During this difficult period for our society, many of us have turned to our most beloved television shows and movies whilst we are stuck at home. Binge-watching my favourite sitcoms, mockumentaries and other witty comedies (such as sketch shows and panel shows) has given me the opportunity to rewatch all of the shows that make me laugh the most. Have a look and see if some of your favourite sitcoms made the list! It has come to my attention during my rewatch of these shows that comedy is far less subtle now than it was back in the 1970s, the age of double entendres and innuendos. This is particularly evident when you compare classic slapstick and farcical comedies like Are You Being Served? and ‘Allo ‘Allo! with more modern cringe comedies like The Inbetweeners. I love the classic and the modern, I love the old and the new! Attitudes, tastes and humour change over time like fashion. And therefore, some comedies from yesteryear haven’t aged as well as others, i.e. Little Britain and Come Fly With Me which are both a bit politically incorrect. At the end of the day, comedy is subjective. But delivery, timing and confidence are always essential in comedy. Over the years, a lot of people have told me that I am funny and some people have told me that I should be a comedian! Red Dwarf and Spitting Image star Chris Barrie told me that I would make a good impressionist (as you will see throughout this website) and that I should go into television and show business, which is my plan. And Little Britain, Come Fly With Me and Doctor Who star Matt Lucas filmed me doing my Tom Baker impression because he was so impressed by it!

Who knows? Maybe this list will remind you to revisit some of your favourite comedies or perhaps you could even try watching some of them for the first time, on streaming services such as BritBox or Netflix. This list is a mix of predominantly British but also American comedy programmes. Some of these shows are based on book and/or radio series that I enjoyed reading and listening to when I was a kid. Some of them are classic comedies that are widely regarded as being the funniest sitcoms ever made. This list also includes some amusing animated series that I enjoyed as a kid. To be clear, this list is not a ranking and the comedies are presented here in no particular order. However, if I had to pick a favourite British sitcom it would be the timeless classic Dad’s Army. Sadly, I never met any of the original cast of Dad’s Army. And unfortunately, there were many other comedy legends that I never met, including the late, great Patricia Routledge (Keeping Up Appearances), Clive Swift & Geoffrey Hughes (Keeping Up Appearances, Doctor Who), Gorden Kaye (‘Allo ‘Allo!), Rik Mayall (The Young Ones, Blackadder, Bottom, The New Statesman, Harry Potter (nearly)), Robbie Coltrane (who I tried to meet) (The Young Ones, Blackadder, Harry Potter), Peter Bowles (To the Manor Born, The Sarah Jane Adventures), Richard Briers (The Good Life, Ever Decreasing Circles, Doctor Who, Torchwood), Barbara Windsor (Carry On, Eastenders, Worzel Gummidge, Come Fly With Me), Una Stubbs (Worzel Gummidge, Sherlock), Frank Kelly (Father Ted), Ronnie Corbett (The Two Ronnies, The Sarah Jane Adventures), Emma Chambers, Trevor Peacock, Gary Walhorn, John Bluthal, Liz Smith (The Vicar of Dibley), Victoria Wood (Victoria Wood as Seen on TV, Dinnerladies), Margaret John (Gavin & Stacey, Doctor Who), Sam Kelly (Porridge, ‘Allo ‘Allo!, My Family), Roger Lloyd-Pack (Only Fools and Horses, The Vicar of Dibley, Harry Potter, Doctor Who), Prunella Scales (although I saw her on stage), Andrew Sachs (Fawlty Towers), Bernard Cribbins (who I tried to meet) (Fawlty Towers, The Wombles, Doctor Who), June Whitfield (Terry and June, Doctor Who), Trevor Bannister (Are You Being Served?), Nicholas Smith (Are You Being Served?, Doctor Who, Wallace & Gromit), John Challis (Only Fools and Horses, The Green Green Grass, Doctor Who), Frank Thornton (Are You Being Served?, Last of the Summer Wine), Burt Kwouk (Last of the Summer Wine, Doctor Who), Peter Sallis (Last of the Summer Wine, Wallace & Gromit, Doctor Who), Ewen MacIntosh (The Office, Little Britain), Terry Jones (Monty Python), Derek Fowlds (Yes Minister) and Matthew Perry (Friends) RIP 😢. My favourite US sitcom is Parks and Recreation. I also love Friends and one of my flatmates at university was called Rachel and she had a boyfriend called Ross!

	Series Title	No. of Series	Tenure
1	Dad’s Army	9	1968-1977
2	Red Dwarf	12 + 1 special	1988-present
3	Parks and Recreation	7	2009-2015
4	The Thick of It	4	2005-2012
5	Plebs	5 + 1 special	2013-2022
6	The IT Crowd	4	2006-2013
7	Dead Ringers	7	2002-2007
8	The Inbetweeners	3 + 2 films	2008-10, 2011, 2014
9	Peep Show	9	2003-2015
10	Bad Education	5 + 1 film	2012-2015, 2022-2024
11	Come Fly With Me	1	2010-2011
12	The Mitchell and Webb Situation & That Mitchell and Webb Look	1 + 4	2001, 2006-2010
13	The Armstrong & Miller Show	3	2007-2010
14	Fresh Meat	4	2011-2016
15	My Family	11	2000-2011
16	Just William	1	2010
17	Reggie Perrin	2	2009-2010
18	Twenty Twelve	2	2011-2012
19	Spitting Image	18	1984-1996, 2020-2021, 2025
20	Yes Minister & Yes Prime Minister	3 + 2	1980-1984, 1986-1988
21	Little Britain	4	2003-2008
22	Blackadder	4	1983-1989, 1999
23	Fawlty Towers	2	1975-1979
24	Episodes	5	2011-2017
25	The Mighty Boosh	3	2004-2007
26	The Vicar of Dibley	3	1994-2007
27	Miranda	3	2009-2015
28	Rev.	3	2010-2014
29	Gavin & Stacey	3	2007-2010, 2019, 2024
30	The League of Gentlemen	3	1999-2002, 2017
31	Father Ted	3	1995-1998
32	Inside No. 9	9	2014-2023
33	Friends	10	1994-2004, 2021
34	The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy	1	1981
35	Only Fools and Horses + The Green Green Grass	7 + 4	1981-2003, 2005-2009
36	Keeping Up Appearances	5	1990-1995
37	The Office (UK)	2	2001-2003
38	The Goodies	9	1970-1982
39	An Idiot Abroad	3	2010-2012
40	The Good Life	4	1975-1978
41	The Office (US)	9	2005-2013
42	The Two Ronnies	12	1971-1987
43	Chickens	1	2013
44	Monty Python’s Flying Circus	4	1969-1974
45	Worzel Gummidge	4 + 2	1979-1981, 2019-2021
46	To the Manor Born	3	1979-1981, 2007
47	Spaced	2	1999-2001
48	Are You Being Served?	10	1972-1985
49	‘Allo ‘Allo!	9	1982-1992
50	Last of the Summer Wine	31	1973-2010
51	Outnumbered	5	2007-2016, 2024
52	One Foot in the Grave	6	1990-2000
53	The Young Ones	2	1982-1984
54	Porridge	3	1974-1977
55	Open All Hours & Still Open All Hours	4 + 6	1973-1985, 2013-2019
56	Zomboat!	1	2019
57	Not Going Out	10	2006-present
58	W1A	3	2014-2017
59	The Catherine Tate Show	3	2004-2015
60	I’m Alan Partridge	2	1997-2002
61	Bottom	3	1991-1995
62	Cockroaches	1	2015
63	Chewing Gum	2	2015-2017
64	Friday Night Dinner	6	2011-2020
65	Pompidou	1	2015
66	Mr Bean	Specials and Films	1990-2015
67	Extras	2	2005-2007
68	French and Saunders	6	1987-2017
69	The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin	3	1976-1979
70	Men Behaving Badly	6	1992-1998
71	Ever Decreasing Circles	4	1984-1989
72	A Bit of Fry and Laurie	4	1987-1995
73	The Muppets	5	1976-1981
74	The Ken Dodd Show	4	1959-1969
75	Rising Damp	4	1974-1978
76	The Peter Serafinowicz Show	1	2007-2008
77	Goodness Gracious Me	3 + specials	1998-2015
78	Jeeves and Wooster	4	1990-1993
79	How I Met Your Mother	9	2005-2014
80	The Morecambe & Wise Show	4	1978-1983
81	Have I Got News for You	64	1990-present
82	Steptoe and Son	8	1962-1974
83	Harry Hill’s TV Burp	12	2001-2012
84	Hancock’s Half Hour	7	1956-1960
85	Look Around You	2	2002-2005
86	Terry and June	9	1979-1987
87	The Frost Report	2	1966-1967
88	The Lenny Henry Show	7	1984-1988
89	Not the Nine O’Clock News	4	1979-1982
90	Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em	3	1973-1978
91	SpongeBob SquarePants	13	1999-present
92	The Royle Family	3 + specials	1998-2012
93	Da Ali G Show	3	2000-2004
94	Brooklyn Nine-Nine	8	2013-2021
95	Fleabag	2	2016-2019
96	Green Wing	2	2004-2007
97	Victoria Wood: As Seen on TV et al	2 + specials	1985-2013
98	The Simpsons	34	1989-present
99	South Park	26	1997-present
100	Family Guy	21	1999-present
101	The Big Bang Theory	12	2007-2019
102	Frasier	11	1993-2004
103	Harry & Paul	4	2007-2014
104	Him & Her	4	2010-2013
105	It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia	15	2005-present
106	The Graham Norton Show	30	2007-present
107	Inspector Gadget	2	1983-1986
108	Scooby-Doo	28	1969-present
109	Room 101	18	1994-2018
110	ChuckleVision	21	1987-2009
111	The Ricky Gervais Show	3	2010-2012
112	Baddiel & Skinner Unplanned	5	2000-2005
113	The Impressions Show with Culshaw and Stephenson	3	2009-2011
114	American Dad!	19	2005-present
115	My Hero	6	2000-2006
116	Swiss Toni	2	2003-2004
117	Life’s Too Short	1	2011-2013
118	Robot Chicken	11	2005-present
119	After You’ve Gone	3	2007-2008
120	The Big Fat Quiz of the Year		2004-present
121	The Friday Night Project	6	2005-2008
122	Alan Carr: Chatty Man	16	2009-2016
123	Everybody Loves Raymond	9	1996-2005
124	The Basil Brush Show	15 + 6	1968-1980, 2002-2007
125	Newzoids	2	2015-2016
126	8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown	24	2012-present
127	Futurama	7	1999-present
128	Philomena Cunk		2016-present
129	Mandy	3	2020-present
130	Charlie Brooker’s Weekly Wipe	3	2013-2015
131	Cheers	11	1982-1993
132	The Krankies	4	1982-1987
133	Vicious	2	2013-2016
134	Curb Your Enthusiasm	12	2000-2024
135	Crackerjack!	31	1955-2021
136	Scrubs	9	2001-2010
137	Mock the Week	21	2005-2022
138	Live at the Apollo	17	2004-present
139	Looney Tunes	39	1930-1969
140	Wacky Races	1	1968-1970
141	Dennis the Menace	2	1996-1998
142	Horrid Henry	5	2006-2019
143	On the Buses	7	1969-1973
144	Up Pompeii	2 + specials	1969-1991
145	The Russ Abbot Show	6	1986-1991
146	The Munsters	2	1964-1966
147	The Benny Hill Show	19	1955-1989
148	The Flintstones	6	1960-1966
149	Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps	9	2001-2011
150	Hi-de-Hi!	9	1980-1988
151	It Ain’t Half Hot Mum	8	1974-1981
152	The Windsors	3	2016-2020
153	Toast of London	4	2012-present
154	Backchat with Jack Whitehall and His Dad	2	2013-2015
155	Lab Rats	1	2008
156	Psychoville and Psychobitches	2 + 2	2009-2011, 2012-2014
157	The Wild Thornberrys	5	1998-2004
158	Rugrats	9	1991-2006, 2021-present
159	Recess	6	1997-2001
160	Arthur	25	1996-2022
161	The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius	3	2002-2006
162	Hey Arnold!	5	1996-2004
163	Siblings	2	2014-2016
164	Drifters	4	2013-2016
165	My Parents Are Aliens	8	1999-2006
166	Round the Twist	4	1990-2001
167	Laurel & Hardy	27 movies	1927-1955
168	Charlie Chaplin	33 movies	1899-1975
169	Top Cat	1	1961-1962
170	The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air	6	1990-1996
171	The Liver Birds	10	1969-1996
172	I, Lovett	1	1989-1993
173	The Wrong Door	1	2008
174	Hunderby	2	2012-2015
175	Big Train	2	1998-2002
176	Ed, Edd n Eddy	6	1999-2008
177	The Fast Show	4	1994-2014
178	Tom and Jerry	166 shorts	1940-2021
179	Gary: Tank Commander	3	2009-2012, 2016
180	Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp	1	2015
181	Black Books	3	2000-2004
182	Still Game	9	2002-2019
183	Drunk History: UK	3	2015-2017
184	Dirk Gently	1	2010-2012
185	Modern Family	11	2009-2020
186	Mammoth	1	2024
187	The Mash Report	6	2017-2022
188	Tracey Breaks the News	2	2017-2018
189	Norman Wisdom	N/A	1946-2008
190	Tommy Cooper	N/A	1947-1984
191	Cuckoo	5	2012-2019
192	Staged	3	2020-2022
193	Absolutely Fabulous	5	1992-2012
194	Rick and Morty	7	2013-present
195	The Army Game	4	1957-1961
196	Derry Girls	3	2018-2022
197	The New Statesman	4	1987-1994
198	Benidorm	10	2007-2018
199	M.I. High	7	2007-2014
200	Back	2	2017-2021
201	Ambassadors	1	2013
202	Taskmaster	17	2015-present
203	You’ve Been Framed	31	1990-present
204	Awkwafina is Nora from Queens	3	2020-present
205	Citizen Khan	5	2012-2016
206	Key & Peele	5	2012-2015
207	The Slammer	6	2006-2014
208	Chute!	1	2007
209	Stupid!	2	2004-2007
210	Russell Kane	N/A	2004-present
211	Would I Lie to You?	17	2007-present
212	Dick & Dom in da Bungalow	5	2002-2006
213	The Last Leg	27	2012-present
214	Even Stevens	3	2000-2003
215	Malcolm in the Middle	7	2000-2006
216	My Mad Fat Diary	3	2013-2015
217	Ghosts	4	2019-present
218	Horrible Histories	5 + specials	2009-2014
219	The Boondocks	4	2005-2014
220	Sorry!	7	1981-1988

I will soon publish a fantasy-comedy children’s book called The Robertson Brothers’ Weird Detective Agency, inspired by Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency by Douglas Adams and The Mighty Boosh