British Comedy Guide
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Granada Television

Now part of ITV Plc, Granada Television is the longest-established independent broadcaster in the UK, having held the North West England ITV broadcast franchise from 1956 until amalgamation in the early 2000s. It was owned by the southern-based operators of the Granada theatre and cinema chain.

Full production history

Notable archive productions

Medium Production Broadcaster Genre Summary
TV The Comedians. Copyright: Granada Television. The Comedians ITV Stand-Up Long-running stand-up comedy series featuring Charlie Williams, Stan Boardman, Bernard Manning, Frank Carson and many more.
TV Watching. Image shows from L to R: Malcolm Stoneway (Paul Bown), Pamela Lynch nee Stoneway (Liza Tarbuck), Brenda Wilson (Emma Wray). Copyright: Granada Television. Watching ITV Sitcom Sitcom following the relationship of a mismatched couple.
TV Brass. Image shows from L to R: Bradley Hardacre (Timothy West), Lady Patience Hardacre (Caroline Blakiston). Copyright: Granada Television. Brass ITV Sitcom Pastiche of gritty, overblown drama serials of the 1970s and 80s.
TV The Brothers McGregor. Image shows from L to R: Wesley McGregor (Paul Barber), Cyril McGregor (Philip Whitchurch). Copyright: Granada Television. The Brothers McGregor ITV Sitcom Liverpool-set sitcom about black and white half-brothers Wesley and Cyril who run an extremely dodgy second-hand car business.
TV Leave It To Charlie. Image shows from L to R: Charlie Fisher (David Roper), Arthur Simister (Peter Sallis). Copyright: Granada Television / Rex. Leave It To Charlie ITV Sitcom Life for Charlie Fisher, a Lancastrian insurance agent, is littered with one disaster after another.
TV The Cuckoo Waltz. Image shows from L to R: Felicity 'Fliss' Hawthorne (Diane Keen), Chris Hawthorne (David Roper). Copyright: Granada Television. The Cuckoo Waltz ITV Sitcom Fliss and Chris are a young happily-married couple whose whizz-kid friend Gavin moves in after splitting with his wife.
TV The Ghosts Of Motley Hall. Copyright: Granada Television. The Ghosts Of Motley Hall ITV Sitcom Childrens' comedy about a group of ghosts haunting an old Elizabethan manor.
TV Bootsie And Snudge. Image shows from L to R: Claude Snudge (Bill Fraser), 'Excused Boots' Bisley (Alfie Bass). Bootsie And Snudge ITV Sitcom Hugely successful spin-off from The Army Game, following Bootsie after his demobbing.
TV Nearest And Dearest. Image shows from L to R: Nellie Pledge (Hylda Baker), Eli Pledge (Jimmy Jewel). Copyright: Granada Television. Nearest And Dearest ITV Sitcom Sitcom about brother and sister, Eli and Nellie Pledge, forced to run a pickle factory together.
TV The Dustbinmen. Copyright: ITV. The Dustbinmen ITV Sitcom A sitcom from Jack Rosenthal about a team of refuse collectors.
TV The Army Game. Copyright: Granada Television. The Army Game ITV Sitcom A group of National Service conscripts are determined to dodge duty and create some amusement out of a situation they'd rather not be in.

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Comedy title launches

Year Medium Genre Production
2007 TV Comedy Drama City Lights
2006 TV Comedy Drama Northern Lights
2005 TV Sitcom The Robinsons
2004 TV Comedy Drama Christmas Lights
1999 TV Sitcom Mrs Merton & Malcolm
1994 TV Sitcom The House Of Windsor
1993 TV Sketch Show The Full Monty
1992 TV Sketch Show The Dead Good Show
1990 TV Sitcom Up The Garden Path
1983 TV Sitcom Affairs Of The Heart
1983 TV Sitcom Brass
1982 TV Sitcom Foxy Lady
1982 TV Sitcom Union Castle
1981 TV Sitcom Chintz
1981 TV Sitcom Have I Got You... Where You Want Me?
1981 TV Sketch Show Wood And Walters
1980 TV Sitcom Can We Get On Now, Please?
1980 TV Sitcom The Glamour Girls
1979 TV Sitcom Take My Wife
1978 TV Sitcom Leave It To Charlie
1977 TV Sitcom Devenish
1976 TV Sitcom Yanks Go Home
1975 TV Sitcom My Brother's Keeper
1975 TV Sitcom The Cuckoo Waltz
1975 TV Sitcom The Life Of Riley
1974 TV Sitcom How's Your Father
1971 TV Sitcom The Last Of The Baskets
1970 TV Sitcom The Lovers
1968 TV Sitcom Her Majesty's Pleasure
1968 TV Sitcom Nearest And Dearest
1968 TV Sitcom The Dustbinmen
1967 TV Sitcom Turn Out The Lights
1965 TV Sitcom Pardon The Expression
1964 TV Sitcom Foreign Affairs
1963 TV Sitcom A Little Big Business
1963 TV Sitcom Scoop
1963 TV Sitcom Tea At The Ritz
1961 TV Sitcom Colonel Trumper's Private War
1960 TV Sitcom Bootsie And Snudge
1960 TV Sitcom Mess Mates
1957 TV Sitcom The Army Game