Brit-coms

[macwilkin]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned "Dad's Army", a very funny look at the Home Guard during the Second World War. If I remember right, one episode even featured a Burns Supper.

"Black Adder" is still my all-time favourite Brit-Com, though Atkinson's "Thin Blue Line" was funny as well.

T.

[auld argonian]

Good that MacSimoin brought up 'Allo 'Allo...it actually aired on a COMMERCIAL TV station here in Chicago, not on a PBS station. WGN picked it up and I can only guess that it was because the local FOX affiliate was having success with Benny Hill at the time and they figured that another English import full of double entendres would fare as well as ol' Benny.

It's a well known fact that American producers have churned out American versions of Brit-coms...Steptoe/Sanford, All In The Family/Till Death, etc....with varying degrees of success. Are there any show concepts that went the other way and met with any acceptance? I'm aware of the Friends/Coupling/American-disaster-version-of-Coupling business...were there UK versions of The Dick Van Dyke Show or Mr. Ed? I wouldn't be suprised if these were shows that we didn't hear about. Just curious on this point.

I recently had to look up the title of the US sit-com that was about a young man who inherits an inn in New England and finds out that not only is he the heir of Victor Frankenstein but that the Monster is the handyman at the inn...anyone else remember this one? It was called Struck By Lightning and I remember it because Jack Elam, the great character actor, played the Frankenstein Monster...with little or no additional make-up, I might add. And, if I remember correctly, this was pre-Young Frankenstein. As we discuss UK TV series, this concept seems like it might have had more success had it been done "over there" rather than "over here"...it bombed but probably because it was too conservative in its approach...in other hands it might have become one of those classics that we're discussing....

Best

AA

[MacSimoin]

Are there any show concepts that went the other way and met with any acceptance?

AA,

The cheesy sitcom Who's the Boss? is one example of that; it was revamped and aired in the UK as The Upper Hand.

[Sciuropterus]

What about "The Good Life" (AKA "Good Neighbors" in the US)?

I stumbled upon that show when I was about 16 and was immediately smitten by Felicity Kendal, and I thought the rest of the cast was quite funny.

[Frank McGrath]

Red Green is 10 times funnier than foxworthy. No cussin', no sexual inuendoes. And Duct tape. now thats funny

[Freelander Sporrano]

What about "The Good Life" (AKA "Good Neighbors" in the US)?

I stumbled upon that show when I was about 16 and was immediately smitten by Felicity Kendal, and I thought the rest of the cast was quite funny.

....And don't forget Richard Briars played Hector in Monarch in his later years.

[Colin]

....And don't forget Richard Briars played Hector in Monarch in his later years.

Richard Briers was also in the very first episode of Mr. Bean (1989). He was seated beside Bean in a church.

[Mr. Kilt]

"Are You Being Served" is one of our favorite shows to watch. Side-splitting funny most of the time. We also like "Fawlty Towers", "Monty Python's Flying Circus" (and their varous movies), and other old BBC shows that we catch from time to time.

As for Canadian shows...how about "Blackfly"? It didn't last more than a couple of seasons, but was rather hilarious. Ron James is a very funny man. As well, one of the characters was kilted most of the time.