Gentle Comedies - The Definitive Guide

[Barrychuckle]

Several years ago I started a thread asking for suggestions for other comedies which were gentle in nature like LOTSW. The thread has proved pretty popular with 38,000 views and over 400 replies. @BruceC suggested collating the replies so I've tried to do just that.

So here is that list as a point of reference, I've tried to put it in alphabetical order - sorry if I've forgotten anything but I've had to scan read over 400 posts!

After Henry

All Gas & Gaiters

Are You Being Served

As Time Goes By

Barbara

Beast (feat Alexander Armstrong)

Bless Me Father with Arthur Lowe

Bloomers

Brush Strokes

Butterflies

Clarence with Ronnie Barker with Josephine Tewson

Dear John

Dear Ladies (Hinge & Bracket)

Didn't Know You Cared with Robin Bailey and John Comer.

Dinnerladies

Doc Martin

Early Doors

Ever Decreasing Circles

Father, Dear Father with Patrick Cargill

For the Love of Ada

Fresh & French Fields

Full House

Goodnight Sweetheart

Grace and Favour, the spin-off from Are you being served

Hallelujah!

Heartburn Hotel

Hi-De-Hi

In Loving Memory with Thora and Christopher Beeney

Jeeves & Wooster

Keeping Up Appearances,

Man About The House

Me and my Girl with Richard O'Sullivan.

Mind Your Language

Monarch Of The Glen

Nearest and Dearest

Oh Dr Beeching!

One Foot In The Grave

Open All Hours

Potter (Arthur Lowe)

Rich tea and sympathy.

Rising Damp

Robins Nest

Selwyn Froggit

Soime Mothers Do Have 'em

That's my Boy

The Good Life

The Magnificent Evans with Ronnie Barker

The Other One with Richard Briers and Michael Gambon.

The Upper Hand

The Vital Spark

Three up Two Down

To The Manor Born

Two In Clover

Uncle Silas

Vicar Of Dibley

Waiting For God

Yes Minister

You Rang MLord [comedy drama]

 

[RickAns]

Nice list. I like how you have boxes around the episode titles. Plus in alphabetical order. Way better than the list I made.

 

[Barrychuckle]

Nice list. I like how you have boxes around the episode titles. Plus in alphabetical order. Way better than the list I made.

I have to admit that’s just my lack of IT skills

I pasted them all into Excel to put them into alphabetical order then couldn’t work out how to take the borders off again !!!

 

[captain clutterbuck]

should be able to select all the cells with the data in , copy and paste them into a text or wordpad file, check the alignment in the file and then copy from the file and paste into the thread.

 

[theatrically_inclined]

should be able to select all the cells with the data in , copy and paste them into a text or wordpad file, check the alignment in the file and then copy from the file and paste into the thread.

"Geeky Nerd Warning!"

 

[maltrab]

Barbara was very funny, what a family

 

[RickAns]

Barbara was very funny, what a family

Thanks on this. This one slipped by me. Just looked and the cast and seems very interesting.

 

[BruceC]

So many I've never heard of LOL... Good luck trying to binge that lot... Say an average of 10 episodes per show - some more some less?

Sadly the list will disappear into oblivion off the bottom of the thread

 

[BruceC]

I added a few things.. and it aint half hot mum

Show name	Years	Series	Episodes
After Henry	1988 to 1992	4	38
All Gas & Gaiters	1966 to 1971		33
Are You Being Served	1972 to 1985	10	70
As Time Goes By	1992 to 2005	10	67
Barbara	1999 to 2003	3	29
Beast (feat Alexander Armstrong)	2000-2001	2	12
Bless Me Father with Arthur Lowe	1978 until 1981	3	21
Bloomers	1979	1	5
Brush Strokes	1986 to 1991	5	40
Butterflies	1978 to 1983	4	30
Clarence	1988	1	6
Dear John	1986 to 1987	2	14
Dear Ladies (Hinge & Bracket)	1983 and 1984	3	20
Didn't Know You Cared	1975-1979	4	27
Dinner ladies	1998 to 2000	2	16
Doc Martin	2004 and 2019	10	79
Early Doors	2003 and 2004.	2	12
Ever Decreasing Circles	1984 and 1989	4	27
Father, Dear Father with Patrick Cargill	1968 to 1973	7	45
For the Love of Ada	1970 and 1971	4	27
Fresh & French Fields	1984 and 1986	4	27
Full House	1985 to 1986	3	20
Goodnight Sweetheart	1993 to 1999	6	59
Grace and Favour	1992 to 1993	2	12
Hallelujah!	1983 to 1984	2	15
Heartburn Hotel	1988	2	13
Hi-De-Hi	1981 to 1988	9	58
In Loving Memory	1979 to 1986	5	37
Jeeves & Wooster	1990 to 1993	4	23
Keeping Up Appearances,	1990 to 1995	5	44
Man About The House	1973 to 1976	6	39
Me and my Girl with Richard O'Sullivan.	1984 to 1988	6	52
Mind Your Language	1977 to 1985	4	42
Monarch Of The Glen	2000 to 2005	7	64
Nearest and Dearest	1968 to 1973	7	45
Oh Dr Beeching!	1996 to 1997	2	20
One Foot In The Grave	1990 to late 2000	6	42
Open All Hours	1976 to 1985	4	26
Potter (Arthur Lowe)	1979 to 1983	3	20
Rich tea and sympathy.	1991	1	6
Rising Damp	1974 to 1978	4	28
Robins Nest	1977 to 1981	6	48
Oh No It's Selwyn Froggitt	1974 to 1978	4	29
Some Mothers Do have em	1973 to 1978	3	23
That's my Boy	1981 to 1986	5	37
The Good Life	1975 to 1978	4	30
The Magnificent Evans	1984	1	6
The Other One	1977 to 1979	2	13
The Upper Hand	1990 to 1996	7	94
The Vital Spark	1965 to 1974	3	21
Three up Two Down	1985 to 1989	4	25
To The Manor Born	1979 to 1981	3	20
Two In Clover	1969 to 1970	2	13
Uncle Silas
Vicar Of Dibley	1994 to 2000	3	20
Waiting For God	1990 to 1994	5	47
Yes Minister	1980 to 1988	5	39
You Rang MLord	1988 tol 1993	4	26
It Ain't Half Hot Mum	1974 and 1981	8	56

 

[Barrychuckle]

@BruceC That list is brilliant, so much better and more detailed than the one I did thank you ever so much for taking the time.

 

[Marianna]

Question for @gothic Can the list be moved to the Episode Guide section of the forum and pinned so that it remains at the top of the section?

 

[Barrychuckle]

Question for @gothic Can the list be moved to the Episode Guide section of the forum and pinned so that it remains at the top of the section?

I was thinking the very same @Marianna! Great minds must think alike

As people are still coming up with omissions, I'm thinking we get to a final draft then perhaps ask @gothic to wave his magical IT wand....

 

[RickAns]

Wow, Thanks on that Bruce.
Great work that man! (in my best Foggy impersonation)

 

[Barrychuckle]

Could Executive Stress qualify as a worthy gentle comedy, stars Penelope Keith & Geoffrey Palmer??

 

[wstol]

Could Executive Stress qualify as a worthy gentle comedy, stars Penelope Keith & Geoffrey Palmer??

Absolutely - it's gentle, and it's comedy.
And it's very good.
Peter Bowles of course took over later.

 

[maltrab]

The Gaffer was pretty funny

 

[captain clutterbuck]

Only when I Laugh has been mentioned on here with Mr Bowles, Richard Wilson and James Bolam.

 

[RickAns]

In a similar vein to 'As Time Goes By' there is also 'A Fine Romance'. With Dame Judi Dench and her real life husband Micheal Williams. Not quite as on par as ATGB but still enjoyable.

 

[Barrychuckle]

In a similar vein to 'As Time Goes By' there is also 'A Fine Romance'. With Dame Judi Dench and her real life husband Micheal Williams. Not quite as on par as ATGB but still enjoyable.

I'm halfway through s3 of ATGB, I find them a bit hit and miss. They are genuinely funny in parts and definitely meet the criteria of a gentle comedy. The Alistair character gets up my nose a bit, but I'm guessing his character may be designed to be annoying!

I do like Lionel s curmudgeonly moods sometime they do make me chuckle, whilst Dame Judy is undoubtedly an amazing actress I struggle again with her character. I'm definitely going to persevere through the entire series as they certainly and easy watch.

 

[RickAns]

Barry, I agree there are some episodes that are not as great as others but I try not to let them detract from the series as a whole.

Personally, I wanted to see Lionel and Jean back together again as a couple. To me that seemed to be the start of the premise of the show. When they both tried to prove to the other that they were both 'still game' and able to attract new partners. The hopeless romantic in myself had me wishing otherwise.

Alistair's near perpetual exuberance I find can be a little tiring at times. That's just the way his character is. He does come to genuinely like and care for Lionel, Jean and crew. At first I felt he was just helping Lionel with his book because of the connection through his Dad. Alistair is a good guy though and he does mean well.

Glad you feel you are able to continue to watch and hopefully enjoy the rest of the series.