Unlucky British comedy characters

Lucky Feller. Bernard 'Shorty' Mepstead (David Jason). Copyright: London Weekend Television

British comedy is littered with great comedy characters. Some of them are so ingrained in British culture you'll know who we mean even if we just use their first name: Basil, Del, Hyacinth, Granville.

Just about every possible personality type has featured in a sketch show or sitcom at some point. Many of them are losers, and some of them are stupid. Some are even sociopaths - but most are plain unlucky in terms of their situation and/or actions. Hopefully you can better your chances on a website like Lucky Street (with a no deposit bonus), beat the odds and walk away a winner. But these comical creations certainly wouldn't!

Frank Spencer

Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em. Frank Spencer (Michael Crawford). Copyright: BBC

The ultimate in unlucky comedy characters, Michael Crawford's Frank Spencer redefines the term 'accident-prone'. Bounding awkwardly from one scenario to the next, his good-natured earnestness may get him the love of his life - Betty - but his calamitous nature wins him no other friends. Whether attending a reunion with his forces' buddies, trying out new jobs, speaking to potential employers or simply moving house, if there was ever a way to fail, Frank would find it. In the recent Sport Relief sketch he ended up on top of a car. Guide

Howard Steel

The Worst Week Of My Life. Howard (Ben Miller). Copyright: Hat Trick Productions

The Worst Week Of My Life charted the incredibly unfortunate Howard in a series of disastrous events in the week leading up to his wedding. Visiting the in-laws proved fatal; a work colleague turned into a stalker; the ring was lost; and his stag do was a mess... and that was just in the first few episodes. Guide

Victor Meldrew

One Foot In The Grave. Victor Meldrew (Richard Wilson). Copyright: BBC

Ah, Victor. A staple of comedy throughout the 1990s, Richard Wilson's starring character in One Foot In The Grave just seemed to attract bad luck and misfortune of every description, with his own ill-temperament further exacerbating circumstances. Who else would manage to get their car put in a skip?
Guide

Meg, Bunny and Laura

Drifters. Image shows from L to R: Laura (Lauren O'Rourke), Meg (Jessica Knappett), Bunny (Lydia Rose Bewley)

The most recent bearers of great misfortune to make our list are Meg, Bunny and Laura of E4 sitcom Drifters. 20-somethings who've ended up returning back to their dull home town and dead-end jobs, it seems like none of the trio will ever make a break. Crass chav Laura is probably the best achiever of the group in relation to the heights of what she can accomplish, but terrible actor Bunny and chronic underachiever Meg are beset by woes - not all of their own making. Guide

'Shorty' Mepstead

Lucky Feller. Bernard 'Shorty' Mepstead (David Jason). Copyright: London Weekend Television

David Jason played the central role in 1976's Lucky Feller, an ITV sitcom part-way between Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em and Only Fools And Horses. Beset by bad luck from the very first episode, all Shorty desires is a quiet life with his girlfriend, Kath. Sadly, his older, womanising brother Randy has caught her eye - and poor Shorty is just too blinded by love to notice. As their relationship grows, Shorty just seems to get deeper in trouble! Guide

Published: Wednesday 29th March 2017

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