List Of Comedies By Year
Here is the history of British comedy, sorted by the year shows were first broadcast...
![]() |
2013A guide to the comedies broadcast in 2013. New shows launched this year include The Job Lot (pictured). |
![]() |
2012A guide to the comedies broadcast in 2012. New shows launched this year include Bad Sugar (pictured), Just A Minute, Cricklewood Greats and Sex And The Chippy. |
![]() |
2011A guide to the comedies broadcast in 2011. New shows launched this year included Beaver Falls (pictured), Friday Night Dinner, Sugartown and Edinburgh Comedy Live. |
![]() |
2010A guide to the comedies broadcast in 2010. New shows launched this year included Dylan Moran: What It Is (pictured), Zimbani, One Non Blonde: Down Under and Mark Watson Kicks Off. |
![]() |
2009A guide to the comedies broadcast in 2009. New shows launched this year included Burnistoun (pictured), Guantanamo Phil, Unwrapped With Miranda Hart and Big Top. |
![]() |
2008A guide to the comedies broadcast in 2008. New shows launched this year included Greatest Comedy Catchphrases (pictured), The Curse Of Steptoe, Argumental and New Heroes Of Comedy. |
![]() |
2007A guide to the comedies broadcast in 2007. New shows launched this year included Doug Stanhope: Go Home (pictured), Be More Ethnic, The Armstrong & Miller Show and The Comedy Map Of Britain. |
![]() |
2006A guide to the comedies broadcast in 2006. New shows launched this year included The Charlotte Church Show (pictured), Rich Hall's Cattle Drive, TV Heaven, Telly Hell and Man To Man With Dean Learner. |
![]() |
2005A guide to the comedies broadcast in 2005. New shows launched this year included According To Bex (pictured), The Comedians' Comedian, Bromwell High and The Robinsons. |
![]() |
2004A guide to the comedies broadcast in 2004. New shows launched this year included Ross Noble: Unrealtime (pictured), Doctors And Nurses, Sex, Secrets & Frankie Howerd and 2004: The Stupid Version. |
![]() |
2003A guide to the comedies broadcast in 2003. New shows launched this year included My New Best Friend (pictured), The Pilot Show, Absolute Power and QI. |
![]() |
2002A guide to the comedies broadcast in 2002. New shows launched this year included Meet The Magoons (pictured), Victoria At The Albert, Ed Stone Is Dead and Matthew & Tone. |
![]() |
2001A guide to the comedies broadcast in 2001. New shows launched this year included The Mitchell And Webb Situation (pictured), Adrian Mole: The Cappuccino Years, Being Dom Joly and Arena: The Entertainers - Sykes And A Day. |
![]() |
2000A guide to the comedies broadcast in 2000. New shows launched this year included Time Gentlemen Please (pictured), Jam, Life's A Pitch and Beast. |
![]() |
1999A guide to the comedies broadcast in 1999. New shows launched this year included Heart & Sole (pictured), From Spam To Sperm, Passion Killers and Small Potatoes. |
![]() |
1998A guide to the comedies broadcast in 1998. New shows launched this year included Jack & The Beanstalk (pictured), Duck Patrol, The Last Salute and Alexei Sayle's Merry-Go-Round. |
![]() |
1997A guide to the comedies broadcast in 1997. New shows launched this year included Comedy Store (pictured), Harry Hill, Keeping Mum and No Sweat. |
![]() |
1996A guide to the comedies broadcast in 1996. New shows launched this year included Never Mind The Buzzcocks (pictured), An Evening With..., My Wonderful Life and Blouse And Skirt. |
![]() |
1995A guide to the comedies broadcast in 1995. New shows launched this year included Game On (pictured), The Glam Metal Detectives, Down To Earth and Agony Again. |
![]() |
1994A guide to the comedies broadcast in 1994. New shows launched this year included The Fast Show (pictured), The Tales Of Para Handy, Zig And Zag's Dirty Deeds and Carrott-U-Like. |
![]() |
1993A guide to the comedies broadcast in 1993. New shows launched this year included Knowing Me, Knowing You... With Alan Partridge (pictured), Every Silver Lining, The Brown Man and Stuck On You. |
![]() |
1992A guide to the comedies broadcast in 1992. New shows launched this year included Mulberry (pictured), Bunch Of Five, Dead At Thirty and The Brian Conley Show. |
![]() |
1991A guide to the comedies broadcast in 1991. New shows launched this year included Joking Apart (pictured), The Boys From The Bush, So You Think You've Got Troubles and Hope It Rains. |
![]() |
1990A guide to the comedies broadcast in 1990. New shows launched this year included Haggard (pictured), Spatz, Nightingales and The Mary Whitehouse Experience. |
![]() |
1989A guide to the comedies broadcast in 1989. New shows launched this year included Victoria Wood (pictured), Creature Comforts, Close To Home and All Change. |
![]() |
1988A guide to the comedies broadcast in 1988. New shows launched this year included Friday Night Live (pictured), Palace Hill, The Beiderbecke Connection and News At Twelve. |
![]() |
1987A guide to the comedies broadcast in 1987. New shows launched this year included ChuckleVision (pictured), Ffizz, A Small Problem and The Corner House. |
![]() |
1986A guide to the comedies broadcast in 1986. New shows launched this year included Slinger's Day (pictured), Hale And Pace, Bread and Farrington Of The F.O.. |
![]() |
1985A guide to the comedies broadcast in 1985. New shows launched this year included Home To Roost (pictured), Walking The Planks, A Dabble With Digance and Happy Families. |
![]() |
1984A guide to the comedies broadcast in 1984. New shows launched this year included The Bullshitters (pictured), Singles, Ever Decreasing Circles and See How They Run. |
![]() |
1983A guide to the comedies broadcast in 1983. New shows launched this year included Affairs Of The Heart (pictured), The Home Front, The Bob Monkhouse Show and Luna. |
![]() |
1982A guide to the comedies broadcast in 1982. New shows launched this year included Further Adventures Of Lucky Jim (pictured), Third Time Lucky, Don't Rock The Boat and Horace. |
![]() |
1981A guide to the comedies broadcast in 1981. New shows launched this year included Solo (pictured), The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy, Scoop and 81 Take 2. |
![]() |
1980A guide to the comedies broadcast in 1980. New shows launched this year included The Sun Trap (pictured), Frankie Howerd Reveals All, Hi-De-Hi! and The Glamour Girls. |
![]() |
1979A guide to the comedies broadcast in 1979. New shows launched this year included Terry & June (pictured), The Plank, The Ken Dodd Laughter Show and Mixed Blessings. |
![]() |
1978A guide to the comedies broadcast in 1978. New shows launched this year included Going Straight (pictured), The Glums, Cooper - Just Like That and An Evening With Dave Evans. |
![]() |
1977A guide to the comedies broadcast in 1977. New shows launched this year included Big Deal At York City (pictured), Citizen Smith, Eric Sykes Shows A Few Of Our Favourite Things and Rosie. |
![]() |
1976A guide to the comedies broadcast in 1976. New shows launched this year included Yus, My Dear (pictured), The Two Ronnies Present - The Picnic, Maggie And Her and The Day I Shot My Dad. |
![]() |
1975A guide to the comedies broadcast in 1975. New shows launched this year included Sadie, It's Cold Outside (pictured), The Last Of The Best Men, The Truth About Verity and You Must Be Joking!. |
![]() |
1974A guide to the comedies broadcast in 1974. New shows launched this year included It Ain't Half Hot Mum (pictured), Follow That Dog, Behind The Fridge and Oh No It's Selwyn Froggitt. |
![]() |
1973A guide to the comedies broadcast in 1973. New shows launched this year included Man About The House (pictured), Men Of Affairs, Oh Father! and The Tommy Cooper Hour. |
![]() |
1972A guide to the comedies broadcast in 1972. New shows launched this year included Clochemerle (pictured), Love Thy Neighbour, Pardon My Genie and The Train Now Standing. |
![]() |
1971A guide to the comedies broadcast in 1971. New shows launched this year included The Two Ronnies (pictured), Tottering Towers, Uncle Tulip and Now Look Here.... |
![]() |
1970A guide to the comedies broadcast in 1970. New shows launched this year included The Lovers (pictured), Norman, The Misfit and Don't Ring Us... We'll Ring You. |
![]() |
1969A guide to the comedies broadcast in 1969. New shows launched this year included Dear Mother.... ....Love Albert (pictured), The Valley Express, The Corbett Follies and Tooth And Claw. |
![]() |
1968A guide to the comedies broadcast in 1968. New shows launched this year included Please Sir! (pictured), Never A Cross Word, Minding The Shop and Ukridge. |
![]() |
1967A guide to the comedies broadcast in 1967. New shows launched this year included A. P. Herbert's Misleading Cases (pictured), Heirs On A Shoestring, Mr Aitch and A Series Of Bird's. |
![]() |
1966A guide to the comedies broadcast in 1966. New shows launched this year included All Gas And Gaiters (pictured), Mr John Jorrocks, On The Margin and A Little Learning. |
![]() |
1965A guide to the comedies broadcast in 1965. New shows launched this year included Till Death Us Do Part (pictured), Are There Any More At Home Like You?, The Bed-Sit Girl and The Worker. |
![]() |
1964A guide to the comedies broadcast in 1964. New shows launched this year included The Big Noise (pictured), Not So Much A Programme More A Way Of Life, Dave's Kingdom and Joyce Grenfell. |
![]() |
1963A guide to the comedies broadcast in 1963. New shows launched this year included Fools Rush In (pictured), The Des O'Connor Show, The Bachelor Girls and Comedy Four. |
![]() |
1962A guide to the comedies broadcast in 1962. New shows launched this year included The Channel Swimmer (pictured), Visiting Day, Mr Pastry's Pet Shop and That Was The Week That Was. |
![]() |
1961A guide to the comedies broadcast in 1961. New shows launched this year included The Rag Trade (pictured), Colonel Trumper's Private War, Lunch In The Park and Mr Pastry Hooks A Spook. |
![]() |
1960A guide to the comedies broadcast in 1960. New shows launched this year included Sykes And A... (pictured), Arthur's Treasured Volumes, The Love Of Mike and A Life Of Bliss. |
![]() |
1959A guide to the comedies broadcast in 1959. New shows launched this year included Something In The City, The Two Charleys and Don't Tell Father. |
![]() |
1958A guide to the comedies broadcast in 1958. New shows launched this year included Educating Archie (pictured), Frankie Howerd In..., New Look and East End - West End. |
![]() |
1957A guide to the comedies broadcast in 1957. New shows launched this year included The Arthur Haynes Show (pictured), The Howerd Crowd, The Adventures Of Charlie Quick and Ray's A Rat. |
![]() |
1956A guide to the comedies broadcast in 1956. New shows launched this year included Hancock's Half Hour (pictured), The Adventures Of Aggie, Joyce Grenfell Requests The Pleasure and Tracey And Me. |
![]() |
1955A guide to the comedies broadcast in 1955. New shows launched this year included Joan And Leslie (pictured), Arthur Askey, The Harry Secombe Show and Great Scott - It's Maynard!. |
![]() |
1954A guide to the comedies broadcast in 1954. New shows launched this year included Fast And Loose (pictured), Emney Enterprises, And So To Bentley and Running Wild. |
![]() |
1953A guide to the comedies broadcast in 1953. New shows launched this year included Nuts In May, Billy Bunter Of Greyfriars School and Peter's Troubles. |
![]() |
1952A guide to the comedies broadcast in 1952. New shows launched this year included Frankie Howerd's Korean Party, A Mixed Bag and A Flight Of Fancy. |
![]() |
1951A guide to the comedies broadcast in 1951. New shows launched this year included Hi There!, Caught Napping and These Are The Days. |
![]() |
1950A guide to the comedies broadcast in 1950. New shows launched this year included Out Of This World, Mr Pastry's Progress and Joyce Grenfell. |
![]() |
1949A guide to the comedies broadcast in 1949. |
![]() |
1948A guide to the comedies broadcast in 1948. |
![]() |
1947A guide to the comedies broadcast in 1947. New shows launched this year included The Handle Bar, Going Places and Just For Fun. |
![]() |
1946A guide to the comedies broadcast in 1946. New shows launched this year included Pinwright's Progress (pictured), Joyce Grenfell, Paging You and Ballet 'How'. |
1940 - 1945 Word War II resulted in the fledgling BBC Television Service shutting down. There was no TV at all between 1940 - 1945. BBC Home Service radio continued to be broadcast during this period and some films were released, however we have not yet established what, if any, new comedy programming was made during this period. | |
![]() |
1939A guide to the comedies broadcast in 1939. New shows launched this year included Take Two Eggs, Ronald Frankau and Bebe Daniels And Ben Lyon. |
![]() |
1938A guide to the comedies broadcast in 1938. New shows launched this year included Bath H&C, Comedy Cabaret and Nice Work. |
![]() |
1937A guide to the comedies broadcast in 1937. New shows launched this year included Reginald Purdell, Stanelli and Billy Maloney. |
![]() |
1936A guide to the comedies broadcast in 1936. New shows launched this year included Claude Dampier (pictured). |
Pre 1936 The BBC's Television Service started in 1936, before this time broadcast comedy only came in the form of movies and the radio (BBC National Programme). Because of a lack of recordings and paperwork for this period, we have not begun to research what comedy was broadcast in these pre-TV days yet. | |




























































































