Overrated/Underrated Sitcoms and the science of comedy

Ok, maybe not at sitcom, per se
But
“The Kenny Everett Video show” was absolute gold to my teenage friends and I.
Angry from Mayfair, Captain Kremmen and a never ending list of guests ready to debase themselves on TV. Usually in the same hour as The Goodies. Brilliant.

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Not the Nine O’Clock News

Very funny British sketch satirical show from early 80s.

Excellent cast - Rowan Atkinson, Mel Smith, Griff Rhys Jones, Pamela Stephenson.

I remember it being rapid fire segments that skewered one and all.

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Minder

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There was one sketch where the timing had to be perfect. Another couple of seconds and you’d have figured it out.

It was an invention to help deaf people know when the phone was ringing - a flashing light (it was either on the phone or strapped to their head or similar). Instantly there’s a scene where you hear the phone ring and (was it Mel Smith??) sees the light and has the ‘ah-ha’ look and picks up the handset with a satisfied smile. You hear the voice making noises, muffled as they would be to an observer. But (of course) Mel (or whoever it was) frowns, looks at the handset, shakes their head and puts it back down. It moves so fast that you don’t see the obvious until the ‘punchline’. I didn’t anyway. I’ve often thought how clever that was.

Possibly too discriminatory/ableist these days to put to air, but very sharp i thought anyway.

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Steptoe and Son

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There was a very old American comedy radio team, a bit like the Marx Bros, I think Stan Smith and the City Slickers ( available on vinyl comedy series of some label)
Phone rings, household member answers, keeps saying ‘You don’t say , you don’t say’ with amazed look .
Other household member asks ‘who was that’
Answer - ‘He didn’t say’

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Not Spike Jones? one of the first records i can remember us having was one of them (Spike Jones and the City Slickers). i honestly cant remember much off it other than a race call with a horse running dead last called Beetle Bomb.

The soundtrack was like you would get on a bugs bunny cartoon.

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That’s it, thanks. There was a pile of US comedy vinyls somewhere in the family,
ADD
I think it was Beadle Bun (sounds like) That was a classic, that sometimes gets played Cup Week.

Definitely Beetle Bomb. Correction - it was Beetlebaum!

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I’m amazed at your knowledge - genuine top of the class ( no satirica font)
I doffs my cap to thee.

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Well my memory would be from late 60s. It would have been classical music/opera or Spike Jones, so until my sisters started getting Beatles etc, it was Spike Jones, although as i say that’s so long ago I can’t recall much detail. Until we started watching TV for stuff like My Three Sons, Mr Ed, my favourite Martian, etc.

Ooh, don’t think lost in space has been mentioned by any of you Bubble-headed Boobies!

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My middle name is “Google”. :grinning:

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I posted Lost in Space. But think it didn’t fit sitcom.
Now, what’s that one with Lady Penelope, the Jetsons ?

Thunderbirds. Lost in Space is exactly Sitcom imo.

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But you have to have the virtual Allen key word search for the ‘it’ in google it.

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Wow - not as I recalled it - but that’s it! I think there’s enough distraction /laughs going on to keep you from the obvious ending. Really didn’t remember it at Atkinson!

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Agree 100%. The problem with Meaning of Life is that it just wasn’t funny.

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Couldn’t stand that show. It made me cringe from the start, so obvious and forced.

I always loved Sweet Emotion but this scene was epic

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