The 20 Greatest Moments in British Comedy
The Insider's Michelle Street Reveals Her Picks
20.) MY HERO - ARNIE MEETS MRS. RAVEN
My Hero not only features the wonderful Ardal O'Hanlon as superhero George Sunday, but also boasts one of the best supporting characters in recent memory: the sarcastic, venom-spewing health center receptionist Mrs. Raven. Sparks - and insults - fly when Mrs. Raven meets her match in George's equally caustic cousin Arnie. What else can this lead to but love?
19.) ARE YOU BEING SERVED? - MR. LUCAS "SAVES" MRS. SLOCOMBE IN THE EPISODE FIRE PRACTICE
AYBS? is full of physical gags, but few are better than when Mr. Lucas has to lift Mrs. Slocombe over his shoulder during a practice fire drill. His attempts to keep her aloft are classic. Kudos to both Trevor Bannister and Mollie Sugden for a priceless sequence that makes you laugh no matter how many times you see it.
18.) FATHER TED - DOUGAL AND TED SING FOR IRELAND AT THE EUROVISION SONG CONTEST IN THE EPISODE SONG FOR EUROPE
Father Ted Crilley may be a man of faith, but he still dreams of fame and fortune. An appearance at the Eurovision song contest may just be the ticket. Sadly, the song he and Father Dougal write - with its stolen melody and lame lyrics about "My Lovely Horse" - causes the competition to end on a sour note.
17.) LAST OF THE SUMMER WINE - COMPO IS LAID TO REST
When star Bill Owen died, it could not have been easy to write him out of the series. Compo was one of the original and most beloved characters in this long-running sitcom. Yet in a series of three episodes, writer Roy Clarke managed a remarkably poignant and funny tribute to the little man in the wooly hat.
16.) KEEPING UP APPEARANCES - HYACINTH IS DRENCHED WHILE BOATING ON THE RIVER
As Hyacinth Bucket, the usually dignified Patricia Routledge does whatever is needed to get a laugh. Allowing herself to be drenched in water at the end of WATERSIDE SUPPER WITH RIPARIAN ENTERTAINMENTS goes above and beyond the call of the duty but results in a hysterical moment. The "Queen wave" as she passes her family on the shore is a great end to this classic moment.
15.) RED DWARF - KRYTEN HELPS LISTER GET THE KEBAB OUT OF HIS PANTS
Sometimes the cheapest gags are the best. In POLYMORPH, Lister goes to eat a kebab that mysteriously changes shape and ends up down his pants. Kryten tries to help him remove the kebab and Rimmer finds the pair in what you would call a very compromising position.
14.) ARE YOU BEING SERVED? - MRS. SLOCOMBE'S GREEK WEDDING
When Mrs. Slocombe needs a last-minute replacement for her Greek fiancé, who it turns out was already married, her co-workers step in and give her a wedding to remember. They also give her a substitute groom to remember in the form of Mr. Humphries. One of the better AYBS? "dress up and dance" numbers.
13.) KEEPING UP APPEARANCES - HYACINTH AND ONSLOW DANCE ABOARD THE QE2
Hyacinth has always avoided association with her brother-in-law Onslow. Yet when he takes the spotlight as the winner of a free cruise on the QE2 she can't help but improve her social standing on the ship by shaking a leg with him.
12.) VICAR OF DIBLEY - GERALDINE FALLS FOR SIMON
Geraldine Grainger puts the needs of her parishioners first, even when she has a handsome man waiting for her. However, once everyone else is taken care of, Geraldine allows herself a memorable night of passion with David Horton's brother Simon. The look - and hair - on Dawn French as she comes downstairs in the morning is a riot.
11.) ONE FOOT IN THE GRAVE - VICTOR'S DEMISE
When it was decided that One Foot in the Grave had run its course, writer David Renwick bravely decided to kill off its main character, the iconic Victor Meldrew. That way there could be absolutely no discussion of another series. The scene of Victor's death is not funny, but perfectly done. The image of his hat floating in the puddle and his arm falling to the ground is heartbreaking. The rest of the episode is sheer perfection as well, including the montage of Victor's greatest moments at the end.
10.) AS TIME GOES BY - LIONEL PROPOSES TO JEAN
It takes almost forty years to happen, but Lionel finally proposes to Jean. Writer Bob Larbey emphasizes the fact that love can come at any age - even when you're so old that, as in Lionel's case, getting down on one knee can cause some problems.
9.) FAWLTY TOWERS - BASIL WAITS ON THE GERMANS
Who can forget the classic "Don't mention the war!" and Cleese somewhat reprising the classic silly walk from his Monty Python days? (Interesting that the goosestep is preceded by the line, "Right, I'll do the silly walk," as if Cleese is acknowledging a part of his past that he'll never get rid of.) If this doesn't make you laugh until you snort you need treatment.
8.) KEEPING UP APPEARANCES - HYACINTH CLIMBS OVER WALLS TO GET TO DAISY'S HOUSE
Elizabeth is being neighborly and gives Hyacinth a lift to Daisy's house. Hyacinth doesn't want Elizabeth to know that her sister lives in a hovel, so she has her drop her off a few streets away. Hyacinth then makes her way to Daisy's house by climbing over walls and creeping through backyards. A great sequence made all the more remarkable by fact that, with no disrespect intended, Patricia Routledge wasn't exactly a spring chicken when she performed it.
7.) MONTY PYTHON'S FLYING CIRCUS - DEAD PARROTT SKETCH
Now, how many different ways did you learn to express that something has passed on thanks to this sketch? I know I picked up a few. An exquisite example of what the Pythons would refer to as a "Roget's Thesaurus" sketch, where they would go to the thesaurus and fill a skit with different ways of saying the same thing. Years later, Cleese and Palin would perform this at an Amnesty International benefit and it still had the ability to crack them up.
6.) YES, PRIME MINISTER - SIR HUMPHREY IS LOCKED OUT
Actually, there are a number of great moments in the episode THE KEY. Hacker takes away Sir Humphrey's key to Number 10 following a power struggle with another of Hacker's political advisors. Sir Humphrey's increasingly frantic attempts to regain access to Number 10 and the PM is a tour-de-force for co-star Nigel Hawthorne.
5.) BLACKADDER GOES FORTH - THEY FINALLY GO OVER THE TOP
Blackadder was known for its sarcasm, its similes and for sometimes plunging into toilet humor. Yet the ending - with Edmund and the troops going over the top to certain death - was as poignant and heartbreaking as they come. Producer John Lloyd is said to be responsible for the idea of the final shot of the battlefield turning into a field of poppies.
4.) GOOD NEIGHBORS - MARGO TRIES TO HELP OUT
Margo Leadbetter, played in a star-making turn by Penelope Keith, is one of British comedy's most enduringly funny characters. She is prim, starchy, and admittedly not someone who can take a joke. So when she slips in the mud while trying to help Tom and Barbara bring in their crop, her pride is wounded in a hilarious manner.
3.) BLACKADDER II - LORD FLASHEART STEALS "BOB"
Poor Edmund. Just when he's just found the love of his life in the form of "Bob," a girl he thought was a boy, his wedding day is ruined by the arrival of his best man, Lord Flasheart. Flash is a force of nature who makes all the women swoon. He ends up stealing Edmund's thunder - and his bride. Rik Mayall absolutely chews the scenery as Lord Flasheart. Woof!
2.) ARE YOU BEING SERVED? - GERMAN WEEK DANCE
Are You Being Served? has a number of fun production numbers, but the site of the Grace Brothers staff in lederhosen (especially Mr. Humphries!) is hands down the silliest and the best. Captain Peacock and a drunk Mrs. Slocombe taking it all a bit too seriously and getting into a slapping match makes it all the more perfect.
1.) FAWLTY TOWERS - BASIL BEATS UP HIS CAR
I'm sure we'll all had times in our lives when we've wanted to reenact this scene, right? Basil Fawlty usually takes out his frustrations on the hapless Manuel, but when his car stalls and almost causes the ruination of Fawlty Towers' first gourmet night, he finds a branch and lets the car have it. Of course, all of this could've been avoided had he listened to Sybil and not tried to fix the car himself. A wonderful scene that beautifully sums up the character of Basil and all that is great about Fawlty Towers.
The Insider, March 2004
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