All British Comedy Explained

All British Comedy Explained… to Abigoliah Schamaun, by Tom Salinsky

2.8: Dad’s Army. Released 28 May 2026.

Where else could we finish but with a trip to Warmington-on-Sea? Some of its creators’ later projects may now be banned from the airwaves (fairly or unfairly is for you to decide) but the first outing is still just possibly their best. We watched series 2 episode 4, “Sgt Wilson’s Little Secret&rdq...

All British Comedy Explained… to Abigoliah Schamaun, by Tom Salinsky

2.7: Yes (Prime Minister). Released 14 May 2026.

Rather more sharply satirical than was usual for a mainstream BBC sitcom, this became a staple partly because it never picked favourites when it came to the two main parties, partly because it was so expertly hilarious every single week. We’ll watch the very first episode “Open Government” and...

All British Comedy Explained… to Abigoliah Schamaun, by Tom Salinsky

Rev Sara Chesterfield Terry Explains The Vicar of Dibley. Released 7 May 2026.

Our guest today is the person Abigoliah describes as the most interesting person she’s ever met. Sara is a Church of England vicar and lifelong British comedy. With a background that includes policing and civil engineering alongside ministry, Sara offers a unique perspective ...

All British Comedy Explained… to Abigoliah Schamaun, by Tom Salinsky

2.6: The Vicar of Dibley. Released 30 April 2026.

With the powerhouse combo of Richard Curtis writing and Dawn French leading an ensemble cast, this one couldn’t really miss. We’ll watch the second episode of the first series, “Songs of Praise” and the 2004 Christmas special just called “Merry Christmas”.

Next time, we&rsquo...

All British Comedy Explained… to Abigoliah Schamaun, by Tom Salinsky

2.5: Hancock’s Half Hour. Released 16 April 2026.

The ur-text for countless sitcoms that followed, the brilliance of Hancock’s acting and the deftness of Galton and Simpson’s writing paved the way for comedy borne of character and situation not wordplay and silliness. We’ll watch series 5 episode 1, “The Economy Drive” and ...

All British Comedy Explained… to Abigoliah Schamaun, by Tom Salinsky

David Tennant Explains The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin. Released 9 April 2026.

We normally try and sit down for a chat with someone who was involved in the making of the show we're watching, but very nearly everyone who worked on this show is long dead, and so we've made do with popular actor and comedy fan David Tennant. Hope that's okay.

Next time we&rs...

All British Comedy Explained… to Abigoliah Schamaun, by Tom Salinsky

2.4: The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin. Released 2 April 2026.

The dark flipside to the sunny optimism of The Good Life, this is definitely one of the weirder offerings to go out on the BBC in the mid-1970s, but the prevalence of easily-remembered catchphrases would have no doubt helped it catch on.

Next time we’ll go back to the source with Hancock&r...

All British Comedy Explained… to Abigoliah Schamaun, by Tom Salinsky

James Lance Explains Absolutely Fabulous. Released 26 March 2026.

James Lance is one of British television’s most recognisable faces, not least for his scene-stealing appearance as Trent Crimm in the global hit Ted Lasso. But did you also know that 18-year-old James Lance made one of his first television appearances in the first series of Absolutely Fab...

We’ve just released a Patreon bonus episode on the launch of SNL UK and this is a short extract from the start of that conversation.

In this opening section, we go back to 1975 and the origins of Saturday Night Live, looking at how the show actually evolved (rather than being designed), and why it’s proved so hard to replicate, especially in the UK.

If you want the full episode including our breakdown of the first SNL UK ...

All British Comedy Explained… to Abigoliah Schamaun, by Tom Salinsky

2.3: Absolutely Fabulous. Released 19 March 2026.

Jennifer Saunders’s wild hedonistic comedy series hit television screens like a tidal wave and made instant stars of Jane Horrocks and Julia Sawalha while introducing legends Joanna Lumley and June Whitfield to whole new generations. We watched series 1 episode 4 “Iso Tank”, and series 5 epis...

All British Comedy Explained… to Abigoliah Schamaun, by Tom Salinsky

2.2: The Good Life. Released 5 March 2026.

In many ways the quintessential domestic BBC sitcom from the 1970s, but there’s a richness to the characters and a snap to the performances which elevates this one. There’s a reason it keeps being repeated. We watched “Say Little Hen” from the first series and the classic “The Wind-Break...

All British Comedy Explained… to Abigoliah Schamaun, by Tom Salinsky

2.1: Fawlty Towers. Released 19 February 2026.

Still casting an enormously long shadow over the British sitcom landscape, John Cleese and Connie Booth’s even dozen of frenetic farces have been delighting audiences since their first transmission in the late 1970s. We watched “The Hotel Inspectors” from the first series and “The Kipper a...

All British Comedy Explained… to Abigoliah Schamaun, by Tom Salinsky

Episode 9: Season One Explained

For our next set of shows, we’ll be looking at some classic SITCOMS all of which became firm favourites with the public.

1.     Fawlty Towers. Still the yardstick by which other sitcoms are measured.

2.     The Good Life. By far the best of the “French windows” g...

All British Comedy Explained… to Abigoliah Schamaun and Tom Salinsky

Pippa Evans explains I’m Sorry I Haven’t A Clue. Released 29 January 2026.

Pippa Evans is also known as country singer Loretta Maine, she’s a mainstay of Showstopper The Improvised Musical and a frequent guest of The Comedy Store Players. She’s also made 26 appearances on I’m Sorry I Haven’t A Clue, and is now one of the se...

All British Comedy Explained… to Abigoliah Schamaun, by Tom Salinsky

1.8: I’m Sorry I Haven’t A Clue. Released 22 January 2026.

After writing and rehearsing actual sketches started to look like too much work for too little pay (this is radio after all), Graeme Garden wondered if there was some way of keeping the I’m Sorry I’ll Read That Again team together but just having them be silly for half an hour....

All British Comedy Explained… to Abigoliah Schamaun and Tom Salinsky

Andrew Gillman explains The Day Today. Released 15 January 2026.

Andrew Gillman’s comedy CV is hugely extensive, from early work with Ruby Wax to That Peter Kay Thing and countless others, but possibly the highlight is The Day Today which asked an awful lot of him, all of which he was able to deliver.

Andrew’s recommendation for us to watch is Mich...

All British Comedy Explained… to Abigoliah Schamaun, by Tom Salinsky

1.7: The Day Today. Released 8 January 2026.

A big tradition in British comedy used to be that of shows getting an early experimental (and inexpensive) radio outing before being let loose on a bigger (more expensive) television stage. After twelve episodes of bizarre news spoof On The Hour had been transmitted on BBC Radio 4, a television version seemed inevi...

All British Comedy Explained… to Abigoliah Schamaun and Tom Salinsky

1.6.5: Emma Manton explains The Office. Released 1 January 2026.

One of a number of people who filled out the world of Wernham Hogg, Emma Manton has used her earlier experience making an iconic television show as a springboard to an incredible career which has encompassed music, theatre, puppetry, circus and we can only assume firewalking and basejumping are ...

All British Comedy Explained… to Abigoliah Schamaun, by Tom Salinsky

Christmas Specials. Released 25 December 2025.

What is Christmas without Eric and Ernie? Of course we’re watching the 1971 Morecambe and Wise Christmas special which includes Shirley Bassey singing Smoke Gets in Your Eyes, Ernie’s Robin Hood play starring Glenda Jackson and most famously of all, Andre Previn conducting Grieg’s Piano Concerto...