British sitcom

A British sitcom or a Britcom is a situational comedy programme produced for British television.

Most British sitcoms are recorded on studio sets, while some have an element of location filming. A handful are made almost exclusively on location (for example, '' Last of the Summer Wine'') and shown to a studio audience prior to final post-production. A subset of British comedy consciously avoids traditional situation comedy themes, storylines, and home settings to focus on more unusual topics or narrative methods. ''Blackadder'' (1983–1989) and ''Yes Minister'' (1980–1988, 2013) moved what is often a domestic or workplace genre into the corridors of power. A later development was the mockumentary genre exemplified by series such as '' The Office'' (2001–2003).

Early years

;''Pinwright's Progress''
Written by Rodney Hobson, '' Pinwright's Progress'' (1946–1947) was the world's first regular half-hour televised sitcom. Broadcast live by the BBC from Alexandra Palace, it was about J. Pinwright, the proprietor of a small shop. Storylines involved his hated rival and his staff, who only added to his problems by attempting to be helpful. The series featured an ensemble cast including James Hayter as J. Pinwright, Clarence Wright as Aubrey, Sara Gregory as Sally Doolittle, Daphne Maddox as Miss Peasbody, Doris Palmer as Mrs Sigsbee, Leonard Sharp as Ralph, Benita Lydal as Mrs Rackstraw, Charles Irwin as a salesman, and Jill Christie as Pinwright's daughter."Pinwright's Progress"
British Comedy Guide website and produced and directed by John Glyn-Jones. The script editor was Ted Kavanagh, who during the World War II years also wrote the BBC Radio comedy series ''It's That Man Again'' (''ITMA'' ), which according to Foster and Furst was "entirely new, breaking away from the conventions of both radio and music hall comedy".
;''Hancock's Half Hour''
Transferred to television in 1956 after 48 episodes on BBC radio which began in 1954, ''Hancock's Half Hour'' (1956–1961) by Galton and Simpson was It was the first modern TV sitcom. Whilst moving away from audio variety towards character development, the radio series had been influential in the development of TV situation comedy. The radio series continued to be produced alongside the TV version. Tony Hancock played a fictionalised version of himself, a loser whose plans and aspirations are continually ruined by bad luck. Its only other regular cast member was the more worldly sidekick played by Sid James, later of '' Carry On'' fame. Other occasional participants included John Le Mesurier, Kenneth Williams, and Patricia Hayes.Dennis Barker, "Hayes, Patricia Lawlor (1909–1998)", ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, Sept 200
available online
Retrieved 18 June 2020. Hancock's biographer John Fisher dates the first use of the term 'situation comedy' in British broadcasting to a BBC memo dated 31 March 1953 from radio comedy producer Peter Eton, suggesting the format as the ideal vehicle for Hancock's comedic style. "Hancock's persona of the pompous loser out of his depth in an uncomprehending society still informs many programmes today", according to Phil Wickham. The final BBC series of this show was broadcast under the shorter title ''Hancock''. In 1963, Hancock changed his writers and moved to ITV for a further 13-episode series also named ''Hancock''. The series, though relatively well received, has been described as "clearly not up to the standard of ancock'sBBC work".

;''Whack-O!''
Starring Jimmy Edwards in the lead role as Professor James Edwards, '' Whack-O!'' written by Frank Muir and Denis Norden, is about the drunken, gambling, devious, cane-swishing headmaster who tyrannised staff and children at the fictitious Chiselbury public school "for the sons of Gentlefolk". From 1956 to 1960 and 1971–1972, it ran for 60 episodes over 8 series. The first six episodes were subtitled "Six of the Best", alluding to the frequent and traditional caning of disobedient pupils in the UK at the time. The series was revived in colour with updated scripts in 1971–72, slightly retitled ''Whacko!''. Other members of the cast included Arthur Howard (series 1–7),
Julian Orchard (series 8),
Kenneth Cope,
Norman Bird,
John Stirling,
Peter Glaze,
Edwin Apps (series 1–7),
Peter Greene (series 8),
David Langford,
Keith Smith,
Brian Rawlinson,
Gordon Phillot, Harold Bennett (series 8),
Frank Raymond,
Gary Warren (series 8), and
Greg Smith (series 8). A feature film, '' Bottoms Up'', was made in 1960.
;''The Army Game''
Peter Eton's series of '' The Army Game'' (1957–1961) was probably British television's most successful sitcom of this period and ran for 154 episodes. Many of its stars went on to become household names. The original cast consisted of William Hartnell, Michael Medwin, Geoffrey Sumner, Alfie Bass, Charles Hawtrey, Bernard Bresslaw and Norman Rossington. The cast of ''The Army Game'' would change over the years with actors such as Geoffrey Palmer, Bill Fraser, Ted Lune, Frank Williams, Harry Fowler and Dick Emery appearing in subsequent series. ''The Army Game'' follows the exploits of Hut 29, a fictional dysfunctional group of conscripted National Service soldiers during the post-war years. Writers included creator Sid Colin, Larry Stephens, Maurice Wiltshire, Lew Schwarz, John Jowett, John Antrobus, John Foley, Marty Feldman, Barry Took, David Climie, David Cumming, Derek Collyer, Brad Ashton, John Junkin, Talbot Rothwell, Sidney Nelson, Stan Mars, Bob Perkins and Alan MacKinnon. At least three episodes are uncredited. In June 1959, a short ''The Army Game'' scene was performed by Michael Medwin, Alfie Bass, Norman Rossington, Bill Fraser and Ted Lune at the Royal Variety Performance