TV | Just Another Blog From a Woman

Top 10 British Sitcoms

Posted on April 3, 2017 by Hayley Beasley Dye

Despite its many faults (and I ain’t just talking about the rain), Britain has many strengths and I’ve always considered our humour to be its best (along with fish ‘n’ chips, how charitable we are, our Paralympics team and David Attenborough. Obvs). We are hilarious and nobody finds us as funny as we find ourselves. It’s not often us Brits can have a conversation without subtly (or even obviously) throwing a bit of humour in. In fact, if a conversation has continued for more than 5 minutes without anything humorous having been uttered then we start to break out in a cold sweat and somebody had better mutter something self-deprecating or joke about tits and willies before all hell breaks loose and British society implodes (this isn’t an exaggeration. Trust me).

The British Sitcom is an almost poetic portrayal of our unique humour. Yes, we love our irony and how can I put this- ‘piss-taking’, but our humour is often steeped in humanity and good old fashioned silliness. So, here is my list of my all time favourite British sitcoms. I’ve provided clips or a compilation of clips for each entry too for you to enjoy. Our favourite sitcoms are a very personal thing, so much so, I fully expect people to exclaim that they can’t believe I haven’t included this sitcom or that sitcom in my list or that I put a certain sitcom above another one, but it’s MY list and you know, you’ll just have to find a way of coping (Seriously though I would love to hear which are your favourites too). Deciding which of the plethora of excellent British sitcoms make my top ten has not been easy and I could have easily have done a top twenty.

Please be assured there is NO Mrs Brown’s Boys in this top 10.

(It is my no.11 though)*

10. Toast of London (2012-?)

There was an article written about Toast of London, entitled ‘The Funniest Sitcom That Nobody is Watching” and it is indeed strangely an undiscovered gem, so many have yet to unearth. If you want a wonderfully silly British sitcom, then here is a perfect example of one. Steven Toast is an old-fashioned, failing, middle-aged actor. It features an abundance of guest stars (John Hamm, Michael Ball, an alcoholic Peter Davison and not to mention a dodgy John Nettles) and is my most recent sitcom to feature on this list. So, if you haven’t watched it, I thoroughly recommend you correct this unfortunate error. The highlight of this show is when Toast’s world clashes with the world of the hipsters that he does his voice recordings with, so I’ve selected a clip which illustrates this nicely, with the great Clem Fandango for you.

9. The Young Ones (1982-1984)

My Mum wouldn’t let me watch The Young Ones when it was first on TV (I guess I was only 6-8 years old, but I do remember begging her to no avail once). However, she did my brother and I the Comic Relief single that they did with Cliff Richard (which is, incidentally, the best Comic Relief single to date). At 15, when I became obsessed with Bottom (the TV show starring Rik Mayall & Adrian Edmondson, not people’s posteriors) and maybe in some kind of defiance, I bought and absolutely loved the Young Ones double VHS. I loved its maniacal style and post-punk insanity that rarely made much sense. It all ended perfectly with them driving themselves off of a “Cliff”. Please excuse my Rik Mayall (I loved him) indulgence with the following clip.

8. The Royale Family (1998-2012)

Here is a sitcom that one minute will have you crying with laughter and then sobbing your heart out the next. We all remember the beautiful scene where Barbara brushes her ailing Mum’s Hair or the scene when Jim sits on the bathroom floor with Denise mid-labour, don’t we? Caroline Aherne was an extraordinary talent. She seemed to know how to make us all both laugh and cry in equal measure. The key to the Royale Family is its ordinariness and its familial charm. Here’s a clip of the perfect marital argument over the TV remote control.

7. Fawlty Towers (1975-1979)

Basil Fawlty was the perfect role for John Cleese. Nobody could’ve played the permanently disgruntled hotel manager on the brink of a breakdown as well as him. Not to mention his perfect physical comedy skills. His on-screen partnership with Prunella Scales as his wife, Sybil was outstanding. The pair seemed so utterly wrong for each other, it was a wonder what they saw in each other in the first place. This wonderfully farcical (and I usually hate farces) sitcom, always seemed very theatrical to me and it is of no surprise that it has now been turned into a stage show. Please enjoy this clip of Basil reaching the end of his tether yet again and Sybil not caring (yet again). A fine example of why Sybil Fawlty will always be my hero.

6. Blackadder (1982-1989)

This historical sitcom written by Richard Curtis and Ben Elton, was hugely popular and featured a magnificent cast of some of our best comedy actors. An observation of Blackadder that I’ve only noticed in reason years, is how bloody sexy Blackadder was. Who could resist the ruff-clad Blackadder or the would-be-deserter Captain Blackadder? Not I now, clearly. We all remember the devastatingly poignant final moments of the final episode. They’re etched in my mind from when I first watched it with my family at 13 years old. I can still hear the whistles and Baldrick’s last claim that he has a cunning plan. I also remember Blackadder warning Hugh Laurie not to forget his stick just before they go over the top (“No, I wouldn’t want to face a machine gun without my stick” he replied). However, I wanted to show you a pure comedy clip from Blackadder and I’m sorry (completely not sorry), but my love for Rik Mayal prevails, so here’s another clip with him in for you.

5. Father Ted (1995-1998)

“Oh, but it’s an Irish sitcom”, I hear you cry. Well, I do see your point as it stars an Irish cast, was written by two Irish writers and was filmed in Ireland, BUT it is technically a British sitcom as it was made by a British television company for a British TV channel, so it’s in my top 10, so there. The genius of this show lies in Dermot Morgan playing the straight man in his role of Father Ted Crilly. The frustrations endured by his character only highlight the daftness of all the characters that surround him; the childlike and dim (but strangely sexy) Father Dougal, the perpetually inebriated Father Jack (DRINK) and the slightly unhinged Mrs Doyle (ah g’wan Father).

4. Black Books (2000-2004)

So bookshop owner, Bernard Black spends his days drinking wine, reading books and trying to ignore people. In conclusion, he’s essentially living the life I want to live. He also has a pet Manny running around doing chores for him, which is also a life goal of mine. C’mon, we could all do with a pet Manny in our lives. Black Books is set in Bloomsbury, London and considering Black’s lack of desire for customers it is a wonder how it ever managed to stay in business. Black Books won the BAFTA for best sitcom twice and features cameos from lots of the UK’s brightest sitcom stars of the time (Simon Pegg, Jessica Hynes, Nick Frost, Peter Serafinowicz, Omid Djalili, Lucy Davis, Olivia Coleman and so on). Oh and did anyone else fancy Bernard Black? Just me? And what is it with me and male sitcom actors?

3. The Office (2001-2003)

What an absolute joy watching copious amounts of funny clips from the Office was. Choosing just one one was very difficult, but an excellent reminder of how funny it was. Whatever your feelings are of Ricky Gervais, I still stand by the opinion that he and Stephen Merchant were comedy writing geniuses. I’m a fan of both the British and American versions of this sitcom, but the British version is less sentimental and essentially more difficult to watch. The cringe-factor is far higher and I think it is better for it. David Brent is also a less likeable character than Michael Scott. Here illustrates the genius of Gervais and Merchant, they even manage to make an unlikeable character such as Brent likeable (it’s ok I do realise how much I’ve contradicted myself here, but bear with). You feel so much affection for this absolute dickhead. He’s literally my favourite dickhead. I would’ve even liked him as a boss. Just think of the fun you’d have had with your colleagues, mocking him behind his back. Of course I’m not one to condone such behaviour. Ahem. So here’s Brent being an absolute twat. As per. Bless him.

2. I’m Alan Partridge (1997-2002)

Talking about loveable twats, here’s another one for you. Oh Alan with your monotone voice, late night radio show, v-neck jumpers, dated hair do, questionable TV show ideas, who’s best friend is a roadside hotel barman and with your dire social skills- I love you. Partridge’s life is so empty yet full of unfortunate events and badly handled circumstances. Much like The Office, it makes you cringe at the way Partridge tries to endure life. We need characters like Partridge to remind ourselves that we’re not doing so badly ourselves and that at the very least we would have dealt with life’s blows better than Alan would have. I thank you for this Alan. At least I’m not you. At least I don’t have “Cook Pass Babtridge” written in spray paint on the side of my car.

1.Spaced (1999-2001)

So here it is, my all time favourite British sitcom. Much like others on my list (Fawlty Towers, The Office, The Young Ones and I’m Alan Partridge), Spaced only ran for two seasons. Two faultless seasons. Spaced was written about two people and their friends in their twenties. It was on TV at a time when myself and my friends were also in our twenties. It very much felt like Simon Pegg & Jessica Stevenson (now Hynes) had watched my friends and I, and decided to write a sitcom about us. All of the characters in this sitcom are so strong, but my favourite will always be Marsha- my spirit animal. The cinematic style, heavy cultural referencing and hilarious script cemented its popularity and left diehard fans wanting more after it ended after two seasons. I still miss it.

The one that almost made it: The Day Today (1994)

A spoof of British news broadcasting, I think now more than ever, we need the return of the Day Today. Please Chris Morris. Please. If you loved this programme, here’s a rather obvious pick, but perpetually brilliant scene with Steve Coogan.

*It’s bloody not!

British Actors Playing Americans on TV Shows

Posted on March 1, 2016 by Hayley Beasley Dye

Last year, The Guardian reported that a growing anger was emerging in the US about the number of lead roles on American TV that were going to the British instead of homegrown American talent*. This wasn’t an anti-British notion, more an anger about America seemingly not producing enough suitably talented actors to take on these roles. In fact, Spike Lee thought it all came down to the training actors receive in the UK compared to the US (he argues that British training focuses more on character acting). Another theory is that British actors are possibly cheaper. The savvy American TV industry is not going to pass by an opportunity to save a bob or two (or should that be a buck or two?). It is also suggested that by casting directors going “across the pond” they are provided with a fresh pool of talent.

Whatever the reason, it cannot be denied that there are quite a lot of us Brits on American TV pretending to be American. It is safe to assume that a lot of the time the American audience may not even realise they are watching British actors and not in fact, American actors. Whenever Idris Elba met a fan in America, he had to resort to his Stringer Bell Baltimore accent, as apparently it would freak out his American fans if they heard him speak in his native London accent. Now that’s dedication to a role. In fact, I even think some British actors have fooled the British that they are American.

However, I think it is interesting that it is quite rare for a Brit to play an American in a sitcom. In fact, I can only think of Idris Elba as the hunky Charles Miner in the American version of The Office (there are probably others, but I struggled to think of any more). It’s not because we’re not funny, we all know we’re fucking hilarious. It’s just that when we do appear in sitcoms we tend to just play Brits.

When an American plays someone British, either they are absolutely crucified for their attempt at a British accent (think Dick Van Dyke, Don Cheadle or Kevin Costner) or they are lauded for achieving the seemingly impossible- an American doing a convincing British accent (think Gwyneth Paltrow, Rennee Zellwegger or Angelina Jolie- hold on is there a pattern here?) . The point is an American cannot play someone British without it going unnoticed. The British however can happily play someone American without even an eyebrow being raised.

So, here is a list of all those many Brits convincingly playing Americans on American TV.

House MD. Starting with one of the most obvious, the Oxford-born Hugh Laurie as Dr. Gregory House. The very British Laurie played House with such esteem that he won numerous awards for his performance over the years including two Golden Globes and two Screen Actors Guild Award. Also, along with delivering this outstanding performance, he also became something of sex symbol. In fact, in 2008 he was voted the second sexiest TV doctor ever (second of course to Clooney). What an accolade, something that not many Cambridge graduates** could claim.

Sons Of Anarchy. OK so not only would Charlie Hunnam have fooled lots of Americans that he was American, but he actually fooled me. I remember perusing IMDb after watching several episodes of the fantastic Sons of Anarchy, and exclaiming to my husband that I couldn’t believe he was British. Then as I read on through his profile, I exclaimed again “OH MY GOD IT’S LITTLE NATHAN FROM QUEER AS FOLK“. Oh yes, in case you’re as slow as me, the very ruggedly handsome Hunnam once played the very sweet, but naive 15 year old Nathan who had a penchant for banging Aidan Gillen. His turn as American biker gang leader Jackson Teller is quite different from his days on Canal Street.

It’s worth noting that Dayton Callie who played the hapless Wayne (and also played Charlie in Deadwood) was born in Scotland, but was brought up in the USA.

The Wire. Two of the main leads and rivals from the opposite sides of the law are played by two rather excellent British actors, Dominic West and Idris Elba (it also featured the above mentioned Irish actor Aidan Gillen). Apparently, most fans of the show were completely unaware of West & Elba being British because of their perfect Baltimore accents. The logistics of being British working in America became apparent when West required to spend more time back in the UK with his family, so his role was reduced despite McNulty being arguably the main character in the show. Also, Michael Hyatt who played D’Angelo Barkside’s Mum was born in the UK and was brought up there until her family migrated to the US when she was 10.
The Affair. Man, I LOVE the Affair. It’s like a slightly more credible Dynasty, but with much better acting and much less shoulder pad action. Again, the two main leads are played by British actors and again one of them is Dominic West (gets about a bit, doesn’t he?). The other one is played by the brilliant Ruth Wilson, who incidentally starred alongside Idris Elba in British detective drama Luther.
The Walking Dead. Right, so we may as well just call this a British drama with all the British folk in it, right? Oh I’m only teasing America. Of COURSE it’s not, but you can see my point. Four of the main characters are British. Andrew Lincoln (who the British of a certain age will fondly remember as Egg from This Life and as Simon from Teachers) plays the show’s protagonist Rick Grimes, then there’s Lauren Cohan who plays Maggie (though she was born in the US, she was brought up in the UK), Lennie James as Morgan and David Morrissey as the villainous Governor. Also, there are the fairly new characters Jesus (played by Tom Payne), Jadis (Pollyanna MacIntosh) and Alpha (Samantha Morton) that are also British. Who knew we’d make such great zombie slayers?

Maggie Greene (Lauren Cohan) – The Walking Dead _ Season 4, Episode 10 – Photo Credit: Gene Page/AMC

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Homeland. So, much like The Walking Dead, four of the characters are played by British actors. Damian Lewis played everyone’s favourite ginger terrorist Nicholas Brody, David Harewood who played the director of the Counter-terrorism Center David Estes (Harewood has now gone on to star in the new TV version of Supergirl), Rupert Friend (from Oxfordshire) played Quinn and Sarita Choudhury who played Saul’s long-suffering wife Mira. British actors are all over the place.
Deadwood. Let’s just get this straight Ian McShane, who’s most successful role in the UK was that of a mullet wielding antiques dealer set in sexy East Anglia, then went on to play the sheriff of and brothel owner in the corrupt and crime riddled town of Deadwood, South Dakota. Set in the 1800s, Deadwood was critically acclaimed and was, as some say, cancelled far too early after three seasons. McShane won a Golden Globe for his performance as well as the show winning numerous Emmys and other awards. All a bit different from his Lovejoy days (though I think I can still spot a small trace of mullet).
The Good Wife. The marvellous Good Wife has two of its main American characters played by British actors. Archie Panjabi as the well-loved Kalinda and Alan Cumming as the charismatic, but highly-strung Eli Gold. In the final season, a new best friend for Alicia was introduced, Lucca Quinn. Lucca is played by British actress Cush Jumbo (brilliant name). As well as Panjabi, Cumming and Jumbo, British actor David Oyelowo (from Oxfordshire) played the part of a judge in one episode. Oyelowo as we know went on to play one of the greatest Americans ever, Martin Luther King in the bloody brilliant film Selma.

Without a Trace stars Marianne Jean-Baptiste as special agent Viv Johnson and was set in New York. Jean-Baptiste was nominated for several awards for her part in Without a Trace. Interestingly, she was the first Black British actress to be nominated for an Oscar (for her role in Secret and Lies). Marianne can now be seen in the British detective thriller Broadchurch as the terrifying lawyer Sharon Bishop.
The Riches starred two of my favourite British famouses. The glorious Eddie Izzard and the lovely Minnie Driver. They played two travelling crooks who pretended they were rich. Ironically, the tagline for this show was “They’re stealing the American dream”. Just like all those other British actors coming over to America, EH? I loved this show and was very disappointed that it was cancelled after just two seasons.
Flashforward. Oh you know the one where everyone was suddenly in their future for a few seconds and it caused all kinds mayhem. It starred Joseph Fiennes and Sonya Walger pretending to be Americans. Sonya Walger was also in Lost, but played a Brit. Also, British actor Jack Daveport (who starred in This Life with Rick Grimes and Ultraviolet with Stringer Bell) was in Flashforward, but he was playing a Brit. Are you keeping up? Oh wait, I haven’t finished. Joseph Fiennes now plays Fred Waterford in The Handmaid’s Tale)
Oz. Gruesome US prison drama Oz stars two London boys, Eamonn Walker and Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje. British people may remember Walker in In Sickness and in Health (less said about that the better, yeah?) and The Bill (what British actor with any worth hasn’t been in The Bill?). He has gone on to work quite successfully in the US and is currently in Chicago Fire. Akinnuoye-Agbaje also played Mr. Eko in Lost, has appeared in Game of Thrones and appears in the Oscar nominated film Trumbo.
Boardwalk Empire. In my personal opinion, currently one of the best British actors we have, stars in Boardwalk Empire. Stephen Graham hails from Liverpool, but plays the American Italian gangster Al Capone and quite frankly he is terrifying in it. If you want to see more examples of his fine (but terrifying) acting you must check out This is England, both the film and the TV series. Boardwalk Empire also stars the handsome British actor Jack Huston (though we only get to appreciate half of his handsomeness in the show). The show also features Brits Kelly Macdonald and Charlie Cox. However, they’re both playing Irish characters. Cox has since gone on to play the American lead character in Daredevil.
How to Get Away with Murder. If you think you’ve seen Alfred Enoch who plays character Wes Gibbons before, then you probably have. Enoch played the young wizard Dean Thomas in 7 of the Harry Potter films. He is the son of English actor William Russell and has grown somewhat from a cute wizard into a man quite easy on the eye trying to get away with murder. These things happen.
Masters of Sex. Michael Sheen is not shy about playing the odd autobiographical role. The Welsh actor has played Tony Blair. Twice. He’s also played other real-life British figures including Brian Clough, Kenneth Williams and David Frost. However, here in Masters of Sex he plays the American scientist Dr. William Masters who pioneered research into human sexual behavior and sexual dysfunction. He’s been nominated for a Golden Globe for his role as the sexpert, but he is one British actor that because of his previous repertoire, I’d be surprised if Americans weren’t already aware that he was British.
The Night Of was one of the best TV programmes of 2016 and features a plethora of British stars (ok 3). We have the show’s main protagonist Naz played by Riz Ahmed (known for his role in the unforgettable Four Lions), his rather hot, but slightly unethical lawyer Chandra played by Amara Karan (who was in the Darjeeling Limited and oh yes- tick!- The Bill) and Nabil Elouahabi who played taxi driver Yusuf and is best known in the UK for playing Tariq in cheerful Eastenders.

Fargo. Aaw lovely, little Martin Freeman played the rather unfortunate Lester in the award winning TV show Fargo, inspired by the Coen brothers film by the same name. We know Freeman mainly from the original British version of The Office as Tim (that’s Jim to anyone reading from America). Martin went from this to starring in a rubbish sitcom about a hardware store, then he was Sherlock‘s assistance, then he grew large furry feet and became a Hobbit for what felt like forever and then he was nominated for multiple awards for being ace in this brilliant American TV show. Well done Tim. Dawn would be proud. And not forgetting that the lovely (and I mean luuuuuuurvely) Scottish actor Ewan McGregor played the American Stussy twins in the latest season of Fargo too.
Breaking Bad It’s also worth mentioning Laura Fraser as business executive turned meth supplier Lydia in one of (in my humble opinion) the best American dramas of all time. Born and brought up in Glasgow, her American accent was apparently so convincing in Breaking Bad that many of her co-stars had no idea that she wasn’t actually American.