title: The Last Days on Mars

text: Stephanie Merry of "The Washington Post" gave the film 1.5/4 stars, writing that it "seems like it could deliver such thought-provoking goods — at least until the plot devolves into Zombies in Outer Space".


title: The Last Days on Mars

text: Peter Howell of the "Toronto Star" gave the film 2/4 stars, writing: ""The Last Days on Mars" doesn’t break any new dramatic ground, but it does a reasonable job of stretching an obviously lean production budget."


title: The Last Days on Mars

text: Kenneth Turan of the "Los Angeles Times" wrote: "Lean, muscular and on the money, "The Last Days on Mars" takes a familiar story and tells it so tautly that we are pleased to be on board."


title: The Last Days on Mars

text: Peter Bradshaw of "The Guardian" gave the film 3/5 stars, saying that it was "an elegantly crafted adventure in classical science-fiction".


title: The Last Days on Mars

text: Kate Muir of "The Times" wrote: "With "The Last Days on Mars", Ruairí Robinson has made a courageous effort to pull off a sci-fi horror on the cheap."


title: Sweet and Lowdown

text: Sweet and Lowdown is a 1999 American comedy-drama mockumentary film written and directed by Woody Allen. Loosely based on Federico Fellini's film "La Strada", the film tells the fictional story, set in the 1930s, of self-confident jazz guitarist Emmet Ray (played by Sean Penn) who falls in love with a mute woman (Samantha Morton). The film also stars Uma Thurman and Anthony LaPaglia. Like several of Allen's other films (e.g., "Zelig"), the film is occasionally interrupted by interviews with critics and biographers like Allen, Nat Hentoff, Daniel Okrent,and Douglas McGrath, who comment on the film's plot as if the characters were real-life people.


title: Sweet and Lowdown

text: The film received generally positive reviews upon release, with Penn and Morton receiving Oscar nominations for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actress, respectively.


title: Sweet and Lowdown

text: Emmet Ray is a jazz guitarist who achieved some acclaim in the 1930s with a handful of recordings for RCA Victor, but who faded from public view under mysterious circumstances. Although he is a talented musician, Ray's personal life is a shambles. He is a spendthrift, womanizer and pimp who believes that falling in love will ruin his musical career. Due to his heavy drinking, he's often late or even absent for performances with his quintet. After music, his favorite hobbies are shooting rats at garbage dumps and watching passing trains. Ray idolizes famed guitarist Django Reinhardt, and is said to have fainted in his presence and to have fled a nightclub performance with severe stage fright upon hearing a false rumor that Reinhardt was in the audience.


title: Sweet and Lowdown

text: On a double date with his drummer, Ray meets Hattie, a shy, mute laundress. After overcoming some initial frustration due to the difficulties of communication, Ray and Hattie form an affectionate and close relationship. She accompanies him on a cross-country trip to Hollywood, where he plays in a short film; Hattie is spotted by a director and enjoys a brief screen career. However Ray is convinced that a musician of his stature should never settle down with one woman. On a whim, Ray marries socialite Blanche Williams. However, Blanche sees Ray mainly as a colorful example of lower-class life and a source of inspiration for her literary writings. She reports that Ray is tormented by nightmares and shouts out Hattie's name in his sleep.


title: Sweet and Lowdown

text: When Blanche cheats with mobster Al Torrio, Ray leaves her and locates Hattie. He assumes that she will take him back, but discovers that she is happily married and raising a family. Afterwards, on a date with a new woman, a despondent Ray plays a melody that Hattie adored and then smashes his guitar and forlornly repeats the phrase "I made a mistake!" as his date leaves him. Woody Allen and the rest of the documentary experts remarked that Ray's final compositions were legendary, finally reaching the quality of Reinhardt's.


title: Sweet and Lowdown

text: Hot off his 1969 directing debut "Take the Money and Run", Allen signed a contract to direct a series of films with United Artists. Told to "write what you want to write," Allen (a clarinetist and avid jazz enthusiast) wrote "The Jazz Baby", a dramatic screenplay about a jazz musician set in the 1930s. Allen said later that the United Artists executives were "stunned ... because they had expected a comedy. [They] were very worried and told me, 'We realize that we signed a contract with you and you can do anything you want. But we want to tell you that we really don't like this.'" Allen went along with United Artists, writing and directing "Bananas" instead. In 1995, he dismissed "The Jazz Baby" as having been "probably too ambitious."


title: Sweet and Lowdown

text: In 1998, Allen returned to the project, rewriting the script and dubbing it "Sweet and Lowdown". In the role of Emmet Ray, a jazz guitarist whom Allen had originally planned to play himself, the director cast Sean Penn; Allen also considered Johnny Depp, but the actor was busy at the time. In regard to working with Sean Penn, who had a reputation for being difficult to work with, Allen later said, "I had no problem with him whatsoever ... He gave it his all and took direction and made contributions himself ... a tremendous actor."


title: Sweet and Lowdown

text: Allen has said that he told Samantha Morton to "play [her] part like Harpo Marx. And she said, 'Who is Harpo Marx?' and I realized how young she was. Then I told her about him [and] she went back and saw the films."


title: Sweet and Lowdown

text: "Sweet and Lowdown" was filmed entirely in New York and New Jersey but is set in the Chicago area and California.


title: Sweet and Lowdown

text: The film was the first of Allen's that was edited by Alisa Lepselter, who has edited all of Allen's films since. Lepselter succeeded Susan E. Morse, who edited Allen's films for the previous twenty years.


title: Sweet and Lowdown

text: It was also the first of three films where Allen collaborated with Chinese cinematographer Zhao Fei. Allen had first noticed Zhao with his award-winning work on "Raise the Red Lantern", some years earlier.


title: Sweet and Lowdown

text: The music for the film was arranged and conducted by Dick Hyman. All of the guitar solos are played by guitarist Howard Alden. Alden also coached Sean Penn on playing the guitar for his role in the film.


title: Sweet and Lowdown

text: Additional rhythm guitarists were Bucky Pizzarelli and James Chirillo. Chirillo played rhythm guitar on the "Sweet Georgia Brown" track where the crescent moon cable breaks while Sean Penn is riding it. Pizzarelli did all other rhythm tracks.


title: Sweet and Lowdown

text: "Sweet and Lowdown" received generally positive reviews; it currently holds a 77% 'fresh' rating on Rotten Tomatoes from 61 reviews, with the consensus, "Critics praise Woody Allen's "Sweet and Lowdown" for its charming, light-hearted comedy and quality acting." The film carries a 70 on Metacritic indicating generally favorable reviews.


title: Sweet and Lowdown

text: Morton's performance was met with critical acclaim, with Salon.com critic Stephanie Zacharek saying that she "quietly explodes [the film]...Her performance is like nothing I've seen in recent years."


title: Sweet and Lowdown

text: "Sweet and Lowdown" was nominated for the Academy Awards for Best Actor in a Leading Role (Penn) and Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Morton). The pair were also nominated for Golden Globe Awards in the acting categories for Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical. The film received three nominations from the Chlotrudis Society for Independent Films for Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress, and Best Screenplay.


title: Sweet and Lowdown

text: In addition, Morton was nominated for Best Supporting Actress from the Chicago Film Critics Association Awards, the Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards, the National Society of Film Critics Awards, and an Empire Award for Best British Actress. At the London Film Critics Circle Awards, Morton won for British Supporting Actress of the Year.


title: Sweet and Lowdown

text: Morton's nominations were especially notable given that she does not utter a single word of dialogue in the film.


title: Hypermodernism (chess)

text: Hypermodernism is a school of chess that emerged after World War I. It featured challenges to the chess ideas of central European masters, including Wilhelm Steinitz's approach to the and the rules established by Siegbert Tarrasch.


title: Hypermodernism (chess)

text: The Hypermodernists demonstrated their new ideas with games and victories. Aron Nimzowitsch, considered the founder and leading practitioner of hypermodernism, showed that games could be won through indirect control of the centre, breaking with Tarrasch's view that the centre must be occupied by pawns. Nimzowitsch advocated controlling the centre with distant pieces rather than with pawns, thus inviting the opponent to occupy the centre with pawns, which can then become targets of attack. This was part of the hypermodern framework, which Nimzowitsch encapsulated in his seminal book "My System", which greatly influenced many chess players. It introduced and formalised concepts of the , , undermining, prophylaxis, restraint, rook on the seventh , knight outposts, the dynamics of the isolated queen's pawn, and other areas of chess.


title: Hypermodernism (chess)

text: Although none of the primary exponents of the Hypermodern school ever achieved the title of World Chess Champion, they were among the world's strongest players. World Champion Alexander Alekhine was associated with hypermodernism, but his style was more of a blend with the Classical school.


title: Hypermodernism (chess)

text: In practice, hypermodernism has not replaced the classical theory of Steinitz and Tarrasch. Instead, modern chess textbooks describe hypermodernism as an addition, or extension, to classical theory.


title: Hypermodernism (chess)

text: Hypermodern openings include the Réti Opening, King's Indian Defence, Queen's Indian Defence, Nimzo-Indian Defence, Nimzowitsch Defence, Grünfeld Defence, Bogo-Indian Defence, Old Indian Defence, Catalan Opening, King's Indian Attack, Alekhine's Defence, Modern Defence, Pirc Defence, Larsen's Opening, and to a lesser degree the English Opening. Openings such as 1.a3 do not constitute hypermodern openings since, although they delay the occupation of the centre with pawns, they also delay piece .


title: Hypermodernism (chess)

text: Howard Staunton and many of his 19th-century contemporaries understood various ideas associated with hypermodernism. The Hypermodern school of chess theory came to prominence in the 1920s. Leading members were Aron Nimzowitsch, Richard Réti, Savielly Tartakower, Gyula Breyer, Efim Bogoljubov, and Ernst Grünfeld, who all came from Central Europe. They felt that chess was becoming boring, slow, and not worthwhile. They also believed that chess could not be defined by a simple set of laws or principles, such as those laid out by Siegbert Tarrasch.


title: Hypermodernism (chess)

text: Their ideas were thus a challenge to the existing orthodoxy popularised by Tarrasch in the 1890s. This orthodoxy was a rather dogmatic distillation of the ideas worked out by chess pioneer Wilhelm Steinitz. Steinitz was the first player who in his play demonstrated a mastery of , and the ideas he developed came to be known as the "Classical" or "Modern" school of thought. This school of thought emphasised the importance of "static" advantages such as avoidance of pawn weaknesses, strong outposts for knights, and striving for "good" rather than "bad" bishops in positions with locked pawn structures. This school of thought was in turn a reaction to the earlier swashbuckling style of Adolf Anderssen, Henry Blackburne, and others, who represented the Romantic school.


title: Hypermodernism (chess)

text: In 1922, Réti published "Die neuen Ideen im Schachspiel" (English: "The New Ideas in Chess"), an examination of the evolution of chess thinking from the time of Paul Morphy through the beginning of the Hypermodern school. The name "hypermodern" was originated by Tartakower; his book "Die hypermoderne Schachpartie" (English: "The Hypermodern Chess Game") was published in 1924. Nimzowitsch's book "Mein System" (English: "My System") was published in 1925 through to 1927 in five installments. It discusses elements of hypermodernism, but focuses mainly on positional chess.


title: Colliers (company)

text: Colliers is a Canada-based diversified professional services and investment management company with approximately 18,000 employees in more than 400 offices in 63 countries.


title: Colliers (company)

text: The firm provides services to commercial real estate users, owners, investors and developers; they include consulting, corporate facilities, investment services, landlord and tenant representation, project management, urban planning, property and asset management, and valuation and advisory services. The organization serves the hotel, industrial, mixed-use, office, retail and residential property sectors.


title: Colliers (company)

text: The firm has headquarters in Toronto, Ontario. Annual revenues were $4.09 billion in 2021. In June 2015, it was announced that Jay S. Hennick was appointed Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.


title: Colliers (company)

text: Colliers began in Australia in 1976 after Glynn Lynch & McHarg and Jones Lang Wootten & Sons merged under the Colliers name. In 1978, Colliers merged with Hong Kong-based Tony Petty & Associates.


title: Colliers (company)

text: In 1984, Colliers merged with Macaulay Nicolls. The following year, the company merged with American Realty Services Group. In 1992, the company merged with Jardines, a British firm.


title: Colliers (company)

text: In 2004, FirstService Corporation bought a controlling interest in Colliers Macaulay Nicolls, Colliers' largest member. After gaining controlling interest, Macaulay Nicolls became First Service REA.


title: Colliers (company)

text: In 2006, FirstService purchased a majority stake in PGP Valuation and merged with the appraisal arm of Colliers Macaulay Nicolls. In 2007, FirstService acquired an 80 percent stake in PKF Hotel and Hospitality Consulting and a 60 percent stake in MHPM Project Managers.


title: Colliers (company)

text: In September 2008, FirstService purchased a 65 percent stake in GVA Williams. In 2009, FirstService gained control of Colliers after acquiring large shareholders. In October, Colliers invested in Colliers CRE, a London-based real estate services company.


title: Colliers (company)

text: In January 2010, the merger of Colliers and FirstService was announced. Following the merger in April 2010, Dylan Taylor became president and CEO of Colliers International's US operations. Also in April, Colliers invested in Colliers Bennett & Kahnweiler and West Shell Commercial in Cincinnati, Ohio. The following month, Adena Commercial, a real estate firm in Columbus, Ohio and Grubb & Ellis Paramount Commerce in Grand Rapids, Michigan began working with Colliers International. In June 2010, Colliers partnered with Sutton & Edwards, a real estate firm in Long Island, New York.


title: Colliers (company)

text: In July 2014, PKF Consulting was sold to CBRE Group. In June 2015, Colliers International and FirstService Corporation separated into two independent, publicly traded companies – Colliers International Group Inc. and FirstService Corporation.


title: Colliers (company)

text: In September 2016, Stephen Harper, Canada's former Conservative Prime Minister, was appointed to the company's board.


title: Colliers (company)

text: In October 2017, Colliers acquired Serten Advisors, LLC; a tenant representation firm headquartered in the Washington, DC area.


title: Colliers (company)

text: In September 2019, Colliers acquired Synergy Property Development Services, an Indian real estate company.


title: Colliers (company)

text: In July 2020, Colliers acquired Maser Consulting P.A., a multi-discipline engineering design services firm based in New Jersey.


title: Colliers (company)

text: In 2010, Colliers consolidated its franchises under a single name, hoping to increase their market share, according to the New York Times. On 1 June 2015 First Services and Colliers split into two independent publicly traded entities. Colliers is a full service real estate brokerage firm that operates in 67 countries and is traded on the NASDAQ stock market exchange under the symbol CIGI.


title: Colliers (company)

text: In 2009, Colliers ranked second out of the top twenty-five brokerages in the global real estate industry, based on its combined dollar value of leasing transactions and investment sales globally. The survey also found that Colliers International had posted an increase of more than 28 percent over its 2008 ranking when it was fifth.


title: Colliers (company)

text: In March 2010, the annual Lipsey Survey of the top 25 brands in the commercial real estate industry worldwide ranked Colliers in second. The firm had held the third-place position in that survey since 2004.


title: Colliers (company)

text: In 2018 and 2019, Colliers was ranked third on the annual Lipsey Survey of the Top 25 Commercial Real Estate Brands.


title: Hugh Downs

text: Hugh Malcolm Downs (February 14, 1921July 1, 2020) was an American radio and television broadcaster, announcer and programmer; television host; news anchor; TV producer; author; game show host; talk show sidekick; and music composer. A regular television presence from the mid 1940s until the late 1990s, he had several successful roles on morning, prime-time, and late-night television. For several years he held the certified Guinness World Record for the most hours on commercial network television before being surpassed by Regis Philbin.


title: Hugh Downs

text: Downs served as announcer and sidekick for "Tonight Starring Jack Paar" from 1957 to 1962, co-host of the NBC News program "Today" from 1962 to 1971, host of the "Concentration" game show from 1958 to 1969, and anchor of the ABC News magazine "20/20" from 1978 to 1999.


title: Hugh Downs

text: Downs started his career in radio in 1939 and began in live television in 1945 in Chicago, where he became a regular on several nationally broadcast programs over the next decade. He moved to New York City in 1954, when he was invited to do a program there. Among other shows during his career, he hosted the PBS talk show "Over Easy" and was the occasional co-host of the syndicated talk show "Not for Women Only".


title: Hugh Downs

text: Downs was born in 1921 in Akron, Ohio, to Edith (née Hicks) and Milton Howard Downs, who worked in business. He was educated at Lima Shawnee High School in Lima, Ohio; Bluffton College, a Mennonite school in Bluffton, Ohio; and Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan, during the period 1938–41.


title: Hugh Downs

text: Downs worked as a radio announcer and program director in 1939 at WLOK in Lima, Ohio, after his first year of college. In 1940, he moved on to WWJ in Detroit. Downs served in the United States Army during World War II in 1943 and then joined the NBC radio network at WMAQ as an announcer in Chicago, where he lived until 1954. He can be heard announcing the ground breaking radio show "Destination Freedom" which told stories of historical and current Black people. While at WMAQ, Downs also acted, including as the "co-pilot", along with famed Chicago children's program personality Ned Locke, on the "Uncle Ned's Squadron" program in 1951. Programs of "Uncle Ned's Squadron" can be found in the archives of Museum Of Broadcast Communications in Chicago, and, at no charge, from radio historian Chuck Schaden's "Speaking Of Radio – Those Were The Days Encore" website. Downs then attended Columbia University in New York City from 1955 to 1956.


title: Hugh Downs

text: Downs made his first television news broadcast in September 1945 from the still-experimental studio of WBKB-TV (now WBBM-TV) in Chicago, a station then owned by the Balaban and Katz theater subsidiary of Paramount Pictures. Downs later recalled that when he went for his first job, he had never seen a television before, and he was unsure whether television would last. Downs became a television regular in 1950, announcing for "Hawkins Falls", the first successful television soap opera, which was sponsored by Lever Brothers' "Surf" detergent. He also announced the Burr Tillstrom children's show "Kukla, Fran and Ollie" from the NBC studios at Chicago's Merchandise Mart after the network picked up the program from WBKB.


title: Hugh Downs

text: In March 1954, Downs moved to New York City to accept a position as announcer for Pat Weaver's "The Home Show" starring Arlene Francis. That program lasted until August 1957. He was the announcer for Sid Caesar's "Caesar's Hour" for the 1956–57 season and one of NBC Radio's "Monitor" "Communicators" from 1955 to 1959. Downs became a bona fide television "personality" as Jack Paar's announcer on "The Tonight Show" from mid 1957, when he replaced Franklin Pangborn, until Paar's departure in March 1962, and then continued to announce for "The Tonight Show" until the summer of 1962, when Ed Herlihy took the announcing reins. Herlihy held that post until October 1, 1962, when Johnny Carson took over the show, and brought Ed McMahon on as his announcer.


title: Hugh Downs

text: On August 25, 1958, Downs began a more-than-ten-year run concurrently hosting the original version of the game show "Concentration". He also hosted NBC's "Today Show" for nine years from September 1962 to October 1971 and co-hosted the syndicated television program "Not for Women Only" with Barbara Walters in 1975–76. Downs also appeared as a panelist on the television game show "To Tell the Truth" and played himself in an episode of NBC's sitcom "Car 54, Where Are You?"


title: Hugh Downs

text: Downs earned a postgraduate degree in gerontology from Hunter College while he was hosting "Over Easy", a PBS television program about aging that aired from 1977 to 1983. He was probably best known in later years as the Emmy Award-winning co-anchor—again paired with Walters—of the ABC news TV show "20/20", a prime-time news magazine program, from the show's second episode in 1978 until his retirement in 1999.


title: Hugh Downs

text: Downs was inducted into the International Air & Space Hall of Fame at the San Diego Air & Space Museum in 1984. In that same year, he was certified by the Guinness Book of World Records (now "Guinness World Records") as holding the record for the greatest number of hours on network commercial television (15,188 hours), though he lost the record for most hours on all forms of television to Regis Philbin in 2004.


title: Hugh Downs

text: A published composer, Downs hosted the PBS showcase for classical music "Live from Lincoln Center" from 1990 to 1996. Downs made a cameo appearance on "Family Guy" in addition to other television shows.


title: Hugh Downs

text: Downs was seen in infomercials for Bottom Line Publications, including its "World's Greatest Treasury of Health Secrets", as well as one for a personal coach. He appeared in an infomercial for "Where There's a Will There's an A" in 2003. His subsequent infomercial work aroused some controversy, with many arguing that the products were scams.


title: Hugh Downs

text: Downs appeared in regional public-service announcements in Arizona for the state's Motor Vehicles Division and for Hospice of the Valley, a Phoenix-area non-profit organization specializing in hospice care. He also produced some public short-form programs in which he served as host of educational interstitials.


title: Hugh Downs

text: On October 13, 2007, Downs became one of the first inductees into the American TV Game Show Hall of Fame in Las Vegas, Nevada.


title: Hugh Downs

text: Downs was inducted as a Lincoln Laureate in the Lincoln Academy of Illinois and was awarded the Order of Lincoln (the state's highest honor) by the governor of Illinois in 1967.


title: Hugh Downs

text: Downs was a special consultant to the United Nations for refugee problems from 1961 to 1964, and served as chairman of the board of the United States Committee for UNICEF.


title: Hugh Downs

text: Downs wrote a column for "Science Digest" during the 1960s. He was a science consultant for Westinghouse Laboratories and the Ford Foundation and an elected member of the National Academy of Sciences. He served as chair of the Board of Governors of the National Space Society until 2019 and was a longtime president and chairman of the society's predecessor, the National Space Institute. The asteroid 71000 Hughdowns is named after him.


title: Hugh Downs

text: The auditorium of Shawnee High School in Lima, Ohio and the Hugh Downs School of Human Communication at Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona are named in his honor.


title: Hugh Downs

text: As part of Arizona's centennial celebration in February 2012, Downs narrated Aaron Copland's "Lincoln Portrait" on stage with the Phoenix Symphony.


title: Hugh Downs

text: Downs publicly expressed support for libertarian viewpoints. He opposed the U.S. war on drugs and appeared in several pieces about the war on drugs and hemp. On his last "20/20", he was asked if he had any personal opinions that he would like to express, and he responded that marijuana should be legalized.


title: Hugh Downs

text: Downs married Ruth Shaheen on February 17, 1944. They had two children, Deirdre and H.R. Ruth died on March 28, 2017, at age 95.


title: Hugh Downs

text: Downs held a private pilot certificate, and was rated for multi-engine airplanes, single-engine seaplanes, hot air balloons, and glider aerotow.


title: Hugh Downs

text: On July 1, 2020, at the age of 99, Downs died from heart failure at his home in Scottsdale, Arizona. He was interred at the Christ Church of the Ascension Memory Garden in Paradise Valley, Arizona.


title: Jonathan Rea

text: Jonathan Rea (born 2 February 1987) is a Northern Irish professional motorcycle racer. He competes in the Superbike World Championship and is a six-time champion in the series.


title: Jonathan Rea

text: He is the first to have won the Superbike World Championship six times: in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020. He also owns the highest number of SBK race wins (107), fastest laps, podiums and total points (over 5,000 gained until the end of August 2021).


title: Jonathan Rea

text: Previously he was runner-up in the Supersport World Championship for the Ten Kate Honda team in 2008, and runner-up in the British Superbike Championship in 2007 for the HM Plant Honda team. He was named Irish Motorcyclist of the Year in 2007, 2008, 2011 and 2016. Rea made two MotoGP starts in 2012, scoring points on both occasions, but has not been a regular rider in the championship.


title: Jonathan Rea

text: For much of his career he has been backed by Red Bull. Rea was British 60cc motocross runner up in 1997, before moving up through the motocross classes. He was not originally keen to switch to circuit racing as he considered it to be boring, but he was persuaded to by friends Michael and Eugene Laverty, contesting the 2003 British 125cc Championship. His 2004 season was interrupted by a crash at Knockhill.


title: Jonathan Rea

text: In 2005 Red Bull set up a British Superbike ride for him on a factory-spec Honda Fireblade. He showed his potential by snatching a pole position from the established names, and finished 16th in the series despite missing two races, at Snetterton after a heavy testing crash, and at Oulton Park after the death of a junior teammate in the previous event.


title: Jonathan Rea

text: He started the 2006 season strongly, lying sixth in the British Superbike Championship after five meetings. At Oulton Park he finished 3rd in race two, before being demoted to fourth as he was deemed to have gained a place from Shane Byrne on the last lap illegally, although he claimed that he crossed the infield grass as he was squeezed out of road. He qualified fifth at Mondello Park before heavy rain forced the cancellation of the races, and claimed that he had been on race tyres, rather than special soft qualifying compounds. He impressed at Mallory Park too, qualifying on the front row and running second until high-siding in race one, despite having no race engineer for the weekend. At Knockhill he took pole position, and followed a fourth in race one with his first career podium in race two, passing Leon Haslam for second with two laps to go. He ultimately took fourth in the championship, ahead of the factory Honda of Karl Harris.


title: Jonathan Rea

text: He took Harris' factory ride for 2007, alongside reigning champion Ryuichi Kiyonari of Japan. After four-second places, he finally took his first win in the second race at Mondello Park, after dominating wet practice but struggling in the dry first race. A double victory at Knockhill followed, taking him to within nine points of Kiyonari at the top of the standings – retaining this position after Oulton Park in which each HM Plant Honda rider won once and crashed once. He ultimately finished as the series runner-up, 26 points behind Kiyonari and 20 ahead of Leon Haslam.


title: Jonathan Rea

text: Also in 2007, he raced with Kiyonari and won a three-hour endurance race, and the pair was then entered for the Suzuka 8-Hour race on a factory Honda machine. Plans for him to contest the British MotoGP round on a Team Roberts bike were scrapped in favour of extra Suzuka preparation. He attended the 2007 World Superbike round at Brands Hatch, as he began to explore international options.


title: Jonathan Rea

text: In September 2007 he signed a three-year progressive deal with Ten Kate Honda to ride in the Supersport World Championship for the 2008 season, and the Superbike World Championship for the 2009 and 2010 seasons. He turned down the option of staying in British Superbikes with either HM Plant Honda or move to Rizla Suzuki, and turned down a World Superbike ride with the factory Xerox Ducati team. In his first race at Losail in Qatar, he crashed, badly injuring a finger. At Assen he challenged for a first WSS win, losing by 0.014 seconds to teammate Andrew Pitt. He did win for Ten Kate at the Donington Park British Supersport race, which the team entered as practice for the later WSS race there. His first World Supersport win came at Brno, and he immediately followed this with a second win at Brands Hatch, although the race was stopped early after the fatal accident of Craig Jones with seven laps remaining in the race. A third win followed at Vallelunga, pushing him back up to second in the standings behind Pitt. His chances of winning the title were ended by a wild move from Robbin Harms in the penultimate round at Magny-Cours. He did remount to finish tenth in the race.


title: Jonathan Rea

text: For 2009, Rea rode for the Hannspree Ten Kate Honda team in World Superbikes. He made the switch before the end of 2008, meaning that he made his WSBK debut in the final 2008 round at Portimão. His first podium came in the second race at round six at Kyalami. Another third place followed in the very next round at Miller Motorsport Park, before his first WSBK win came at Misano, after a frantic battle with the Ducati duo of Noriyuki Haga and Michel Fabrizio. This followed a chaotic first race that day; his bike failed on the dummy grid, he received a ride-through penalty for being given a lift back to the pits by Kiyonari on the warm-up lap, and when he switched to a wet set-up bike he – like teammate Carlos Checa – had trouble getting the second bike fired up. Rea missed several rounds in 2011 after sustained arm and collarbone injuries in a high-speed accident during warm-up for the Misano event. Rea missed the final four races of 2013 due to a broken femur.


title: Jonathan Rea

text: He added a further win in Germany to finish fifth overall and second best rookie behind top rookie, Ben Spies, who won the World Superbike championship that year. He remained with Ten Kate for 2010, and scored a double victory at the team's home round at Assen, however this was followed by two crashes at Monza. A further crash in Superpole at Miller Motorsport Park injured his neck and shoulder, though he still raced the next day, scoring a 14th and an eighth. He scored only seven points at Misano, as he fell behind Carlos Checa in the battle for third place in the championship standings.


title: Jonathan Rea

text: For the 2011 season, Rea stayed with the Ten Kate Racing family as its Honda-supported World Superbike team received backing from global lubricants manufacturer, Castrol, reviving the famous Castrol Honda name that saw World Superbike championship victories with John Kocinski in 1997 and Colin Edwards in 2000 and 2002.


title: Jonathan Rea

text: After spending his entire career riding Honda machinery, Rea joined Kawasaki Racing Team as Tom Sykes' new teammate for the 2015 season. Rea dominated the season and won his maiden World Superbike title, with 14 wins.


title: Jonathan Rea

text: becoming the first man ever to win six successive superbike world championships. On 9 June 2018, Rea won the first race at Brno to take his 60th career win and surpass the record of Carl Fogarty.


title: Jonathan Rea

text: Rea made his MotoGP debut in 2012, replacing the injured Casey Stoner for the Repsol Honda team. He finished 8th in the San Marino race, held at Misano in Italy, and 7th at Motorland Aragon in Spain, before returning to World Superbike duties.


title: Jonathan Rea

text: Rea's family background lies in motorcycle road racing. His father, Johnny, competed at the Isle of Man TT and took his sole victory during the 1989 Junior TT race. His grandfather, John, sponsored Joey Dunlop.


title: Jonathan Rea

text: Rea married Tatiana Weston, an Australian known as 'Tarsh' (whom he met when she worked promoting UK-based superbike team Honda Racing) at a 2012 ceremony in the Lake District.


title: Jonathan Rea

text: In 2021, Rea obtained his UK motorcycle licence for solo road machines by undertaking a course in his native Northern Ireland.


title: Jonathan Rea

text: Rea was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2017 Birthday Honours and Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2022 New Year Honours, both for services to motorcycle racing.


title: Clinton Kane

text: Clinton Kane is an Australian singer-songwriter, signed to Columbia Records. His 2021 singles "Chicken Tendies" and "I Guess I'm in Love" reached numbers 88 and 90, respectively, on the US "Billboard" Hot 100, with the latter song also peaking at number 25 in Australia and number 22 in the UK. Kane currently resides in Las Vegas.


title: Clinton Kane

text: Clinton Kane was born on 26 November 1998 to a Filipino father and Norwegian mother. Due to his mother's occupation as a Pentecostal pastor, he has lived in Greece, Brunei, England and Las Vegas.


title: Clinton Kane

text: Kane is a self-taught singer and multi-instrumentalist, and grew up singing in church. He qualified to study medicine in 'A' Level College, but pursued a path that blended music and travel. Kane quelled growing anxiety and stress into song and in 2016, began uploading covers and subsequently original songs onto his YouTube channel.


title: Clinton Kane

text: Kane was signed to Columbia Records in 2019, with the label declaring the artist a "huge talent" with "powerful vocals". Kane relocated to Los Angeles and released the 5-track EP "This Is What It Feels Like".


title: Clinton Kane

text: In December 2019, Kane released "So I Don't Let Me Down". Upon its release, Kane said that song is about having to accept the fact that life is constantly changing – for better or worse.


title: Clinton Kane

text: On 19 February 2021, Kane released "Chicken Tendies", which peaked at number 83 on the UK Singles Chart and 88 on the US "Billboard" Hot 100 chart. Kane told "Billboard" that the song is "about accepting things and relationships I can't change".


title: Clinton Kane

text: On 20 August 2021, Kane released "I Guess I'm in Love", which peaked at number 22 on the UK Singles Chart and 90 on the US "Billboard" Hot 100 chart.


title: Clinton Kane

text: On 22 July 2022, Kane released his debut studio album, "Maybe Someday It'll All Be OK". The album was supported with a world tour.ref nane="avo"/>


title: Clinton Kane

text: The ARIA Music Awards is an annual awards ceremony that recognises excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of the music of Australia.


title: British sitcom

text: Most British sitcoms are recorded on studio sets, while some have an element of location filming. A handful are made almost exclusively on location (for example, "Last of the Summer Wine") and shown to a studio audience prior to final post-production. A subset of British comedy consciously avoids traditional situation comedy themes, storylines, and home settings to focus on more unusual topics or narrative methods. "Blackadder" (1983–1989) and "Yes Minister" (1980–1988, 2013) moved what is often a domestic or workplace genre into the corridors of power. A later development was the mockumentary genre exemplified by series such as "The Office" (2001–2003).


title: British sitcom

text: Written by Rodney Hobson, "Pinwright's Progress" (1946–1947) was the world's first regular half-hour televised sitcom. Broadcast live by the BBC from Alexandra Palace, it was about J. Pinwright, the proprietor of a small shop. Storylines involved his hated rival and his staff, who only added to his problems by attempting to be helpful. The series featured an ensemble cast including James Hayter as J. Pinwright, Clarence Wright as Aubrey, Sara Gregory as Sally Doolittle, Daphne Maddox as Miss Peasbody, Doris Palmer as Mrs Sigsbee, Leonard Sharp as Ralph, Benita Lydal as Mrs Rackstraw, Charles Irwin as a salesman, and Jill Christie as Pinwright's daughter. and produced and directed by John Glyn-Jones. The script editor was Ted Kavanagh, who during the World War II years also wrote the BBC Radio comedy series "It's That Man Again" ("ITMA" ), which according to Foster and Furst was "entirely new, breaking away from the conventions of both radio and music hall comedy".


title: British sitcom

text: Transferred to television in 1956 after 48 episodes on BBC radio which began in 1954, "Hancock's Half Hour" (1956–1961) by Galton and Simpson was It was the first modern TV sitcom. Whilst moving away from audio variety towards character development, the radio series had been influential in the development of TV situation comedy. The radio series continued to be produced alongside the TV version. Tony Hancock played a fictionalised version of himself, a loser whose plans and aspirations are continually ruined by bad luck. Its only other regular cast member was the more worldly sidekick played by Sid James, later of "Carry On" fame. Other occasional participants included John Le Mesurier, Kenneth Williams, and Patricia Hayes. Hancock's biographer John Fisher dates the first use of the term 'situation comedy' in British broadcasting to a BBC memo dated 31 March 1953 from radio comedy producer Peter Eton, suggesting the format as the ideal vehicle for Hancock's comedic style. "Hancock's persona of the pompous loser out of his depth in an uncomprehending society still informs many programmes today", according to Phil Wickham. The final BBC series of this show was broadcast under the shorter title "Hancock". In 1963, Hancock changed his writers and moved to ITV for a further 13-episode series also named "Hancock". The series, though relatively well received, has been described as "clearly not up to the standard of [Hancock's] BBC work".


title: British sitcom

text: Starring Jimmy Edwards in the lead role as Professor James Edwards, "Whack-O!" written by Frank Muir and Denis Norden, is about the drunken, gambling, devious, cane-swishing headmaster who tyrannised staff and children at the fictitious Chiselbury public school "for the sons of Gentlefolk". From 1956 to 1960 and 1971–1972, it ran for 60 episodes over 8 series. The first six episodes were subtitled "Six of the Best", alluding to the frequent and traditional caning of disobedient pupils in the UK at the time. The series was revived in colour with updated scripts in 1971–72, slightly retitled "Whacko!". Other members of the cast included Arthur Howard (series 1–7),


title: British sitcom

text: Peter Eton's series of "The Army Game" (1957–1961) was probably British television's most successful sitcom of this period and ran for 154 episodes. Many of its stars went on to become household names. The original cast consisted of William Hartnell, Michael Medwin, Geoffrey Sumner, Alfie Bass, Charles Hawtrey, Bernard Bresslaw and Norman Rossington. The cast of "The Army Game" would change over the years with actors such as Geoffrey Palmer, Bill Fraser, Ted Lune, Frank Williams, Harry Fowler and Dick Emery appearing in subsequent series. "The Army Game" follows the exploits of Hut 29, a fictional dysfunctional group of conscripted National Service soldiers during the post-war years. Writers included creator Sid Colin, Larry Stephens, Maurice Wiltshire, Lew Schwarz, John Jowett, John Antrobus, John Foley, Marty Feldman, Barry Took, David Climie, David Cumming, Derek Collyer, Brad Ashton, John Junkin, Talbot Rothwell, Sidney Nelson, Stan Mars, Bob Perkins and Alan MacKinnon. At least three episodes are uncredited. In June 1959, a short "The Army Game" scene was performed by Michael Medwin, Alfie Bass, Norman Rossington, Bill Fraser and Ted Lune at the Royal Variety Performance in front of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother. This was the last Royal Variety Performance that was not televised. This successful series inspired a film spin-off, "I Only Arsked!" (1958), and in 1958, just a year after the series debuted, the first "Carry On" film, the very similar "Carry On Sergeant", was released, also featuring Hawtrey, Rossington and Hartnell.


title: British sitcom

text: In the 1960s, the BBC produced a then-rare workplace comedy with "The Rag Trade" (1961–1963, 1977–1978) written by Ronald Wolfe and Ronald Chesney. The success of the series was due partly to the strength of the female ensemble playing the workforce, who included Sheila Hancock, Barbara Windsor and Esma Cannon. It also made the earliest of Richard Waring's domestic comedies, "Marriage Lines" (1961–1966), starring Richard Briers (later to star in "The Good Life") and Prunella Scales (who went on to star in "Fawlty Towers"), and "Not in Front of the Children" (1967–70), starring Wendy Craig.


title: British sitcom

text: Women were usually only cast in secondary roles in this period, though several series with Craig in the lead were an exception. Sitcoms developed by Carla Lane, the first successful female writer in the form, began with "The Liver Birds" (1969–1979, 1996), initially in collaboration with others.


title: British sitcom

text: Another change, with "Steptoe and Son" (1962–65, 1970–74) and "The Likely Lads" (1964–1966), producers began to cast actors, rather than the comedians around whom earlier series like "Whack-O!", with Jimmy Edwards, or "Hancock's Half Hour", had been built.


title: British sitcom

text: As a spin-off sequel to "The Army Game" and also starring Bill Fraser and Alfie Bass, "Bootsie and Snudge", (1960–1963, 1974) was written by a large team over its 104 episodes. Writers for the 1960–63 episodes included Marty Feldman, Barry Took, John Antrobus, Ray Rigby, David Cumming, Derek Collyer, James Kelly, Peter Lambda, Tom Espie, Jack Rosenthal, Harry Driver, and Doug Eden. The 1974 series was written by David Climie, Ronnie Cass and Lew Schwarz. The series established the reputation of actor Clive Dunn, leading to his role as Corporal Jones in "Dad's Army".


title: British sitcom

text: Running for 43 episodes over 5 series (1963–1966), first titled "The Marriage Lines", "Marriage Lines" was written by Richard Waring and directed and produced by Robin Nash and Graeme Muir. The traditional domestic comedy about a young couple learning to cope with married life reflected social attitudes of the times, and provided its lead stars Richard Briers and Prunella Scales with a significant boost to their careers. The supporting cast included Edward de Souza, Ronald Hines and Christine Finn.


title: British sitcom

text: With its cast of only two regular characters played by Harry H. Corbett and Wilfrid Brambell, airing 1962–65 and 1970–74), "Steptoe and Son" was a Galton and Simpson creation and ran for 57 episodes over 8 series. Producers included Duncan Wood, John Howard Davies, Graeme Muir, and Douglas Argent. In 2000, the show was ranked number 44 on the 100 Greatest British Television Programmes compiled by the British Film Institute. In a 2001 Channel 4 poll Albert was ranked 39th on their list of the 100 Greatest TV Characters, The series was derived from a one-off Galton and Simpson comic play, "The Offer", shown on their BBC series Comedy Playhouse in 1962. It is regularly repeated and gave rise to four feature films.


title: British sitcom

text: Written by Johnny Speight and broadcast 1965–1968 and 1972–1975, "Till Death Us Do Part" featured Warren Mitchell as Alf Garnett and was an instant hit. Centred on the bigoted character of Alf Garnett, it addressed racial and political issues that had been becoming increasingly prevalent in British society. It was criticised by campaigner Mary Whitehouse for its bad language, and due to changing attitudes in political correctness it is seldom repeated.


title: British sitcom

text: Based on a World War II theme, "Dad's Army" (1968–1977) by Jimmy Perry and David Croft, was a gentle mockery of Britain's 'finest hour' and the Home Guard. One of the most enduring British sitcoms, it starred Arthur Lowe and John Le Mesurier, whose interaction with Lowe's character Captain Mainwaring was described by "The Times" as "a memorable part of one of television's most popular shows". It also starred Clive Dunn, John Laurie, Ian Lavender and Arnold Ridley. During its original television run, the show was nominated for multiple British Academy Television Awards, including "Best Situation Comedy" in 1973, 1974 and 1975, although only won "Best Light Entertainment Production Team" in 1971. In 2000, the show was voted 13th in a British Film Institute poll of industry professionals of the 100 Greatest British Television Programmes. In 2004, championed by Phill Jupitus, it came fourth in the BBC poll to find Britain's Best Sitcom. As of 2022 it is one of British television's most regularly repeated sitcoms.


title: British sitcom

text: Bringing the first light-hearted satirical look at the church, during 1966–1971 "All Gas and Gaiters" paved the way for "Bless Me, Father" (1978–1981) with Arthur Lowe, and farcical ecclesiastical comedies such as "Father Ted" and "The Vicar of Dibley" in the 1990s. Starring Derek Nimmo with Robertson Hare, William Mervyn, John Barron, Joan Sanderson, and Ernest Clark, it was written by husband-and-wife team Pauline Devaney and Edwin Apps and directed by John Howard Davies and Stuart Allen. The successful series, which after an initial controversy became a favourite of Britain's clergy, was followed by two spin-offs also starring Nimmo: "Oh, Brother!" (1968-1970), 19 episodes written by David Climie and Austin Steele, with supporting roles by Sir Felix Aylmer, Patrick McAlinney and Derek Francis, and its sequel "Oh, Father!" (1973) with Felix Aylmer, Laurence Naismith, Pearl Hackney and David Kelly, also written by Climie and Steele. "All Gas and Gaiters" was produced by Stuart Allen, John Howard Davies, and Robin Nash, and the music was provided by Stanley Myers.


title: British sitcom

text: With Milo O'Shea, and Yootha Joyce in the lead roles, "Me Mammy" was written by Hugh Leonard, produced by James Gilbert and Sydney Lotterby for the BBC and aired 1968–1971 for 21 episodes over 3 series. Bunjy Kennefick, played by O'Shea, is an Irish mother's boy living in London. He is a top executive of a company and lives a bachelor lifestyle. However, his old-fashioned Catholic mother often puts a stop to his plans, many of them involving his girlfriend Miss Argyll, played by Joyce.


title: British sitcom

text: The 1970s is often regarded as the golden era of British sitcom. Well-remembered series include John Cleese and Connie Booth's farcical "Fawlty Towers" (1975, 1979) often cited as the greatest sitcom of all time; John Esmonde and Bob Larbey's self-sufficiency comedy "The Good Life" (1975–78) and "To the Manor Born" by Peter Spence and Christopher Bond were also highly successful. "Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?" (1973–74), a sequel to "The Likely Lads", is thought to have surpassed the original, while its writers, Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais, provided Ronnie Barker with his most significant sitcom vehicle, "Porridge" (1974–77). Barker also starred (along with David Jason) in "Open All Hours" (1973, 1976–85), written by Roy Clarke, whose "Last of the Summer Wine" began in 1973 and ended in 2010, becoming the world's longest running sitcom. The decade also saw the broadcast of "It Ain't Half Hot Mum" (1974–81), which has been criticised for the "stereotypes of its handful of Indian supporting characters as alternately servile, foolish, lazy or devious".


title: British sitcom

text: The commercial station ITV had successes with "Rising Damp" (1974–78, sometimes called the best of all ITV sitcoms), "Man About the House" (1973–76) and "George and Mildred" (1976–79). "Rising Damp" star Leonard Rossiter also played the lead role in the BBC's "The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin" (1976–79). The decline in cinema attendance meant that many of these series were turned into cinema films; the first film version of "On the Buses" (1969–73) was the biggest hit at the British box office in 1971. According to Jeff Evans, "On the Buses" was a "cheerfully vulgar comedy" in which "leering and innuendo dominate[d]." Some of the network's other ratings successes from this era included "Love Thy Neighbour" (1972–76) and "Mind Your Language" (1977–79, 1986), which attempted to find humour in racial or ethnic conflict and misunderstandings, but were increasingly criticised over time for "obvious racial name-calling... recurring with distressing regularity" and "offer[ing] only the crudest caricatures".


title: British sitcom

text: Increasing relaxation in regard to the discussion of sex allowed farce and camp humour to become a familiar form in the 1970s and were used in series like "Are You Being Served?" and comedian Frankie Howerd's "Up Pompeii!", which ran for 16 episodes (1969–70, 1975, 1991) and starred several female stalwarts from the "Carry On" film series, including Barbara Windsor, Wendy Richard and Valerie Leon. A feature of the show which inspired three films was Howerd's frequent breaking of the fourth wall.


title: British sitcom

text: Other controversial topics for comedy included series written by Richard Waring and Wendy Craig. "...And Mother Makes Three" (1971–73), and its sequel "...And Mother Makes Five" (1974–76), starred Craig (who also co-wrote) as a widowed mother who eventually remarries a divorced single father. "My Wife Next Door" (1972), created by Brian Clemens, concerned a divorced couple who accidentally moved next door to each other, "Miss Jones and Son" (1977–78) was about a single mother, and "Rings on Their Fingers" (1978–80) was about a young, unmarried couple.


title: British sitcom

text: Another creation by Ronald Chesney and Ronald Wolfe is "On the Buses", starring Reg Varney and Bob Grant. Running 1969–1973 for 74 episodes over 7 series, it was initially rejected by the BBC, who did not see much comedy potential in a bus depot as a setting. It was then commissioned by Frank Muir, then at London Weekend Television who said it was "rather at the baked beans end of my menu". Despite poor critical reception, it gained an audience of up to 20 million. It has been described as cliche-ridden, stereotypical, occasionally racist and totally sexist by today's standards, with Varney's and Grant's characters both lecherous womanisers and ethnic minorities used inappropriately for humour. As David Stubbs wrote for "The Guardian" in 2008, Grant and Varney were playing "two conspicuously middle-aged men" (Varney was in his 50s when the series began) pursuing "an endless array of improbably available 'dolly birds' ". The series was made into three films, "On the Buses" (1971), "Mutiny on the Buses" (1972), and "Holiday on the Buses" (1973).


title: British sitcom

text: Starring Sid James of "Carry On" fame, with Diana Coupland and Sally Geeson, "Bless This House" was created by Vince Powell and Harry Driver, but mainly written by others including Dave Freeman and Carla Lane. Running from 1971 to 1976, It marked a departure from James' characteristic bawdy slapstick and famous 'dirty laugh' and ran for 65 episodes over 10 series. The series ended abruptly in 1976, when, just four days after the broadcast of the final episode, James died after collapsing on stage. Ironically, James had told Coupland, "It's such fun and so successful, we'll still be working on "Bless This House" till one of us kicks the bucket."


title: British sitcom

text: In 1972 the lavish French farce in English based on the 1934 novel of the same name by Gabriel Chevallier, "Clochemerle" was adapted into 9 episodes by Galton and Simpson for the BBC. It was a stark contrast to the dark comedy of their "Steptoe and Son" and "Hancock's Half Hour". Filmed on location in Colombier-le-Vieux, in the department of Ardèche, it starred Roy Dotrice, Wendy Hiller, Cyril Cusack, Kenneth Griffith, Cyd Hayman, Bernard Bresslaw, Hugh Griffith, Micheline Presle, Madeline Smith, Christian Roberts, Nigel Green, Wolfe Morris and Gordon Rollings, with narration by Peter Ustinov. The show was produced by Michael Mills as a co-production between the BBC and West Germany's Bavaria Film. Incidental music was arranged by Alan Roper and played by L'Harmonie Du Rhone Orchestra, Lyon, under the musical direction of Raymond Jarniat.


title: British sitcom

text: Created by Brian Clemens and written by Richard Waring, "My Wife Next Door" was shown on BBC1 in 1972 and ran for 13 episodes. The series concerns George Basset, played by John Alderton, and Suzie Basset, played by Hannah Gordon, who each try to start afresh after their divorce by moving to the country, only to find that they have moved into adjoining cottages. The music was by Dennis Wilson. In 1973, one episode won a British Academy Television Award for Best Situation Comedy. During a repeat run in January 1980, one episode gained 19.3 million viewers and was the second most-watched programme that week.


title: British sitcom

text: Set in a traditional London department store, the show follows the antics of the staff of the retail ladies' and gentlemen's clothing departments. "Are You Being Served?" (1972–85) was created and written for the BBC by Jeremy Lloyd and David Croft and stars Frank Thornton, Mollie Sugden, Wendy Richards, and John Inman (whose camp characterisation of Mr. Humphries contributed greatly to the series' success), Wendy Richard and Nicholas Smith appeared in all 69 episodes. In 2004, it ranked 20th in "Britain's Best Sitcom". The series proved to be highly exportable, and is regularly repeated on BBC Two, Drama and Gold in the UK, PBS and BBC America in the United States, and BBC UKTV, Fox Classics and 9Gem in Australia, and Jones! in New Zealand. A spin-off series, "Grace & Favour", with some of the same main cast aired in 1991–1992, and a one-off episode with a new cast in 2016. Its feature film spin-off was not well received.


title: British sitcom

text: Considered daring at the time because it featured a man sharing a flat with two single women, the flat-share comedy "Man About the House" was created was by Brian Cooke and Johnnie Mortimer. It starred Richard O'Sullivan, Paula Wilcox and Sally Thomsett, with Brian Murphy and Yootha Joyce as their landlord and landlady. 40 episodes were broadcast over six series on ITV and ran 1973 to 1976. A film version was released in 1974. The series is regularly repeated on ITV3.


title: British sitcom

text: Based on life in a UK prison, the "Porridge" sitcom by writers Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais provided Ronnie Barker, in the role of a prison inmate, with his most significant sitcom vehicle, supported by Richard Beckinsale. It ran 1974–77 on BBC1 for 22 episodes over three series. The series features two major supporting characters, both prison officers: Mr Mackay, played by Fulton Mackay, and Mr Barrowclough, played by Brian Wilde. The sitcom focused on two prison inmates, Norman Fletcher, played by Barker and Lennie Godber, played by Beckinsale, who are serving time in a fictional British prison. "Porridge" was critically acclaimed and was ranked No. 35 on the 100 Greatest British Television Programmes compiled by the British Film Institute in 2000. In 2004, "Porridge" placed seventh in Britain's Best Sitcom. "Porridge" was appreciated by British prisoners. Erwin James, an ex-prisoner who wrote a column for "The Guardian", stated that: "What fans could never know, however, unless they had been subjected to a stint of Her Majesty's Pleasure, was that the conflict between Fletcher and Officer Mackay was about the most authentic depiction ever of the true relationship that exists between prisoners and prison officers in British jails up and down the country. I'm not sure how, but writers Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais grasped the notion that it is the minor victories against the naturally oppressive prison system that makes prison life bearable."


title: British sitcom

text: The ITV production of 28 episodes (1974–78) of "Rising Damp" written by Eric Chappell, is sometimes called the best of all ITV sitcoms. It starred Leonard Rossiter as Rigsby, a miserly, seedy, and ludicrously self-regarding landlord of a run-down Victorian townhouse who rents out his shabby bedsits to a variety of tenants: Ruth Jones, an unmarried woman approaching middle age, played by Frances de la Tour; Alan Moore, a medical student played by Richard Beckinsale; and Philip Smith, a cultured sales representative supposedly descended from African royalty, played by Don Warrington. Chappell defended the Rigsby character by saying he "was not a racist or a bigot, but he was prejudiced and suspicious of strangers. But he accepted Philip and his only concern afterwards was that he didn't get a leg over Miss Jones." Warrington, who played Smith, stated: "There were certain aspects of it that were politically incorrect. On the other, you can see how it held up a mirror to the way we were living." The series won the 1978 BAFTA for Best Situation Comedy and was the highest-ranking ITV sitcom in the BBC's "Britain's Best Sitcom", coming in 27th overall. Frances de la Tour received an "Evening Standard" British Film Award in the category of "Best Actress" for her performance as Ruth Jones.


title: British sitcom

text: Broadcast 1974–1979 on BBC1 for 41 episodes over 5 series, starring Terry Scott and June Whitfield, with Beryl Cooke, "Happy Ever After" was written by John T. Chapman, Eric Merriman, Christopher Bond, John Kane and Jon Watkins. It was based on a "Comedy Playhouse" pilot called "Happy Ever After" which aired on 7 May 1974, with Scott and Whitfield playing a middle-class couple whose grown-up children had just left home.


title: British sitcom

text: "The Good Life" (1975–1978), written by Bob Larbey and John Esmonde, aired on BBC1 for 30 episodes over four series and two specials. The final episode was recorded in the presence of the Queen to mark her Silver Jubilee; it was reputedly one of her favourite shows. Felicity Kendal and Richard Briers starred as Barbara and Tom Goode – a middle-class suburban couple who decide to quit the rat race and become self-sufficient, much to the consternation of their snooty but well-meaning neighbour Margo, played by Penelope Keith, and her down-to-earth husband Jerry, played by Paul Eddington. The opening theme was composed by Burt Rhodes. In 2004, "The Good Life" came 9th in "Britain's Best Sitcom". After its success, the four main cast members were given their own "vehicles" commissioned by the then Head of Comedy and producer of "The Good Life", John Howard Davies. The series provided Felicity Kendal with her big break on television and significantly boosted her career on stage.


title: British sitcom

text: Described in the BBC's profile of the show as "the British sitcom by which all other British sitcoms must be judged", "Fawlty Towers" (1975 and 1979) is eminently quotable; the repetition in the episode known as "The Germans" of 'don't mention the war' has become a catch phrase." In two series, only 12 half-hour episodes were made, because the writers, John Cleese and his then wife Connie Booth, felt that they could not continue to write comedy of the same quality. The series starred Cleese as Basil Fawlty, Prunella Scales as Sybil Fawlty), Connie Booth as Polly Sherman, and Andrew Sachs as Manuel. Supporting roles included Major Gowen, played by Ballard Berkeley, Chef Terry, played by Brian Hall, and Miss Gatsby and Miss Tibbs, played by Renee Roberts and Gilly Flower. Other well known guests from stage and screen, usually two or three for each episode, were featured in various episodes and among many others included Yvonne Gilan, Conrad Phillips, Bernard Cribbins, James Cossins, Allan Cuthbertson, Ann Way, Brenda Cowling, Joan Sanderson, Elspet Gray, Geoffrey Palmer, Derek Royle, Richard Davies, Ken Campbell, Una Stubbs, and John Quarmby. The show was produced by John Howard Davies and Douglas Argent, directed by Davies and Bob Spiers and the music was by Dennis Wilson. The show was ranked first on a list of the 100 Greatest British Television Programmes drawn up by the British Film Institute in 2000, and in 2019 it was named the greatest ever British TV sitcom by a panel of comedy experts compiled by the "Radio Times". Basil Fawlty has been listed by Channel 4 as the second greatest television character.


title: British sitcom

text: The spin-off from "Man About the House", starring Yootha Joyce and Brian Murphy, with Norman Eshley, Sheila Fearn, and child star Nicholas Bond-Owen, a domestic sitcom "George and Mildred" is focused on a clash of social class. Written by Brian Cooke and Johnnie Mortimer, it ran for 38 episodes and is regularly repeated on ITV3. Yootha Joyce died suddenly in August 1980, just before production of a sixth and final series.


title: British sitcom

text: Created and written by Roy Clarke for the BBC, "Open All Hours" ran for 26 episodes in four series (1976, 1981, 1982 and 1985) and starred Ronnie Barker and David Jason, with a regular supporting cast including Lynda Baron, Stephanie Cole, Barbara Flynn, Maggie Ollerenshaw, and Kathy Staff.


title: British sitcom

text: The programme, produced and directed by Sydney Lotterby and developed from a television pilot broadcast in Barker's comedy anthology series "Seven of One" (1973), centred around the antics of the eccentric and miserly owner of a traditional English corner shop. Barker took his idea for Arkwright's famous stutter from the 1950s writer and performer Glenn Melvyn. "Open All Hours" came 8th in the 2004 Britain's Best Sitcom poll. Although it ended in 1985, "Open All Hours" had been repeated over 3,000 times by 2021. The theme tune was composed by Joseph Ascher (1829-1869), arranged for a brass band and performed by Max Harris, who also wrote the incidental music. A sequel, "Still Open All Hours", with David Jason and many members of the original cast, began airing in 2013.


title: British sitcom

text: First broadcast on ITV in 1977 and running for 12 episodes, "Miss Jones and Son" (1977–78) was written by Richard Waring and produced and directed by Peter Frazer-Jones. It starred Paula Wilcox ("Man About The House"), Christopher Beeny, Charlotte Mitchell and Norman Bird. The series depicted the life of Elizabeth Jones, played by Wilcox, a young woman coming to terms with the responsibility of looking after her baby alone. Emotional support came in the form of next-door-neighbour and friend Geoffrey, played by Beeny. Difficulties included the reproaches of her parents, played by Mitchell and Bird, a difficult social life, and a reduced income. The theme song, "Bright Idea", was written by Roger Webb.


title: British sitcom

text: Also written by Richard Waring, "Rings on Their Fingers" (1978–80) ran from 1978 to 1980 for 20 episodes in 3 series and was and produced by Harold Snoad for the BBC. It concerns a young unmarried couple, Sandy Bennett, played by Diane Keen, and Oliver Pryde, played by Martin Jarvis. The cast also included Tim Barrett, Barbara Lott, Anna Dawson, John Kane and Royce Mills. Sandy wishes to marry whereas Oliver is happy to remain unmarried. During the first series they do marry and in the second series they adjust to married life. A proposed fourth series would have concerned Sandy becoming pregnant unexpectedly, and Sandy and Oliver adapting to parenthood, but the series was not re-commissioned.


title: British sitcom

text: Co-starring Penelope Keith as Audrey Fforbes-Hamilton and Peter Bowles as Richard DeVere, "To the Manor Born" (1979–1981, 2007) was a 'feel-good' series following the leading characters' 'will-they-won't they' love story. Written by Peter Spence and Christopher Bond and produced and directed by Gareth Gwenlan, it was a sitcom with the one of the largest audience ratings of the period. The final episode of series 1, which aired on 11 November 1979, was the most watched British television programme (excluding live events) of the 1970s, drawing 23.95 million viewers. The final episode in 1981 received 17.80 million viewers. The series has been repeated over 1,000 times. Major supporting roles were played by Angela Thorne as Audrey's friend Marjory and Daphne Heard as Mrs Polouvicka, Richard's mother. Other members of the cast included Alan David, John Rudling, Michael Bilton, Gerald Sim, Michael Cochrane, and Georgie Glen. The music was written by Ronnie Hazlehurst.


title: British sitcom

text: Spun off from "Happy Ever After" after it ended, Terry Scott and June Whitfield returned to star in the 65 episodes of "Terry and June" (1979–1987). It was mostly written by John Kane. Chapman, one of the original writers, said that the original programme had run out of ideas and had to end. BBC Comedy, however, were unwilling to end a successful 'cozy' show, and so brought in fresh new writers; for legal reasons the programme title had to be changed, and, on 24 October 1979, "Terry and June" was born. It was similar to "Happy Ever After" without Aunt Lucy, but Terry and June's surname changed from Fletcher to Medford and the characters moved to Purley in London. In 2004, it came joint 73rd in "Britain's Best Sitcom" with "Happy Ever After".


title: British sitcom

text: In the 1980s, the emerging alternative comedians began to develop sitcoms, partly as a response to series such as "Terry and June" (1979–87), with their "complacent gentility, outmoded social attitudes and bourgeois sensibilities". The alternatives' incursion began with "The Young Ones" (1982–84), written by Rik Mayall, Ben Elton and others. To help make it stand out, the group opted to combine traditional sitcom style with violent slapstick, non-sequitur plot turns, and surrealism. These older styles were mixed with the working and lower-middle class attitudes of the growing 1980s alternative comedy boom. Mayall was also the star of "The New Statesman" (1987–92), a series created by Maurice Gran and Laurence Marks, whose biggest success, "Birds of a Feather" (1989–98, 2014–20), also deviated from British practice in being scripted by a team of writers.


title: British sitcom

text: The alternative comedy genre continued with "Blackadder" (1983–89), mainly written by Ben Elton and Richard Curtis and starring Rowan Atkinson, Tony Robinson, Tim McInnerny, Miranda Richardson, Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie. Atkinson's Edmund Blackadder came at number three in the Channel 4 list of 100 greatest television characters. Other high-ratings mainstream, slice-of-life shows of the decade included "Bread" (1986–1991) written by Carla Lane, about a close-knit, working-class family in Liverpool. Running for 74 episodes, at its peak it attracted 21 million viewers. Another notable series was the Science fiction comedy "Red Dwarf" (1988–).


title: British sitcom

text: Starring Paul Eddington, with Nigel Hawthorne and Derek Fowlds in the supporting roles, "Yes Minister" which ran for 21 episodes on BBC2 (1980–1984), and its sequel "Yes, Prime Minister" (1986–88), which ran for 16 episodes, were political satires. Established Shakespearean actor Hawthorne picked up four BAFTA TV Awards for Best Light Entertainment Performance for his role. Created by Antony Jay and Jonathan Lynn, the series received several BAFTAs and in 2004 was voted sixth in the "Britain's Best Sitcom" poll. Writer Michael Dobbs said Jay and Lynn "really got to the heart of so much of what goes on in Whitehall and Westminster". As the series revolved around the inner workings of central government, most of the scenes take place privately in offices and exclusive members' clubs. Lynn said that "there was not a single scene set in the House of Commons because government does not take place in the House of Commons. Some politics and much theatre takes place there. Government happens in private. As in all public performances, the real work is done in rehearsal, behind closed doors. Then the public and the House are shown what the government wishes them to see." Lynn and Jay explained: "After we wrote the episode, we would show it to some secret sources, always including somebody who was an expert on the subject in question. They would usually give us extra information which, because it was true, was usually funnier than anything we might have thought up." In a 2004 BBC programme paying tribute to the series, it was revealed that Jay and Lynn had drawn on information provided by two insiders from the governments of Harold Wilson and James Callaghan, namely Marcia Falkender and Bernard Donoughue. The series was the favourite television programme of the then Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher. In 2012, Prime Minister David Cameron admitted that "I can tell you, as prime minister, it is true to life."


title: British sitcom

text: Set in 1959–60 in a fictional holiday camp, "Hi-de-Hi!" was filmed on location at the real Warner's Holiday Centre at Dovercourt Bay. It ran for 58 episodes (1980–1988) on the BBC and is often repeated. It was co-written by Jimmy Perry, based on his experience as a Butlin's Redcoat, and director-producer David Croft. With its ensemble cast comprising Paul Shane, Simon Cadell, Ruth Madoc, Jeffrey Holland, Su Pollard, and David Griffin, the series gained large audiences and won a BAFTA for Best Comedy Series in 1984. In a 2008 poll on Channel 4, "Hi-de-Hi!" was voted the 35th most popular comedy catchphrase. According to comedy researcher Mark Lewisohn, "Plots became somewhat outlandish during the latter episodes and by the time the BBC called it a day in 1988, it is arguable that the show had already outstayed its welcome by a good couple of years. All in all, though, this was a good British sitcom."


title: British sitcom

text: One of the most successful British sitcoms of all time, "Only Fools and Horses" (1981–2003) starred David Jason as Derek "Del Boy" Trotter and Nicholas Lyndhurst as his younger brother Rodney. It began in 1981 and ran for 64 episodes, with specials, until 2003. It was the most durable of several series written by John Sullivan. The 1996 episode "Time on Our Hands" (originally billed as the last episode) holds the record for the highest UK audience for a sitcom episode, attracting 24.3 million viewers. A ratings success with viewers, the series received numerous awards, including recognition from BAFTA, the National Television Awards and the Royal Television Society, as well as winning individual accolades for Sullivan and Jason. It was voted Britain's Best Sitcom in a 2004 BBC poll. In a 2001 Channel 4 poll Del Boy was ranked fourth on their list of the 100 Greatest TV Characters. The series influenced British culture, contributing several words and phrases to the English language. It was named one of the top 20 cult television programmes of all time by TV critic Jeff Evans. Evans spoke of: "[shows] such as "Only Fools and Horses", which gets tremendous viewing figures but does inspire conventions of fans who meet in pubs called the Nag's Head and wander round dressed as their favourite characters." The theme music was by Ronnie Hazlehurst (1981) and John Sullivan (1982–2003). "Only Fools and Horses" came top in a research and analysis by a team of scientists led by Dr Helen Pilcher, a molecular neurobiologist and stand-up comedian with a speciality in scientific humour.


title: British sitcom

text: Running on the BBC for 295 episodes over 31 series, "Last of the Summer Wine" (1973–2010) was all written by Roy Clarke and produced by Alan J. W. Bell, with music by Ronnie Hazelhurst. It is the longest-running comedy programme in Britain and the longest-running sitcom in the world. The show was about the antics of a group of male pensioners looking for adventure, "portraying the elderly in a positive and non-stereotypical light." The family-friendly show was filmed largely in Holmfirth in Yorkshire, a location recommended by Barry Took, and featured Bill Owen, Peter Sallis, and Kathy Staff among many others.


title: British sitcom

text: "Last of the Summer Wine" was nominated numerous times for British television industry awards; it was proposed five times between 1973 and 1985 for the British Academy Film Awards, twice for the Best Situation Comedy Series award (in 1973 and 1979) and three times for the Best Comedy Series award (in 1982, 1983, and 1985). The show was also considered for the National Television Awards four times since 1999 (in 1999, 2000, 2003, and 2004), each time in the Most Popular Comedy Programme category. In 1999 the show won the National Television Award for Most Popular Comedy Programme. Repeated over 17,000 times, it is regularly broadcast on Gold, Yesterday, and Drama. It is also seen in more than 25 countries.


title: British sitcom

text: On BBC1 for four series and one feature-length special, "Ever Decreasing Circles" (1984–1989) was made in a total of 27 episodes. It was written by John Esmonde and Bob Larbey, and it reunited them with Richard Briers, of their previous hit show "The Good Life". Sydney Lotterby directed 13 episodes and 14 episodes were produced by Harold Snoad. The show also featured guest appearances by Peter Blake, Ronnie Stevens, Victoria Burgoyne and Ray Winstone. Centred around Martin Bryce, the eccentric mover and shaker of his local community who feels threatened by the verve and aplomb of a new arrival in the village, played by Peter Egan. Its handling was much less brash than most sitcoms, and "The Guardian" described it as having "a quiet, unacknowledged and deep-running despair to it that in retrospect seems quite daring". Reappraising the series, Andy Dawson observed that ""Ever Decreasing Circles" strayed far from the well-worn path that other Britcoms trudged along in the 70s and 80s. There was a very real darkness at the heart of it, with Martin existing in what was almost certainly a state of permanent mental anguish." The show was voted number 52 in the BBC's "Britain's Best Sitcom" poll in 2003. At its peak, it attracted television audiences of around 12 million.


title: British sitcom

text: Reminiscent of their 1970s sitcoms such as "Are You Being Served?" and "Dad's Army", "'Allo 'Allo!" was another creation of the writer/producer team of David Croft and Jeremy Lloyd. Set in Nazi-occupied France and starring Gorden Kaye as René, a café owner, 85 episodes were produced over nine series. Croft and Lloyd, who wrote the first six series (the rest were scripted by Lloyd and Paul Adam) devised the concept as a farcical parody of BBC wartime drama "Secret Army" (1977-1979) from which many elements were directly taken. Some actors from "Secret Army" also appeared in "Allo 'Allo!": Richard Marner, Guy Siner, John D. Collins and Hilary Minster. Although it did not have the success of "Dad's Army", it gained respectable ratings, and was adapted to stage. The BBC were able to sell the series to Germany, possibly because its Nazis were depicted 'as harmlessly pervy and bumbling'.


title: British sitcom

text: Starring Felicity Kendal ("The Good Life") and Jane Asher, "The Mistress" (1985–1987) aired on BBC2 for 12 episodes and was written by Carla Lane. Kendal played Maxine, a young florist having an affair with a married man, whose wife was played by Asher. The series was produced and directed by Gareth Gwenlan. Series 2 attempted to broaden its scope, serving as a more general comedy while still retaining the thread of the affair.


title: British sitcom

text: Running for only 13 episodes, "Chelmsford 123" (1988–1990), was a short-lived series set in Roman Britain about a young Roman general punished by the Emperor by being sent to govern cold, miserable Britannia, populated by hordes of drunken hooligans. Created and written by Jimmy Mulville and


title: British sitcom

text: Rory McGrath, and starring themselves with Philip Pope and Neil Pearson, it has fallen into relative obscurity. Both series are nevertheless available on All 4.


title: British sitcom

text: The new Channel 4 began to have successful long-running situation comedies. "Desmond's" (1989–94) was the first British sitcom with a black cast set in the workplace, and "Drop the Dead Donkey" (1990–98) brought topicality to the form as it was recorded close to transmission. "Oh, Doctor Beeching" (1995–1997) was the last of many sitcoms by producer David Croft.


title: British sitcom

text: Some of the biggest hits of the 1990s were "Men Behaving Badly", "Game On", "I'm Alan Partridge", "Goodnight Sweetheart", "Bottom", "The Brittas Empire", "The Thin Blue Line", "Mr. Bean" and "One Foot in the Grave".


title: British sitcom

text: The "Jeeves" stories by novelist P. G. Wodehouse were made into "Jeeves and Wooster" (1990–1993), a comedy-drama series in sitcom style. Twenty-three episodes in 4 series were adapted by Clive Exton for ITV, starring Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie, already well known writers and double act stars of their own sketch comedy television series "A Bit of Fry & Laurie". The productions were well received. The third series won a British Academy Television Award for Best Design for Eileen Diss. The final series won a British Academy Television Award for Best Graphics for Derek W. Hayes and was nominated for a British Academy Television Award for Best Drama Series; it also earned a British Academy Television Award for Best Original Television Music for Anne Dudley, and a British Academy Television Award for Best Costume Design for Dany Everett. In retrospect, Michael Brooke of BFI Screenonline called screenwriter Exton "the series' real star", saying his "adaptations come surprisingly close to capturing the flavour of the originals" by "retaining many of Wodehouse's most inspired literary similes."


title: British sitcom

text: Written by Michael Aitkens, produced by Gareth Gwenlan, and directed by Gwenlan and Sue Bysh, "Waiting for God" (1990–1994) ran on BBC1 for 47 episodes over 5 series and was a major success. It starred Stephanie Cole as Diana Trent and Graham Crowden as Tom Ballard, two elderly but spirited residents of Bournemouth's fictional Bayview Retirement Home, who are determined not to grow old gracefully, and spend their time running rings around the home's oppressive management and their own families. With Janine Duvitski in the main supporting role and a regular cast including Andrew Tourell, Sandra Payne, Michael Bilton and Paddy Ward, much of the humour was derived from flying in the face of expectations about how the elderly ought to behave. The show became very successful, and came 37th in the 2004 poll to find "Britain's Best Sitcom". It is frequently repeated on the Drama and Gold channels.


title: British sitcom

text: The frequently repeated and highly successful series "Keeping Up Appearances" (1990–1995, 1997, 2008), was written by Roy Clarke. The show, which comprised five series and 44 episodes, including four Christmas specials, starred Patricia Routledge as the snobbish Hyacinth 'Bouquet' Bucket, Clive Swift, playing her husband, and Josephine Tewson, playing her neighbour, with Judy Cornwell, Mary Millar and Geoffrey Hughes as her working class relatives. The theme music was composed by Nick Ingman. It is the BBC's most exported television programme, having been sold nearly 1,000 times to overseas broadcasters. As of 2016 "Keeping Up Appearances" is the most-bought BBC and has outsold every other show to international broadcasters in the past 40 years. According to Roy Clarke : "...the secret to her wide fan base is that everyone knows a Hyacinth" In a 2004 BBC poll it placed 12th in Britain's Best Sitcom and in a 2001 Channel 4 poll, Hyacinth Bucket was ranked 52nd on their list of the 100 Greatest TV Characters. Production ended after Routledge decided to move on to other projects.


title: British sitcom

text: Written by Jennifer Saunders and starring herself and Joanna Lumley, with Julia Sawalha and June Whitfield in supporting roles, "Absolutely Fabulous" (1992–1995) was based on the "French and Saunders" sketch "Modern Mother and Daughter". It ran for 39 episodes with the first three series airing on BBC, followed a two-part special finale entitled "The Last Shout" in 1996. Saunders played Edina Monsoon, a heavy-drinking, drug-abusing PR agent who spends her time in a desperate attempt to stay young and "hip", and Lumley played fashion magazine director Patsy Stone, whose drug abuse and alcohol consumption far eclipsed Edina's. It returned for two more series and two one-hour specials from 2001 to 2004. In 1997, the pilot episode, "Fashion", was ranked #47 on "TV Guide"s "100 Greatest Episodes of All-Time" list. A scene from the show was included in the "TV's 100 Greatest Moments" programme broadcast by Channel 4 in 1999. In 2000, the show was ranked 17th in the greatest British television show of all time by the BFI. In 2004 and 2007, the show was ranked 24th and 29th on "TV Guide"s "Top Cult Shows Ever" list. In 2019, the series ranked 9th in "Radio Times"' top 20 British sitcoms. The series has a 96% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and "", was released in 2016.


title: British sitcom

text: The BBC1 mini-series of "If You See God, Tell Him" (1993) in four 45-minute episodes written by Andrew Marshall and David Renwick, stars Richard Briers, Adrian Edmondson, Imelda Staunton and Martin Clunes. The very humour concerned a man bumps his head and starts believing he must do everything adverts tell him, with catastrophic results. "The Independent" wrote: "It's not really a disaster but there's something decidedly uneven underfoot here, a feeling that this is the working model for a new type of comedy rather than the finished product. [...] while it's sustained with considerable energy by the actors and direction you have to doubt whether it really stands up for one episode, let alone four." Conversely, a retrospective review in "The Guardian" highlighted the series as "a gem from an era when the BBC took its black comedy seriously", praising both its dark content and humour, "a Richard Briers sitcom that's the opposite of The Good Life." The series was only broadcast once and never repeated; according to "The Guardian", this was "possibly because it was too much of a leap for fans of "The Good Life", but it has grown in cult status over the years."


title: British sitcom

text: In terms of ratings, "The Vicar of Dibley" (1994–2007) starring Dawn French, is among the most successful British programmes of the digital era. The main character, Geraldine Granger, was invented by Richard Curtis, but he and French extensively consulted Joy Carroll, one of the first female Anglican priests.


title: British sitcom

text: The series exploited the 1992 changes in the Church of England that permitted the ordination of women. The show included cameos from many actors and celebrities, many appearing as themselves, and including Sarah, Duchess of York, Hugh Bonneville, Mel Giedroyc, Richard Griffiths, Miranda Hart, Alistair McGowan, Geraldine McNulty, Philip Whitchurch, Nicholas Le Prevost, Brian Perkins and Roger Sloman, Pam Rhodes, Kylie Minogue, Rachel Hunter, Terry Wogan, Jeremy Paxman, Martyn Lewis, Darcey Bussell, Sean Bean, Richard Ayoade, Orla Brady, Fiona Bruce, Annette Crosbie, Johnny Depp, Ruth Jones, Hilary Kay, Damian Lewis, Maureen Lipman, Jennifer Saunders, Sting and his wife Trudie Styler, Stephen Tompkinson, Dervla Kirwan, and Emma Watson. Dibley received multiple British Comedy Awards, two International Emmys, and was a multiple British Academy Television Awards nominee. In 2004, it was placed third in a BBC poll to find "Britain's Best Sitcom". In addition to the twenty main episodes between 1994 and 2007, the series included numerous shorter charity specials, as well as 'lockdown' episodes produced during the 2020-2021 COVID-19 pandemic. The theme music was a setting of Psalm 23 composed by Howard Goodall as a serious piece of church choral music, and performed by the choir of Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford, with George Humphreys singing the solo. The conductor was Stephen Darlington.


title: British sitcom

text: The 20 episode comedy drama series, "Hamish Macbeth" (1995–1997), by Scottish screenwriter Daniel Boyle was filmed mainly on location in the Scottish Highlands, in a departure from the convention that sitcoms are filmed in studio and accompanied by a laugh track. It was loosely adapted from the mystery novels by M. C. Beaton (Marion Chesney) by Daniel Boyle and starred Robert Carlyle as a police officer.


title: British sitcom

text: The highly successful "Father Ted" (1995–1998) series created by Irish writers Graham Linehan and Arthur Mathews, produced by British Hat Trick Productions for Channel 4 aired over three series, including a Christmas special, for 25 episodes. Set on the fictional Craggy Island, off Ireland's west coast, it starred Dermot Morgan as Father Ted Crilly, Ardal O'Hanlon as Father Dougal McGuire and Frank Kelly as Father Jack Hackett. Exiled to the island by Bishop Leonard Brennan, played by Jim Norton, the priests live together in the parochial house with their housekeeper Mrs Doyle, played by Pauline McLynn. The show subverts parodies of low-brow humour as it portrays nuanced themes of loneliness, agnosticism, existentialism and purgatory experienced by its title character; this deeper meaning of the show has been much acclaimed. The series won several BAFTA awards, twice winning for Best Comedy Series. In a 2001 poll by Channel 4, Father Dougal was ranked fifth on a list of the 100 Greatest TV Characters. In 2019, "Father Ted" was named the second-greatest British sitcom (after "Fawlty Towers") by a panel of comedy experts for the "Radio Times".


title: British sitcom

text: A winner of many awards, including "Best New TV Comedy" at the 1999 British Comedy Awards, and "Best TV Comedy" in 2000, "Dinnerladies" (1998–2000) Created, written and co-produced by Victoria Wood, who also starred as the main character, Brenda Furlong, it was based on the lives and interactions of the employees of a works canteen and ran for a total of 16 episodes. The permanent cast occasionally featured guest actors, including Joanne Froggatt, Tina Malone, Dora Bryan OBE, Lynda Baron, Elspet Gray, Janette Tough, Simon Williams, Kenny Doughty and Eric Sykes CBE,


title: British sitcom

text: At the turn of the Millennium, examples of the hyperreal approach pioneered by Galton and Simpson in some of their "Hancock" scripts was evident in Steve Coogan's 12-episode sitcom "I'm Alan Partridge" (1997–2002). Galton and Simpson's influence also found its way into "The Office", a mockumentary, "Early Doors", "Gavin & Stacey" and many British dramedies.


title: British sitcom

text: The BBC began using their digital channels BBC Three and BBC Four to build a following for off-beat series including "The Thick of It" (2005–2012). Channel 4 had successes with "Spaced" (1999–2001), "Black Books" (2000–2004), "Phoenix Nights" (2001–2002), "Peep Show" (2003–2015), "Green Wing" (2004–2006), "The IT Crowd" (2006–2013) and "The Inbetweeners" (2008–2010). The late 2000s and early 2010s also saw a major resurgence in traditional-style sitcoms filmed in front of a studio audience and featuring a laughter track, such as "Not Going Out" (2006–), written by Lee Mack, "Miranda" (2009–2015), "Reggie Perrin" (2009–2010), a remake of the 1970s series "The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin" and Irish sitcom "Mrs Brown's Boys" (2011–). The most successful BBC sitcom of the time was "My Family" (2000–2011), which came 24th in the Britain's Best Sitcom poll in 2004 and was the most watched sitcom in the United Kingdom in 2008.


title: British sitcom

text: Other sitcoms in the new millennium included "Outnumbered" (2007–2016), "Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps" (2001–2011), about a group of young people sharing a flat in Runcorn, and "The IT Crowd" (2006–2013), about IT colleagues.


title: British sitcom

text: Caroline Aherne and Craig Cash wrote the 25 episodes of "The Royle Family" (1998–2012) for the BBC. It centred on the lives of a television-fixated working-class family, the Royles, a stereotype of family life at the turn of the century, sharing elements of kitchen sink drama. "The Royle Family" was placed 31st in the BFI's 2000 list of the 100 greatest British television programmes. In a 2001 Channel 4 poll, Jim Royle, the misanthropic head of the household, was ranked 11th on their list of the 100 Greatest TV Characters. In a 2004 BBC poll to find "Britain's Best Sitcom", "The Royle Family" was placed 19th. The series also won several BAFTA awards.


title: British sitcom

text: Like "Hamish Macbeth" in the 1990s, "Doc Martin" (2004–present), is a dramedy series. It stars Martin Clunes as Dr. Martin Ellingham, the general practitioner of a Cornish village, and Caroline Catz. Created by Dominic Minghella and written and produced by Philippa Braithwaite, it was filmed on location in the village of Port Isaac, with most interior scenes shot in a converted local barn. In 2004, "Doc Martin" won the British Comedy Award for "Best TV Comedy Drama", having also been nominated as "Best New TV Comedy". As of 2021 a total of 70 episodes had aired.


title: British sitcom

text: Running for 32 episodes over four series and three Christmas specials "The Green Green Grass" (2005 and 2009) was a spin-off from "Only Fools and Horses", produced for the BBC and created and initially written by John Sullivan, who also wrote the theme music. It starred John Challis, Sue Holderness and Jack Doolan from "Only Fools and Horses". It also featured several guest stars including Paula Wilcox, American actor George Wendt and Dame June Whitfield.


title: British sitcom

text: James Corden and Ruth Jones wrote the 20 episodes of "Gavin & Stacey" (2007–2010) for the BBC over three series which were directed by Christine Gernonmover. It centres on two families, one in Billericay, Essex and the other in Barry, South Wales. Mathew Horne and Joanna Page played Gavin and Stacey and the writers played their best friends Smithy and Nessa. Alison Steadman and Larry Lamb played Gavin's parents Pam and Mick, Melanie Walters played Stacey's mother Gwen and Rob Brydon played her uncle Bryn. Broadcast on Christmas Day 2009 and New Year's Day 2010, episodes of the final series formed a significant part of the prime-time BBC seasonal programming. Acclaimed as both a hit and a breakthrough show for the BBC, it was the most nominated show in the 2007 British Comedy Awards. It won several awards, including the BAFTAs Audience Award, and the British Comedy Awards Best TV Comedy Award, both in 2008. In 2019, "Gavin & Stacey" was named the 17th-greatest British sitcom in a poll by "Radio Times". 18.49 million people watched the Christmas Day 2019 special, the most-viewed non-sporting event in a decade and the most-watched comedy episode for 17 years.


title: British sitcom

text: Written and created by Derren Litten and produced by Tiger Aspect for ITV, "Benidorm" (2007–2018) aired for 74 episodes over ten series. The series featured an ensemble cast of holidaymakers and staff at the Solana all-inclusive hotel in Benidorm, Spain over the course of a week each year.


title: British sitcom

text: The series had a large ensemble cast, which changed throughout its ten seasons and included Abigail Cruttenden,


title: British sitcom

text: Tony Maudsley and many guest stars. The first series proved to be a hit for ITV, with critics describing it as "beautifully written and performed" and "a gem of wry observation in withering bad taste".


title: British sitcom

text: The censoring of repeats, especially where the watershed, the time after which adult programming is allowed to be broadcast, is being eroded by on demand viewing and OTT technology. The standard solution is to provide a warning to viewers of real-time transmissions that the programme contains language which some viewers may find offensive.


title: British sitcom

text: Other recent British sitcoms include "Brassic" (2019–present), "Chewing Gum" (2015–2017), "Friday Night Dinner" (2011–2020), "Bad Education" (2012–2014), "Cuckoo" (2012–2019), "Fleabag" (2016–2019) and "Peter Kay's Car Share" (2015–2018).


title: British sitcom

text: The sequel to "Open All Hours", "Still Open All Hours" (2013–2019), was created and written by Roy Clarke for the BBC. 41 episodes were broadcast. It starred David Jason, supported by James Baxter and a regular supporting cast including Lynda Baron,


title: British sitcom

text: Stephanie Cole, Maggie Ollerenshaw, Brigit Forsyth, Johnny Vegas, Kulvinder Ghir, Geoffrey Whitehead, Sally Lindsay, Tim Healy, Sue Holderness, Dean Smith,Archie Panjabi and Nina Wadia, with Baron, Cole, and Ollerenshaw reprising their original characters from "Open All Hours".


title: British sitcom

text: Directed by Dewi Humphreys, and produced by Jason, Alex Walsh-Taylor Sarah Hitchcock, and Gareth Edwards, the series continued the theme of "Open All Hours" while focusing on the life of a much older Granville, running his late uncle Arkwright's traditional English corner shop with his son's help.


title: British sitcom

text: The British-American parental black comedy television series "Breeders" (2020–present), was created by Martin Freeman, Chris Addison and Simon Blackwell. The series follows two parents who struggle with parenthood and is partially based on Freeman's own experiences. Freeman also plays the lead role. The series premiered on March 2, 2020, on the American cable network FX, and on the British network Sky One on March 12, 2020.


title: British sitcom

text: Barry Took came to TV comedy following his hugely successful half-hour radio sketch comedies such as "Beyond Our Ken" (1958 - 1964) and its successor "Round the Horne" 1965 - 1968 and paved the way for the format of many television sitcoms.


title: British sitcom

text: Took, with writing partner Marty Feldman with whom he collaborated for over ten years in radio and television, created the early sitcoms "The Army Game" in 1958 starring Alfie Bass ("Till Death Us Do Part" and "Are You Being Served?") and Bill Fraser ( "Hancock's Half Hour") and later wrote its sequel "Bootsie and Snudge" (1960) of which 100 episodes were made, pioneering TV comedy with one of its most enduring features, 'the ill-sorted pair'.


title: British sitcom

text: The team's first BBC series was "The Walrus and the Carpenter" (1965), starring Warren Mitchell and Ronnie Barker. He became Head of Light Entertainment for London Weekend Television and he launched several shows, including the successful "On the Buses", and was instrumental in launching the team that became "Monty Python's Flying Circus".


title: British sitcom

text: In the late 1960s writing thrillers for BBC Radio. Clarke is a prolific television drama creator who wrote sixteen of Britain's best known sitcoms. In 2002, he received an OBE for his contribution to British comedy. He was awarded the lifetime achievement award at the 2010 British Comedy Awards. He is also the 1996 winner of the BAFTA Dennis Potter Award, the 2010 British Comedy Awards winner, and the 1971 Writers' Guild of Great Britain


title: British sitcom

text: Best Writer award. Clarke was the sole writer of "Last of the Summer Wine", which at its peak had an audience of over 18 million viewers and is the longest-running comedy programme in Britain and the longest-running sitcom in the world. Among his well known works are "Keeping Up Appearances", "Open All Hours" and its sequel series, "Still Open All Hours".


title: British sitcom

text: David Croft (1922–2011) was a screenwriter, producer and director. He produced and wrote a string of BBC sitcoms with partners Jimmy Perry and Jeremy Lloyd, including "Dad's Army", "It Ain't Half Hot Mum" and "Hi-de-Hi!". Like Perry, he served in tropical Asia during the Second World War. While "Dad's Army" was still running, Croft began to co-write "Are You Being Served?" with Jeremy Lloyd. He continued both writing partnerships for the rest of his career in other series including "You Rang, M'Lord" with Perry and "Allo 'Allo!" with Lloyd. His last full series, "Oh, Doctor Beeching!" (1995–1997), was co-written with Richard Spendlove. He created a television pilot in 2007, entitled "Here Comes The Queen", with Jeremy Lloyd, but the show was not continued as a series. Together with Perry, Croft was presented with a British Comedy Award in 2003 for lifetime achievement, and in 1978 OBE for services to television. He also received the 1981 "Desmond Davies Award" from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, for his contributions to the industry.


title: British sitcom

text: Jimmy Perry (1923–2016) created "Dad's Army" with David Croft. The song he wrote for the series, "Who Do You Think You Are Kidding, Mr Hitler?", won him an Ivor Novello Award. Croft and Perry wrote together for over 30 years. Along with Frank Muir and Denis Norden, and Galton and Simpson, they were among the dominant writing teams of the period. Perry could send himself up as well as others. His autobiography was to be called "A Boy's Own Story", but it came out in 2002 under the title "A Stupid Boy".