Here it is, the big one. Too big actually so we've had to break it up for parts. Here we tackle Only Fools and Horses - The Grandad Years, encompassing the first three series of John Sullivan's British institution.

Only Fools and Horses - The Grandad Years (Part 1)

To round out series 2, we're taking on a modern classic. The Inbetweeners seemed to speak to every 6th former in the country and spawned new catchphrases with every episode. But does it still hold up after ten years?

The Inbetweeners (Part 1)

It's Part 2 of our look at just one slice of the epic Red Dwarf. Here we continue to break apart episode 3, Balance of Power, and we look at the early work of Danny John-Jules and Chris Barrie.

This is a really personal one for us but will the series live up to our fond memories?

Red Dwarf - Series 1 and 2 (Part 2)

To the Manor Born starred Penelope Keith and Peter Bowles and was the smash hit of the late seventies and has stayed in the national consciousness as the classic "will they, won't they" story.

But given that it exists in a strange rural upper class bubble and it was already out of date forty years ago, will it stand up to the rigours of a 2022 examination?

To the Manor Born (Part 1)

For part 2 of our look at To the Manor Born, we continue on with our dissection of an episode of the classic sitcom and take a journey through the career of Peter Bowles. And then we throw in a little bit of politics. Everything comes back to Thatcher, don't you know.

To the Manor Born (Part 2)

This week we're looking at Extras, the Gervais/Merchant follow up to global sensation The Office. So what do you do after you've changed the world of comedy? And how badly has it aged in just fifteen years?

Extras (Part 1)

It's Part 2 of our look at Extras and we continue to journey through the Patrick Stewart episode and look at all the things that changed in series 2. Was it for the better? No. But we'll go into a bit more detail than that.

Extras (Part 2)

Once again we delve into the world of film spin offs as we take a look at the pretty solid Till Death Us Do Part film and the absolutely woeful The Alf Garnett Saga.

As usual, we are joined by film expert Sol Harris from Diminishing Returns Podcast. Having not seen much of the original series, he's coming into the films from an unbiased position, but how will that affect his feelings?

Till Death Us Do Part films with Diminishing Returns Podcast

We're back and we're starting the new series with an absolute classic. Clement and La Frenais' Porridge was a vehicle designed for Ronnie Barker but is just as well remembered for its stellar supporting cast. Part one takes a look at the careers of Barker and Fulton Mackay and we start to comb through one of the episodes.

Porridge (Part 1)

This week it's part 2 of our look at Porridge in which we go a bit deeper on Brian Wilde and his wife's gammon steak hawaii. We also continue our look at the episode Just Desserts and then throw cheap shots at Kevin Bishop.

Porridge (Part 2)

In part 2 of our look at Victoria Wood's dinnerladies, we take a closer look at Julie Walters and Maxine Peake and see how the series came to an end.

dinnerladies (Part 2)

This week we begin an epic journey through centuries of English history with the first series of Blackadder. The Black Adder sees Rowan Atkinson as spare to the throne and we're looking at episode four, where he is forced to marry the Infanta of Spain.

The Black Adder (Part 1)

Part 2 of our look at the first series of Blackadder includes closer inspections of Miriam Margolyes and Jim Broadbent as well as the original unaired pilot.

The Black Adder (Part 2)

For the last show of our series, we're looking at modern classic Miranda, from the mind of Miranda Hart. Can a 21st century audience empathise with a posh protagonist? Can a sitcom that ended eight years ago already feel out of date?

Miranda (Part 1)

This week, we're taking a look at the film spin off from Porridge. It's one of the best sitcoms ever and probably one of the better of the film offerings as well but it's not exactly perfect.

Porridge (film)

Our new series starts with eighties classic Hi-de-Hi!, which means we finally get to deal with Jimmy Perry and David Croft. We also look at the principal actors, including Su Pollard and Ruth Madoc.

Hi-de-Hi! (Part 1)

In part 2 of our review of Hi-de-Hi!, we have a look at some of the supporting actors, consider the changes that came in the later series, and ask the usual question of, "is it healthy to watch 60 episodes of a show in three weeks?"

Hi-de-Hi! (Part 2)

We're back in deep space for our second visit to the Jupiter Mining Corp vessel Red Dwarf. The computer's different and now there's an android doing the ironing; what's all that about?

We take a look at the significant changes that turned Red Dwarf from a quirky space based sitcom into a sci-fi cult classic.

Red Dwarf - The Peak Years (Part 1)

We're back for part 2 of our look at the peak years of Red Dwarf. We're making a close inspection of The Inquisitor and having a peruse of the other work that the boys from the Dwarf did in the 90s. Spoiler - they're all crap.

Red Dwarf - The Peak Years (Part 2)

In this bonus episode, Gareth is a guest on The Modern British History Podcast. Harry White is the host and he generally looks at the modern (post war) British political scene. In this episode, he invited Gareth on to discuss the eighties sitcom Yes Minister and they discuss how it caricatures the civil service of the time. And have things changed forty years later?

Find more from Harry here:
https://www.modernbritishhistory.co.uk/

Yes Minister (Guesting on Modern British History Podcast)

Maybe it's just our age but it feels like Keeping Up Appearances was almost ever present when we were growing up. But how does it hold up in the cold light of day? Could it be a timeless classic or is Hyacinth Bucket a true britcom villain?

Keeping Up Appearances (Part 1)

Part 1 of our take on Phoenix Nights, a personal favourite for both of us so prepare yourself for some nostalgia and laughter but also we try and take an in-depth and completely speculative look at the psychology of Peter Kay.

Phoenix Nights (Part 1)

Part 2 of our breakdown of Phoenix Nights as we continue to struggle with the urge to quote every single line. We do love it so  but we take time to look at the further careers of writers Dave Spikey and Neil Fitzmaurice as well as asking the question: Peter Kay - git?

Phoenix Nights (Part 2)

Part 2 of our look at The Other one in which we delve into the very odd second series and have a closer look at the comedy career of Michael Gambon.

The Other One (Part 2)

This week we are doing our most recent sitcom yet with Ghosts. They officially closed off the series with a christmas special in 2023 so now is our chance to look back at what is arguably one of the best mainstream sitcoms of the last twenty years.

Ghosts (Part 1)

Part 2 of our look at Ghosts, which we're classing as very recent history in the world of sitcom.

This week we are taking a look at some more of the actors such as Simon Farnaby and (spoiler alert) going all the way to the end and discussing how they closed it all off.

This is the end of our regular series for now but there will be a Christmas special next week so enjoy!

Ghosts (Part 2)

For this year's christmas special we are venturing back to the Garnett household in 1966 where the family are upholding all the christmas traditions such as falling out and throwing stuff at the wall.

Till Death Us Do Part (Christmas special)

Just a quick bonus as we prepare for the new series. Allen has been immersing himself in the world of comedy and going to a few live events and meeting the big nobs from the world of light entertainment. Here he shares his experiences.

In this episode we talk about Su Pollard: Fully Charged; An Afternoon with Gloria ( Melvin Hayes); Why We Love Steve Brown; and Hambledon Productions take on Hancock's Half Hour. With a quick bonus meeting with Marks and Gran.

Bonus Episode - Live Comedy Events 2024

We had so much to talk about when we watched Ghosts that we've come back for more. In this bonus episode, we take a deep dive on the timeline of the Ghosts and get a bit of contextual history around their specific time periods.

Bonus Episode - Ghosts Timeline

Are You Being Served? is an absolute classic of British sitcom and part of the very large catalogue of work from David Croft. As such, it has way too many characters and goes on about five years longer than it should have... but does it hold up for today's sophisticated audience or is it as wet as Mrs. Slocombe's pussy?

Are You Being Served? (Part 1)

Part 2 of our look back at Are You Being Served? including an attempt to understand the strange and wonderful life of writer Jeremy Lloyd.

Are You Being Served? (Part 2)

In this episode of the British Sitcom History Podcast, we take a look at the origins of Steptoe and Son and the early days of writers Galton and Simpson. We look at a specific episode to break down what made the show so popular.

Steptoe and Son (Part 1)

Centred around one of the greatest performances in sitcom, Leonard Rossiter leads an excellent cast in seventies classic Rising Damp.

In this episode we look at Eric Chappell's play The Banana Box, which came to be Rising Damp and we look at the careers of Rossiter and Frances de la Tour.

Rising Damp (Part 1)

Looking back at the wonderful world of British sitcoms.
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British Sitcom History Podcast

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