I tend to like classic UK sitoms as well as classic TV shows in general. So I spend nearly all my time watching these. It seemed to me the UK sitcom on the whole changed style beginning round the mid 90s and things began to change and have never quite been the same since. I'm pretty much out of touch with what's been around in this last decade due to my focus on old shows. But I want to explore some of this stuff.

So was wondering if people could tell me what they think were the best sitcoms or comedies (UK) for the past decade or so. Of what I've seen of that period the only things I really liked were The Smoking Room and The Worst Week Of My Life. It seems the traditional-style sitcom has pretty much dissapeared - or am I wrong?

Can I make my list longer than
1 The Smoking Room
2 The Worst Week Of My Life

Quote: Steve Charlie @ July 24 2010, 12:20 PM BST

... was wondering if people could tell me what they think were the best sitcoms or comedies (UK) for the past decade or so.

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The Office, Extras and Peep Show.

Quote: Kenneth @ July 24 2010, 12:30 PM BST

The Office, Extras and Peep Show.

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Really Extras? I'm generally a Gervais & Merchant fan, but that was half-baked.

I'd chime in with The Thick of It and The Inbetweeners.

Outnumbered.

You can't get much more traditional than shows like After You've Gone, My Family, The IT Crowd, Life Of Riley, The Green Green Grass and The Old Guys.

Favourite sitcoms from 2000-2009........

1. The Inbetweeners
2. Miranda
3. My Family
4. Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps
5. The Green Green Grass
6. After You've Gone
7. Outnumbered
8. The Life of Riley
9. Nighty Night (Series 1) (Series 2 was shit)
10. Grownups

Quote: Steve Charlie @ July 24 2010, 12:20 PM BST

Can I make my list longer than
1 The Smoking Room
2 The Worst Week Of My Life

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The Worst Week had me crying with laughter and there are not many comedies that can do that.

Well I haven't even seen half of them yet, there did seem to be an almighty surge in the number of sitcoms made in the noughties, to me, but I've put this down to having so many more new channels. But even some of mainstream ones I still haven't caught up with.

There were and still are trad sitcoms being made yes, but I would say they are possibly outnumbered now by the new type of experimental sitcom, many of which aren't that creative really, they're trying new but rather obvious tricks with camera viewpoints, dispensing with the trad studio audience or involving the audience, talking to camera etc. absolutely nothing that hasn't been around for yonks in other TV shows, films and theatre. Much of it isn't even new to sitcom, it just hasn't been reused since the 70s. The trad sitcom isn't dead, it remains the funniest and best form of sitcom. imoo.

The Thick Of It.

Bastard I just spent 20 minutes thinking of all my faves and then went and pressed the tossing, arseing back button.

Quick appraisal - Spaced, League Of Gents (although that's more of a sketch show really), Royle Family, Miranda, Black Books, IT Crowd, Partridge, The Office, Early Doors...umm...

...According To Bex? Just kidding.

Come dine with me

Quote: Aaron @ July 24 2010, 12:41 PM BST

Outnumbered.

You can't get much more traditional than shows like After You've Gone, My Family, The IT Crowd, Life Of Riley, The Green Green Grass and The Old Guys.

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Indeed. I'd like to throw into that mix Time Gentlemen Please and Not Going Out.

I think 'Miranda' and 'The IT Crowd' has been a massive shot in the arm for traditional, audience sitcoms. Those shows proved to the naysayers in the press (and indeed the industry) that they can work brilliantly when they're done right. I really hope the tradcom renaissance continues. There's lots of life in the old dog yet in my opinion.

Quote: Lee Henman @ July 24 2010, 11:39 PM BST

Indeed. I'd like to throw into that mix Time Gentlemen Please and Not Going Out.

I think 'Miranda' and 'The IT Crowd' has been a massive shot in the arm for traditional, audience sitcoms. Those shows proved to the naysayers in the press (and indeed the industry) that they can work brilliantly when they're done right. I really hope the tradcom renaissance continues. There's lots of life in the old dog yet in my opinion.

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Then we are agreed...

Can I just say that I've got a week off next week and I'm planning to do something I've wanted to do for a while. And after I've done that and mopped up, I've got a really good studio laughter effects cd that I'm going to put over sections of The Royle Family and other single-cam sitcoms, then I'm putting them up on YouTube.

Just for an experiment.

Conversely, I was also going to digitally strip-out the studio laughter from According To Bex but I found I didn't need to.

Boom boom!

Quote: Lee Henman @ July 24 2010, 11:39 PM BST

Indeed. I'd like to throw into that mix Time Gentlemen Please and Not Going Out.

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Good calls!

Well, thanks! Enough to keep me busy for a while.