I asked ChatGPT to make a 125-word argument for each of what I consider to be the best British sitcom of each decade from the 70s-00s to be the best out of the four:
1970s: Porridge
1980s: Only Fools and Horses
1990s: Father Ted
2000s: Peep Show
And I hafta say, it's pretty fucking dead on with each one. And I love all four so it's all a winner over here at Xmastime, people. Enjoy!🕺🇬🇧🤣
Why Porridge Is the Best:
Porridge proves less is more. One prison, two leads, and no need for flash — just whip-smart writing and deep character work. Fletcher (Ronnie Barker) is clever, warm, and dry as a bone, schooling young Godber while subtly rebelling against the system. The comedy’s in the rhythm, the silences, the looks — never cheap laughs. Mackay’s constant game of cat-and-mouse with Fletcher is a joy, and even minor characters are memorable. It’s restrained, never sentimental or surreal, yet still deeply funny. And for a show set behind bars, it feels weirdly… comforting. It’s the tightest, most perfectly constructed of the lot.
Why Only Fools and Horses Is the Best:
Only Fools is Britain’s emotional anchor — a sitcom that makes you roar with laughter and well up without warning. Del Boy and Rodney are lovable losers, chasing riches in a world built against them. The jokes are brilliant, but what elevates it is the soul: relationships that evolve, characters who feel real, and moments that hit deep (“This time next year…”). It’s full of iconic bits — the chandelier, the bar fall — but never becomes a sketch show. The writing sings with warmth, Cockney slang, and brilliant timing. And it ages like a fine Peckham wine. A true national treasure.
Why Father Ted Is the Best:
Father Ted is an absurdist gem — Ireland’s finest contribution to TV comedy. The setup is bizarre (three disgraced priests and a tea-fueled housekeeper on a cursed island), and somehow it’s perfect. Ted, Dougal, and Jack are endlessly watchable: the frustrated everyman, the cheerful idiot, the growling husk. The humor is rapid-fire, weird, and wildly quotable — “These are small… those are far away.” Every episode feels like a greatest hit. It satirizes religion and authority without cruelty, and its short run kept it sharp. Few sitcoms land every joke like this one. It’s silly, smart, and strangely beautiful.
Why Peep Show Is the Best:
Peep Show is pure anxiety, bottled and broadcast. It’s dark, awkward, and brutally hilarious — a sitcom where even the victories feel like losses. Mark and Jez are flatmates bound by desperation: one a repressed, delusional introvert; the other a free-spirited waster with no skills beyond DJing and denial. What sets Peep Show apart is its POV style — you are the characters, hearing their inner monologues in all their petty, neurotic glory. The writing (by Jesse Armstrong and Sam Bain) is savage, cringe-inducing, and oddly poetic. No show captures the internal chaos of everyday failure like this. It's the comedy of compromise, humiliation, and cold pizza. And somehow, it makes all of that genius.
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