Best British Sitcom History Podcasts (2025)

1
Grace & Favour (plus Beane's of Boston) 52:39

1d ago52:39

52:39

To get even further into the Are You Being Served universe, we take a look at the frankly unnecessary retooling that was Grace & Favour, getting the band back together for one last tour. But before that, we take a quick look at the failed pilot for an American remake, entitled Beane's of Boston, and a slightly more successful Australian remake.…

1
Are You Being Served? Film Spinoff 56:05

12d ago56:05

56:05

If you had a successful sitcom in the seventies then the only logical thing to do was to send your characters on holiday for the silver screen version. Are You Being Served was no exception and in the 1977 film spinoff we get all our favourites enjoying the baking hot sun of Elstree Studios.Okay, it's not a great film overall but is it true to the …

1
Trollied (Part 2) 56:32

15d ago56:32

56:32

This week we pop into Valco in Warrington for a big shop that includes Carl Rice and Beverly Rudd. We also take a look at what happens in the later series as the show goes from sketch-like o soap-like. But we still like it for some reason.By British Sitcom History Podcast

1
Trollied Part 1 56:21

26d ago56:21

56:21

This week we're taking a look at the Sky sitcom Trollied. Set in a supermarket in Warrington, the show ran for several years in the 2010s but because it wasn't on proper telly we didn't really notice. But it's actually quite good so let's get up to speed.By British Sitcom History Podcast

1
The Marriage Lines (Part 2) 47:05

1M ago47:05

47:05

In part two of our look at The Marriage Lines, we get up close and personal with the career of Prunella Scales and get nostalgic about the 1960s (even though neither of us were born then).By British Sitcom History Podcast

1
The Marriage Lines (Part 1) 49:15

1M ago49:15

49:15

This week, we take a look at early domestic sitcom The Marriage Lines. The first big hit for sitcom royalty Richard Briers and Prunella Scales, the show ran for five series but only two remain on record today.By British Sitcom History Podcast

1
Hippies (Part 2) 51:06

2M ago51:06

51:06

It's time for part 2 of our look at Hippies, in which we take a closer look at Julian Rhind-Tutt and Darren Boyd and make unnecessarily personal comments about their looks. We also get into Simon Pegg's childhood because Allen has read Pegg's autobiography!By British Sitcom History Podcast

1
Hippies (Part 1) 45:19

2M ago45:19

45:19

Hippies was a coming together of a lot of up and coming talent right at the end of the 20th century, but something about it doesn't quite click. We dig deep to see what's going on.By British Sitcom History Podcast

1
Blackadder II (Part 2) 48:41

2M ago48:41

48:41

It's Part 2 of our look at the second series of Blackadder, in which we take a closer look at Stephen Fry and Miranda Richardson. Plus, Gareth refreshes his hot take on Rik Mayall.By British Sitcom History Podcast

1
Blackadder II (Part 1) 44:06

2M ago44:06

44:06

After a disappointing first series, Blackadder was reborn with the help of Ben Elton and became one of the iconic pieces of British sitcom. Here we discuss how Blackadder got sexy and the evolution of the characters.By British Sitcom History Podcast

1
No Job for a Lady (Part 2) 48:35

2M ago48:35

48:35

Part 2 of our look at No Job for a Lady. Expect thirty year old political references and inevitable comparisons to Yes, Minister.By British Sitcom History Podcast

1
No Job for a Lady (Part 1) 46:36

3M ago46:36

46:36

No Job for a Lady may not be the best remembered show but it is a fascinating snapshot of the world of British politics in the early nineties. Here we get up close and personal with George Baker and ask the important questions, such as "How posh is Penelope Keith?"By British Sitcom History Podcast

1
Are You Being Served? (Part 2) 58:33

3M ago58:33

58:33

Part 2 of our look back at Are You Being Served? including an attempt to understand the strange and wonderful life of writer Jeremy Lloyd.By British Sitcom History Podcast

1
Are You Being Served? (Part 1) 59:16

3M ago59:16

59:16

Are You Being Served? is an absolute classic of British sitcom and part of the very large catalogue of work from David Croft. As such, it has way too many characters and goes on about five years longer than it should have... but does it hold up for today's sophisticated audience or is it as wet as Mrs. Slocombe's pussy?…

1
Bonus Episode - Ghosts Timeline 54:56

7M ago54:56

54:56

We had so much to talk about when we watched Ghosts that we've come back for more. In this bonus episode, we take a deep dive on the timeline of the Ghosts and get a bit of contextual history around their specific time periods.By British Sitcom History Podcast

1
16. The Conservative Party Transformation in the 70s and 80s - with Dr Simon Griffiths 1:02:09

8M ago1:02:09

1:02:09

Support the showBy Harry White

1
Bonus Episode - Live Comedy Events 2024 34:58

9M ago34:58

34:58

Just a quick bonus as we prepare for the new series. Allen has been immersing himself in the world of comedy and going to a few live events and meeting the big nobs from the world of light entertainment. Here he shares his experiences.In this episode we talk about Su Pollard: Fully Charged; An Afternoon with Gloria ( Melvin Hayes); Why We Love Stev…

1
Announcement: 2024 Holiday Update from Rusty Towers 3:26

12M ago3:26

3:26

Holiday announcement from CEO Alexander J Newall wrapping up an exciting 2024 ahead of an exciting 2025! We hope you have an excellent New Year! Transcript Links: Merch masterlist: www.rustyquill.com/support Jon and Martin perfume: https://sucreabeille.com/collections/all/products/jon-and-martin Ex Altiora perfume: https://sucreabeille.com/products…

1
Till Death Us Do Part (Christmas special) 43:43

12M ago43:43

43:43

For this year's christmas special we are venturing back to the Garnett household in 1966 where the family are upholding all the christmas traditions such as falling out and throwing stuff at the wall.By British Sitcom History Podcast

1
Ghosts (Part 2) 53:22

12M ago53:22

53:22

Part 2 of our look at Ghosts, which we're classing as very recent history in the world of sitcom.This week we are taking a look at some more of the actors such as Simon Farnaby and (spoiler alert) going all the way to the end and discussing how they closed it all off.This is the end of our regular series for now but there will be a Christmas specia…

1
Ghosts (Part 1) 50:28

1y ago50:28

50:28

This week we are doing our most recent sitcom yet with Ghosts. They officially closed off the series with a christmas special in 2023 so now is our chance to look back at what is arguably one of the best mainstream sitcoms of the last twenty years.By British Sitcom History Podcast

1
The Other One (Part 2) 47:31

1y ago47:31

47:31

Part 2 of our look at The Other one in which we delve into the very odd second series and have a closer look at the comedy career of Michael Gambon.By British Sitcom History Podcast

1
The Other One (Part 1) 47:36

1y ago47:36

47:36

Thanks to a listener poll, this week we are taking on the relatively obscure seventies sitcom The Other One. Richard Briers teams up once again with the writers Esmonde and Larbey in the immediate aftermath of their biggest hit, The Good Life. Michael Gambon makes a relatively rare sitcom appearance to make up the odd couple who meet and become fri…

1
Phoenix Nights (Part 2) 50:46

1y ago50:46

50:46

Part 2 of our breakdown of Phoenix Nights as we continue to struggle with the urge to quote every single line. We do love it so but we take time to look at the further careers of writers Dave Spikey and Neil Fitzmaurice as well as asking the question: Peter Kay - git?By British Sitcom History Podcast

1
Phoenix Nights (Part 1) 53:04

1y ago53:04

53:04

Part 1 of our take on Phoenix Nights, a personal favourite for both of us so prepare yourself for some nostalgia and laughter but also we try and take an in-depth and completely speculative look at the psychology of Peter Kay.By British Sitcom History Podcast

1
Desmond's (Part 2) 50:17

1y ago50:17

50:17

Part 2 of our look at Desmond's and this week we get up close and personal with the writer and creator Trix Worrell and of course we take a look at the (lesser) sequel/spin-off, Porkpie.By British Sitcom History Podcast

1
Desmond's (Part 1) 51:43

1y ago51:43

51:43

Desmond's was the culmination of a big push in the 80s (mostly by Channel 4) to have wider cultural and racial representation on TV. But this was no box ticking exercise; at its heart it is a down-the-line family sitcom but it does it oh so well.Norman Beaton, Carmen Munroe, Rom John Holder; these were performers at the top of their game captured i…

1
Whoops Apocalypse (Part 2) 47:50

1y ago47:50

47:50

Part 2 of our look at Whoops Apocalypse takes us to the White House and the Kremlin and we also take a look at the film version of the same idea (but it's not a spin-off). We also take a closer look at Richard Griffiths and find out he's not quite what we expected.By British Sitcom History Podcast

1
Whoops Apocalypse (Part 1) 50:21

1y ago50:21

50:21

Today we go back to the eighties and Cold War paranoia with the relatively obscure Whoops Apocalypse. More interesting for its position in the history of comedy than for its actual content, could this show be the glue between the sixties satire boom and the alternative comedy of the eighties?By British Sitcom History Podcast

1
Keeping Up Appearances (Part 2) 50:29

1y ago50:29

50:29

Part 2 of our look at Keeping Up Appearances and we do our best not to be too negative!By British Sitcom History Podcast

1
Keeping Up Appearances (Part 1) 53:15

1y ago53:15

53:15

Maybe it's just our age but it feels like Keeping Up Appearances was almost ever present when we were growing up. But how does it hold up in the cold light of day? Could it be a timeless classic or is Hyacinth Bucket a true britcom villain?By British Sitcom History Podcast

1
15. A History of BBC Election Night Broadcasting - Crossover with The British Broadcasting Century Podcast 44:43

1y ago44:43

44:43

A History of BBC Election Night Broadcasting - Crossover with The British Broadcasting Century Podcast. Ever wondered how the BBC has covered elections? How this has changed over the decades? Well time to find out! Support the showBy Harry White

1
Fawlty Towers - The Play (a review) 19:19

1+ y ago19:19

19:19

Allen went to the opening night of the brand new West End show Fawlty Towers - The Play and gives us his totally objective review. Is it going to be the sitcom successor to the Only Fools and Horses Musical and take theatreland by storm? Or is it a lazy cash grab from John Cleese?By British Sitcom History Podcast

1
Backstage #20 - Final Thoughts 48:14

2y ago48:14

48:14

This week we wrap up with some last thoughts from David and Amani! Content Notes: Spoilers for Cry Havoc! Ask Questions Later SFX: crowds Directed by Amani Zardoe Produced by Lowri Ann Davies Executive Producers Alexander J Newall & April Sumner Featuring David K Barnes, Amani Zardoe, and Lowri Ann Davies Dialogue Editor – Lowri Ann Davies Sound De…

1
Backstage! #19 - The Proscriptions 31:04

2y ago31:04

31:04

This week we have a final chat with Dr. Emma Southon about what actually happened with the infamous Proscriptions. Content Notes: Spoilers for Cry Havoc! Ask Questions Later SFX: crowds Directed by Amani Zardoe Produced by Lowri Ann Davies Executive Producers Alexander J Newall & April Sumner Featuring David K Barnes, Amani Zardoe, Dr. Emma Southon…

1
Backstage! #18 - Making Murder Funny 32:34

2y ago32:34

32:34

Things are heating up in Rome as murder, mayham, and malcontent run rampant. This week we look at how to find the humor in the macabre. Content Notes: Spoiler for Episodes 16 and 18 SFX: crowds Directed by Amani Zardoe Produced by Lowri Ann Davies Executive Producers Alexander J Newall & April Sumner Featuring David K Barnes, Grace Knight, Rob Vale…

1
Red Dwarf USA 27:03

2y ago27:03

27:03

We recently looked at the peak years of Red Dwarf, a show that was so good that even the Americans had a go at it. There were two attempts (more like one and a half) at pilots for a US series and footage has unofficially leaked out. So let's have a look at them!By British Sitcom History Podcast

1
Backstage! #17 - Meet the Multi-Rolers 27:54

2y ago27:54

27:54

This week, we analyze the many talents of our voiceactors playing multiple parts in one production. Content Notes: SFX: crowds Directed by Amani Zardoe Produced by Lowri Ann Davies Executive Producers Alexander J Newall & April Sumner Featuring Ryan Hopevere Anderson, Karim Kronfli, Tom Crowley, and Lowri Ann Davies Dialogue Editor – Lowri Ann Davi…

1
Backstage! #16 - Writing the Triumvirs 35:54

2y ago35:54

35:54

This week, we chat with writer Grace Knight and creator David K Barnes about writing the Triumvirs and their particular fictional flavours Content Notes: SFX: crowds Directed by Amani Zardoe Produced by Lowri Ann Davies Executive Producers Alexander J Newall & April Sumner Featuring David K Barnes and Grace Knight Dialogue Editor – Lowri Ann Davies…

1
Backstage! #15 - Meet the Actors, Part 3 18:44

2y ago18:44

18:44

This week, we continue getting to know the cast. This time we discuss listeing to your own work, the differences from the start to the end of the series, and the difficult parts of recording Content Notes: SFX: crowds Directed by Amani Zardoe Produced by Lowri Ann Davies Executive Producers Alexander J Newall & April Sumner Featuring Lara Sawalha, …

1
Yes Minister (Guesting on Modern British History Podcast) 43:49

2y ago43:49

43:49

In this bonus episode, Gareth is a guest on The Modern British History Podcast. Harry White is the host and he generally looks at the modern (post war) British political scene. In this episode, he invited Gareth on to discuss the eighties sitcom Yes Minister and they discuss how it caricatures the civil service of the time. And have things changed …

1
Backstage! #14 - Sex and Orgies 29:25

2y ago29:25

29:25

In this spicy behind the scenes, we talk with Amani and David about the historical and political context of orgies in Ancient Rome and the practical difficulties of desgining "the orgy episode" Content Notes: Discussions of sex and sexuality SFX: crowds Directed by Amani Zardoe Produced by Lowri Ann Davies Executive Producers Alexander J Newall & A…

1
Backstage! #13 - Writing Historical Fiction 26:24

2y ago26:24

26:24

This week we chat with Sarah Shachat and David K Barnes to talk about writing historical fiction Content Notes: Discussions of: Historical medical procedures, homophobia, misogyny, classism Mentions of: Covid-19 pandemic, quarantine, spiders, transphobia, sexual abuse, enslavement SFX: Crowds, beeps Directed by Amani Zardoe Produced by Lowri Ann Da…

1
Backstage! #12 - Directing 27:52

2y ago27:52

27:52

This week Lowri and Amani discuss directing such a large and in depth series Content Notes: SFX: crowds Directed by Amani Zardoe Produced by Lowri Ann Davies Executive Producers Alexander J Newall & April Sumner Featuring Lowri Ann Davies and Amani Zardoe Dialogue Editor – Lowri Ann Davies Sound Designer - Lowri Ann Davies and Catherine Rinella Mas…

1
Backstage! #11 - Writing Pirates 35:13

2y ago35:13

35:13

This week, we sit in with David K. Barnes, Octavia Bray, and Tom Crowley to discuss the making of the Pirate Arc! Content Notes: SFX: crowds Directed by Amani Zardoe Produced by Lowri Ann Davies Executive Producers Alexander J Newall & April Sumner Featuring Lowri Ann Davies, David K Barnes, Tom Crowley and Octavia Bray Dialogue Editor – Lowri Ann …

1
Backstage! #10 - Meet the Actors, Part 2 20:02

2y ago20:02

20:02

This week, we hear a selection of cast members talk about the dream roles, the challenges of working in the audio medium, and what they love about their characters Content Notes: SFX: crowds Directed by Amani Zardoe Produced by Lowri Ann Davies Executive Producers Alexander J Newall & April Sumner Featuring Lara Sawalha, Sarah Lambie, Andy Secombe,…

1
Backstage! #9 - Editing Perspective 27:56

2y ago27:56

27:56

Join the Lowri Katie and Cathy team for a peak into the specific challenges of editing together a large cast and sound design project like Cry Havoc! Content Notes ● SFX: Crowds Directed by Amani Zardoe Produced by Lowri Ann Davies Executive Producers Alexander J Newall & April Sumner Featuring Lowri Ann Davies, Katie Seaton and Catherine Rinella D…

1
Rising Damp - Christmas Special 42:33

2y ago42:33

42:33

It's christmas! Time for cheer and good will to all men (or women). Unless you're Rigsby, in which case it's time to be a miserable git as always. But will he ruin the day for everyone else?We look at the Rising Damp christmas special from 1975 and see how it measures up to our own miserable christmas experiences.…

1
Announcement: 2023 Holiday News from Rusty Towers 7:34

2y ago7:34

7:34

This announcement from CEO Alexander J Newall includes RQ Network shows to check out, a review of RQ Originals, including the brand new Neon Inkwell and the now fully released Cry Havoc! Ask Questions Later, as well as a summary of the exciting new merchandise partnerships from this year (in case you need some last minute gifts!) There is also a Sp…

1
Backstage! #8 - Creating a Cast 23:39

2y ago23:39

23:39

We took a long time making sure we had just the right talent to bring Rome to life, April and Amani talk about the process! Content Notes ● SFX: Crowds Directed by Amani Zardoe Produced by Lowri Ann Davies Executive Producers Alexander J Newall & April Sumner Featuring Lowri Ann Davies, Amani Zardoe, and April Sumner Dialogue Editor – Lowri Ann Dav…

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British Sitcom History Podcasts

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