Editing British sitcom (section)

==Research==
In 2005, a group of scientists led by Dr. [[Helen Pilcher]] was commissioned by the satellite channel [[Gold (British TV channel)|UKTV Gold]] to study 20 years of British sitcoms. Using the medical drama ''[[Casualty (TV series)|Casualty]]'' as a control, the team came up with a formula for measuring the success or failure of sitcoms. This formula assessed the recognisability of the main character and their delusions of grandeur, the wittiness of the script, the physical injuries the cast suffer and their differences in social statues, and the success of any plans. There was a maximum score of 1120, and ''Casualty'' scored 5.5. The top shows and their scores were ''Only Fools and Horses'' (which scored 696), ''The Office'' (678), ''Father Ted'' (564), ''Fawlty Towers'' (557), and ''Blackadder'' (374.5).

The very worst sitcoms were:
* ''[[Eyes Down]]'' (2003–2004), starring [[Paul O'Grady]] and [[Sheridan Smith]], which scored 96. 
* ''[[According to Bex]]'' (2005), with [[Jessica Hynes|Jessica Stevenson]], and written by Katie Douglas, [[Julia Barron]] and [[Fred Barron]].<ref name="bbc">{{cite web |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2003/11_november/27/barron_series.shtml |title=My Family creator Fred Barron gets new BBC ONE series |access-date=30 December 2021 |work=[[BBC]] press office }}</ref> Critical reception to this show was negative, with ''[[The Stage]]'' calling it "the biggest sitcom disaster of the year"<ref name="stage">{{cite web |url=http://www.thestage.co.uk/features/feature.php/11114/doctor-in-the-house-tv-highlights-2005
 |title=Doctor in the house – TV Highlights 2005 |access-date=28 May 2009 |work=[[The Stage]] website }}</ref> and the ''British Comedy Guide'' describing it as "dull and predictable".<ref name="guide">{{cite web |url=http://www.comedy.org.uk/guide/tv/according_to_bex
 |title=According to Bex |access-date=28 May 2009 |work=British Comedy Guide }}</ref> Despite reports that a second series had been planned,<ref name="mirror">{{cite web |url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/tv-entertainment/tv/tv-land/2004/12/04/gosh-and-bex-115875-14943865 |title=GOSH AND BEX |access-date=28 May 2009 |work=[[Daily Mirror|The Mirror]] website }}</ref> the show was cancelled after the first series due to low ratings.<ref name="guardianPlun">{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2005/jan/31/overnights |title=BBC1 comedy slips to ratings low |access-date=30 December 2021 |work=[[The Guardian]] website | location=London | first=John | last=Plunkett | date=31 January 2005}}</ref> Stevenson considered the series so bad that she quit her agent.<ref name="guardian_agent">{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2007/may/25/broadcasting.genderissues |title='I went mainstream. It really wasn't me' |access-date=14 February 2016 |work=[[The Guardian]] website | location=London | first=Gareth | last=McLean | date=30 December 2021}}</ref> It scored 67.
* ''[[Sam's Game (TV series)|Sam's Game]]'' (2001), starring TV presenter [[Davina McCall]] and comedian [[Ed Byrne (comedian)|Ed Byrne]]. Written by Byrne and uncredited contributors, it ran for only six episodes. It scored 22.
* ''[[Babes in the Wood (TV series)|Babes in the Wood]]'' (1998–1999), a flat-share comedy created and written by [[Modern Romance (band)|Geoff Deane]]. ''The Times'' called it "very shoddy".<ref>{{cite news|title=Carry on Denise – Interview|newspaper=[[The Times]]|date=11 September 1999|page=Times Magazine 16}}</ref> ''The Rough Guide to British Cult Comedy'' called it "hackneyed".<ref>{{cite book|last=Hall|first=Julian|title=The Rough Guide to British Cult Comedy|url=https://archive.org/details/roughguidetobrit00hall|url-access=registration|year=2006|pages=[https://archive.org/details/roughguidetobrit00hall/page/131 131]|publisher=Rough Guides| isbn=9781843536185 }}</ref> The ''Daily Mirror'' was highly critical of [[Claire King]]'s guest appearance.<ref>{{cite news|last=Purnell|first=Tony|title=LAST NIGHT'S VIEW|newspaper=Daily Mirror (UK)|date=25 August 1999|page=24}}</ref> In an overview of ITV programmes, columnist Stuart Heritage of ''The Guardian'' named ''Babes in the Wood'' as one of the worst shows in the network's history. He described ''Babes in the Wood'' as "a show where some babes live in [[St John's Wood]] and literally nothing else happens".<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/tvandradioblog/2015/sep/22/brideshead-revisited-celebrity-wrestling-best-worst-itv-60 "Brideshead Revisited or Celebrity Wrestling: the best and worst of ITV"] ''The Guardian'', 22 September 2015. Retrieved 30 December 2021.</ref> It scored 8.
* ''[['Orrible]]'' (2001), written by and starring [[Johnny Vaughan]], and lasting only for 8 episodes, came last with a score of 6.5.