The first in a series mapping the history of some of the nation's favourite comedy shows journeys through forty years of television and explores the connections between The Frost Report, The Likely Lads, Up Pompeii and Porridge. From the moment it hit our screens, Porridge was hailed as a sitcom classic. But if the BBC had followed Ronnie Barker's instinct, they would have made a series called I'll Fly You for a Quid instead. Interviews with Ronnie Barker, cast members, writers Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais, and director/producer Sydney Lotterby uncover the inside story of how the series was conceived and commissioned. Once the gates of Slade Prison are locked for the final time, this programme follows creators and stars of Porridge to Open All Hours, 'Allo, 'Allo, Eldorado, Fraggle Rock and all the way to Hollywood.
Would Are You Being Served? have been a global success if its creators, David Croft and Jeremy Lloyd, had done as they were told? Interviews with the Croft and Lloyd, Mollie Sugden, Frank Thornton, John Inman, Wendy Richard and other members of the cast tell the extraordinary story of how Joanna Lumley and a job at Simpson's of Piccadilly inspired a programme which is still much-loved all around the world. And in unravelling the tangled tale of Grace Brothers, we travel through a whole era of David Croft-inspired comedy, from Hugh and I and Dad's Army in the sixties to 'Allo 'Allo! and Oh, Doctor Beeching! in the nineties.
Simon Nye's debut as a sitcom writer became a huge hit, but without its original star and on BBC1. Creators and cast reflect on this epoch-defining success story.
Not only did the hugely successful series come within a whisker of not being made, but the BBC wanted to pull the show after initially poor ratings. Last in the series.
Series charting the history of classic comedy shows. The inside story of 1970s hit show The Goodies, from the beginnings at the Cambridge Footlights to national stardom.
TV critics gave a mixed reception to this sitcom about Catholic priests living on a remote Irish island, yet it became an award-winning international success and launched the careers of Ardal O'Hanlon and Graham Norton. The show's makers and protagonists reflect on their creation.
Mapping the careers of the people who made Keeping Up Appearances sees them come together from shows as diverse as That Was the Week We Watched, The Dick Emery Show, Last of the Summer Wine, Victoria Wood - As Seen on TV and Ever Decreasing Circles. Interviews with the cast and crew reveal how writer Roy Clarke created a world that revolved around Hyacinth Bucket, where the inspiration for her surname came from, and exactly why the show ended when practically everyone wanted it to keep on going. Hyacinth is now sold around the world and finds that, perhaps surprisingly, she's big in Botswana. Narrated by Julia Sawalha, interviewees include writer Roy Clarke, producer Harold Snoad and cast members Clive Swift, Patricia Routledge, Josephine Tewson, David Griffin and Judy Cornwall.
Series celebrating great British comedy shows. Julia Sawalha looks at The Young Ones, which in the early 1980s transported a new generation of comedy writers and performers out of the clubs and into the nation's living rooms. Contributions from Nigel Planer, Rik Mayall, Ben Elton, writer Lise Mayer, producer Paul Jackson and director Geoff Posner.
Series charting the history of some of the best British comedy shows looks at the inside story of intergalactic sitcom Red Dwarf, written by Rob Grant and Doug Naylor. Interviewees include the two writers, stars Craig Charles, Chris Barrie, Robert Llewellyn, Norman Lovett and Chloe Annett, and there's a look at how their careers have involved programmes such as Spitting Image, Saturday Live, Carrott's Lib, Happy Families and Robot Wars.
Surviving members of Monty Python, together with Carol Cleveland and others involved in the show, recall the making of the series, its influences and its impact.
How one man's dream of creating a satirical puppet show became every politician's nightmare. Doon MacKichan narrates.
The story behind 1980s sketch show Three Of A Kind, which launched the careers of Lenny Henry and Tracey Ullman.
A collaborative triumph, Harry Enfield's sketch show saw Paul Whitehouse and Charlie Higson graduate from writing to performing, but also owed a debt to a certain Hackney housing estate - home to the inspiration for such well-loved characters as the Slobs and the Old Gits. Doon MacKichan narrates.
Series charting the history of some of the best British comedy programmes looks at sketch show Goodness Gracious Me. A spin-off from the Real McCoy, it soon established itself by reflecting the reality of contemporary British Asian life while observing the conventions of a mainstream sketch comedy show. Interviewees include Meera Syal, Sanjeev Bhaskar, Kulvinder Ghir, Nina Wadia, Sharat Sardana, Dave Lamb and producer Anil Gupta.
Griff Rhys Jones and Mel Smith recall the satirical series that made stars of them, Pamela Stephenson and Rowan Atkinson in the 80s. Narrated by Doon MacKichan.
A look at the early careers of the comedy partnership, Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie.
Tells the story of Ronnie Corbett and Ronnie Barker's long running comedy series The Two Ronnies.
Series charting the history of some of the best of British comedy shows looks at the Fast Show. Students at the University of East Anglia, Paul Whitehouse and Charlie Higson, wanted to be rock stars, but via Hackney Council and Harry Enfield's Television Programme they came up with the idea for a comedy show of their own. Narrated by Doon Mackichan, interviewees include stars Paul Whitehouse, Charlie Higson, John Thompson, Arabella Weir, Mark Williams and Simon Day.
Vic Reeves, Bob Mortimer, Matt Lucas, Ulrika Jonsson, Will Self and Charlie Higson reflect on the anarchic, unpredictable game show. Who fancied Ulrika, how was Noel Edmonds key to her involvement, and who evolved into Andy Pipkin on Little Britain? Doon MacKichan narrates.
David Renwick's comedy spawned TV's most cantankerous and miserable pensioner in Victor Meldrew and created a catchphrase - "I don't believe it!" - that seeped into the national consciousness. Richard Wilson, Annette Crosbie and Angus Deayton recall a series that mixed comedy with farce and tragedy. Doon MacKichan narrates.
Series charting the history of the best of British comedy looks at Laurence Marks and Maurice Gran's 1980s satirical sitcom The New Statesman, which starred Rik Mayall as unscrupulous Tory MP Alan B'stard. It reveals how the series was sold to ITV by writing a fake Who's Who entry for Alan, and how the team were so determined to make the show as accurate as possible that they enlisted the help of a Tory MP at the time, a certain Michael Portillo.
Series charting the history of the best of British comedy looks at Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant's cult classic, The Office. It tells how a BBC training scheme video project became a multi-award winning international phenomenon, how Gareth was originally written as a super-macho action man type, and how its makers are actually fond of their creation-from-hell, David Brent. Features exclusive interviews with Ricky Gervais, Stephen Merchant, Lucy Davis, Mackenzie Crook, Ralph Ineson and more.
The series charting the history of the best of British comedy returns for a sixth series by taking a look at Till Death Do Us Part, which burst onto screens in June 1966. The sitcom was the most controversial, offensive and original programme of its time with the foul-mouthed, East London bigot, Alf Garnett, becoming one of Britain's greatest comedy characters. Comedy Connections reveals how Peter Sellers was the original choice to play Alf, lifts the lid on the simmering tensions between actors Warren Mitchell and Tony Booth, and discusses the language and racial attitudes displayed by Alf Garnett. Till Death Do Us Part courted controversy from the outset and became the bete noir of Mary Whitehouse's Viewers and Listeners Association, which complained, not about the show's racist language, but the use of the word 'bloody'. Despite this, family Garnett were fought over by the BBC and ITV, appearing at various points on both networks for nearly 40 years. Interviewees include Warren Mitchell, Anthony Booth, Una Stubbs, Kenny Lynch, Ken Campbell, producers Richard Boden and William G Stewart, and former controller of BBC One Michael Peacock.
The series charting the history of the best of British comedy looks at Yes, Minister.
A look at The Liver Birds, the groundbreaking sitcom focussing on two Liverpudlian women.
A look at Ripping Yarns, Michael Palin and Terry Jones's parody of Boys' Own adventures.
Series charting the history of the best of British comedy. A look at Rab C Nesbitt, the sitcom about the life of a working-class Glaswegian, which ran for thirteen years and survived the death of a cast member to win audiences of five million viewers. The programme reveals how the series was born out of a string of happy accidents, how it thrived despite its main star initially not wanting the role, how some Glaswegians struggled to accept the character and what a burden the character and resultant fame became for the star, Gregor Fisher. We also find out just where the 'C' came from in the eponymous character's name. With contributions from writer Ian Pattison, producer Colin Gilbert, actors Gregor Fisher, Elaine C Smith, Tony Roper, Barbara Rafferty and former BBC Two controller Alan Yentob.
A look at Sorry!, the sitcom starring Ronnie Corbett as a middle-aged librarian.
The series charting the history of the best of British comedy looks at Dad's Army, the gentle wartime sitcom that became one of the most popular and best-loved series of all time. Set in wartime Britain, the cast of Dad's Army featured many veterans of stage and screen including Arthur Lowe, John Laurie and Arnold Ridley. As well as creating a template for future ensemble sitcoms, the series established one of British TV's most successful writing partnership - that of Jimmy Perry and David Croft. But Comedy Connections reveals that neither writer gave Dad's Army its name. Originally called Fighting Tigers, the new title was imposed on the show by the BBC's then Head of Comedy, Michael Mills. Other surprises include John Laurie expressing his disappointment that, at the age of 73 and after a glittering theatre career, he should become most famous for 'this crap', what happened when Ian Lavender asked the show's writers whether his character, Pike, was in fact Wilson's son, and what producer David Croft did with the audience feedback report after the screening of the show's pilot. With contributions from writers Jimmy Perry and David Croft, plus actors Clive Dunn, Ian Lavender, Frank Williams, Bill Pertwee, Pamela Cundell and Wendy Richard.
Series charting the history of the best of British comedy looks at Little Britain.
A tribute to the talented writer and producer Geoffrey Perkins, who died in August 2008 at the age of 55. Among his comedy credits celebrated in this programme are Spitting Image, Father Ted and The Royle Family. Interviewees include Catherine Tate, Harry Enfield and Ben Elton.
