Editing British sitcom (section)

==The 1960s==
{{see also|Category:1960s British sitcoms}}

===Two channel TV===

ITV sitcoms began with the channel's launch in 1957 and throughout the 1960s helped shape British comedy with varied and often experimental styles. In the 1960s, the BBC produced a then-rare workplace comedy with ''[[The Rag Trade]]'' (1961–1963, 1977–1978) written by [[Chesney and Wolfe|Ronald Wolfe and Ronald Chesney]]. The success of the series was due partly to the strength of the female ensemble playing the workforce, who included [[Sheila Hancock]], [[Barbara Windsor]] and [[Esma Cannon]].<ref name="GAUG"/><ref>John Oliver [http://www.screenonline.org.uk/people/id/572407/index.html "Chesney, Ronald (1920-) and Wolfe, Ronald (1924-)"], BFI screenonline</ref> It also made the earliest of [[Richard Waring (writer)|Richard Waring]]'s domestic comedies, ''[[Marriage Lines]]'' (1961–1966), starring [[Richard Briers]] (later to star in ''[[The Good Life (1975 TV series)|The Good Life]]'') and [[Prunella Scales]] (who went on to star in ''[[Fawlty Towers]]''), and ''[[Not in Front of the Children (TV series)|Not in Front of the Children]]'' (1967–70), starring [[Wendy Craig]].
Women were usually only cast in secondary roles in this period, though several series with Craig in the lead were an exception. Sitcoms developed by [[Carla Lane]], the first successful female writer in the form,<ref>Julia Hallam [http://www.screenonline.org.uk/people/id/975584/index.html "Lane, Carla (1937-)"], BFI screenonline</ref> began with ''[[The Liver Birds]]'' (1969–1979, 1996), initially in collaboration with others.

Another change, with ''[[Steptoe and Son]]'' (1962–65, 1970–74) and ''[[The Likely Lads]]'' (1964–1966), producers began to cast actors, rather than the comedians around whom earlier series like ''Whack-O!'', with Jimmy Edwards, or ''Hancock's Half Hour'', had been built.<ref>John Oliver [http://www.screenonline.org.uk/people/id/467108/index.html "Galton, Ray (1930-) and Simpson, Alan (1929-)"], BFI screenonline</ref><ref>{{cite news
|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2570620/Ray-Galton-and-Alan-Simpson-look-back-in-laughter.html
|title=Ray Galton and Alan Simpson look back in laughter
|date=16 August 2008
|work=The Telegraph
|access-date=30 December 2021}}</ref>

===''Bootsie and Snudge''===
As a spin-off sequel to ''The Army Game'' and also starring Bill Fraser and Alfie Bass, ''[[Bootsie and Snudge]]'', (1960–1963, 1974) was written by a large team over its 104 episodes.<ref>{{cite web |title=Bootsie and Snudge |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0053486/ |website=imdb.com |access-date=27 March 2022}}</ref> Writers for the 1960–63 episodes included Marty Feldman, Barry Took,<ref>{{cite web
|url=https://www.comedy.co.uk/people/barry_took/
|title=Barry Took
|year=2021
|work=British Comedy Guide
|publisher=Digital Mark Ltd
|access-date=29 December 2021}}</ref> John Antrobus, [[Ray Rigby (screenwriter)|Ray Rigby]], David Cumming, Derek Collyer, James Kelly, Peter Lambda, Tom Espie, [[Jack Rosenthal]], [[Harry Driver]], and Doug Eden. The 1974 series was written by David Climie, [[Ronald Cass|Ronnie Cass]] and Lew Schwarz.<ref name="RTLewis"/> The series established the reputation of actor [[Clive Dunn]], leading to his role as [[Lance Corporal Jones|Corporal Jones]] in ''[[Dad's Army]]''.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/clive-dunn-mn0000464341/biography|title=Clive Dunn &#124; Biography & History|website=AllMusic}}</ref>

===''Marriage Lines''===
Running for 43 episodes over 5 series (1963–1966),  first titled ''The Marriage Lines'',  ''[[Marriage Lines]]'' was written by Richard Waring and directed and produced by [[Robin Nash]] and Graeme Muir.<ref name="BCGML">{{cite web
|url=https://www.comedy.co.uk/tv/marriage_lines/
|title=Marriage Lines
|work=British Comedy Guide
|access-date=4 January 2022}}</ref><ref>[https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0611357/ IMDB, Graeme Muir] Retrieved 8 January 2022</ref> The traditional domestic comedy about a young couple learning to cope with married life reflected social attitudes of the times, and provided its lead stars [[Richard Briers]] (''[[The Good Life (1975 TV series)|The Good Life]]'', ''[[Ever Decreasing Circles]]'') and [[Prunella Scales]] (''[[Fawlty Towers]]'') with a significant boost to their careers.<ref>{{cite web
|url=https://www.bbc.com/historyofthebbc/anniversaries/august/marriage-lines/
|title=The Marriage Lines
|work=BBC 100
|publisher=BBC
|access-date=4 January 2022}}</ref> The supporting cast included [[Edward de Souza]], [[Ronald Hines]] and [[Christine Finn]].<ref name="BCGML" />

===''Steptoe and Son''===
With its cast of only two regular characters played by [[Harry H. Corbett]] and [[Wilfrid Brambell]], airing 1962–65 and 1970–74, ''[[Steptoe and Son]]'' was a [[Galton and Simpson]] creation and ran for 57 episodes over 8 series. Producers included [[Duncan Wood]], [[John Howard Davies]], Graeme Muir, and [[Douglas Argent]].<ref name="BBCstep"/> In 2000, the show was ranked number 44 on the [[BFI TV 100|100 Greatest British Television Programmes]] compiled by the [[British Film Institute]]. In a 2001 [[Channel 4]] poll Albert was ranked 39th on their list of the [[100 Greatest (TV series)|100 Greatest TV Characters]],<ref name="100Actors">{{cite web |url=http://www.channel4.com/entertainment/tv/microsites/G/greatest/tv_characters/results.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090531160558/http://www.channel4.com/entertainment/tv/microsites/G/greatest/tv_characters/results.html |archive-date=31 May 2009 |title=100 Greatest TV Characters |access-date=31 December 2021 |publisher=[[Channel 4]]}}</ref><ref name="100great">{{cite web |url=http://www.itnsource.com/en/shotlist/ITVProgs/2001/05/05/Y22090001/ |title=100 Greatest ... (100 Greatest TV Characters (Part 1)) |publisher=[[ITN Source]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150221233837/http://www.itnsource.com/en/shotlist/ITVProgs/2001/05/05/Y22090001/ |archive-date=21 February 2015 |access-date=31 December 2021}}</ref> The series was derived from a one-off Galton and Simpson comic play, "The Offer", shown on their BBC series Comedy Playhouse in 1962. It is regularly repeated and gave rise to four feature films.<ref name="BBCstep">{{cite web
|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/steptoeandson/
|title=Steptoe and Son
|work=BBC Comedy
|publisher=BBC
|access-date=4 January 2022}}</ref>

===''Till Death Us Do Part''===
Written by [[Johnny Speight]] and broadcast 1965–1968 and 1972–1975, ''[[Till Death Us Do Part]]'' featured [[Warren Mitchell]] as [[Alf Garnett]] and was an instant hit. Centred on the bigoted character of Alf Garnett, it addressed racial and political issues that had been becoming increasingly prevalent in British society. It was criticised by campaigner [[Mary Whitehouse]] for its bad language, and due to changing attitudes in [[political correctness]] it is seldom repeated.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.ie/entertainment/television/till-death-us-do-part-theres-a-reason-why-thisjaw-droppingly-racist-show-will-stay-buried-40765880.html
|title=Till Death Us Do Part: There's a reason why this jaw-droppingly racist show will stay buried
|last=Stacey
|first=Pat
|date=19 August 2021
|work=Irish Independent
|access-date=30 December 2021}}</ref><ref>Jonathan Brown [https://web.archive.org/web/20101001223421/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/mary-whitehouse-to-some-a-crank-to-others-a-warrior-617910.html "Mary Whitehouse: To some a crank, to others a warrior: Mary Whitehouse On"], ''The Independent'', 24 November 2001</ref><ref>{{cite web
|url=https://www.thetimes.com/culture/tv-radio/article/controversial-seventies-tv-shows-omitted-by-uk-streaming-service-britbox-q2fs56k2v
|title=Bigot ban as new Britbox streaming service shuns 1970s TV shows
|last=Moore
|first=Matthew
|date=8 November 2019
|work=[[The Times]]
|access-date=30 December 2021}}</ref>

===''Dad's Army''===
Based on a World War II theme, ''[[Dad's Army]]'' (1968–1977) by [[Jimmy Perry]] and [[David Croft (TV producer)|David Croft]], was a gentle mockery of Britain's 'finest hour' and the [[Home Guard (United Kingdom)|Home Guard]]. One of the most enduring British sitcoms, it starred [[Arthur Lowe]] and [[John Le Mesurier]], whose interaction with Lowe's character [[Captain Mainwaring]] was described by ''The Times'' as "a memorable part of one of television's most popular shows".<ref name="Times Obit">
{{cite news|title=Obituary: John Le Mesurier|newspaper=[[The Times]]|date=16 November 1983|location=London|page=14}}</ref> It also starred [[Clive Dunn]], [[John Laurie]], [[Ian Lavender]] and [[Arnold Ridley]]. During its original television run, the show was nominated for multiple [[British Academy Television Awards]], including "Best Situation Comedy" in 1973, 1974 and 1975, although only won "Best Light Entertainment Production Team" in 1971. In 2000, the show was voted 13th in a British Film Institute poll of industry professionals of the 100 Greatest British Television Programmes. In 2004, championed by [[Phill Jupitus]], it came fourth in the BBC poll to find [[Britain's Best Sitcom]].<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/sitcom/winner.shtml The final top-ten of Britain's Best Sitcom], URL accessed 4 June 2006</ref> As of 2022 it is one of British television's most regularly repeated sitcoms.

===''All Gas and Gaiters''===
Bringing the first light-hearted satirical look at the [[Church of England|church]], during 1966–1971 ''[[All Gas and Gaiters]]'' paved the way for ''[[Bless Me, Father]]'' (1978–1981) with Arthur Lowe, and farcical ecclesiastical comedies such as ''[[Father Ted]]'' and ''[[The Vicar of Dibley]]'' in the 1990s.<ref name="BBCagag">{{cite web
|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/allgasandgaiters/
|title=All Gas and Gaiters
|date=21 October 2014
|work=BBC Comedy
|publisher=BBC
|access-date=9 January 2022}}</ref> Starring [[Derek Nimmo]] with [[Robertson Hare]], [[William Mervyn]], [[John Barron (actor)|John Barron]], [[Joan Sanderson]] (''[[Please Sir!]]'', ''[[Fawlty Towers]]''), and [[Ernest Clark]],<ref name="BCCagag">{{cite web
|url=https://www.britishclassiccomedy.co.uk/a-comedy-playhouse-classic-all-gas-and-gaiters
|title=All Gas And Gaiters
|date=24 September 2021
|work=British Classic Comedy
|access-date=9 January 2022}}</ref> it was written by husband-and-wife team [[Pauline Devaney]] and [[Edwin Apps]] and directed by [[John Howard Davies]] and Stuart Allen.<ref name="INDYnimmo">{{cite web
|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/obituary-derek-nimmo-1073206.html
|title=Obituary: Derek Nimmo
|last=Hayward
|first=Anthony
|date=26 February 1999
|work=Independent
|publisher=Independent News & Media
|access-date=9 January 2022}}</ref><ref name="BCGagag">{{cite web
|url=https://www.comedy.co.uk/tv/all_gas_and_gaiters/
|title=All Gas And Gaiters
|work=British Comedy Guide
|access-date=9 January 2022}}</ref> The successful series, which after an initial controversy became a favourite of Britain's [[clergy]],<ref name="BBCagag"/> was followed by two spin-offs also starring Nimmo: ''[[Oh, Brother!]]'' (1968–1970), 19 episodes written by David Climie and Austin Steele, with supporting roles by [[Felix Aylmer|Sir Felix Aylmer]], [[Patrick McAlinney]] and [[Derek Francis]], and its sequel ''[[Oh, Brother!#Sequel series|Oh, Father!]]'' (1973) with Felix Aylmer, [[Laurence Naismith]], [[Pearl Hackney]] and [[David Kelly (actor)|David Kelly]], also written by Climie and Steele.<ref name="BCGof">{{cite web
|url=https://www.comedy.co.uk/tv/oh_father/cast_crew/
|title=Oh Father!
|work=British Comedy Guide
|access-date=9 January 2022}}</ref> ''All Gas and Gaiters'' was produced by Stuart Allen, John Howard Davies, and Robin Nash,<ref name="BCCagag"/> and the music was provided by [[Stanley Myers]].<ref name="BCGagag"/>

===''Me Mammy''===
With [[Milo O'Shea]], and [[Yootha Joyce]] (''[[Man About the House]]'', ''[[George and Mildred]]'')  in the lead roles, ''[[Me Mammy]]'' was written by [[Hugh Leonard]], produced by [[James Gilbert (producer)|James Gilbert]] and [[Sydney Lotterby]] for the BBC and aired 1968–1971 for 21 episodes over 3 series. Bunjy Kennefick, played by O'Shea, is an Irish [[mother's boy]] living in London. He is a top executive of a company and lives a bachelor lifestyle. However, his old-fashioned Catholic mother often puts a stop to his plans, many of them involving his girlfriend Miss Argyll, played by Joyce.<ref>{{cite web
|url=https://www.comedy.co.uk/tv/me_mammy/
|title=Me Mammy
|work=British Comedy Guide
|access-date=4 January 2022}}</ref>