Best of British Comedy – serie

The best jokes, gags and scenes from a true British comedy classic.`Cheer up, could be worse. State the country's in, we could be free.’`Doctor: I want you to fill one of those containers for me.Fletcher (other side of the room): What, from 'ere?’You can count the number of truly classic British sitcoms on one hand – well, perhaps two. But however many hands you use, Porridge will be one of the first programmes to register for inclusion. Undoubtedly one of the real gems, the prison-based show starring the late Ronnie Barker as the recalcitrant yet loveable rascal, Fletcher, transcends the generations; like any other classic, it remains as accessible and funny today as it did when first aired in the 1970s.Including the pilot, transmitted a year before the first series hit the screen, twenty-one instalments were made, attracting audiences of up to 20 million. Written by those prolific scribes Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais, and brought to life by an estimable bunch of actors, headed by the great Ronnie B as Fletch, a recidivist who spent most of his adult life behind bars, the sitcom quickly attracted plaudits and became a shining example of what good situation comedy is all about.The Best of British Comedy – Porridge includes:• The History: an overview of how Porridge was born and developed• Gags and Catchphrases: a collection of classic quotes• Did You Know?: snippets of info about the show, cast, etc.• Favourite scenes: the most memorable scenes in full• A Porridge quiz`New Faces, Old Hands’FLETCHERMy beloved Isobel.The little woman. Well she aint so little.I said to her the other day, 'Isobel, I'll never get over you, I'll have to get up and go round.’

The best jokes, gags and scenes from a true British comedy classic.`They don't like it up 'em!’'People shout the "Don't tell him, Pike!" line at me regularly - and I didn't even say it!’ Philip Madoc.In the annals of British television, no finer example of classic comedy exists than in the shape of Dad's Army, the Home Guard-based sitcom written by veteran writers Jimmy Perry and David Croft. Although they penned many other sterling programmes, including Hi-De-Hi! and the underrated You Rang, M'Lord?, they'll forever be remembered for their brilliant wartime comedy spotlighting the antics of the Walmington-on-Sea Home Guard, led by the irascible and pompous Captain Mainwaring.Between 1968 and '77, nine series and three Christmas Specials - totalling 80 instalments - were screened, much to the delight of the millions of fans who tuned in; but the show's popularity has continued unabated and even today, four decades since the platoon marched onto the scene, it remains one of the golden offerings from the sitcom genre.With the 40th anniversary of Dad’s Army in 2008, what better time to celebrate the magic of this show.The Best of British Comedy - Dad’s Army includes:• The History: an overview of how Dad’s Army was born and developed• Gags and Catchphrases: a collection of classic quotes from the programme• Did You Know?: snippets of info about the show, cast, etc.• Favourite scenes: the most memorable scenes in full• A Dad’s Army quizEpisode: 'Something Nasty in the Vault'Mainwaring and Wilson are stuck in the bank's strong room. There has been an air raid and they've ended up holding an unexploded bomb. Pike arrives.Pike: Uncle Arthur?Wilson: Oh, what it is, Frank?Pike: Do you think I ought to phone mum and tell her you're holding a bomb?Wilson: No!Pike: But she might get cross if she found out that you'd been holding a bomb and she wasn't told about it.