Top 50 British TV sitcoms
This page lists the top 50 British sitcoms, determined by a 2004 BBC television poll.
1. Only Fools And Horses
Sitcom about two market traders, Del Boy and his brother Rodney.
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2. Blackadder
The Blackadder dynasty has run through English history since time immemorial, seemingly always hampered by a Baldrick, and often a Percy and Melchett.
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3. The Vicar Of Dibley
Comedy about a small, backward rural village and its female vicar, Geraldine Grainger.
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4. Dad's Army
Beloved sitcom about the struggles of a Home Guard platoon during World War II who are fighting incompetence, age and pomposity more than Nazis.
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5. Fawlty Towers
Comedy about a hotel and its owner, a man of infinite rudeness with a rabid dislike of almost all guests.
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6. Yes Minister
Political satire in which well-meaning MP Jim Hacker has a fast introduction to the world of Whitehall and must then struggle against the Civil Service.
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7. Porridge
Ronnie Barker stars as Norman Stanley Fletcher, trying to keep his nose clean and guiding his young 'roomie' Godber, whilst residing in HMP Slade.
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8. Open All Hours
Mean-yet-loveable northern shopkeeper Arkwright is allergic to spending money - much to the trouble of his put-upon nephew and sole employee Granville.
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9. The Good Life
After Tom Good becomes disillusioned with his life, he packs in his job and he and his wife attempt to live a completely self-sufficient life in suburbia.
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10. One Foot In The Grave
The grumpy complainer and accident prone Victor Meldrew takes early retirement and finds he has far too much time on his hands. His long suffering wife and neighbours just have to grin and bear it.
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11. Father Ted
Fathers Ted Crilly, Dougal McGuire and Jack Hackett are the inept priests of Craggy Island, banished from the mainland in various circ*mstances.
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12. Keeping Up Appearances
Suburban snob Hyacinth Bucket devotes her time to monitoring standards and attempting to impress influential people.
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13. 'Allo 'Allo!
René Artois, proprietor of Café René in Nazi-occupied France, struggles to keep the business running whilst keeping the resistance and the army happy.
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14. Last Of The Summer Wine
Gentle sitcom following a group of pensioners living in Yorkshire. This show was Britain's longest-running TV sitcom.
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15. Steptoe And Son
Albert Steptoe and his son Harold run a rag and bone business. Harold wants to move on in the world and leave home but his plans are always thwarted.
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16. Men Behaving Badly
Flat share sitcom following security salesman Gary and his lodger, as they attempt to navigate the opposite sex.
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17. Absolutely Fabulous
Public relations maven Edina and best friend Patsy drive sensible daughter Saffron up the wall with their self-absorbed, substance-abusing escapades.
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18. Red Dwarf
Science fiction sitcom based in space. The crew aboard the damaged mining spaceship Red Dwarf are doomed to drift in space for the rest of eternity.
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19. The Royle Family
The Royles are a family of couch potatoes who watch television in their dirty living room whilst chatting, arguing, and drinking copious amounts of tea and alcohol.
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20. Are You Being Served?
Sitcom set in London department store Grace Bros., where the Ladies' Intimate Apparel and Men's Ready To Wear departments are forced to share a floor.
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21. To The Manor Born
Riches-to-rags-to-riches romantic tale of Audrey fforbes-Hamilton, forced to sell her beloved stately home to pay off her late husband's debts.
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22. Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em
Accident-prone Frank Spencer creates havoc wherever he goes; wife Betty can only stand by and watch as he ruins everything.
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23. The Likely Lads
Bob and Terry are two lads from the North East with contrasting desires and ambitions - except when it comes to chatting up girls.
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24. My Family
A long-running, high rating BBC One sitcom about an average middle class family. Stars Robert Lindsay and Zoe Wanamaker.
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25. The Office
A BBC documentary team film the office of David Brent, manager from hell: he's tactless and talentless, yet somehow thinks everyone loves him.
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26. Drop The Dead Donkey
Sitcom set at GlobeLink News, a TV news station which is ordered to start taking a sensationalist stance to the news by its new owner.
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27. Rising Damp
Rupert Rigsby is the grubby landlord of a seedy boarding house. His put-upon tenants include students Philip and Alan, and the glamorous Miss Jones.
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28. dinnerladies
The day-to-day work lives of the kitchen staff in a factory canteen. The staff are managed by Tony who is in love with dinnerlady Bren.
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29. As Time Goes By
Lionel and Jean were young lovers until accidentally losing touch. Years later they meet again by chance and unexpectedly rekindle their romance.
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30. Hanco*ck's Half Hour
Tony Hanco*ck stars in 's comic masterpiece, with his delusions of grandeur and acquaintances at the root of his every downfall.
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31. The Young Ones
Hippy Neil, nerdy Cliff Richard-obsessed Rick, psychopathic punk Vyvyan and smooth Mike share a squalid and collapsing student house together.
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32. Till Death Us Do Part
Opinionated Alf Garnett reels off a string of misinformed, bigoted, reactionary opinions each week, to the chagrin of his family.
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33. Butterflies
Sitcom following dissatisfied housewife Ria Parkinson as she considers embarking on an exciting romantic affair with successful businessman Leonard.
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34. The Thin Blue Line
Police sitcom about fastidious Inspector Raymond Fowler, his array of uniformed officers, and the oafish CID Inspector Grim.
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35. The Fall And Rise Of Reginald Perrin
A midlife crisis sitcom about a bored executive who fakes his own suicide and seeks to reinvent himself in a desperate search for purpose and contentment.
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36. Phoenix Nights
Bad-tempered, wheelchair-bound Brian Potter runs a struggling Bolton social club called The Phoenix.
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37. Waiting For God
Sitcom about two elderly delinquents determined to grow old disgracefully at the Bayview Retirement Home.
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38. Birds Of A Feather
Sitcom about mismatched sisters Tracey and Sharon, and their glamorous friend, Dorien.
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39. Bread
Liverpudlian Boswell family are experts at exploiting the system to get by in life, with plenty of dodgy deals and government handouts to help.
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40. Hi-De-Hi!
Fun and frolics at a branch of Maplin's Holiday Camp where the guests are the last thing on the mind of the staff.
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41. The League Of Gentlemen
Royston Vasey is an isolated Northern community where dark, perverted and horrifying things happen behind closed doors.
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42. I'm Alan Partridge
Deluded, insincere, tactless and largely talentless TV chat show host Alan Partridge is reduced to hosting a back-water local radio show.
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43. Just Good Friends
Vince and Penny were about to get married, but he got cold feet and left her waiting at the church. Five years later they bump into each other again.
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44. 2point4 Children
The Porters seem to be a perfectly average bunch - mum, dad, son and daughter. This family, however, are anything but ordinary.
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45. Bottom
Richie Richard and Eddie Hitler are a pair of disgusting, anti-social and regularly violent losers who share a grubby flat in Hammersmith.
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46. It Ain't Half Hot Mum
India, 1944 - a Royal Artillery Concert Party try to avoid going in to action by performing for the troops with their brand of camp entertainment.
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47. The Brittas Empire
Despite his ambition and good intentions, everything seems to go wrong at Whitbury New Town Leisure Centre when manager Gordon Brittas is around.
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48. Gimme Gimme Gimme
Repulsive, overweight, loudmouth cretin Linda La Hughes shares a flat with Tom Farrell, an extremely camp gay man: both are obsessed with men.
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49. Rab C. Nesbitt
Long-running Scottish sitcom starring Gregor Fisher as Rab C Nesbitt, a rude, dirty, lazy, foul-mouthed, sexist alcoholic.
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50. Goodnight Sweetheart
Whilst walking around the East End, TV repairman Gary Sparrow is transported back to 1940 where he begins to live a second life.
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