What's the best TV comedy ever?

[glosterred]

Fawlty Towers, Monty pythons flying circus, The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin, Rising Damp, Porridge, Spike Milligans Q series

The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin - I didn't get where I am today.............. And any time I see the mother in law I think of Hippos, I wonder why

[coventryrover]

FATHER TED

followed closely by Phoenix Nights, The Young Ones, Only Fools and Horses

[StocktonRover]

Love thy neighbour.     

[Bentley Bullet]

Not going out - Now THAT'S bloody funny!

[Wild Rover]

Oh NO Its Selwyn Froggit.

[The Red Baron]

Dad's Army
Fawlty Towers
Porridge
Blackadder
Phoenix Nights

[scriptman]

John Sullivan was a legend when it came to writing sitcoms.... Citizen Smith, Just Good Friends, Dear John, I loved them all. I used to like Bless This House, Every Decreasing Circles, Outnumbered The Office. More recently Mrs Brown's Boys.  My favourite of all time, however, has to be Phoenix Nights/Max And Paddy.   

[mushRTID]

Mrs Browns Boys???????

[Harrogate Rover]

Growing up it was Some Mothers Do Ave Em, Porridge, Man About The House, George and Mildred , Rising Damp, Mind Your Language, Open All Hours. Love Early Doors and Not Going Out.

Think my all time favourite is Pheonix Nights though.

[Harrogate Rover]

My name is Andrew and I like Mrs Browns Boys too..... There I've admitted it!

can I give an honourable mention to Last Of The Summer Wine. The Compo, Clegg and Foggy era with Sid and Wally Batty.

[moses]

Even with full access to DVD's and internet to view "older" comedies. My guess is you could nail down most peoples age range based on their comedy favourties.

[Filo]

Even with full access to DVD's and internet to view "older" comedies. My guess is you could nail down most peoples age range based on their comedy favourties.

Go on then, do a case study on suggestions so far, with a five year age range

[LincsRover]

Even with full access to DVD's and internet to view "older" comedies. My guess is you could nail down most peoples age range based on their comedy favourties.

My 7 year old daughter is a compulsive watcher of dads army and faulty towers and she giggles all the way through! Not sure where she fits in with the age thing?

[Mike_F]

Can't believe I forgot to mention Father Ted in my list.

I could watch them all back to back and still piss myself laughing even though I've seen 'em several times over.

[jonnydog]

I've just watched an episode of One Foot In The Grave. Very funny and, although there's funnier sitcoms made, I've never seen a bad episode. However, it's always in t'back of my mind when it comes to remembering classic sitcoms!

[IC1967]

Fawlty Towers by a mile, closely followed by Red Dwarf and the IT Crowd. Those of you that like Open All Hours, Two Ronnies, Porridge etc. are showing your age. It must be nice having a bus pass.

[coventryrover]

wasnt fawlty towers on at same time as open all hours?  where's you bus pass?

[IC1967]

It was. I always remember my dad loving anything with Ronnie Barker in it but he didn't get Fawlty Towers at all. It was ahead of it's time. I loved Fawlty Towers but couldn't stand Ronnie Barker. Like I say it's an age thing. For example I did not find it funny that Ronnie thought it was humorous to take the piss out of people that stammered and use sexual innuendo as the main crutch for his comedy. Not very funny in my book but just shows how the older generation were conditioned to think this kind of thing was funny.

[jonnydog]

In-YOUR-endo!!

[swintonrover]

For complete shows Fawlty Towers, Phoenix Nights, The Young Ones and The Inbetweeners have already been said, but a shout out for Inside Number 9 on BBC2 earlier this year. Incredible black comedy from Pemberton and Shearsmith.

For isolated sketches, Python and The Two Ronnies set the bar.

[Bentley Bullet]

Surprised there are no nominations for Benidorm. Although I find it only mildly amusing, it seems to be generally regarded as hilarious by many of its viewers.

[wesisback]

but a shout out for Inside Number 9 on BBC2 earlier this year. Incredible black comedy from Pemberton and Shearsmith.

Good call! Loved the fact that everyone I know who watched it has a different favourite episode. Always been a fan of Pemberton and Shearsmith but ranked this even higher than League of Gentlemen.

[BillyStubbsTears]

70s Reggie Perrin and Porridge
80s Young Ones and Rab C Nesbitt with Yes (Prime) Minister damn close
90s The Day Today and Bottom
00s The Thick of It and Green Wing. (Malcolm Butler and Alan Statham. The two greatest comedy characters in comedy history. I defy you to watch the Alan Statham ping pong ball scene without spontaneously passing water. And the coffee enema is even better.)

[Dagenham Rover]

70s Reggie Perrin and Porridge
80s Young Ones and Rab C Nesbitt with Yes (Prime) Minister damn close
90s The Day Today and Bottom
00s The Thick of It and Green Wing. (Malcolm Butler and Alan Statham. The two greatest comedy characters in comedy history. I defy you to watch the Alan Statham ping pong ball scene without spontaneously passing water. And the coffee enema is even better.)

10's Mad Mick, Benaldo, Carling, IC1967 in no particular order  ok not tv but....

[RedJ]

70s Reggie Perrin and Porridge
80s Young Ones and Rab C Nesbitt with Yes (Prime) Minister damn close
90s The Day Today and Bottom
00s The Thick of It and Green Wing. (Malcolm Butler and Alan Statham. The two greatest comedy characters in comedy history. I defy you to watch the Alan Statham ping pong ball scene without spontaneously passing water. And the coffee enema is even better.)

Haven't seen Green Wing so I may be wrong, but should that not be Malcolm Tucker? assuming you're on about the Peter Capaldi character.

[BillyStubbsTears]

Err. Aye it should

[Wild Rover]

It was. I always remember my dad loving anything with Ronnie Barker in it but he didn't get Fawlty Towers at all. It was ahead of it's time. I loved Fawlty Towers but couldn't stand Ronnie Barker. Like I say it's an age thing. For example I did not find it funny that Ronnie thought it was humorous to take the piss out of people that stammered and use sexual innuendo as the main crutch for his comedy. Not very funny in my book but just shows how the older generation were conditioned to think this kind of thing was funny.

Was it not the script writer and not the actor who set the tone. Cant for the life in me see Roy Clarke as "Taking the Piss".

[IC1967]

If you think it was acceptable that the character of Arkwright got most of his laughs by stammering then you haven't got a clue. How do you think people who had a stammer felt when uneducated people laughed their socks off at Arkwright stammering? Do you think it made them feel good that it was socially acceptable for a speech impediment to be ridiculed? Get a grip man.

http://www.sundaypost.com/that-s-life/your-health/ronnie-barker-s-stammer-was-no-laughing-matter-1.158616

[Wild Rover]

I have a stammer, well more of a stutter. I found it funny. I also had an uncle who stammered exceptionally badly, he forund it amusing too. So, get off your high horse.

[Bentley Bullet]

I wonder if John Cleese caused offence to people with Parkinsons disease when he was a member of the ministry of silly walks?