The one-off celebration of a classic comedy and a special reunion tour feature in our pick of events you won't want to miss in 2024

Four decades on, the BBC is revamping its classic sitcom Porridge, which starred Ronnie Barker, with Kevin Bishop as Fletch, original Fletcher's grandson, in the nick.

Blackadder consistently makes it into the top three of all-time best British sitcoms lists (Fawlty Towers and Only Fools and Horses are usually ...

Lady Antonia Fraser started going out with Harold Pinter in 1975. Coincidentally, this was the same year that Basil and Sybil Fawlty first appeared on our screens.

Royal Mail says it hope the special edition stamps from the classic sitcom "will raise plenty of smiles".

The British actor and comedian Rik Mayall has died at the age of 56. He is most famous for his roles in The Young Ones, Bottom and The New Statesman

Emerging in the 1930s, screwball comedies were a wild new strain of fast-talking farces involving battles of the sexes and a world forever on the brink of chaos. Here are 10 of the best places to start.

Mr Mayall is best known for his comedy partnership with Adrian Edmondson. He has appeared in a number of sitcoms including The Young Ones, Blackadder, The New Statesman and Bottom.

I've got this horrible feeling that if there is such a thing as reincarnation, knowing my luck I'll come back as me! Rodney quote from Only Fools and Horses

Some LOLs from the Emerald Isle in honour of St Patrick's Day.

Explore this photo album by iain wilson on Flickr!

There's something about classical art that just turns me off. Endless portraits of pale and plump aristocrats looking all fancy in the classical paintings, bucolic rural scenes, religious iconography... I can certainly appreciate the skill and relevance back in the pre-photography age, but these days we need a message!

Stewart’s decision to retire as host of the satirical news show after 16 years has left liberal America in mourning. So why is he leaving just before an election – and what will happen when he steps out from behind the desk?

Bill Nighy as Wilson, anyone?

An interview with Eric Chappell, arguably the most successful single sitcom writer for ITV. He talks about creating Rising Damp, and the new stage adaptation.

Roy Clarke, the creator of Keeping Up Appearances, as well as other classic comedies including Open All Hours and Last of the Summer Wine explains Hyacinths enduring and global appeal...

When beloved British television shows are adapted on international screens, it seems the latter fails to appreciate the importance of keeping up appearances.

Con motivo de nuestro repaso por las series y programas británicos de humor, nos ha parecido oportuno homenajear la figura del ya fallecido y singular humorista Benny Hill. Alfred Hawtorn Hill nació el 21 de enero de 1924 en Southampton (G.B.). Al finalizar sus estudios escolares, desempeñó diversos oficios como lechero, conductor, operador y baterista. A partir de 1941 se decantó por la interpretación tras ser introducido en el mundo del espectáculo por su abuelo. Era un gran admirador del cine mudo y de los cómicos music hall. Realizó sus primeros shows en nightclubs, cenas de empresa y teatros empleando el seudónimo Benny Hill, un claro homenaje a uno de sus ídolos, el humorista norteamericano Jack Benny. Después de trabajar en el teatro profesional y en la radio, tuvo su primer contacto televisivo con el programa británico "Hi There" (1949). En 1953 apareció en el especial navideño "The Christmas Service Show". En 1955 llegó su primera gran oportunidad cuando la BBC lo contrató para su propio programa de humor "El Show de Benny Hill". Este espacio de sketches independientes fue un gran éxito gracias a su facilidad para conectar con el público a través de su estilo visual cercano al cine mudo, que también incluía ciertas dosis de humor grueso, sencillo y directo. Esta primera etapa constó de 8 temporadas y se prolongó hasta 1968. Pese a su popularidad, en muchas ocasiones su humor fue denostado en Gran Bretaña, aunque pronto fue considerado objeto de culto cuando el espacio comenzó a emitirse en Estados Unidos. Entre sus mayores defensores figuraron el escritor Anthony Burgess (autor de la novela "La naranja mecánica") y el mismísimo Charles Chaplin, que invitó al humorista a su casa de Suiza y que llegó a afirmar "Hacía falta alguien como Benny Hill para renovar el slapstick". Todo un honor, ya que desde niño, Hill había sido un admirador del maestro del cine mudo. Durante la emisión del programa, Benny Hill debutó en el cine británico protagonizando la comedia "Who Done It?" (1956). Además llevó a cabo papeles secundarios en las comedias "Light Up the Sky!" (1960) y "Aquellos chalados en sus locos cacharros" (1966), así como en el largometraje infantil "Chitty Chitty Bang, Bang" (1968), y en la comedia de acción "Un trabajo en Italia" (1969). Entre 1964 y 1966 también estuvo al frente de su propio programa de radio. Jackie Wright. Finalizado su contrato con la BBC, a partir de 1969 "El Show de Benny Hill" inició una segunda y más recordada etapa en la cadena Thames Television. Para esta ocasión se rodeó de varios actores secundarios como el anciano Jackie Wright, Henry McGee y Bob Todd. Henry McGee. Bob Todd. Tampoco podemos olvidar que contó con un plantel de bellas actrices denominadas Los Ángeles de Hill (Sue Upton, Jenny Lee Wright, Louise English, Lorraine Doyle, Lee Gibson, Cyril Cross o Samantha Spencer-Lane, entre otras muchas) que dieron al programa un ingenio erotismo machista al personificar a mujeres objeto poco inteligentes y ligeras de ropa, ya que casi siempre aparecían en bikini o ropa interior. Otro rasgo inconfundible residía en los finales de los episodios, en los que el humorista comenzaba a correr al ser perseguido por una multitud de personas mientras se empleaba un efecto de cámara rápida (al más puro estilo del cine mudo) acompañado de una reconocible y jocosa sintonía. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3Oxkgsex8M&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MK6TXMsvgQg Esta etapa constó de 19 temporadas y finalizó en 1989, una vez concluido su contrato con la cadena. Su emisión volvió a ser un éxito en numerosos países. En España comenzó a ser emitida a través de TVE en 1981, aunque se recuerda más por su emisión a principios de los 90 a través de Tele 5, que la tituló "El nuevo Benny Hill" y la programó los domingos a las 21:15. Debido a la gran popularidad que adquirió en España, fue invitado en programas de Tele 5. En 1990 colaboró en un programa de "Vip Noche", y en 1991 acompañó a Jesús Gil en una emisión de aquel surrealista espacio llamado "Las noches de tal y tal". En 1991 realizó su último trabajo televisivo con un especial de humor británico denominado "Benny Hill's World Tour: New York", en el que volvió a colaborar con Bob Todd y Henry McGee. Al margen de estos trabajos, en 1986 apareció en el videoclip "Anything She Goes" del grupo Genesis. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsaoPaDxZNA En lo personal, siempre fue una persona muy reservada de su vida privada, y pese a la gran fortuna que ganó en la televisión, vivió sin grandes lujos. Aunque le encantaba Francia y viajaba regularmente a Marsella, nunca se compró casas, ni coches, y prefirió vivir en un apartamento alquilado en Teddington, cercano a los estudios televisivos en los que trabajaba. Allí residió con su madre hasta el fallecimiento de ésta, ya que nunca se casó (según él mismo contaba, le propuso matrimonio a dos mujeres, y ambas lo rechazaron). A comienzos de los 90 comenzó a tener problemas de salud causados por su sobrepeso, y en febrero de 1992 sufrió un ataque al corazón. Los médicos le recomendaron que perdiera peso y que se hiciera un bypass, pero él se negó. Por esta misma época recibió la visita de Michael Jackson, que también era admirador de su trabajo. Benny Hill falleció el 19 de abril de 1992 en su casa de Teddington (G.B.), a la edad de 68 años y a consecuencia de una trombosis coronaria. Al no tener descendencia, su herencia fue repartida entre sus numerosos sobrinos. En lo referente a sus amigos y e inseparables actores de reparto, los tres fallecieron. Jackie Wright fue el primero en enero de 1989 y a la edad de 83 años. El 21 de octubre de 1992 murió Bob Todd a la edad de 70 años, y el 28 de enero de 2006 nos dejó Henry McGee los 77 años. A modo de homenaje póstumo, en 1998 el grupo Faith No More utilizó la imagen de Benny Hill para la portada de su disco "Who Cares a Lot", en la que aparecía rodeado de piernas femeninas. DEDICADO A SU MEMORIA Y A LA DE JACKIE WRIGHT, BOB TODD Y HENRY MCGEE.

It's not something that you would normally expect to buy at a DIY store. But with more Britons trying to produce their own food, B&Q is thinking of selling pigsties.

A good teacher is always looking for ways to vary his or her assessments. Administering varied assessment types allows for differences in student strengths and weaknesses and provides novelty. Novelty is important because it makes the assessment feel less like an exam and more like an activity, which reduces anxiety and lowers the affective filter,…

British comedian and actor Rik Mayall dies at his London home, at the age of 56.

Some comic gems here...

Enjoy a brainy laugh with these classy memes.

Comedian Ronnie Corbett, best known for his partnership with Ronnie Barker in The Two Ronnies, has died.

Actor Gorden Kaye, who became a household name for his role in the BBC sitcom 'Allo 'Allo!, has died at the age of 75. He passed away in a care home this morning, the star's former agency said.

Legendary Hyacinth Bucket, immortalised by actress Patricia Routledge in the hit 1990s BBC comedy Keeping Up Appearances, is back – but not as we know her, exclusive pictures reveal.

Nostalgia is bad for us, according to the head of Bafta. But what's the alternative? Look at the recent poll to pick the best sitcom of the 21st century, writes CHRISTOPHER STEVENS.

I have loved British Comedy series for a long time, going back to first seeing "Is There a Doctor in the House", Monty Python's Flying Circus" and "Good Neighbors". Ah, "Good Neighbors" as it was know here and The Good Life (1975-1978) in Britain, remains one of my favorites. I could identify with Tom Good (Richard Briers) and his wife as they attempted to live a self-sufficient life in the middle of the suburbs. Tom's neighbor and best friend, Jeremy "Jerry" Leadbetter was played by Paul Eddington. Jerry's prissy wife, Margo Sturgess Leadbetter was played by the then Queen of British Sitcoms, Penelope Keith, who starred in "To the Manor Born" as well as others. I had a crush (don't tell my wife, actually my wife knows this) on the Barbara Good character, played by the lovely Felicity Kendal (pictured right). Can you blame me? I'm only human. Anyway, on to the matter at hand. I introduced my family to "Are You being Served?" (1972-1985) many years ago now and then we got hooked on "Keeping Up Appearances" (1990-1995) in the last decade or so. We continue to watch the episodes of these two shows over and over again. Both were pretty successful on American TV, especially "Are You Being Served", which even spawned an America Clone in 1979 on CBS called "Beane's of Boston. The clone only lasted that one season. The British original was followed with a sequel in 1992 that featured most of the surviving original cast called "Grace & Favour" ("Are You being Served Again?" in America). The cast of "Grace & Favour" is the picture at the top of this post. (Oh, the photo on the left is Felicity Kendal again. I told you I had a crush on here.) So the other day I thought it would be fun to put up the faces of most of the cast members of these two shows before they were in those shows and let people guess who was who. (Boy, was that ever a long sentence!) Today I am giving the identities of 11 of those 33 actors I showed. These are the last 11 in that post. I will identify 11 more tomorrow and then the top 11 the day after that, assuming I keep my schedule. Here are the bottom (just in how they appeared, not necessarily in importance) 11: Vivienne Johnson (born 1959) who played Old Mr. Grace's nurse in many episodes of "Are You being Served?". I don't know if the nurse ever had a name. I think in Miss Sexy Voice she might have, which is where the still of her speaking in the microphone came from. Nicholas Smith who played the middle manager of the department, Mr. Cuthbert Rumbolt. His character was often referred to as "Old Jug Ears", for obvious reasons, a characteristic that made finding a photo not so easily identifiable difficult. I also couldn't seem to find a picture of Nicholas Smith as a young man. The one I used was more recent as he appeared for charity somewhere. Nicholas was also in "Grace & favour" and is still alive. He was born in 1934, so is somewhere around 79 years old this year. The great Mollie Sugden who portrayed the snippy Mrs. Betty Slocombe in "Are You Being Served?" She was often the butt of Mr. Lucas' quips as well as much slapstick. You never knew what color her hair would be from episode to episode. Mrs. Slocombes full name was Mary Elizabeth Jennifer Rachel Abergavenny Slocumbe nee Yiddell. Mollie Sugden was born in 1922 and died in 2009 at age 86, just short of her 87 birthday. Larry (Lawrence) Martyn, played the maintenance man, Mr. Mash during the first three seasons of "Are You being Served?" he left the series because he was committed to another show, "Spring and Autumn". He appeared in a number of TV Shows, including "Dad's Army" and "On the Buses". He had small parts in two of the "Carry On" films as well. Born in 1934, he died in 1994 at age 60. He left behind a wife and two daughters. I was unable to find the cause of death. James Heyter was born in India and died in Spain at age 75 (1907-1983). His best known film roles were as Friar Tuck in the “Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men” and as “Samuel Pickwick in “The Pickwick Papers”, both in 1952. His film career stretched from 1938 through 1972. He starred in what is considered the first British Sitcom, “Pinwright’s Progress” (1946) he played one of the several Senior Salesmen in Men’s Ware after the death of Arthur Brough, who played Mr. Grainer. Heyter’s character was Percival Tebbs. He only appeared in six episodes before leaving to honor his contract to Mr. Kipling snack food ads. The snack food company felt "Are You Being Served?" was not a suitable image for their products. Another of the featured players in "Are You being Served?" was Frank Thornton, who portrayed the snobbish and vain Captain Stephen Peacock, floorwalker extraordinaire. He continued this role in "Grace & Favour". After this he starred in "Last of the Summer Wine", a show that featured many of the veteran British sitcom stars in their elder years. Thornton had a long and distinguished career as an actor. Born in 1921, he apparently retired from acting in 2010. He has been married to Beryl Jane Margaret Evans since June 1945, over 67 years. I wondered if due to the ears people might mistake this actor as Nicholas Smith. Actually it is another "Are You being Served?" original cast members, Arthur Brough, the grumpy Mr. Ernest Grainger, who resented the Ladies Department sharing the floor. Arthur Brough (birth name Frederick Arthur Baker) was born in 1905. As a young man he wished to be a teacher, but couldn't get a job, so joined a Solicitor's (Lawyer's) office. This was too boring for him so he went to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts and later joined a Shakespearean Troop. Eventually, he formed his own acting group, The Arthur Brough Players. He was in the Royal Navy during World War II and was involved with the evacuation at Dunkerk (1940). At the end of the fifth season of "Are You Being Served?" his wife of 50 years, Elizabeth died (1978). Arthur died two months later at the age of 73. Alfie Bass (real name Abraham Basalinsky) was born in London to Jewish parents that had fled persecution in their homeland of Russia. After dropping out of school at 14 he worked as a ttailor’s apprentice, messenger boy and shop-window display fitter. Two of those early jobs probably gave him some background for his role as Harry Goldberg, the new Senior of the Men’s Department at Grace Brothers on “Are You Being Served?” Alfie first entered acting in the 1930s at the Unity Theatre in London. I remember him well from one of my favorite films, “The Lavender Hill Gang, with Alex Guinness. He was born in 1916 and died in 1987 of a heart attack at age 71. (I hate when these people die around my own age.) "Ah, the delightful Mrs. Bucket," was his declaration. For some reason The Major, played by Peter Cellier couldn't keep his hands off of Hyacinth Bucket in "Keeping Up Appearances, but then he also liked the Governor's wife, who "was built to last." Cellier’s best known role was probably the character Sir Frank Gordon in the BritComs “Yes, Minister” and “Yes, Prime Minister” He had a long career on stage, films and in TV. He had a continuing role throughout the “Keeping Up Appearances” series as the very pompous Major, much admired by Mrs. Bucket, despite his constant attempts to seduce her. He was born into a family of actors in 1928. He still continues to appear in TV productions. Josephine Tewson was born in 1939. Like Arthur Brough, she also attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts. She became a comedy performer appearing on various radio and TV shows. I first recall seeing her in some TV ads several years ago. Josephine was a cousin of the “Are You Being Served?” actor John Inman and she starred with him in a brief sitcom called, “Odd man Out”. She is best known for playing the long-suffering neighbor, Elizabeth Warden, of Hyacinth Bucket on “Keeping Up Appearances”, where she is forced into very uncomfortable, and usually disastrous and hilarious, coffee breaks with Hyacinth. She also is known for her role of Miss Davenport in another very nice BritCom called “Last of the Summer Wine”, a show you will remember stared Frank Thornton. I always found Josephine attractive, which may seem strange to some. I think it was the eyes and smile and the warmth of the character she played. She is still actively acting at age 73. Judy Cornwell was born in 1940 and moved to Australia after growing up in Britain. She returned to Britain as a professional dancer and comedienne in her teens. She has had a long career on Tv and in films. She appeared as Mrs. Claus in “Santa Claus, the Movie” and has had her own TV comedy series, “Moody and Pegg”. She also spend several seasons with the Royal Shakespearean Company. Her most famous role was playing Daisy, the puppy-like wife of Onslow on “Keeping Up Appearances.” Beside her acting career, she is a writer. She has published several novels, Cow and Cow Parsley, Fishcakes at the Ritz, The Seventh Sunrise, Fear and Favour and her autobiography, Adventures of a Jelly Baby. I’ve tried to spot if one of her books is among those she is often shown reading in bed on “Keeping Up Apperances”.