Ted Andrews Website


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Ted Andrews Website

Ted Andrews Website

Just as Shows Beginning with E was populated entirely by drama, the F outing hands over the reigns to comedy. Sort of, there is a bit of drama thrown in for good measure but it’s playing second fiddle to some of the best TV comedies of all time.

This article is all about why Fawlty Towers is the best sitcom ever made, how Johnny Depp turned up in The Fast Show, the eejits living in the world of Father Ted, when alternative comedy was given a female voice with French & Saunders and a breakthrough in television with Fabian of Scotland Yard.

Fawlty Towers (BBC One: 1975-1979)

Where to start with Fawlty Towers? How about by saying that it is the greatest sitcom ever made? It might be enough to end it there but Fawlty Towers is one of those shows that is not only a joy to watch but also to talk about. Written by former Python John Cleese and his then wife Connie Booth it set the template for British sitcoms craving similar success by only running for two series and a total of 12 episodes meaning it remained top quality even if it took a bit of time to find an audience.

Sniffy hotel owner Basil Fawlty, an archetype cringing snobbery that is somehow omniscient in British society, is the show’s best achievement but his wife Cybil (Prunella Scales) and Spanish waiter Manuel (Andrew Sachs) are essential supporting characters. ‘The Germans’, the most famous episode featuring Cleese’s much admired Adolf Hitler impression, is the single greatest half hour of comedy that’s ever been on TV.

Father Ted (Channel 4: 1995-1998)