Best of British Comedy

The best jokes, gags and scenes from a true British comedy classic. Del: You were gun running during the Spanish Civil War? Grandad: Well...that was the best time to do it! 'A man like you needs something to reflect your image - I've got a lovely Skoda in the forecourt.' Boycie (...trying to sell a used car to Del) In the history of British comedy classics, there is no better example than the hugely popular and critically acclaimed Only Fools and Horses. Set in Peckham, inner London, it chronicles the adventures and exploits of ambitious market trader Derek 'Del Boy' Trotter, his gormless younger brother Rodney, and a host of other unusual misfit characters, in their attempts to get rich selling anything and everything to anyone who'll buy it. Written and created by comic genius John Sullivan, the classic British sitcom had an incredible cast, including, most notably, legendary actor Sir David Jason. Between 1981 and 1991 seven series of the show were broadcast in the UK, with sporadic Christmas specials until 2003. Even now it remains the most-watched British sitcom of all time, holding the record for the highest UK audience for a sitcom episode for the 1996 special 'Time On Our Hands'.

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' FLETCHER My beloved Isobel. The little woman. Well she ain't 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.'