BBC Sitcom Season (BBC 2016)

Commissioned to celebrate the 60th anniversary of their first big sitcom Hancock’s Half Hour hitting the screen the BBC have come up with a brilliant idea, all new episodes of classic sitcoms from across the decades including Are You Being Served, Steptoe and Son, Porridge, Till Death Us Do Part and Hancock himself.

Surprisingly there was quite a bit of negative comment at the news that the BBC were remaking some of these shows, almost that it was sacrilege to even think of it. But hopefully what it will do is open up these shows to a whole new audience.

There were also some brand new comedy pilots including Our Ex Wife with Robert Webb, Motherland with Anna Maxwell Martin and We The Jury. The season also included some fresh pilots from BBC Three’s Comedy Feeds series, a penel quiz show called We Love Sitcom and a Horizon documentary from Jimmy Carr called The Science of Laughter.

production details
UK / BBC / various running times mostly 30 minutes / Broadcast from Sunday 28 August 2016

the full run down is
ARE YOU BEING SERVED (BBC-1 28 Aug 2016)
PORRIDGE (BBC-1 28 Aug 2016)
GOODNIGHT SWEETHEART (BBC-1 2 Sep 2016)
YOUNG HYACINTH (BBC-1 2 Sep 2016)
POINTLESS CELEBRITIES SITCOM SPECIAL
WE LOVE SITCOM
THE COOPERS VS THE REST
HOME FROM HOME
OUR EX WIFE
WE THE JURY
MOTHERLAND
JIMMY CARR AND THE SCIENCE OF LAUGHTER (HORIZON SPECIAL)
COMEDY FEEDS 2016
LOST SITCOMS: HANCOCK’S HALF HOUR
LOST SITCOMS: STEPTOE AND SON
LOST SITCOMS: TILL DEATH US DO PART

Head of film reviews at The Viewers Guide with an erudite, insightful, slightly sardonic, deep appreciation for classic cinema. Has a habit of quoting obscure lines from old films in everyday conversation. He keeps a meticulously organized film logbook. He's a bit of a tea snob.