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Comedies that were actually funny

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    Comedies that were actually funny

    I wonder if the total number of truly funny comedies in TV history is more than a dozen or so:

    Python

    Reggie Perrin

    Young Ones (though hit and miss)

    Hot Metal

    Dad's Army

    Police Squad

    Knowing Me Knowing You with Alan Partridge

    #2
    Comedies that were actually funny

    Many more than that.

    Scrubs, Father Ted, Arrested Development to name 3 more that come immediately to minde

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      #3
      Comedies that were actually funny

      And The Simpsons, obviously, if cartoons are included.

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        #4
        Comedies that were actually funny

        The Fast Show

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          #5
          Comedies that were actually funny

          The IT Crowd
          Spaced
          Blackadder
          Outnumbered
          Horrible Histories
          Porridge (although some of the 70s attitudes portrayed have made me cringe on recent viewings)


          Loads.

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            #6
            Comedies that were actually funny

            I think it helped bring sketch comedy back into the mainstream at least. I think that both Smack The Pony and Big Train surpassed it a few years later, but probably neither could have been made if The Fast Show hadn't broken the ground again.

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              #7
              Comedies that were actually funny

              Frasier
              30 Rock
              The Trip
              Catastrophe

              Friends was genuinely very funny and has stood the test of time far better than most sitcoms.

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                #8
                Comedies that were actually funny

                Early Doors.

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                  #9
                  Comedies that were actually funny

                  And you can tell I liked a lot of the Fast Show.

                  Have we mentioned The Day Today? Some of that was genius.

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                    #10
                    Comedies that were actually funny

                    Kevchenko wrote: I think it helped bring sketch comedy back into the mainstream at least. I think that both Smack The Pony and Big Train surpassed it a few years later, but probably neither could have been made if The Fast Show hadn't broken the ground again.
                    Oh, I was thinking sitcoms rather than sketch shows. 'A Bit of Fry & Laurie' then, was reading a script for one of those only this morning.

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                      #11
                      Comedies that were actually funny

                      Lots of my favourites already mentioned but the following all also made me laugh out aloud
                      Cheers
                      Nightingales
                      Curb Your Enthusiasm
                      Steptoe and Son
                      Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?
                      Rising Damp
                      The Office (UK and US)
                      The Thick of It

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                        #12
                        Comedies that were actually funny

                        I actually enjoyed the Reggie Perrin remake with Martin Clunes, who was excellent in the role.

                        I may be alone in this.

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                          #13
                          Comedies that were actually funny

                          Early Doors
                          The Smoking Room
                          Operation Good Guys
                          People Like Us

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                            #14
                            Comedies that were actually funny

                            You most definitely are, Tony.

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                              #15
                              Comedies that were actually funny

                              Yes (Prime) Minister
                              Get Smart

                              But this is where I point out that you've all forgotten the cardinal rule, which is that The Phil Silvers Show Is The Greatest Television Series Ever Made. Live by that and you won't go wrong.

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                                #16
                                Comedies that were actually funny

                                Probably in a minority of one here, but I thought Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em was, and still is, funny.

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                                  #17
                                  Comedies that were actually funny

                                  treibeis wrote: Probably in a minority of one here, but I thought Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em was, and still is, funny.
                                  Betty: "Frank - we're going to hear the patter of tiny feet!"

                                  Frank: "I've told you before, Betty - we're not getting a cat"

                                  Betty: "No Frank, two feet"

                                  Frank (confused): "A budgerigar?"

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                                    #18
                                    Comedies that were actually funny

                                    Nocturnal Submission wrote:
                                    Originally posted by treibeis
                                    Probably in a minority of one here, but I thought Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em was, and still is, funny.
                                    Betty: "Frank - we're going to hear the patter of tiny feet!"

                                    Frank: "I've told you before, Betty - we're not getting a cat"

                                    Betty: "No Frank, two feet"

                                    Frank (confused): "A budgerigar?"
                                    Yes. I think that's funny.

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                                      #19
                                      Comedies that were actually funny

                                      I thought it was hilarious then and now.

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                                        #20
                                        Comedies that were actually funny

                                        The best parts of Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em were the occasional one-liners, as opposed to Crawford's much-vaunted but somewhat over-egged stunts.

                                        Hot Orange wrote: Porridge (although some of the 70s attitudes portrayed have made me cringe on recent viewings)
                                        That, unfortunately, could apply to the majority of top seventies comedies: Python, Fawlty Towers, Likely Lads, Perrin - you name it. They very much have to be viewed with respect to when they were made, tbh. (Or 'suspended respect', if one prefers.)

                                        Aside from its great script, Porridge was all about the performances for me, which were top-notch throughout. I Didn't Know You Cared was another cracker of that era - however, I rather lost interest when many of the key original cast had disappeared by series two.

                                        As a family, we also enjoyed Butterflies - which really hasn't aged at all well.

                                        Edit: In more recent years, Father Ted has not been bettered since (mainly because it absolutely glues itself to the core rules of sitcom) and I'll also tie my colours to Peep Show's mast. Super Hans is arguably the finest comic creation of the past decade.

                                        Since nobody else has mentioned them, I'll put in a word for both Seinfeld* and The Larry Sanders Show - the latter of which might just be the greatest of all time.

                                        (*Well, not mentioned positively, anyway.)

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                                          #21
                                          Comedies that were actually funny

                                          Jah Womble wrote: T The Larry Sanders Show - the latter of which might just be the greatest of all time.
                                          Agreed.

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                                            #22
                                            Comedies that were actually funny

                                            All Aussie Adventures
                                            Modern Family
                                            The Two Ronnies

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                                              #23
                                              Comedies that were actually funny

                                              Ray de Galles wrote:

                                              Friends was genuinely very funny and has stood the test of time far better than most sitcoms.
                                              Once they had managed to get over all the forced zaniness of the terrible first season then it was very good.

                                              ´Father Ted´is possibly the daddy for me: God knows with the level of repeats on C4 and its various offshoots there are some episodes I must have seen thirty or forty times. However I still laugh out loud every time and that´s a pretty good yardstick. Well, for me, anyway.

                                              Apart from others mentioned I also really like The Beverley Hillbillies and Rhoda.

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                                                #24
                                                Comedies that were actually funny

                                                Parks & Recreation
                                                Brooklyn Nine Nine
                                                The Big Bang Theory has its moments although it has kind of lost its way of late.
                                                Futurama (the first 3 series anyway)

                                                Agreed on the Friends thing. Series 1 has not aged well. Series 2-4 are very good. It kind of got worse over time as the characters became parodies of themselves.

                                                Seinfeld got better as time progressed. If you are going to start watching it for the first time, start with the episode when George decides to do everything opposite to what his brain tells him to do that ends up with him working at the Yankees. It touched some high points after that right up until the very last 2 episodes.

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                                                  #25
                                                  Comedies that were actually funny

                                                  Oh and no one's mentioned Outnumbered yet.

                                                  Karen's a monster.

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