Good British comedy

Looking for some good comedies. I looked at the top shows on Brit Box (streaming channel in the US), and most of them are police procedurals! I think the first comedy is Gavin & Stacy, which I haven’t seen but isn’t there something newer? My wife and I have enjoyed Coupling and Inbetweeners. Any suggestions?

25 points · 35 comments · view on lemmy.world

35 Comments

Pronell@lemmy.world · 11 pts · 1y (2 replies)

Nobody has mentioned Taskmaster yet!

Is that not on Brit Box? I watch on Youtube.

clay_pidgin@sh.itjust.works · 6 pts · 1y (1 reply)

Taskmaster is so good!

Pronell@lemmy.world · 6 pts · 1y

My wife and I watched it all, then some other panel shows and standup comedy, and then went back to Taskmaster for a rewatch as we know more about these weird contestants.

JoMiran@lemmy.ml · 10 pts · 1y (1 reply)

You have the classics like;

  • Fawlty Towers
  • Black Adder
  • Mr. Bean
  • Monty Python's Flying Circus
  • Keeping Up Appearances
Emperor@feddit.uk · 5 pts · 1y

I'd throw in classics like:

  • Hancock
  • Rising Damp
  • Steptoe & Son
  • Dad's Army
  • Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em
  • Are You Being Served?
  • Allo Allo
xep@fedia.io · 10 pts · 1y

I liked Detectorists! I'm not sure if it's entirely comedy though, it's partly slice-of-life as well.

Emperor@feddit.uk · 8 pts · 1y (2 replies)
  • The Royle Family
  • Early Doors
  • Alan Partridge - various iterations
  • Brassic
  • The Office
  • Extras
  • IT Crowd
  • Black Books
  • Phoenix Nights
  • The Day Today
  • Brass Eye
  • The Thick of It
  • Friday Night Dinner
  • Outnumbered
franglais@lemm.ee · 2 pts · 1y (1 reply)

This is my favourite list so far.

Emperor@feddit.uk · 2 pts · 1y

It's mainly just the stuff I like minus things that have already been mentioned:

  • Blackadder
  • League of Gentlemen
  • Inside No 9
  • Darkplace
  • Spaced
  • Red Dwarf
  • Misfits
  • Extraordinary

I also missed:

  • The Young Ones
  • Bottom
  • The New Statesman

They're the ones I already own on home video (a lot are still only out on DVD) or plan to own.

And the classics I list in another post.

givesomefucks@lemmy.world · 8 pts · 1y

"Back" is Mitchell and Webb's new show and pretty good, but anything with those two is great British comedy.

"Dick Turpin" on Apple has Noel Fielding, and he comes with a gang of Brits in everything. So not technically British, but a lot of Brits.

A lot of British comedy these days seems to be quiz/talk shows. Taskmaster has every season on YouTube, and the others like 8 out of 10 cats, or the Big Fat quizs get uploaded pretty quick to a couple different grey areas channels.

I really like British TV, but I never got Brit Box because, like you said it's almost all police procedures. They don't have everything even tho it's advertised like they do.

GreyShuck@feddit.uk · 8 pts · 1y

A few that haven't been mentioned so far:

  • Flowers from 2016 - fairly dark.
  • Inside No. 9 - from 2014, also fairly dark at times
  • Here We Go - a one-off in 2020 and then seasons from 2022
  • Yes Minister/Yes Prime Minister - from 1980
  • Porridge - from 1973
  • Red Dwarf - 1988
athairmor@lemmy.world · 7 pts · 1y
  • Peep Show
  • Mitchell & Webb
alexc@lemmy.world · 7 pts · 1y

There is a bunch on Amazon Prime - Spaced (Simon Pegg/Nick Frost) is a bit weird but I like it. There’s also Black Books and (I think) Green Wing.

But yeah, Brit Box is awful unless you like cop shows and people in fancy dresses

the_blast_of_us@lemm.ee · 6 pts · 1y (1 reply)

Not a single mention of Garth Marenghi's Darkplace so far? Shame on you all

Emperor@feddit.uk · 3 pts · 1y

Definitely shame on me - what was I (not) thinking?

ink1ing@lemmy.world · 6 pts · 1y (1 reply)

League of Gentlemen is quite a fun dark comedy. Not everyone's cup of tea though, which is fair. Same with inside no. 9, made by the same cast, but is a bit more modern and drama-like.

ink1ing@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 1y

Ok so I know I'm replying to my own comment but fuck it, since I haven't seen it mentioned and it absolutely destroyed the brit comedy scene at its time, Only fools and horses. Really speaks to the working class struggle at the time (1980+) and even now.

imaqtpie@sh.itjust.works · 6 pts · 1y

One that I haven't seen mentioned is Meet the Richardsons. At least the first two or three seasons were pretty funny, haven't seen the newer ones yet.

I would also strongly recommend Detectorists, although it's not usually laugh-out-loud funny it's just such a pleasant and enjoyable watch.

Although I absolutely love Inside No. 9, I wouldn't necessarily recommend it as a comedy aside from a handful of episodes, as it can be quite heavy and dark.

Also 15 Storeys High with a young Sean Lock and Benedict Wong is a good one that's not as well known. It's quite dry and sparse at times but also intermittently hilarious.

Also

  • Extras
  • The Office
  • Keeping Up Appearances
Onomatopoeia@lemmy.cafe · 5 pts · 1y (1 reply)

Since I haven't seen it mentioned, Still Game. Scottish characters in a retirement community. brutally funny, actual laugh out loud.

Clanket@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 1y

Watched it a few years ago for the 1st time, gas. Ye get fairly attached to the lads.

Deebster@programming.dev · 4 pts · 1y

Minus things already mentioned (and in no particular order):

  • The Thick of It (political comedy, has some amazing swearing)
  • The Cleaner (British version of a German comedy)
  • Ghosts (not the US remake, of course)
  • 8 out of Cats Does Countdown (comedy version of the long running quiz show)
  • Alan Davis's As Yet Untitled (talk show with comedians)
  • Gone Fishing (not a comedy show per se, a gentle fishing show featuring Bob Mortimer and Paul Whitehouse)
  • Drunk History (British version of the American show/YouTube sensation from back in the day)
  • Mighty Boosh (surreal humour, still gets referenced frequently in my house)
  • Jeeves and Wooster
  • Phoenix Nights (Peter Kay show, definitely check this out)
  • Vicar of Dibley
oncewhen@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 1y (1 reply)

People seem to be ignoring your request for newer TV shows lol. Not sure if they're on britbox but here are my recs:

  • Stath Lets Flats: Sort of a modern The Office set in a flat rental agency. Genuinely hilarious.

  • Fleabag: You probably know this already but do try it if not. Funny, explicit, poignant.

  • This Way Up: Similar vibes to Fleabag but verging more into sadcom than right out comedy.

  • Catastrophe: About a couple who get together after a one night stand leads to pregnancy. Stars Sharon Horgan who's also in This Way Up.

  • Black Ops: Light-hearted comedy about institutional racism in the London police. Bit over the top but enjoyable.

  • We Are Lady Parts: About a group of Muslim girls who form a punk band.

  • Ghosts (UK version): Couple move into an old house that turns out to be haunted by ghosts. Warm-hearted but still funny.

  • Derry Girls: Group of teenage friends growing up in Northern Ireland during the troubles. Funny and moving.

Comedies I haven't watched but have heard good things about: Big Boys, Alma's Not Normal, Raised by Wolves, The Outlaws, This Is Going to Hurt, Motherland

d00phy@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 1y

We actually saw the UK Ghosts before the US one started, and it’s hilarious. Also really liked Catastrophe and Fleabag. Heard of Derry Girls, but never saw it.

PoorYorick@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 1y (3 replies)

I really enjoyed "Extraordinary". It has a lot of the same feel as coupling, maybe mixed with a bit of "Misfits".

Speaking of which, "Misfits" first couple seasons are pretty great as well.

d00phy@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 1y (2 replies)

Really enjoyed Extraordinary (on Hulu in the US). Will have to check out Misfits.

PoorYorick@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 1y (1 reply)

Excellent! Make sure it's the UK version of Misfits. There was a truly terrible attempt to make a US version.

d00phy@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 1y

Same thing happened with Coupling!

gramie@lemmy.ca · 3 pts · 1y

For black humor about fundamentalist christians, check out Everyone Else Burns.

Golfnbrew@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 1y

I used to love the old stuff..."Manor Born" "Good Neighbors" " Fawlty Towers"...

Hossenfeffer@feddit.uk · 2 pts · 1y (2 replies)

All the classics have been listed but here's a couple of the more recent excellent comedies which I didn't spot in other lists:

  • Alma’s Not Normal - based on the real-life of Sophie Willan (writer and lead), but you need to be able to cope with a Bolton accent
  • After Life - Ricky Gervais proving he can do sensitive and emotional as well as crass and awkward
frazorth@feddit.uk · 3 pts · 1y

Alma's not Normal - This does need a big warning that it deals with mental health so some of the episodes are not "funny" however they all contain humour. My wife and I definitely cried at certain spots.

d00phy@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 1y

All the comments have reminded us of shows we also liked. We enjoyed After Life. In fact, I believe that led us to finding all the Cunk shows. Which we also enjoyed.

Flax_vert@feddit.uk · 1 pts · 1y

Only fools and horses, One foot in the grave, and The Good life

Bogusmcfakester@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 1y

Black books and Friday night dinner are older but great if you've never seen em

OrlandoDoom@feddit.uk · 1 pts · 1y

Had a quick scan but didn't see mentions of:

  • nighty night
  • big train
  • smack the pony
  • time trumpet
  • the Armando ianucci shows
  • look around you
  • human remains
  • Marion and Geoff

The last 2 are pretty dark, no lolz to be had.

If I remember I'll have a quick look at my TV folder later and see if there's anything else I forgot