Best of the Britcoms: From Fawlty Towers to The Office

191 Pages·2011·0.92 MB·English

by  Garry Berman

Best
(cid:1)
BRITCOMS

Best
(cid:1)
BRITCOMS
FROM FAWLTY TOWERS TO THE OFFICE
REVISED EDITION
Garry Berman
TAYLOR TRADE PUBLISHING
Lanham · New York · Boulder · Toronto · Plymouth, UK
PublishedbyTaylorTradePublishing
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DistributedbyNationalBookNetwork
Copyright©2011byGarryBerman
Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthisbookmaybereproducedinanyform
orbyanyelectronicormechanicalmeans,includinginformationstorage
andretrievalsystems,withoutwrittenpermissionfromthepublisher,
exceptbyareviewerwhomayquotepassagesinareview.
BritishLibraryCataloguinginPublicationInformationAvailable
LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData
Berman,Garry.
BestoftheBritcoms:fromFawltyTowerstoTheoffice/
GarryBerman.—Rev.ed.
p.cm.
Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex.
ISBN978-1-58979-566-2(pbk.:alk.paper)—
ISBN978-1-58979-526-6(electronic)
I.Title.
PN1992.8.C66B472011
791.45'6170941—dc22 2010035747
™
°° Thepaperusedinthispublicationmeetstheminimumrequirements
ofAmericanNationalStandardforInformationSciences—Permanence
ofPaperforPrintedLibraryMaterials,ANSI/NISOZ39.48-1992.
PrintedintheUnitedStatesofAmerica
To Karen,
whose feelings toward this book have evolved
from that of skeptic, to supporter, to advocate.
And to Britcom fans everywhere.

Contents
The Britcoms covered in this book are listed Fawlty Towers 17
below in chronological order according to their
Good Neighbors (The Good Life) 21
original air dates in Britain. They have all
aired on American television, and most are Open All Hours 25
continually being aired in various markets
The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin 28
across the country. The majority are also
available on home video. Bless Me, Father 30
Butterflies 32
Shelley 34
Foreword ix
To the Manor Born 35
Acknowledgments xi
Preface xiii
Introduction: The Case for the Britcom xv
Part II
“Listenverycarefully,Ishallsaythisonlyonce...”
Britcomsofthe1980s
Part I
Overview: British TV in the 1980s 39
“Ididn’tgetwhereIamtoday...”
Britcomsofthe1970s
Hi-De-Hi 41
A Thumbnail History of
Yes, Minister/Yes, Prime Minister 44
British Television 3
Only Fools and Horses 48
Dad’s Army 5 The Bounder 51
The Last of the Summer Wine 8 The Young Ones 53
Are You Being Served? 11 The Black Adder 55
Rising Damp 14 Don’t Wait Up 59
No Place Like Home 61 Goodnight Sweetheart 110
’Allo, ’Allo! 62 The Vicar of Dibley 113
Three Up, Two Down 66 Nelson’s Column 117
Hot Metal 68 The Thin Blue Line 119
Executive Stress 69 Father Ted 121
The Two of Us 71 The Peter Principle (The Boss) 124
Red Dwarf 73
Colin’s Sandwich 77
May to December 78 Part IV
Britcomsofthe2000s
Part III Overview: British TV in the 2000s 127
“Idon’tbelieveit!...”
My Hero 129
Britcomsofthe1990s
Coupling 132
Overview: British TV in the 1990s 81
My Family 135
The Office 138
One Foot in the Grave 83
Extras 141
The Piglet Files 88
Waiting for God 90
Keeping Up Appearances 93
Part V
The Brittas Empire 96
Short Takes 145
As Time Goes By 100
Side by Side 102 Transatlantic Trauma 155
Absolutely Fabulous 103 Britain’s Best Britcom Poll 158
Chef! 106 Bibliography 159
The Detectives 108 Index 161
Foreword
If you enjoy watching British television com- tors, we were like a family. We later went our
edy, living here in Britain proves wonderfully separate ways to star in other sitcoms, where
convenient. Whenever the muse strikes, I can lightning even managed to strike again for
simply turn on the telly, sit back and relax, and most of us. You’ve seen Penelope inTo the
with a bit of luck, come across either a current Manor Born, Executive Stress, and others.
favorite or an old gem. Moreover, as someone Paul became Britain’s top bureaucrat inYes,
who has spent a good deal of my careerper- Minister. Felicity has appeared in several com-
forming British television comedy, living in edy series, as have I.
Britain has proven to be even more convenient Our collective work in television is only
than you could imagine! a slice of the pie. For every show likeThe
Ah,butthentherearethoseofyouBritish Good Life, with a quiet suburban setting, there
comedyfanswhoaren’tsofortunate.You’re have been wild, irreverent shows like The
strandedinAmericaorelsewhere,andhaveto Young Ones and Red Dwarf. The best sitcoms
makeabitmoreofanefforttofindsomeofour offer their own distinct qualities, and if they
funniestsitcomsonyourowntelevisionsta- make us laugh, then they’ve succeeded in their
tions.Luckily,youknowthey’rethere,and mission, no matter the route they may take.
havebeenformanyyearsnow.Thisgoesto I’ve also seen a lot of rubbish on television
showthatwehaveexportedsomethingofvalue here, and you can be thankful that it hasn’t
toyousincetheBeatles.Mindyou,we’ve survived the trip overseas to you. The best of
enjoyedagoodnumberofcomediesyou’ve what we’ve had to offer has, for the most part,
senttous.Isupposeit’sbeenratherlikepen made the journey. And the wonderful reaction
palsexchangingamusingletters.Butyoudon’t to British comedy speaks for itself! It’s more
needmetotellyouaboutyourownsitcoms.I popular in America now than it’s ever been.
do,however,knowathingortwoaboutmany Just the right time for Best of the Britcoms.
oftheprogramsincludedinthisbook. Here you can learn a few things about your
I have nothing but pleasant memories of favorite comedies that you
starring in The Good Life (or Good Neighbors, didn’t know before, and
as you know it). I was one star among four— even discover a few series
Felicity Kendal, Penelope Keith, my dear that you may have missed
departed friend Paul Eddington, and I were all the first time around.
of equal ability and enthusiasm. The warmth Whichever your
and humor among our characters on-screen favorites may be, enjoy,
was reflective of how we felt about each other and keep laughing.
off-screen. Along with our writers and direc- Richard Briers
i x