604: 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
1216-408: A certain range of image editing operations to the raw image format provided by a photographer or an image bank. There is a range of proprietary and free and open-source software, running on a range of operating systems available to do this work. The first of post-production usually requires loading the raw images into the post-production software. If there is more than one image, and they belong to
1368-499: 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
1520-522: 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
1672-500: 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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#17327906450261824-399: A drunken rage, with Mac and Martin in the back. Guy drives the ambulance to Wales, where, in an attempt to avoid a sheep, he drives onto a cliff edge. The series ends with the three of them balanced precariously on the cliff edge. Mac fends off Sue's advances by saying he will only allow her to touch his arse if she can raise £10,000 for Comic Relief. Sue asks Martin, Joanna, Guy, and Alan for
1976-404: A fan, I have to report that the first episode of the second series is, disappointingly, rather flat. To be fair, there were a couple of laugh-out-loud moments - Dr Statham banging his head and falling down being one of them - but the whole [thing] didn't quite gel. Or should that be coagulate? I'll stop making bad jokes now since I'm still not as funny as anyone in the show. But I sincerely hope that
2128-480: 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
2280-626: 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
2432-400: A fraudster, which turn out to be a misunderstanding, but Emily breaks up with Mac after he is amused rather than angered by Caroline's accusations. Mac and Caroline later kiss. As they are about to leave, Caroline and Mac find out that there is an emergency at Guy's flat. Martin has discovered that Joanna is also Guy's birth mother. When Caroline and Mac arrive in an ambulance, Guy steals it in
2584-459: A hospital setting would work well and that he subsequently reported that Channel 4 were enthusiastic about a hospital location, which settled the matter. Even later still, a plot was developed and wall charts were used to mark up story arcs . The show was directed and edited (along with Pile) by Tristram Shapeero and Dominic Brigstocke. Sketches were sped up or slowed down to create comic effect, often using body language to create humour. Editing
2736-649: 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
2888-501: A set, ideally post-producers try to equalize the images before loading them. After that, if necessary, the next step would be to cut the objects in the images with the Pen Tool for a perfect and clean cut. The next stage would be cleaning the image using tools such as the healing tool, clone tool, and patch tool. The next stages depend on what the client ordered. If it is a photo montage, the post-producers would usually start assembling
3040-477: 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,
3192-406: A show-off's drama school. The lack of plot and coherent narrative that previously had been a blessed freedom was revealed to be a formless free-for-all, brilliant performances as silly mannerisms. Nothing I've seen this year has disappointed me as sharply as the second series of Green Wing . As Tom Paine so poignantly pointed out, only a step separates the sublime from the ridiculous." The rest of
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#17327906450263344-414: 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
3496-596: 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 ,
3648-733: A studio. The pub in series two is filmed at the Foundation Beefeater in Fulwell , South West London. Green Wing 's title is said to have come from a small plastic green man with wings that was in executive producer Peter Fincham 's top pocket, and fell on Pile's desk. Fincham claimed it was not his, so Pile kept it. This plastic man appears at the end of the credits on every show. Some plot lines written for Green Wing were never used. Unused storylines included Alan having an 80-year-old wife and step-grandchildren as old as him, and Guy suffering from impotence . Pile originally wanted
3800-434: A stuffed heron. Alan and Joanna throw the body into the incinerator, but become paranoid that they will be discovered. Alan, however, learns from Boyce that the death is being viewed as a suicide, so Alan and Joanna go on a rampage, thinking themselves above the law. After the death of a patient known as "Yo-yo Man" who offers them wise advice, Guy, Mac and Martin all decide to propose to Caroline. She rejects Martin, considers
3952-689: 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 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
4104-407: A windowsill, believing that there are Clangers in the office. Whilst on the phone to a friend, Rachel opens the window, tipping Karen out in the process. As the day continues, no one seems to notice her absence. The police arrive at the hospital. Alan and Joanna believe that they will be arrested, and with Boyce's help escape from the hospital in a stolen camper van . When they discover that Martin
4256-502: 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
4408-565: Is transgender , which repels Guy. Sue White then appears in a tutu, claiming that the patient is stalking Mac, and repeating the assertion that the patient is transgender. The episode begins with the funeral of Angela, who departed the show during the second series, and was later killed by a moose. Mac, after a month's leave, discovers what has happened between Caroline and Guy, and although hurt, makes no attempt to interfere. Guy, on learning of Mac's terminal illness, tells Caroline to marry Mac instead of him. Meanwhile, Alan and Joanna are still on
4560-433: Is also Angela Hunter ( Sarah Alexander ), a seemingly perfect, but irritating, senior registrar in pediatrics . Caroline dislikes Angela, but ends up taking her in as a lodger. Caroline's main rival for Mac's affections is Sue White ( Michelle Gomez ), the staff liaison officer employed to listen and respond to the problems of East Hampton's staff. Sue is hostile and contemptuous towards everyone except Mac, whom she loves to
4712-494: 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
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4864-440: Is associated with a cold atmosphere. The choice of music and sound increases the effect of the scenes shown to the audience. In television, the phases of post-production include: editing, video editing, color correction, assembly, sound editing, re-recording, animation and visual effects insertions, combining separately edited audio and video tracks back together and delivery for broadcast. Professional post-producers usually apply
5016-487: 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)
5168-414: Is hidden in the back of the van, Alan, panicking, drives into a field, and series two ends in the same way as series one, with the van hanging over the edge of a cliff. A sketch was performed for Amnesty International's Secret Policeman's Ball , with performances from Tamsin Greig, Stephen Mangan, Julian Rhind-Tutt and Michelle Gomez. Mangan and Rhind-Tutt appeared in two sketches. When the announcer at
5320-410: Is not her son's father after all. Holly leaves the hospital. Caroline, excited by the news, leaves Jake. When Alan becomes unusually happy after winning an internet caption competition, Joanna seeks to destroy his good humour. Using her dwarf cousin ( Big Mick ), dressed up in green body paint, she plans to scare him. The plan backfires when Alan is so scared that he beats Joanna's cousin to death with
5472-427: 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
5624-409: Is often bullied by Kim and Rachel. Green Wing was devised, created and produced by Victoria Pile . She was also the casting director , one of the writers, and part of the editing, filming and post-production teams. She described Green Wing as "a sketch-meets-comedy-drama-meets-soap", and a continuation of her previous show, Smack the Pony , where Green Wing 's crew also worked. Unusually for
5776-666: 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
5928-546: 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 ,
6080-409: 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,
6232-444: Is unsure as to whether it is Mac or Guy that she loves. Sue White, staff liaison officer, is deeply in love with Mac, threatening to kill her love rivals. Both women are devastated to find that Mac is intending to move to Sheffield with his new girlfriend to take up a consultancy position. Before he leaves, Mac bets Guy that he would not be able to sleep with Joanna, so Guy picks her up at the leaving party. Caroline accuses Emily of being
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6384-479: Is unsure as to which of the two she truly loves. Throughout the series, it becomes clear that Mac is her true love, but a range of misadventures prevent their relationship from flourishing. Other people Caroline meets include Martin Dear ( Karl Theobald ), a friendly house officer who is constantly failing his exams. He is unloved by his mother and is often bullied by Guy. Martin soon develops feelings for Caroline. There
6536-637: The British Film Institute , on 17 January 2007; Pile, Greig, Mangan, and Rhind-Tutt appeared. Some of the other writers, as well as Theobald and Heap, were in the audience. The event was hosted by John Lloyd . Green Wing appeared in an episode of the BBC documentary series Imagine , entitled A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Studio . Some of the funeral scenes from the special were shown, and
6688-587: The North Hampshire Hospital in Basingstoke . This presented a problem because the show had to work around the real-life hospitals, with their actual doctors, patients and emergency situations. In one scene in the final episode in series one, Guy (Mangan) was hitting squash balls behind him, and nearly hit a patient. However, some scenes, such as those in Sue's and Alan's offices, were filmed in
6840-468: The lazzi methods of filming and the overall length of the episodes, with some critics claiming that hour-long episodes are too long. The show won the 2005 and 2006 Comedy Tumbleweed Awards for "Worst Camerawork." Some were also critical of what was seen as a decline in quality when the second series began. Cathy Pryor in The Independent on Sunday said that, "Sadly, though, since I'm something of
6992-541: The "Comedy of the Year" award in 2006. A third series of Green Wing was not made, due to scheduling difficulties with the cast and crew undertaking new projects, and a lack of budget at production company talkbackTHAMES. However, creator Victoria Pile mentioned in a 2007 interview in the Radio Times that she may create a spin-off , saying, "I'm hoping to do another Channel 4 comedy imminently, possibly starring some of
7144-434: 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
7296-538: The 2005 Rose d'Or for "Best Female Comedy Performance". Tamsin Greig won an award at the RTS Awards in 2005 for "Best Comedy Performance". Jonathan Whitehead won "Best Original Score" at the RTS Craft & Design Awards 2005. Greig received a BAFTA nomination for Best Comedy Performance in 2005, losing to David Walliams and Matt Lucas . Green Wing also won a number of The Comedy.co.uk Awards , including
7448-423: 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
7600-445: The BBC's profile of 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
7752-704: 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 ,
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#17327906450267904-523: 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
8056-503: 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
8208-605: 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
8360-550: 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
8512-482: 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
8664-491: 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
8816-408: 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
8968-487: The Summer Wine ) and shown to a studio audience prior to final post-production to record genuine laughter. In contrast to 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
9120-462: The USA, Guy has become a TV personality, and Mac has returned from several near-death experiences to continue working as a surgeon. Boyce has been promoted to head of radiology and Harriet is now head of human resources. Following their murder spree Joanna is now in prison, while Statham's lawyers got him a reduced sentence involving psychiatric care, and he is now working under Boyce. Sue is still working as
9272-415: The air by a mass of helium filled balloons at the wedding reception. The DVD box set extras include an alternative ending where Guy and Mac grab onto Caroline's ankles and are taken to the sky with her; this alternative ending concludes with Mac saying, "Caroline, there's something I've been meaning to tell you." The revival is set 12 years after the original series ended. Caroline is now a medical pioneer in
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#17327906450269424-406: The ball asks if there is a doctor in the house, Mac puts his hand up, to Caroline's embarrassment. Things get more embarrassing when Guy also volunteers, and asks why Caroline is sitting next to Mac when she is Guy's fiancée. An unconscious patient lies on an operating table. Guy touches her breasts , takes pictures of her naked body under the blanket, and kisses her. Caroline alleges that the patient
9576-407: 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
9728-420: The book and previously unseen photos. The soundtrack , entitled Green Wing: Original Television Soundtrack , was released by Silva Screen on 8 October 2007. It contains 23 tracks of the best of Jonathan Whitehead 's Original Music created for the show. Green Wing won the first BAFTA Pioneer Audience Award in 2005. This is the only BAFTA award that is voted on by the general public. Pippa Haywood won
9880-534: 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
10032-411: The complete editing, color correction, and the addition of music and sound. The process of editing a movie is also seen as the second directing, because through post-production it is possible to change the intention of the movie. Furthermore, through the use of color grading tools and the addition of music and sound, the atmosphere of the movie can be heavily influenced. For instance, a blue-tinted movie
10184-462: 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
10336-512: 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
10488-502: The different images into the final document, and start to integrate the images with the background. In advertising, it usually requires assembling several images together in a photo composition. Types of work usually done: Techniques used in music post-production include comping (short for compositing, or compiling the best portions of multiple takes into a single composite take), timing and pitch correction (perhaps through beat quantization ), and adding effects . This process
10640-462: 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
10792-519: The emerging alternative comedians began to develop sitcoms, partly as 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
10944-403: 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
11096-519: The episode. He wrote, "Now, every 11-year-old knows dream sequences are the lowest form of plotting solution, lower than unexplained superpowers such as the ability to stop time or become invisible; even lower than a magic get-better potion. Within two minutes, Green Wing had destroyed itself, lost its assured grip on the cliff of comedy and tumbled into the abyss of embarrassing overacting, formless gurning and pointless repetition. What had once looked Dada-ishly brilliant now looked like stoned improv from
11248-522: The film is slowed down or sped up, often emphasising the body language of the characters. The show had eight writers. Two series were made by the Talkback Thames production company for Channel 4 . The series ran between 3 September 2004 and 19 May 2006. One episode, filmed with the second series, was shown as a 90-minute-long special on 4 January 2007 in the UK, but was shown earlier in Australia and Belgium on 29 December 2006. Separate from
11400-449: The first Carry On film, 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
11552-614: The first episode, "Caroline's First Day", and can be spotted due to the characters' appearance, most notably Rhind-Tutt's haircut. The pilot allowed the writers to experiment, such as using different filming techniques. In the pilot, Doon Mackichan played Joanna Clore and was meant to play her in the original series, but left when she became pregnant. Although each script was fully written, the actors were allowed to improvise their own jokes, frequently adding to what had already been written. Workshops were often used to allow actors to improvise their own material. One example of improvised material
11704-463: 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),
11856-493: 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
12008-411: 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
12160-737: 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
12312-571: 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
12464-711: 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
12616-789: 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
12768-481: The money, which she eventually manages to raise, but Mac runs off before she can get hold of him. Eight weeks after the incident with the ambulance, Mac is in a coma and Guy has been suspended from his job. During his coma, Sue steals some of Mac's semen and tries to make herself pregnant. At the end of the first episode, Mac wakes up, but with amnesia, which means he does not recall his nascent relationship with Caroline. As Mac's memory returns, he and Caroline are on
12920-408: The name "Trellis") and won him an RTS Craft & Design Award. Following her success with Smack the Pony , Channel 4 gave Pile a fairly free hand with her next project. Their only requirement was that it should have enough of a narrative thread to make it more of a sitcom than a sketch show. The show had a half-hour pilot made in 2002 that was never aired. Scenes from the pilot were used in
13072-404: The night. Failing junior doctor Martin soon falls in love with Caroline. Meanwhile, Alan and Joanna maintain their relationship, the worst kept secret in the hospital. Alan wants to shout their relationship from the rooftops, whereas Joanna wants more spontaneity and danger, so quickly turns her affections to Lyndon Jones ( Paterson Joseph ), the hospital's head of I.T. Martin is revealed to be
13224-635: 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
13376-453: The offer from Guy, and Mac appears to be unable to form a proposal. Mac then tells Caroline to meet him at the railway station for a weekend away, but then suddenly discovers that he is terminally ill, and rides off into the distance on his motorbike. Guy goes to the railway station where he finds that Caroline is now willing to accept his proposal. Meanwhile, in the HR department, Karen is sitting on
13528-454: The office girls start to run riot. They form their own tribe and become hostile to anyone who enters the department. Mac and Caroline finally marry, despite Mac's terminal illness (the exact nature of which is never disclosed, although Mac does tell Guy that its name has an "a" and an "e" in it). Sue gets over her obsession with Mac and finds love with a new man, who reciprocates her feelings. The episode concludes with Caroline being carried into
13680-416: The opener is a one- off and not a sign that Green Wing is going down the pan." Similar comments were made by A. A. Gill . When the first series was broadcast, he praised the cast and characters, but commented negatively on the filming style and dramatic qualities. He also said: "...it was one of the most freshly funny and crisply innovative comedies for years. The humour was all based in the character, not
13832-525: 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
13984-450: The picture is prepared for lab and color finishing, and the sound is spotted and turned over to the composer and sound designers for sound design, composing, and sound mixing. Post-production consists of many different processes grouped under one name. These typically include: The post-production phase of creating a film usually takes longer than the actual shooting of the film. It can take several months to complete, because it includes
14136-601: The point of madness. Alan Statham ( Mark Heap ) is an overbearing, stuttering and pedantic consultant radiologist . He is in a relationship with Joanna Clore ( Pippa Haywood ), the 48-year-old head of human resources , although she despises him. Their relationship is an open secret, with student doctor Boyce ( Oliver Chris ) often hinting at it when goading Alan. Joanna's staff include Kim Alabaster ( Sally Bretton ); Naughty Rachel ( Katie Lyons ); Harriet Schulenburg ( Olivia Colman ), an overworked mother of four trapped in an unhappy marriage; and Karen Ball ( Lucinda Raikes ), who
14288-519: The presenter of the show, Alan Yentob , appeared as one of the mourners. British sitcom 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
14440-456: 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,
14592-423: 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
14744-655: 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
14896-407: 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
15048-480: 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
15200-566: The run, having abandoned Martin. Whilst on their journey, they accidentally kill three more people, a mechanic, a shop assistant and a policeman. Soon, they decide that, with no transport, money or employment, the only option is suicide. They are last seen, naked, walking hand-in-hand towards the sea. Meanwhile, Karen returns to work after her fall, but has changed drastically. She has become more confident and has developed better dress sense. Boyce ends up missing Alan, after finding that his replacement will not tolerate any misbehaviour. With Joanna gone,
15352-458: The same cast. Hopefully, it will be some kind of spin-off from Green Wing ." In 2009, Pile and most of the writing team behind Green Wing created a sitcom pilot set at a university , entitled Campus , which featured similar concepts to Green Wing , including improvisation. The motto of the university was "with wings," a reference to the show. The pilot was broadcast as part of Channel 4's Comedy Showcase . A full series began in 2011, but
15504-763: 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
15656-511: 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
15808-458: 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
15960-475: The series received some praise and, in a 2009 article, Gill–– writing about the current comedy output at the time–– said: "Show me a funny indigenous comedy series; show me one that has been made in the past five years, other than Green Wing ." The first series scripts were released as Green Wing: The Complete First Series Scripts in paperback on 22 October 2006 ( ISBN 1-84576-421-8 ) by Titan Books . The book contains bonus material made exclusively for
16112-581: 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
16264-540: The series, a sketch was made for Comic Relief and screened on 11 March 2005. Another was performed live at The Secret Policeman's Ball on 14 October 2006. On 29 April 2024, Green Wing returned as a six-part audio series released by Audible entitled Green Wing: Resuscitated . Green Wing 's plot revolves around the lives of the staff of the East Hampton Hospital Trust, a fictional National Health Service (NHS) hospital with staff ranging from
16416-449: The show to cover the entire hospital, not just doctors, but porters, car park attendants and kitchen staff. However, she decided that they had enough material with the eight main doctors and human resources workers. Two endings were created for the special. The alternative ending is included on the DVD release of Green Wing , along with deleted scenes from the episode. The alternative ending
16568-431: 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
16720-456: 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
16872-403: The situation. The story lines were negligible; there were no catch phrases; it was surreal in a way we hadn’t seen since Monty Python ; and the cast were actors being funny from inside a characterisation, not stand-up comics bolting a cartoon persona onto the back of gags." Subsequently, Gill critiqued the first episode of series two, in particular the use of a dream sequence at the beginning of
17024-407: The slightly unusual to the completely surreal. The series begins with a new arrival, surgical registrar Caroline Todd ( Tamsin Greig ). Caroline works alongside two other doctors: Guy Secretan ( Stephen Mangan ), an arrogant, half-Swiss, womanising anaesthetist , and "Mac" Macartney ( Julian Rhind-Tutt ), a suave, fashionable surgeon . Caroline soon develops feelings for both of them, though she
17176-537: The son of Joanna Clore; she does not want anyone at the hospital to find out. Joanna briefly believes that she is pregnant once again, only to find out that the test results had been mixed up and it is in fact Harriet who is pregnant. Alan, elated by the thought that he may become a father, becomes obsessed with babies and suggests that they try for one when he finds out that Joanna is not pregnant. Joanna, bored of Alan's predictable behaviour, finally decides to end her relationship with him. Caroline starts to get broody, but
17328-405: The staff liaison officer and Martin has still not qualified as a doctor. The show received generally very positive reviews. The Evening Standard said that it was "a comedy as physically adroit as it was verbally sharp," and The Guardian said that "Channel 4’s hospital sitcom is the most innovative comedy since, well, The Office ." In 2006, Kathryn Flett of The Observer voted it one of
17480-509: 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
17632-460: 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
17784-419: 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
17936-460: The top ten TV programmes of the year. In Broadcast Magazine , the second series was voted joint-second best comedy series in 2006. In South Africa, where Green Wing was broadcast on BBC Prime , The Sunday Times of South Africa voted the show the best DStv programme of 2007. Composer Daniel Pemberton wrote that the soundtrack to Green Wing was, "One of the most innovative TV soundtracks in recent years." Criticisms of Green Wing include
18088-399: The verge of resuming their relationship when his former girlfriend Holly ( Sally Phillips ) returns to the hospital to replace Angela, who has left to pursue a career in television. Holly has a son, called Mackenzie, who she says is Mac's. Caroline distances herself from Mac and starts dating Jake Leaf ( Darren Boyd ), a complementary therapist . Sue then discovers that Holly is lying, that Mac
18240-517: 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
18392-644: 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
18544-476: 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,
18696-522: The years included many other actors for a total cast of 459. Post-production Post-production is part of the process of filmmaking , video production , audio production , and photography . Post-production includes all stages of production occurring after principal photography or recording individual program segments. The traditional first part of the post-production process, non-linear (analog) film editing, has mostly been replaced by digital or video editing software , which operates as
18848-675: 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,
19000-552: Was Stephen Mangan's idea of Guy falling in love with Caroline. The show's crew also make appearances in the show as extras. For example, Pile's former assistant Phil Secretan (after whom Guy is named) appears at the end of a scene in the first episode. Henry appears in the background during Martin's exam in the episode, "Tests". The filming was done at two hospitals, the Northwick Park Hospital in Middlesex and
19152-413: 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
19304-403: 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
19456-432: 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
19608-415: Was also used due to the amount of corpsing that occurred during the filming of the show. Tamsin Greig was said to corpse frequently, and episodes were written to minimise the contact between the characters of Caroline Todd and Alan Statham because Greig found it difficult not to laugh when acting alongside Mark Heap. The music, which features prominently in the show, was written by Jonathan Whitehead (under
19760-652: 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
19912-564: Was cancelled after one series. A cocktail called the Green Wing was served at the 2005 BAFTAs. It was made using vodka, cloudy apple juice, elderflower cordial, and sparkling mineral water. A Green Wing convention called "Wingin' It" was organised to raise money for Great Ormond Street Hospital , and took place on 13 January 2007 at the Brook Green Hotel, Hammersmith . There was a special appearance by Green Wing cast at
20064-401: 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
20216-406: 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)
20368-585: 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
20520-507: 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
20672-421: 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,
20824-502: 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
20976-438: 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
21128-458: 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
21280-456: 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
21432-418: Was planned to be used if a third series was going to be commissioned, as this ending was much more ambiguous. Green Wing 's cast preferred the alternative ending, but after some debate, it was not shown. Caroline arrives at East Hampton for her first day of work and meets her colleagues Guy and Mac. She is forced to spend her second day on the job quashing rumours that she slept with Guy after he put her up for
21584-436: 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
21736-554: 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
21888-468: 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,
22040-521: 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
22192-508: 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
22344-464: 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
22496-422: 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
22648-458: 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
22800-466: 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
22952-466: 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
23104-467: 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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