History of British sitcom

Factual inaccuracies ahoy, we asked ChatGPT for 500 words on the history of the British sitcom. Feel free to correct them on the inclusion of a soap opera, a game show, and anything else they've chucked in.

The British sitcom is a cornerstone of British television and radio. It has provided audiences with countless hours of laughter and entertainment over the years, and has been the breeding ground for many of the country's most talented writers and performers. In this essay, I will explore the origins of the British sitcom, naming at least five TV shows and five radio shows.

The British sitcom can trace its origins back to the early days of British television and radio. One of the earliest examples of a British sitcom is "Hancock's Half Hour", which aired on BBC Radio from 1954 to 1959. The show starred Tony Hancock as a fictional version of himself, and was written by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson. The show's success on radio led to a television adaptation, which aired from 1956 to 1961.

Another early example of a British sitcom is "Steptoe and Son", which aired on BBC television from 1962 to 1974. The show was created by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson, and followed the lives of two rag-and-bone men who lived and worked together in a run-down house in London. The show was a huge success and spawned several spin-offs and adaptations.

In the 1970s, British sitcoms began to reflect the changing social and political landscape of the country. One of the most popular sitcoms of this era was "Till Death Us Do Part", which aired on BBC television from 1965 to 1975. The show was a controversial satire of British working-class life, and featured a cantankerous and bigoted character named Alf Garnett, played by Warren Mitchell.

Another popular sitcom of the 1970s was "The Good Life", which aired on BBC television from 1975 to 1978. The show was created by John Esmonde and Bob Larbey, and starred Richard Briers and Felicity Kendal as a middle-class couple who decide to give up their city life and become self-sufficient in their suburban garden.

In the 1980s and 1990s, British sitcoms continued to evolve and reflect the changing times. One of the most successful sitcoms of this era was "Only Fools and Horses", which aired on BBC television from 1981 to 2003. The show was created by John Sullivan, and followed the lives of two brothers who lived and worked in Peckham, London. The show became a cultural phenomenon and spawned several spin-offs and adaptations.

Another successful sitcom of the 1990s was "Absolutely Fabulous", which aired on BBC television from 1992 to 1996. The show was created by Jennifer Saunders, who also starred as one of the main characters, alongside Joanna Lumley. The show was a satire of the fashion and media industries, and was known for its outrageous and politically incorrect humour.

In terms of radio sitcoms, one of the most popular and enduring shows is "The Archers", which has been airing on BBC Radio 4 since 1951. The show follows the lives of the residents of the fictional village of Ambridge, and has become a national institution, attracting millions of listeners every week.

Another popular radio sitcom is "I'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again", which aired on BBC Radio from 1964 to 1973. The show was a sketch comedy that launched the careers of several well-known comedians, including John Cleese, Graeme Garden, and Bill Oddie.

In conclusion, the British sitcom has a rich and varied history that spans several decades and mediums. From the early days of radio to the modern era of streaming television, the British sitcom has continued to entertain audiences with its unique blend of humour and social commentary. Some of the most popular and enduring sitcoms

The Sitcom Trials is the comedy show where brand new sitcoms compete and the audience vote for the winner. Format copyright ©2023 Kev F Sutherland.

★★★★ "You will not be disappointed" - The Public Reviews

If you would like to create the next great British situation comedy, The Sitcom Trials is an opportunity for your sitcom to be seen live.

Details of new shows, and our ongoing competition, are to be found here at sitcomtrials.co.uk and on Twitter and Facebook.

See the Best of The Sitcom Trials videos, here.

The Top 10 Most Hated Sitcoms

Television sitcoms have been a staple of British and American TV for decades, with many shows achieving cult status and critical acclaim. However, not every sitcom has been well-received by audiences, and there have been several shows that have been widely disliked. In this essay, we will explore the top 10 most hated sitcoms on British or American TV.

"Joey" (2004-2006) - This spin-off of the wildly popular sitcom "Friends" starred Matt LeBlanc as the titular character, who moves to Los Angeles to pursue his acting career. Despite high expectations, the show was widely panned by critics and viewers, who found it unfunny and lacking the charm of its predecessor.

"Mr. Belvedere" (1985-1990) - This American sitcom centered around a British butler named Lynn Belvedere (Christopher Hewett) who moves in with an American family and becomes their nanny. The show was criticized for its outdated gender roles and offensive humor.

 

"Hello, Larry" (1979-1980) - This American sitcom starred McLean Stevenson as a radio talk show host who moves to Oregon to become a school counselor. The show was short-lived and widely disliked for its weak writing and lack of laughs.

"Dads" (2013-2014) - This American sitcom centered around two successful video game developers whose lives are turned upside down when their fathers move in with them. The show was criticized for its offensive humor and racial stereotypes.

"Work It" (2012) - This short-lived American sitcom centered around two unemployed men who dress up as women in order to get jobs at a pharmaceutical company. The show was widely criticized for its offensive portrayal of transgender people and its reliance on outdated gender stereotypes.

"Heil Honey, I'm Home!" (1990) - This British sitcom centered around Adolf Hitler and Eva Braun, who live next door to a Jewish couple in suburban Berlin. The show was cancelled after one episode due to widespread outrage and accusations of anti-Semitism.

"The Secret Diary of Desmond Pfeiffer" (1998) - This American sitcom was set in the White House during Abraham Lincoln's presidency and centered around a black butler named Desmond Pfeiffer. The show was criticized for its racist humor and trivialization of slavery.

"The Trouble with Tracy" (1971) - This Canadian sitcom centered around a young girl named Tracy who moves to Toronto to become a model. The show was widely panned for its poor writing and lack of laughs.

"That's My Bush!" (2001) - This American sitcom was a parody of George W. Bush's presidency and centered around his daily life in the White House. The show was criticized for its tasteless humor and lack of political insight.

"Emily's Reasons Why Not" (2006) - This American sitcom starred Heather Graham as a self-help author who struggles to find love. The show was cancelled after one episode due to poor ratings and negative reviews.

In conclusion, these 10 sitcoms are some of the most widely disliked in British and American TV history. Whether due to offensive humor, poor writing, or lack of laughs, these shows failed to resonate with audiences and were quickly cancelled or pulled from the air. Despite their lack of success, however, they serve as a reminder that not every TV show is a hit, and that even the most beloved genres can produce some duds.

(We asked ChatGPT for an article, and Craiyon for an image, about the Top 10 Most Hated Sitcoms. The above is what we got.)

The Sitcom Trials is the comedy show where brand new sitcoms compete and the audience vote for the winner. Format copyright ©2023 Kev F Sutherland.

★★★★ "You will not be disappointed" - The Public Reviews

If you would like to create the next great British situation comedy, The Sitcom Trials is an opportunity for your sitcom to be seen live.

Details of new shows, and our ongoing competition, are to be found here at sitcomtrials.co.uk and on Twitter and Facebook.

See the Best of The Sitcom Trials videos, here.

Sitcom Trials 2002 Tour

In a folder that I was very nearly about to sling into the recycling unopened, I've just found a delightful treasure trove of memorabilia from The Sitcom Trials first tour, which followed our Edinburgh Fringe debut of 2001. The tour, in the spring of 2002, was only 8 gigs long, but being the first I'd ever promoted was quite a little triumph for me and set the template for how I would go on to produce the, slightly longer, Scottish Falsetto Sock Puppet Theatre tours of subsequent years.

These souvenirs are from the first four shows on the tour, in Leicester, Loughborough (both part of Leicester Comedy Festival), Cirencester, and Nottingham, and a London show at the Amused Moose, all of which starred the Edinburgh cast of Miranda Hart and Charity Trimm (who graced all our promotional materials, in a photo lifted from their own show with Sitcom Trials t-shirts Photoshopped in), Gez Foster and Dan Clegg. After these five gigs they decided they'd had enough of the show, which was much of a money maker once our meagre fee had been split five ways, leaving me to recruit and rehearse a new cast for the subsequent shows (in Glasgow, Reading, Gloucester and Warrington, now you ask). This I then did.

Amazingly this little period of Miranda's showbiz history hasn't featured heavily in her various autobiographies, and I confess I'd forgotten much of it (Cirencester, for example, was a Pointless answer I would never have got in a hundred guesses) but it's a pleasure to see I've hung onto these mementoes of that formative time in our various careers.

And this just turned up in the same box of trivia, a Sitcom Trials voting form from a long forgotten New Material Night, held at the Comedy Pub in London in march 2002. And winning on the night, with 25 votes to the others 6 and 4, was Peterford Golf Club by Shepherd and Farnaby. Waen Shepherd went on to become the legendary Gary Le Strange and have a regular part in The Inbetweeners, and Simon Farnaby has been a regular in Horrible Histories for some years and currently portrays a dead politician in Ghosts.

Whatever did happen to The Sitcom Trials?

If you would like to create the next great British situation comedy, The Sitcom Trials is an opportunity for your sitcom to be seen live.

Details of new shows, and our ongoing competition, are to be found here at sitcomtrials.co.uk and on Twitter and Facebook.

See the Best of The Sitcom Trials videos, here.

Merry Christmas from The Sitcom Trials

A very Merry Christmas to everyone who's been involved in, or come to see, The Sitcom Trials over the years. 2018's been our quietest year in a long time, but perhaps we can console ourselves with the Trials' rather tenuous link to Christmas adverts. Has anyone else spotted it?

That's right, Uncle Awesome, the central character in this year's Paypal Christmas Adverts - which I, for one, have been unable to escape online this month - is played by one of the winners of 2009's 10th Anniversary Sitcom Trials, Sam Pamphilon.

Sam Pamphilon and Steve McNeil won the 10th Anniversary Sitcom Trials, a season of which ran at the Leicester Square Theatre from October to December 2009, with their sitcom End To End. You can see it in this clip from Heat 3, judged by Iain Morris and Nev Fountain.



The Sitcom Trials' 20th anniversary is coming up in 2019 and, at the moment, it looks like we have no plans to revive or commemorate it. If anyone out there would like to make that happen, do please get in touch. (You'll find me, Kev F, on Facebook, Twitter, and email)

A Happy New Year when it comes everyone.

Kev F Sutherland
Creator and producer
The Sitcom Trials 1999 - ?

If you would like to create the next great British situation comedy, The Sitcom Trials is an opportunity for your sitcom to be seen live.

Details of new shows, and our ongoing competition, are to be found here at sitcomtrials.co.uk and on Twitter and Facebook.

See the Best of The Sitcom Trials videos, here.

Announcing the First Irish Radio Sitcom Trials

The Sitcom Trials is happy to announce the launch of the First Irish Radio Sitcom Trials.

RTE, and the production company Sideline, are running a competition called The Radio Sitcom Trials, looking for original half-hour radio comedy scripts in an attempt to encourage and develop Irish comedy writing talent. The deadline for entries is March 31st 2018. Enter here. Details and links are below.



Of course, as Sitcom Trials fans will know, it's not the first Radio Sitcom Trials, as in recent years, Vince Stadon and the Bristol Sitcom Trials team have produced shows in association with BCFM Radio, and BBC Radio Bristol and we did a series of shows with Bristol Community Radio as long ago as 2004. And of course the Sitcom Trials had its run on ITV in 2003, which is like radio but with pictures.

The Sitcom Trials Radio logo from the Bristol team's BCFM and BBC Bristol shows

The first BBC Radio productions to come out of Sitcom Trials shows (in our earlier incarnation as Situations Vacant) were the pilot shows Come Together, starring Ben Miller, Kevin Eldon, Arabella Weir and Mel Hudson recorded in the BBC Radio Theatre in 1997, and Meanwhile, starring Ronnie Ancona and Geoffrey McGivern, in 1998. They weren't radio Sitcom Trials, but they're always nice to cast our minds back over.

Ben Miller, Arabella Weir, Mel Hudson & Kevin Eldon in Come Together at the BBC Radio Theatre

Here are the details of RTE and Sidelines' production of The Irish Radio Sitcom Trials which we here at Sitcom Trials central are happy to support.

THE 1st EVER RADIO SITCOM TRIALS

COMEDY SHOWHOUSE 2018

RTE Radio 1 and Sideline Productions are seeking original half-hour radio comedy scripts in a new drive to develop and encourage Irish writing talent.

SIDELINE Productions, in association with RTE Radio 1, are actively seeking comedy writers that can deliver half-hour radio scripts set in a familiar situation featuring stand out memorable comic characters.



Supported by The Broadcast Authority of Ireland (BAI) and comedy website grintage.com, The Radio Sitcom Trials is a new initiative staged as part of the radio comedy festival COMEDY SHOWHOUSE. Now in its 3rd year, the 6-day festival takes place at the Project Arts Theatre from Monday, April 30th to Saturday, May 5th 2018 featuring two star-studded shows at 8pm each night.

The pilot for Fiona Looney’s all-female sketch series WAITING proved such a success that it is now being supersized as a 6-part series recorded over 3 nights starring award-winning actresses Deirdre O’Kane & Rose Henderson on Monday, April 30th, Tuesday, May 1st and Wednesday, May 2nd. Each night will feature new half-hour radio shows.

This is followed on Thursday, May 3rd for 3 nights by the much-anticipated return of the multi award-winning series COLM O’REGAN WANTS A WORD – starring the Cork-born author of the successful Irish Mammy books, best seller Bolloxology and a regular performer on stage, radio and TV. Colm is joined by two of Ireland’s best comedy actors Tara Flynn and Paul Tylak. The show has already won awards for Best Irish Radio Comedy in 2016 and 2017 plus the Celtic Media Award in 2017 for Best Radio Comedy Programme broadcast in Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Again each of the 3 nights features Colm, Tara & Paul performing in brand new radio programmes with special guests.

To further boost the production of original Irish radio comedy now RTE Radio 1 and Sideline Productions are keen to find the next wave of scripted comedy writing talent.

THE SITCOM TRAILS is a new initiative to spark a new breed of radio comedy writers. We are seeking popular scripts with laugh out loud moments with a small cast of ‘larger than life’ characters that can grab the imagination of an Irish audience. We are not looking for monologues, sketch shows or plays written originally for the stage. Scripts created originally for TV could be modified and re-written for radio. It is important though writers grasp the dramatic beats, pace and structure of the comedy radio half hour format plus recognise the creative opportunities radio production offers to comedy writers. The running time can be between 25 and 30 minutes.

Search tips and articles on writing (radio) comedy at www.grintage.com.

The strict deadline for accepting scripts is midnight Saturday, March 31st and there is no exception. If the final scripts selected (4 max) are of a required standard they will be performed and read by professional actors in front of a live audience as part of the first ever Sitcom Trails on Saturday, May 5th, 2018 in the Project Arts Theatre Dublin.

The writers of any of the staged radio scripts will receive a one-off award of €250.

TO APPLY CLICK HERE

Media queries to info@sideline.ie

The Original Official Sitcom Trials has been running since 1999, on stage in Bristol, London, Edinburgh, nationally and internationally. It ran at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2001, 2002, 2004, 2013 and 2016, and enjoyed an 8 week run on ITV in 2003. The last Sitcom Trials tournament had heats in Birmingham, Manchester, Glasgow, London and Cardiff with its grand final at the Gilded Balloon in Edinburgh 2016.

If you would like to create the next great British situation comedy, The Sitcom Trials is an opportunity for your sitcom to be seen live.

Details of new shows, and our ongoing competition, are to be found here at sitcomtrials.co.uk and on Twitter and Facebook.

See the Best of The Sitcom Trials videos, here.

The Sitcom Mission 2018 launches

The Sitcom Mission, our fellow sitcom competition which spun off from The Sitcom Trials back in 2009, has launched its 2018 programme. Full details are here. 

Declan Hill, Kev F Sutherland and Simon Wright, winning the Fringe Report Award for Best Encourager of Talent for The Sitcom Trials in 2008. Declan and Simon went on to produce The Sitcom Mission 

In 2008 and 2009, Sitcom Trials alumni Declan Hill and Simon Wright produced two seasons of The Sitcom Trials, at The Hub in South London, the Leicester Square Theatre, and the Soho Theatre. Both had been regular contributors to the Trials, with Declan appearing in the 2005 touring show and Simon appearing in the 2003 TV series. In 2009 they developed their own show, not using the Sitcom Trials format, with a different emphasis on script development and the very successful Sitcom Mission was born.

This year's Sitcom Mission submissions dates are as follows.

Launch 🚀 - April 1st
Gold entry closes - April 29th
Silver entry closes - June 16th
Closing date - June 30th

The format will be the same as previous years so check out the website for entry info and GOOD LUCK 😉

https://www.comedy.co.uk/sitcom_mission/

The Sitcom Mission writes:

With an emphasis firmly on script development, The Sitcom Mission is an international sitcom writing competition, 'The X Factor for sitcoms'. It showcases 15-minute sitcom scripts in front of the British TV and radio comedy industry.

The Grand Finals have been judged by a who's who of British comedy commissioning, including Shane Allen (Channel 4/Head of BBC Comedy); Jane Berthoud (BBC Radio); Sarah Farrell (Comedy Central); Lucy Lumsden and Ben Boyer (Sky); Saskia Schuster (ITV); Myfanwy Moore (ITV); Gregor Sharp, Tilusha Ghelani and Chris Sussman (BBC TV); Paul Schlesinger(Hat Trick); and Iain Coyle and Tanya Qureshi (UKTV Commissioning).

One of the runners-up in 2011, In The Meantime, by Ciaran Murtagh and Andrew Jones, was optioned by Hat Trick Productions. Andrew says, "This is a great opportunity to have your work read and assessed by lots of very useful people!" Previous winners Thunderer by Bryn Mills, What Next? by Emma Edwards and Abigail Dooley, and Yo Valet by Snez Naik were also optioned by Hat Trick.

The Sitcom Mission has the central aim of getting a situation comedy commissioned either on TV, radio or online. We've evolved the competition and the theme now is script development. We're looking for writers who can take notes, are tenacious, thrive on feedback, love re-writing and adore the process just as much as the end result.

Each year we work with up to four writers (or writing partnerships/groups) in order to develop their sitcoms and take them to an industry showcase in London. We've got the ear of the independent production companies, and the four winners will get feedback from development officers at companies such as Avalon, Bwark, So Television, Channel X, Left Bank and others that are coming on board all the time.

If you would like to create the next great British situation comedy, The Sitcom Trials is an opportunity for your sitcom to be seen live.

Details of new shows, and our ongoing competition, are to be found here at sitcomtrials.co.uk and on Twitter and Facebook.

See the Best of The Sitcom Trials videos, here.

Miranda: Sitcom comeback isn't imminent

Hart denies press reports

Miranda Hart has denied reports that her sitcom will return for a fourth series later this year.

The Sun claimed that the BBC has persuaded the comic to commit to another run, six years after the last.

But she last night tweeted several denials to the story, one simply saying: ‘Not true.’ Although she didn't rule out the idea altogether.

In response to the tabloid’s initial story, Hart said: ‘Don’t know where this came from, it’s news to me. Have thought about it but that’s all…  

‘I don’t know where it came from that there’s a new series of Miranda. I write and play her and she’s still on honeymoon!’

The Sun’s speculation rests on an unnamed source, who said: ‘Miranda has always been a huge hit on the BBC so getting her to sign up for another outing is a great result for them and viewers… All parties have come to an agreement and it’ll be back later this year if all goes to plan.’

Hart’s sitcom ran for three seasons from 2009 to 2012, achieving an audience of more than 11.5 million at its peak. 

A two-part Christmas episode in 2014, in which her character married long-term love interest Gary, played by Tom Ellis, was meant to draw a line under the show,and was even entitled The Finale.

But the sitcom has been the subject of frequent comeback speculation. Ellis has previously spoken about ‘revisiting’ Miranda, catching up with the couple in their married life with children.

In 2016, Sarah Hadland, who plays Miranda’s best friend Stevie, said ‘there will be something’ when asked about a cast reunion, and last summer Hart and Ellis – who now stars in Lucifer – were said to have arranged a meeting to discuss a return to the sitcom.

Speaking on The One Show in October, Hart said: ‘The lovely Tom Ellis was saying… that he’d like to see Miranda and Gary married. Now he’s got me thinking! 

‘There’s a thought there, to explore the comedy of marriage. Particularly early life marriage and how that would work. I’d quite like to see that.’

Since the sitcom ended, Hart has written books and performed in Annie on the West End stage. She had been set to revive both Frankie Howerd’s Up Pompeii! and classic gameshow The Generation Game, but pulled out of both. The latter will now be presented by Mel and Sue.

She presented the one-off Miranda Does Christmas for Channel 4 last month, as well as  The Royal Variety Performance on ITV, which included her performing sketches alongside Hadland and fellow sitcom co-stars Patricia Hodge and Sally Phillips. 

Hart will also appear in the upcoming Hollywood film The Nutcracker And The Four Realms, playing Dew Drop Fairy.

If you would like to create the next great British situation comedy, The Sitcom Trials is an opportunity for your sitcom to be seen live.

Details of new shows, and our ongoing competition, are to be found here at sitcomtrials.co.uk and on Twitter and Facebook.

See the Best of The Sitcom Trials videos, here.