Banter, buffoonery, and a lovely bit of squirrel: The art of the Britcom

Britcoms, or British sitcoms, are in my opinion some of the best television series that Britain has created. Many of their characters have become national treasures, and certain lines have infiltrated British culture. I’ve collected a few of my favourites, in the hopes of portraying the brilliance that is British humour. 

So, what makes a good Britcom? And why are they so rewatchable? 

The Inbetweeners

In what Channel 4 describes as “boys behaving sadly”, The Inbetweeners follows Sixth form students Simon, Will, Jay, and Neil. Comedian Greg Davies takes on the role of their teacher Mr Gilbert, with wry consequences. Jay’s characteristically colourful language seasons the series, including the classic “Bus wankers”. 

Potentially the most memorable episode is where the lads take Simon’s iconic tiny yellow car to Thorpe Park, get stuck in a funeral procession on the way, and have their car door broken off in the car park. In another episode, the lads even end up taking a trip to Warwick University, and I have to say that the portrayal of Warwick students’ drinking games hasn’t changed much since the late 2000s.  

The Inbetweeners is truly unforgettable – for good or bad, with its success only growing over time: being followed by two films. 

Friday Night Dinner

This series follows the Jewish Goodman family: Jackie, Martin, and their sons Adam and Jonny, as they spend traditional Friday night dinners together. Without fail, the Goodmans are visited by their eclectic neighbour Jim and his dog Wilson, whom he is absolutely terrified of. Jim always ends up doing something random with catastrophic consequences. 

Friday Night Dinner is genuinely ridiculous, with anything and everything happening to the family. Whether that be a car setting on fire, a caravan setting on fire, or Grandma getting trapped in the car boot with a multipack of yoghurts. The blunt line delivery and sarcastic comments fuel the drama, with Martin’s famous line “Shit on it!” being the most iconic. Characteristically every dinner, Martin also comments “lovely bit of squirrel”, regardless of the meat they are eating. With a brilliant array of secondary characters from Aunty Val to Horrible Grandma, Friday Night Dinner is hilarious, and the Goodmans seem like a family you could actually know. 

Ghosts

The brilliant cast of Horrible Histories is back in Ghosts. The series follows Alison, who inherits a manor house, and due to a near-death experience, can see the nine ghosts living there. From a caveman to a 1990s politician, these ghosts span history, each providing a unique insight into modern life at the house. These ghosts commentate Alison’s life, generally causing chaos: a situation made even more absurd by Mike, Alison’s husband, not being able to see or hear them.  

Stath Lets Flats

A true feat of British television, Stath Lets Flats follows letting agent Michael & Eagle. Stath’s Greek-Cypriot family owns the business, hence the only reason why he is working there. The incompetent Stath navigates house tours and letting flats, among his colleagues, including the eternally optimistic Al, and his sister Sophie. 

Stath’s escapades include: setting a back garden on fire, setting home alarms off, getting into fights with rival letting agents, trying to capture a pigeon inside a house, and overall being ridiculous. In what can only be described as an absolutely brilliant script, this series is guaranteed to have you laughing out loud, and confusing your flatmates (in the best way).  

Each of these Britcoms follow the everyday lives of normal people, with unintentionally hilarious consequences. They all have superbly crafted scripts, that reveal the humour in everyday life, but also each perfectly understand comedic timing, a hugely key element for Britcoms. 

The quintessentially British dry humour in all of these series, ties the whole thing together, making comedy the beating heart of Britcoms. This means that all of these series are highly rewatchable, and can be watched at any episode without much context required. 

Do yourself a favour and watch these Britcoms if you haven’t already discovered their comedic genius… I’m sure you won’t regret it.