Television Comedy

Writers

The Royle Family		Caroline Aherne
The Royle Family		Craig Cash
Fawlty Towers: John Cleese and		Connie Booth
Morecambe and Wise (BBC shows): principal scriptwriter		Eddie Braben
Rising Damp (based on his stage play The Banana Box), Only When I Laugh, Home to Roost		Eric Chappell
Open All Hours, Last of the Summer Wine, Keeping Up Appearances		Roy Clarke
The Likely Lads, Porridge, Auf Wiedersehen Pet, The Rotters' Club		Dick Clement
		Ian La Frenais
Gavin and Stacey		James Corden
Gavin and Stacey		Ruth Jones
Hi–de–hi, Dad's Army, It Ain't Half Hot Mum		David Croft
Hi–de–hi, Dad's Army, It Ain't Half Hot Mum		Jimmy Perry
Creator of Seinfeld (jointly with Jerry Seinfeld) and Curb your Enthusiasm		Larry David
Blackadder	Series 1	Rowan Atkinson
	Series 1–4	Richard Curtis
	Series 2–4	Ben Elton
Please Sir!, The Fenn Street Gang, Get Some In!, The Good Life, Ever Decreasing Circles, Brush Strokes		John Esmonde
		Bob Larbey
Hancock's Half Hour, Steptoe & Son		Ray Galton
Hancock's Half Hour, Steptoe & Son		Alan Simpson
Doctor in the House (ITV, 1969–70)		Graeme Garden
Doctor in the House (ITV, 1969–70)		Bill Oddie
Birds of a Feather, The New Statesman, Goodnight Sweetheart		Maurice Gran
Birds of a Feather, The New Statesman, Goodnight Sweetheart		Lawrence Marks
The Thick Of It (BBC4/2, 2005–12): writer and director		Armando Ianucci
The Liver Birds, Butterflies, Solo, Leaving, Bread		Carla Lane
A Fine Romance, As Time Goes By		Bob Larbey
Don't Wait Up (actor – appeared in Doctor in the House, It Ain't Half Hot Mum, and Minder)		George Layton
Are You Being Served?, 'Allo 'Allo		Jeremy Lloyd
Are You Being Served?, 'Allo 'Allo		David Croft
Ricky Gervais's collaborator and co–star on Extras		Stephen Merchant
Man About the House, George and Mildred, Robin's Nest		Johnnie Mortimer
Man About the House, George and Mildred, Robin's Nest		Brian Cooke
Never the Twain		Johnnie Mortimer
Men Behaving Badly		Simon Nye
One Foot in the Grave, Love Soup (also wrote the drama series Jonathan Creek)		David Renwick
Till Death us do Part		Johnny Speight
Citizen Smith, Just Good Friends; Only Fools and Horses (also sang the theme song)		John Sullivan
Fleabag (also starred as the title character)		Phoebe Waller–Bridge

Series

Channel 4 sketch show, 1989–1993: featured four Scottish contributors, one Welsh and one English – including Moray Hunter, Morwenna Banks, John Sparkes and Gordon Kennedy		Absolutely
US television sitcom, 1986–90: title character crash–landed his spacecraft on the roof of the Tanner family's garage; his name was Gordon Shumnay		Alf
BBC1, 1966–71: starred Derek Nimmo as the Reverend Mervyn Noote; also William Mervyn as the Bishop and Robertson Hare as the Archdeacon		All Gas and Gaiters
US version of Till Death Us Do Part (1971–9)		All in the Family
Archie Bunker's Place (1979–81) was a continuation of		All in the Family
ITV's first sitcom (1957–61): set in Hut 29 of the Surplus Ordnance Department at Nether Hopping, Staffordshire		The Army Game
Sgt. Bullimore, Sgt–Major Snudge, Private 'Boots' Bisley; Bootsie & Snudge was a spin–off from		The Army Game
Begins when Lionel Hardcastle selects an agency to type his memoirs, My Life in Kenya		As Time Goes By
ITV, 1967 (13 episodes): satirical show, starring Cambridge Footlights alumni Tim Brooke–Taylor, Graham Chapman and John Cleese, as well as Marty Feldman and "the Lovely" Aimi MacDonald (cf. Do Not Adjust Your Set)		At Last the 1948 Show
Central characters are Leonard Hofstadter and Sheldon Cooper (two physicists who share an apartment), their similarly geeky scientist friends Howard Wolowitz and Raj Koothrappali, and Penny, a waitress and aspiring actress who lives across the hall		The Big Bang Theory
What'll I do? was the theme tune of		Birds of a Feather
BBC2, 1991–5: stars Ade Edmondson and Rik Mayall as Eddie and Richie (full names Edward Elizabeth Hitler and Richard Richard), two unemployed West London flatmates; noted for its chaotic, nihilistic humour and violent comedy slapstick		Bottom
BBC1, 1991–7: stars Chris Barrie as the eponymous leisure centre manager (first name Gordon)		The Brittas Empire
BBC, 1986–91: starred Karl Howman as Jacko, a wise–cracking house painter		Brush Strokes
Channel 4 sitcom, 2015 to date: stars Sharon Horgan and Rob Delaney as Sharon Morris and Rob Norris, who have a fling while he's visiting London on a business trip, and begin a longer–term relationship after she discovers she's pregnant		Catastrophe
ITV, 2008 to date: comedy panel game, hosted by Leigh Francis as Keith Lemon		Celebrity Juice
BBC sitcom, 1993–6: Lenny Henry played the title character, Gareth Blackstock		Chef!
Ended in 1993 with the words "Sorry, we're closed." Frasier Crane first appeared in; Give Me a Ring Sometime (1982) and One for the Road (1993) were the first and last episodes of		Cheers
Gary Portnoy is an American singer and songwriter, best known for writing and singing the theme song to		Cheers
BBC sitcom, 1977–80: title character had a flatmate called Ken and a girlfriend called Shirley		Citizen Smith
ITV, 1975–7: set in the real–life Manchester suburb of Chorlton–cum–Hardy; starred Diane Keen and David Roper as Fliss and Chris Hawthorne, and Lewis Collins as their lodger Gavin Rumsey		The Cuckoo Waltz
Originally (provisionally?) known as The Fighting Tigers		Dad's Army
BBC2, 1994: created by Armando Ianucci and Chris Morris, based on their radio series On the Hour; Alan Partridge first appeared in		The Day Today
BBC, 2014–17: written and directed by Mackenzie Crook, who stars as Andy alongside Toby Jones as Lance; the title refers to their shared hobby		Detectorists
Featured Philip Drummond and his two adopted sons, Willis and Arnold		Diff'rent Strokes
ITV, 1967–9: conceived as a children's programme, starred Eric Idle, Terry Jones, Michael Palin, David Jason, Denise Coffey and the Bonzo Dog Doo–Dah Band; the final episode was broadcast five months before the first episode of Monty Python's Flying Circus (cf. At Last the 1948 Show)		Do Not Adjust Your Set
Granada sitcom – 20 episodes, 1969–70 – mainly written by Jack Rosenthal, starring Bryan Pringle and Trevor Bannister; principal characters were known as Cheese and Egg, Heavy Breathing, Winston Platt, and Eric – the crew of Thunderbird 3; the inspector was always known as Bloody Delilah (regardless of who he was)		The Dustbinmen
BBC, 1984–9: starred Richard Briers as obsessive suburbanite Martin Bryce, Penelope Wilton as his long–suffering wife Ann, and Peter Egan as their witty, handsome and charming neighbour Paul Ryman		Ever Decreasing Circles
Regular characters include the 13th Duke of Wymbourne, Swiss Toni, Ted and Ralph; catchphrases "Does my bum look big in this?" and "Suits you Sir!"		The Fast Show
Set on Craggy Island; theme tune was an adaptation of Songs of Love, by The Divine Comedy		Father Ted
Outside footage filmed at Wooburn Grange (Bedfordshire Country Club – burnt down 1991)		Fawlty Towers
Spin–off / sequel to Please Sir! – following the characters after leaving school		The Fenn Street Gang
ITV, 1981–4: starred real–life husband and wife Judi Dench and Michael Williams as a middle–aged couple who experience a difficult releationship after being brought together by the glamorous sister of Dench's character; title is that of a song from a 1936 Astaire & Rogers film (composed by Jerome Kern), recorded by Dench as the theme song		A Fine Romance
Tossed Salad and Scrambled Eggs (sung over the closing credits) was the theme to		Frasier
Features a coffee shop called Café Nervosa		Frasier
Channel 4 comedy drama, 2011–16: featured six students (Vod, Oregon, Josie, Kingsley, JP and Howard) at a fictional university in Manchester, living in a shared house off–campus in Rusholme; JP was played by comedian Jack Whitehall, in his acting debut		Fresh Meat
1990–6: stars Will Smith as a fictionalised version of himself, a street–smart teenager from West Philadelphia (population 76% black) who is sent to move in with his wealthy aunt and uncle in the affluent Los Angeles neighbourhood of the title, after getting into a fight on a basketball court		Fresh Prince of Bel Air
I'll Be There For You, by The Rembrandts, was the theme to		Friends
Insomnia Café was the working title for		Friends
The famous "class sketch", featuring John Cleese, Ronnie Barker and Ronnie Corbett, first appeared in 1966 on		The Frost Report
Title characters played by Matthew Horne and Joanna Page; families controversially named Shipman and West; Peter Sutcliffe was a minor character; John Prescott, and Noel Sullivan out of Hear'say, made cameo appearances in the final episode		Gavin and Stacey
BBC One, 2019–23: set in Button House – a vast but crumbling mansion that's been inherited by Alison Cooper (played by Charlotte Ritchie)		Ghosts
US sitcom, 1964–7, about seven castaways on a desert island following the wreck of the SS Minnow, and their attempts to escape. Title role played by Bob Denver		Gilligan's Island
French & Saunders, Tracy Ullman, Ruby Wax: played four lodgers in		Girls on Top
Sequel to Porridge (one series, 1978)		Going Straight
NBC, 1985–92: Dorothy Zbornak (played by Beatrice Arthur), Rose Nylund (Betty White), Blanche Devereaux (Rue McClanahan) and Sophia Petrillo (Estelle Getty) were the title characters in		The Golden Girls
Thank You for Being a Friend, a re–recording by Cynthia Fee of a song that was a hit in 1975 for Andrew Gold, was the theme song to		The Golden Girls
BBC2, 1970–82: starred Tim Brooke–Taylor, Graeme Garden, Bill Oddie		The Goodies
BBC1 sketch show, 1998–2001: named after, and used as its theme tune, a song that featured Peter Sellers and Sophia Loren's characters from the 1960 rom–com film The Millionairess; featured a sketch about "going for an English"		Goodness Gracious Me
Starred Nicholas Lyndhurst as time traveller Gary Sparrow		Goodnight Sweetheart
1992 series that reunited the cast of Are You Being Served?		Grace and Favour
Spin–off from Only Fools and Horses, featuring Boycie and his wife Marlene		The Green Green Grass
Caused controversy by pretending to microwave a cat		Hale and Pace
Mork and Mindy, Laverne and Shirley, Joannie loves Chachi: spin–offs from		Happy Days
ITV, 1985–90: written by Eric Chappell; stars John Thaw as divorcee Henry Willows, and Reece Dinsdale as his 18–year–old son Matthew, who comes to live with him having been thrown out by his mother		Home to Roost
ITV, 1986–9: comedy satire of the UK newspaper industry, starring Geoffrey Palmer, Robert Hardy (in his first comedy role) and John Gordon Sinclair		Hot Metal
2005–14: told as a series of flashbacks from the year 2030		How I Met Your Mother
BBC1, 1975–9: written by Peter Tinniswood, starred Stephen Rea as Carter Brandon, Liz Smith as his mother (Annie), and Robin Bailey as his Uncle Mort		I Didn't Know You Cared
First US sitcom shown on UK TV (ITV, 1955)		I Love Lucy
E4, 2008–10: sitcom featuring four teenage pupils of Rudge Park Comprehensive School – Will, Jay, Neil and Simon (and their teacher, Mr. Gilbert)		The Inbetweeners
Black comedy series – BBC2, 2014 to present: written by Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton, one or both of whom normally star; critically acclaimed episodes include The 12 Days of Christine, The Riddle of the Sphinx, and Dead Line		Inside No. 9
Channel 4, 2006–13: starred Richard Ayoade as Maurice Moss		The IT Crowd
BBC1, 1983–6: starred Paul Nicholas and Jan Francis as former lovers Vince and Penny, who meet in a pub five years after he jilted her at the altar		Just Good Friends
Early ITV sitcom: starred David Kossoff and Peggy Mount as a cockney couple		The Larkins
BBC2, 1999–2002 (also a 3–part miniseries at Christmas 2017): written and performed by Jeremy Dyson, Mark Gatiss, Steve Pemberton, Reece Shearsmith; set in Royston Vasey		League of Gentlemen
BBC2, 2010–12: "mockumentary" series, created and written by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant: Warwick Davies plays a fictionalised version of himself		Life's Too Short
Terry Collier and Bob Ferris (BBC, 1964–6)		The Likely Lads
ITV, 1970–1: written by Jack Rosenthal, starred Richard Beckinsale as Geoffrey and Paula Wilcox as Beryl; Beryl's pet name for Geoffrey was Geoffrey Bubbles Bon Bon		The Lovers
BBC1 comedy drama, 2005–8: written by David Renwick, produced by Verity Lambert; starred Tamsin Greig as Alice Chenery – "a modern woman with old–fashioned values"		Love Soup
ITV, 1972–6: featured the Booth and Reynolds families – highlighted Britain's struggle at the time to come to terms with its new immigrant population		Love thy Neighbour
George and Mildred and Robin's Nest were spin–offs from		Man About the House
Fox, 2000–6: follows a dysfunctional, working class family; stars Frankie Muniz as the title character, a 'gifted child', and Bryan Cranston as his father; theme song, Boss of Me, written and performed by the alternative rock group They Might Be Giants		Malcolm in the Middle
1987–97, on ITV in the UK: starred Ed O'Neill as Al Bundy – a high–school football hero turned women's shoe salesman		Married ... with Children
Ended in 1984 with a 2½ hour special entitled Goodbye, Farewell and Amen		MAS*H
BBC3, 2004–7: series created by Julian Barratt and Noel Fielding, who played Howard Moon and Vince Noir (respectively) – two eccentric failing musicians; other recurring characters included Bob Fossil, a mystic alien shaman called Naboo, and his 'familiar', a gorilla named Bollo		The Mighty Boosh
BBC sitcom, first broadcast 2009: title character lives above her own joke shop		Miranda
ABC sitcom, 2009–20 – broadcast on Sky One in the UK: revolves around three related but different families (nuclear, blended and same–sex) living in the Los Angeles area		Modern Family
One of the central characters was sent to Earth for drawing a moustache on a picture of the Solar Leader		Mork and Mindy
BBC sitcom (2016 to date): examines the trials and traumas of middle–class parenthood; stars Anna Maxwell Martin as a stressed working mother, trying to juggle the demands of her children and her job		Motherland
Title character had a girlfriend called Irma Gobb, who left him in 1992 after he failed to propose to her at Christmas		Mr. Bean
Brendan O'Carroll (57 years old when the series started) plays the title character in		Mrs. Brown's Boys
BBC1, 2000–11: stars Robert Lindsay as dentist Ben Harper, Zoe Wannamaker as his wife Susan (a tour guide), and (in Series 1 to 5) Kris Marshall as their 'good–for–nothing' eldest child, Nick		My Family
BBC TV sitcom, 2000–6, starred Ardal O'Hanlon as George Sunday, a.k.a. Thermoman		My Hero
BBC2, 1972: starred John Alderton and Hannah Gordon as George and Suzie Basset		My Wife Next Door
ITV, 1968–73: starred Hylda Baker and Jimmy Jewel as squabbling siblings Nellie and Eli Pledge, proprietors of Pledge's Purer Pickles of Colne, Lancashire		Nearest and Dearest
BBC2, 1984–5: theme tune was an arrangement of the Promenade from Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition		The New Statesman
ITV sitcom 1967–8, starring Joe Lynch and John Bluthal as two tailors, Irish and Jewish respectively		Never mind the quality … feel the width
Short–lived Channel 4 sitcom (1990–3, but only 13 episodes) starring James Ellis, Robert Lindsay and David Threlfall as security officers working the night shift in a Birmingham office block; Lindsay also sang the theme tune – a 1939 standard		Nightingales
ITV, 1974–5: starred Pauline Collins and John Alderton (a married couple in real life) as a newly–married couple, Clara and Charles Danby; theme song was a Top Ten hit for Lynsey De Paul (who also wrote it)		No, Honestly
BBC, 2006 to date: stars Lee Mack and Tim Vine		Not Going Out
BBC, 1964–70 – starred Peter Cook & Dudley Moore		Not Only … But Also
ITV, 1974–5: follow–up to Nearest and Dearest, starring Hylda Baker as basically the same character but with the surname changed to Pickersgill – a Bolton woman who moves to Chelsea to help run her ailing father's pub		Not On Your Nellie
BBC TV, 1968–70: starred Derek Nimmo as Brother Dominic		Oh, Brother!
Railway–themed successor to Hi–de–Hi, same writers (Croft & Perry) and several of the same cast members (Paul Shane, Jeffrey Holland, Su Pollard); set at Hatley station		Oh! Dr. Beeching
Title character's catchphrase was "Magic our Maurice!"		Oh No! It's Selwyn Froggitt
BBC sitcom: ran from 1990 to 1995, and a final series in 2000, which ended with the central character becoming a hit & run victim		One Foot in the Grave
Theme song (written and sung by Eric Idle) begins with the words "They say I might as well face the truth, That I'm just too long in the tooth"		One Foot in the Grave
Readies was the working title, and Big Brother was the title of the first episode (first broadcast in 1981) of		Only Fools and Horses
An arrangement for brass of Alice, Where Art Thou? – a popular Victorian parlour ballad, composed by Joseph Ascher – is the theme music to		Open All Hours
NBC, 2009–15 (UK: BBC4 2013–14, then on Dave): stars Amy Poehler as Leslie Knope, "a perky, mid–level bureaucrat" in Pawnee, a fictional town in Indiana		Parks and Recreation
Channel 4's longest–running sitcom (2003–16): starred David Mitchell as socially inept loans manager Mark Corrigan, and Robert Webb as idle, juvenile would–be musician Jeremy "Jez" Usbourne, who lives in Mark's spare room		Peep Show
Written by Spike Milligan and (anonymously) Ronnie Barker – a Jack the Ripper spoof, and a parody of Hammer Horror films; first appeared on Six Dates with Barker (LWT, 1971), and adapted by Barker in 1976 to be shown as a serial on The Two Ronnies		The Phantom Raspberry Blower of Old London Town
You'll Never Get Rich was the original title of		Phil Silvers Show (Bilko)
Prisoner and Escort was the pilot episode for		Porridge
Central character imagined his mother–in–law as a hippopotamus		Reginald Perrin (Rise / Fall of)
1969 short comedy drama by Eric Sykes, starring Sykes and Harry Secombe – dialogue consists entirely of the title word, which also provides all the characters' names and all written content (e.g. car number plates). Kenneth Connor, Jimmy Edwards, Hattie Jacques, Johnny Speight and Graham Stark also appeared		Rhubarb
Short–lived ITV sitcom (6 episodes, 1991): "about love across the social divide" starred Dennis Quilley, Patricia Hodge, Lionel Jeffries and Jean Alexander		Rich Tea and Sympathy
BBC sitcom, 1978–80: starred Diane Keen and Martin Jarvis as a young couple – she wanted to get married, he was less keen		Rings On Their Fingers
Comedy series (1976–9) starring Michael Palin, of Monty Python fame – a spoof of pre–World War II schoolboy fiction. Written by Palin and fellow Python Terry Jones, who also appeared in the original drama from which the series grew		Ripping Yarns
Adapted by Eric Chappell from his successful West End play The Banana Box		Rising Damp
ITV, 1977–81: spin–off from Man About the House; features the Richard O'Sullivan character running his own restaurant		Robin's Nest
One–off prequel to Only Fools & Horses, broadcast 2010		Rock and Chips
Title character had three children, called Becky, Darlene and DJ		Roseanne
Show based in Beautiful Downtown Burbank; catchphrases "here come de judge", "sock it to me", "very interesting ... but stupid."		Rowan & Martin's Laugh–in
US version of Steptoe and Son (1972–7)		Sanford and Son
US medical comedy–drama, 2001–10: set at Sacred Heart Hospital		Scrubs
ITV's short–lived follow–up to Tripper's Day (two series, 1986–7): starred Bruce Forsyth in the title role (another hapless supermarket manager) – his only TV comedy acting role		Slinger's Day
BBC comedy panel game show (1993–7, 2002, 2008–11): created and hosted by Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer, featured 'the Dove from Above' – and Matt Lucas (as overgrown baby 'George Dawes') on drums in the early series		Shooting Stars
BBC1, 1981–2: Felicity Kendal kicked out her boyfriend after he had an affair with her best friend		Solo
Developed from a Comedy Playhouse episode called The Offer; theme tune Old Ned, composed by Ron Grainer. One of the two central characters (the younger one) bought a horse called Samson, but renamed it Delilah when it proved to be pregnant		Steptoe & Son
Critically–acclaimed HBO comedy–drama series, 2018–23: stars Brian Cox as the patriarch of the Roy family, owners of global media and entertainment conglomerate		Succession
ITV medical sitcom, 1989–95, starring Nicola McAuliffe as Dr. Sheila Sabatini and Duncan Preston as Dr. Jonathan Haslam; Graeme Garden was one of the writers		Surgical Spirit
Features the Department of Social Affairs and Citizenship (DoSaC)		The Thick Of It
1995–6: written by Ben Elton, starred Rowan Atkinson as Insp. Raymond Fowler and James Dreyfus as the dim Constable Kevin Goody; set in the fictional town of Gasforth (near London)		The Thin Blue Line
American satirical sitcom, 2006–13: created by Tina Fey, based on her experiences as head writer on Saturday Night Live, and named after the address of the studios where that show is written, produced and filmed		30 Rock
Short–lived ITV sitcom, 1984: starred Leonard Rossiter in the title role as a hapless supermarket manager; he died during the run of its first and only series; see also Slinger's Day		Tripper's Day
ITV, 1975–9: starred Elaine Stritch as an American writer living in London, and Donald Sinden as her disapproving English butler		Two's Company
America Ferrera is (title character of US comedy drama series, 2006–)		Ugly Betty
ITV, 1990–6: based on the US series Who's the Boss? – starred Joe McGann, Diana Weston and Honor Blackman		The Upper Hand
BBC2, 2016–17 – commemorating the 400th anniversary of the death of Shakespeare; written by Ben Elton, starring David Mitchell as Shakespeare and Liza Tarbuck as Anne Hathaway; title refers to a description of Shakespeare by Robert Greene, a contemporary rival (who also appears in the series, played by Mark Heap)		Upstart Crow
BBC sitcom, used a version of the 23rd Psalm as its theme tune		The Vicar of Dibley
BBC sitcom, 1990–4: starred Stephanie Cole as Diana and Graham Crowden as Tom, set in Bayview Retirement Home		Waiting for God
Featured 'Professor' Jimmy Edwards as headmaster of Chiselbury School (1956–60 and 1971–2); written by Frank Muir and Dennis Norden		Whack–O!
ITV, 1976–7: sequel to a previous series starring Pauline Collins and John Alderton (see above); starred Liza Goddard and Donal Donnelly as sweethearts Lily and Matthew Browne, who marry half way through the second series		Yes, Honestly
Sky 1, 2013–16: sitcom "for all the family", by the producers, writers and cast of Horrible Histories (and later Ghosts)		Yonderland
Successor to Hi–de–Hi, same writers (Croft & Perry) and several of the same cast members (Paul Shane, Jeffrey Holland, Su Pollard) – set in a large London house, with an "Upstairs, Downstairs" resonance		You Rang, M'Lord?

Addresses

518 Crestview Drive		Beverly Hillbillies
20 Coleridge Close, Climthorpe		Reggie Perrin
16 Elwood Avenue (given by Polly on the phone in The Builders)		Fawlty Towers
125 or 129 Inkerman Terrace, Newcastle–upon–Tyne		Terry Collier
Mockingbird Heights, 1313 Mockingbird Lane		The Munsters
26A Oil Drum Lane, Shepherd's Bush		Steptoe & Son
71 Poplar Avenue, Purley (Surrey)		Terry & June
23 Railway Cuttings, East Cheam		Tony Hancock
24 (later 28) Sebastopol Terrace, East Acton ("twins")		Eric Sykes & Hattie

General

Eurydice Colette Clytemnestra Dido Bathsheba Rabelais Patricia Cocteau Stone		Patsy in Absolutely Fabulous
The first episode in the Comic Strip Presents ... series – aired on Channel 4's opening night		Five Go Mad in Dorset

Absolutely Fabulous	Patsy Stone		Joanna Lumley
	Edina (Eddie) Monsoon		Jennifer Saunders
	Edina's daughter		Saffron (Saffy)
	played by		Julia Sawallah
	Edina & Patsy's favourite shop		Harvey Nichols
	Edina's mother		June Whitfield
	Edina's secretary		Bubble
	played by		Jane Horrocks
The Addams Family	Mother (Gomez's wife)		Morticia
	Father (Morticia's husband)		Gomez
	Morticia and Gomez's son		Pugsley
	Morticia and Gomez's daughter		Wednesday
	Uncle Fester was played by (former child actor)		Jackie Coogan
	Name of the butler/manservant (played by Ted Cassidy)		Lurch
	Disembodied hand – Gomez's friend		Thing
	Gomez's cousin – covered in hair		Cousin It(t)
All in the Family	Central character (counterpart of Alf Garnett)		Archie Bunker
	played by		Carroll O'Connor
'Allo 'Allo!	René's surname		Artois
	His code name, and radio call sign		Nighthawk
	René was played by		Gorden Kaye
	Rene's wife		Edith
	Setting (real–life town on the Somme estuary – not used for filming)		Nouvion
	Carry On star who played the half–Belgian undertaker, Monsieur Alfonse		Kenneth Connor
	Gay German officer who flirted with René (played by Guy Siner)		Lt. Gruber
	Painting stolen from the town's chateau by the corrupt Commandant, Colonel von Strohm		The Fallen Madonna (with the Big Boobies)
	Painter of the above		Van Klomp
	British spy posing as a French policeman – famous for his mangled vowels (oh my aching sides ... )		Officer Crabtree
	Head waitress in the café played by Vicki Michelle		Yvette Carte–Blanche
	Played the apparently gay General von Flockenstuffen, in Series 5 to 7 (1988–91; also appeared in Coronation Street, 1989–99		Ken Morley
	The local Gestapo officer – played by Richard Gibson (Series 1 to 8) and David Janson (Series 9)		Herr (Otto) Flick
	Secretary to the General (see above), and lover of the Gestapo officer (immediately above) – played by Kim Hartman		Helga (Private Helga Geerhart)
	Résistance leader – catchphrase "Listen very carefully, I shall say zis only once!" – played by Kirsten Cooke		Michelle (Dubois)
Are You Being Served?	Name of the store		Grace Brothers
	Manager of the floor		Mr. Rumbold
	The floorwalker		Captain Peacock
	Miss (Shirley) Brahms		Wendy Richard
	Mr. (Wilberforce Clayborne) Humphries		John Inman
	Mrs. (Betty) Slocombe		Mollie Sugden
	Captain (Stephen) Peacock		Frank Thornton
	Mr. (Cuthbert) Rumbold		Nicholas Smith
	Mr. (Dick/James) Lucas		Trevor Bannister
	Mr. (Ernest) Grainger		Arthur Brough
	Mr. Harman, the maintenance man		Arthur English
	Character played by Harold Bennett – catchphrase "You've all done very well!"		Young Mr. Grace
	Mr. Goldberg (Mr. Grainger's replacement)		Alfie Bass
As Time Goes By	Jean Hardcastle (nee Pargeter)		Judi Dench
	Lionel Hardcastle		Geoffrey Palmer
	Rocky Hardcastle, Lionel's father		Frank Middlemass
	Sang As Time Goes By as the theme song; also sang and co–wrote the opening and closing theme songs for Auf Wiedersehen Pet		Joe Fagin
Beverly Hillbillies	Name of the principal family		Clampett
	Jed Clampett played by		Buddy Ebsen
Bewitched	Played Samantha; died 1995 aged 62 (cancer)		Liz Montgomery
	Samantha's surname		Stephens
	Samantha's husband (played by Dick York, later Dick Sargent)		Darrin
	Samantha's mother		Endora
	Played by (four–time Oscar nominee)		Agnes Moorehead
The Big Bang Theory	Set in (city in Los Angeles County, California)		Pasadena
	Theme song written and performed by (Canadian "alt rock" band)		Barenaked Ladies
	Prequel series (first shown in 2017): stars Iain Armitage in the title role (character played by Jim Parsons in the original)		Young Sheldon
Birds of a Feather	Setting (real–life Essex town)		Chigwell
	Sharon Theodopolopodos		Pauline Quirke
	Tracey Stubbs		Linda Robson
	Dorien (Green)		Lesley Joseph
	Sharon's husband		Chris
	Tracey's husband		Darryl
	Tracey's son		Garth
Blackadder	Blackadder's first name		Edmund
	Blackadder's hapless servant – famous for his "cunning plans" and his obsession with vegetables, especially turnips		Baldrick
	Baldrick played by		Tony Robinson
	Appeared as Richard III in the first episode		Peter Cook
	Played King Richard IV in the first series		Brian Blessed
	Elizabeth I in Blackadder II		Miranda Richardson
	Nursie in Blackadder II		Patsy Byrne
	Pie–shop proprietress (often mentioned, but not seen, in II; played in III by Helen Atkinson–Wood)		Mrs. Miggins
	Percy in series 1 & 2, Darling in 4; also made a guest appearance in III		Tim McInnerny
	Lexicographer Dr. Samuel Johnson in III; also the Spirit of Christmas in the 1988 Christmas special, Blackadder's Christmas Carol		Robbie Coltrane
	Blackadder Goes Forth: Speckled Jim was General Melchett's pet		Pigeon
Bless This House (ITV, 1971–6)	Sid Abbot		Sid James
	Jean Abbot (Sid's wife)		Diana Coupland
	Sally Abbot (their daughter)		Sally Geeson
Bo' Selecta!	R 'n' B singer: one of the prime targets of the crude satire, represented as carrying a plastic peregrine falcon (called Kes) on his wrist		Craig David
	Spice Girl: another prime target		Mel B (Scary Spice)
Bread	Name of the family		Boswell
	Their address (in Liverpool)		30 Kelsall Street
	Nellie Boswell (the family "matriarch")		Jean Boht
	Nellie's oldest son – played by Peter Howitt		Joey
	Nellie's only daughter		Aveline
	Youngest and daftest of the family, played by Nick Conway		Billy
	Played by Kenneth Waller		Grandad
	Real–life showbiz couple, appeared in 1988		Paul & Linda McCartney
Butterflies (BBC2, 1978–83)	Ria (the mother)		Wendy Craig
	Ben (her husband)		Geoffrey Palmer
	Adam, their youngest son		Nicholas Lyndhurst
	Their surname		Parkinson
	Ben's profession		Dentist
	Ben's hobby (referred to in the title, and also in the theme song!)		Lepidoptery
	Theme song		Love is Like a Butterfly
	Written (and originally recorded) by		Dolly Parton
	Ria's friend and confidant		Leonard
	Ben's chauffeur and confidant		Thomas
Car Share: see Peter Kay's Car Share
Cheers	Set in		Boston
	Cheers bar was established in		1845
	Played the bartender, who shared his first name		Woody Harrelson
	Ted Danson's character		Sam Malone
	Carla, the outspoken waitress: played by		Rhea Perlman
	The postman who still lived with his mother – played by John Ratzenberger		Cliff
	Rebecca – the character who replaced Diane as Sam's female foil, in Series 6 – played by		Kirstie Alley
Citizen Khan (BBC, 2012–16)	Creator, co–writer and star (playing the eponymous character)		Adil Ray
Citizen Smith	The eponymous Wolfie		Robert Lindsay
	Wolfie's hapless revolutionary organisation		Tooting Popular Front
Dad's Army	Setting (fictional seaside town)		Walmington–on–Sea
	Captain Mainwaring (pronounced Mannering)		Arthur Lowe
	Capt. Mainwaring's first name		George
	Capt. Mainwaring's job		Bank manager
	Sergeant Wilson		John le Mesurier
	Corporal Jones		Clive Dunn
	Corporal Jones's business		Butcher
	Private Pike		Ian Lavender
	Oldest member of the squad		Private Godfrey
	Actor who played Private Godfrey (he had served in the Home Guard during WWII)		Arnold Ridley
	Private Godfrey's two sisters		Dolly
			Cissy
	Character whose catchphrase was "We're doomed"		Private Fraser
	... played by (another actor who had served in the Home Guard during WWII)		John Laurie
	Business of the above		Undertaker
	Private Walker (spiv) – played by		James Beck
	Name of the ARP warden		Mr. Hodges
	Mr. Hodges played by		Bill Pertwee
	Business of Mr. Hodges the ARP warden		Greengrocer
	Mr. Hodges's nickname for Capt. Mainwaring		Napoleon
	Name of the verger (played by Edward Sinclair)		Mr. Yeatman
	Name of the vicar of St. Aldhelm's, who reluctantly shares his church hall and office with Mainwaring's platoon		Rev. Timothy Farthing
	Played by Frank Williams, who was the only actor from the TV series to play the same role in the 2016 film version
	Theme song sung by		Bud Flanagan
	Four words that appeared at the start of the closing credits		You have been watching
The Detectives	Bob Louis		Jasper Carrot
	Dave Briggs		Robert Powell
dinnerladies	Name of Victoria Wood's character		Brenda (Bren) Furlong
	Dolly Bellfield		Thelma Barlow
	Jean		Anne Reid
	Twinkle		Maxine Peake
	Human Resources manager Philippa Moorcroft		Celia Imrie
Doc Martin (ITV, 2004–)	Surname of the title character		Ellingham
Doctor in the House (etc.)	Duncan Waring		Robin Nedwell
Don't Wait Up (BBC1, 1983–90)	Dr. Toby Latimer (the father)		Tony Britton
	Dr. Tom Latimer (the son)		Nigel Havers
	Angela Latimer (Toby's wife, Tom's mother)		Dinah Sheridan
Drop the Dead Donkey	Name of the programme		Globe Link News (GLN)
Duty Free	David Pearce		Keith Barron
	His wife, Amy		Gwen Taylor
	David's paramour (played by Joanna Van Gyseghem)		Linda Cochran
Everybody Loves Raymond	Raymond's surname		Barone
	Raymond is played by (and loosely based on)		Ray Romano
Extras	Character played by Ricky Gervais		Andy Millman
	Andy's "show–within–a–show" sitcom		When the Whistle Blows
The Fast Show	Names of the "Suits you Sir!" tailors		Ken and Kenneth
	Played "Chanel 9 Neus" meteorologist Poula Fisch, who invariably reported a temperature for all locations of 45 °C (113 °F) while exclaiming "Scorchio!" with apparent surprise		Caroline Aherne
Father Ted	Title role		Dermot Morgan
	Ted's surname		Crilly
	(Fictional) setting		Craggy Island
	The housekeeper, played by Pauline McLynn		Mrs. Doyle
	Played by Ardal O'Hanlan		Father Dougal
	Father Dougal's surname		McGuire
	The third priest (a cantankerous old alcoholic), played by Frank Kelly		Father Jack Hackett
	Father Noel Furlong, leader of St. Luke's Youth Group		Graham Norton
Fawlty Towers	Set in (genteel Devon seaside resort)		Torquay
	Real life Torquay hotel that inspired the series		Gleneagles
	Sybil Fawlty		Prunella Scales
	Polly Sherman		Connie Booth
	Manuel		Andrew Sachs
	Manuel's home city		Barcelona
	The "oldest resident", played by Ballard Berkeley		Major Gowen
	Names of the old ladies		Miss Tibbs
			Miss Gatsby
	Sybil's best friend		Audrey
	Spoon salesman Mr Hutchinson, whom Basil mistakes for a hotel inspector		Bernard Cribbins
	Incompetent Irish builder (played by David Kelly)		O'Reilly
Frasier	Set in (US city)		Seattle
	Title character played by		Kelsey Grammer
	Title character's surname		Crane
	His brother (played by David Hyde Pierce)		Niles
	Their father (played by English–born John Mahoney)		Martin
Friends	Set in (US city)		New York
	Chef Monica (Geller) – the "mother hen" of the group		Courteney Cox (Arquette)
	Fashion buyer Rachel (Green) – Monica's best friend from school		Jennifer Aniston
	Phoebe (Buffay) – "ditzy" masseuse and failed musician		Lisa Kudrow
	Phoebe's twin sister		Ursula
	Failed actor Joey (Tribbiani)		Matt LeBlanc
	Soap opera that Joey gets a part in		Days of Our Lives
	Statistician, later advertising copywriter, Chandler (Bing)		Matthew Perry
	Palaeontologist Ross (Geller) – Monica's brother		David Schwimmer
	Jack Geller – father of Monica and Ross		Elliott Gould
	Played Ross's English second wife, Emily Waltham		Helen Baxendale
	Name of the coffee bar that the friends frequent – where Rachel had her first job, as a waitress		Central Perk
	Manager and barista of Central Perk, played by James Michael Tyler		Gunther
	Ross's pet monkey (introduced in Series 1 Episode 10); favourite song The Lion Sleeps Tonight		Marcel
Gavin and Stacey	Real–life Essex town that Gavin and his family and friends live in		Billericay
	Real–life town in the Vale of Glamorgan that Stacey and her family and friends live in		Barry
	Gavin Shipman		Mathew Horne
	Stacey West		Joanna Page
	Neil Smith ('smithy')		James Corden
	Gavin's father, Mick		Larry Lamb
	Gavin's mother, Pam		Alison Steadman
	Stacey's mother, Gwen		Melanie Walters
	Stacey's Uncle Bryn		Rob Brydon
	Vanessa 'Nessa' Jenkins		Ruth Jones
	Smithy's sister, played by Sheridan Smith		Ruth (Rudi)
George and Mildred	was a spin–off from		Man about the House
	George		Brian Murphy
	Mildred		Yootha Joyce
	George & Mildred's surname		Roper
Gimme Gimme Gimme	Linda La Hughes		Kathy Burke
	Tom Farrell		James Dreyfus
The Golden Girls	Set in		Florida
The Goodies	Spoof 'Lancashire martial art' featured in a 1975 episode entitled Kung Fu Kapers – which caused one viewer to die laughing, and was voted the fans' favourite in 2020		Ecky Thump
The Good Life	Tom Good		Richard Briers
	Barbara Good		Felicity Kendall
	Jerry Leadbetter		Paul Eddington
	Margot Leadbetter		Penelope Keith
	Setting (London suburb)		Surbiton
	Job that Tom gave up to try self–sufficiency		Draughtsman
	Lenin was a		Cockerel
	Geraldine was a		Nanny goat
Hancock's Half Hour	Australian straight man		Bill Kerr
Happy Days	Set in (US city)		Milwaukee
	The Fonz was played by		Henry Winkler
	Fonz's full name		Arthur Fonzarelli
	Central family		Cunningham
	Richie Cunningham		Ron Howard
	Richie's sister (played by Erin Moran)		Joanie
Hi–de–hi	Name of the camp		Maplin's
	Name of the resort		Crimpton–on–Sea, Essex
	Ted Bovis		Paul Shane
	Spike Dixon		Jeffrey Holland
	Jeffrey Fairbrother		Simon Cadell
	Gladys Protheroe		Ruth Madoc
	Scatty chalet maid who longed to be a Yellowcoat – played by Su Pollard		Peggy
	Theme song (reached No. 36 in the UK chart in 1981, credited to Paul Shane & the Yellowcoats)		Holiday Rock
Home to Roost	Henry Willows		John Thaw
House	Title role (British comedy star)		Hugh Laurie
	Title character's first name		Gregory
How I Met Your Mother	Central character (played by Josh Radnor)		Ted Mosby
	Lawyer played by Jason Segel		Marshall Eriksen
	Wife of the above, played by Alyson Hannigan		Lily Aldrin
	Playboy played by Neil Patrick Harris		Barney Stinson
	"On–again, off–again love interest" of the above – played by Cobie Smulders		Robin Scherbatsky
It Ain't Half Hot Mum	Gunner ('Lofty') Sugden		Don Estelle
	Surname of Windsor Davies's character		Williams
It's a Square World	Presenter		Michael Bentine
Keeping Up Appearances	Central character (snobbish housewife)		Hyacinth Bucket
	Played by		Patricia Routledge
	Her husband		Richard
	Played by		Clive Swift
	Hyacinth's three sisters		Daisy
			Rose
			Violet
	Hyacinth's slovenly brother–in–law (married to Daisy)		Onslow
	Played by (former Coronation Street star)		Geoffrey Hughes
Last of the Summer Wine	Set and filmed in (West Yorkshire town)		Holmfirth
	Compo		Bill Owen
	Compo's actual name		Bill Simmonite
	Clegg (the only actor to appear in all 295 episodes; delivered the final line, "Did I lock the door?" in the final episode, 2010)		Peter Sallis
	Clegg's first name		Norman
	Compo & Clegg's original companion, played by Michael Bates		Cyril Blamire
	'Foggy' Dewhurst		Brian Wilde
	Nora Batty		Kathy Staff
	Wally Batty (Nora's husband)		Joe Gladwyn
	Foggy's first replacement, played by Michael Aldridge		Seymour Utterthwaite
	Herbert 'Truly of the Yard' Truelove – Foggy's second replacement – played by		Frank Thornton
	Billy Ingleton (incompetent concert pianist) – 1995–2004		Norman Wisdom
	Clem 'Smiler' Hemingway (1988–2007 – actor best known as Blakey in On the Buses)		Stephen Lewis
	Edie Pegden (from 1986, until her death in 2003)		Thora Hird
	Juliette Kaplan and Jean Fergusson, who died within five weeks of each other in 2019, played (respectively) Pearl and Marina, the wife and 'lady friend' of		Howard (Sibley)
Laverne and Shirley	Laverne and Shirley worked in a		Beer bottling plant
The League of Gentlemen	Set in the fictional village of		Royston Vasey
	Filmed mainly in the Derbyshire town of		Hadfield
	Proprietors of the local shop – "a local shop, for local people – there's nothing for [outsiders] here": husband and wife, also brother and sister		Edward and Tulip (Tubbs) Tattsyrup
The Likely Lads	Terry Collier		James Bolam
	Bob Ferris		Rodney Bewes
	Terry's older sister (played by Sheila Fearn)		Audrey
	Bob's fiancée / wife (in Whatever Happened to … – played by Brigit Forsyth		Thelma
Little Britain	'Difficult' wheelchair user		Andy (Pipkin)
	Andy's long–suffering 'carer'		Lou (Todd)
	"I'm the only gay in the village"		Daffyd Thomas
	The village in question		Llandewi Breffi
	Bristolian chav – "Yer but, no but"		Vicky Pollard
	Obese health spa resident and sexual predator		Bubbles DeVere
	David Walliams's rubbish transvestite ("I'm a lady")		Emily Howard
	Fat Fighters group leader		Marjorie Dawes
The Liver Birds	Theme song sung by		The Scaffold
	Sandra Hennessey		Nerys Hughes
	Beryl Hutchison		Polly James
	Replaced Beryl, 1975		Carol Boswell
	Played by		Elizabeth Estensen
	Sandra's mother was played by		Mollie Sugden
Love Boat	Name of the boat		Pacific Princess
Married … with Children	Name of the family		Bundy
MAS*H	Number of the MAS*H unit (same as in the film)		4077
	Benjamin 'Hawkeye' Pierce		Alan Alda
	Name of the chaplain		Fr. Francis Mulcahy
	Played by Gary Burghoff – the only regular character to be played by the same actor in both the film and the TV series; real name Walter O'Reilly		Radar
	Kept trying to get discharged by dressing in women's clothing		Corporal Klinger
	Hawkeye's sidekick (played in the film by Elliott Gould) – eventually featured in a spin–off TV series with yet another actor		Trapper John McIntyre
Men Behaving Badly	Martin Clunes's character		Gary
	Neil Morrissey's character		Tony
	Gary's girlfriend, Dorothy		Caroline Quentin
	Debbie (Debs) – the attractive blonde who lives in the flat above, and constantly but tactfully rejects Tony's advances		Leslie Ash
	Gary's company sold		Burglar alarms
	Historic site in Dorset, at which the final scene of the final episode was filmed		Cerne Abbas Giant
	Played Gary's flatmate in the first series		Harry Enfield
	Harry Enfield's character		Dermot
The Mighty Boosh	Noel Fielding's partner		Julian Barratt
Mister Ed	Owner of the eponymous talking horse		Wilbur Post
Mock the Week	Host		Dara O'Briain
Morecambe & Wise Show	"I'm playing all the right notes, but not necessarily in the right order. I'll give you that – I'll give you that, Sunshine." Eric Morecambe to		André Previn
	Closing theme song		Bring Me Sunshine
Monty Python's Flying Circus	Theme tune (Sousa march)		The Liberty Bell
	Animator		Terry Gilliam
	Team member who died in 1989		Graham Chapman
	"The Seventh Python": a member of the Bonzo Dog (Doo–Dah) Band – wrote songs and sketches for the final series		Neil Innes
	"The Female Python": appeared in 30 of the 45 television episodes, and all four films		Carol Cleveland
	Type (species) of the dead parrot		Norwegian blue
	Referee in the Philosophers' Football Match		Confucius
Mork and Mindy	Mork		Robin Williams
	Mindy		Pam Dawber
	Mork's home planet		Ork
Mrs. Brown's Boys	Mrs. Brown's first name		Agnes
My Family	Name of the family		Harper
	Occupation of Robert Lindsay's character (Ben)		Dentist
Never the Twain	Stars		Windsor Davies
			Donald Sinden
The New Statesman	MP for Haltemprice – played by Rik Mayall		Alan B'stard
Not the Nine O'clock News	Stars and writers		Rowan Atkinson
			Griff Rhys Jones
			Mel Smith
			Pamela Stephenson
The Odd Couple	Felix Unger		Tony Randall
	Oscar Madison		Jack Klugman
The Office	Ricky Gervais's character		David Brent
	Mackenzie Crook's character		Gareth Keenan
	Martin Freeman's character		Tim Canterbury
	Dawn Tinsley		Lucy Davis
	Theme song (not by Stereophonics!)		Handbags and Gladrags
	Location (real–life town)		Slough
	Name of the paper company		Wernham Hogg
The Office (US version)	Office manager		Michael Scott
	... played by		Steve Carell
	Location (in real–life, the sixth largest city in Pennsylvania)		Scranton
	Name of the paper company		Dunder Mifflin
One Foot in the Grave	Central character – catchphrase "I don't believe it!"		Victor Meldrew
	Played by		Richard Wilson
	His wife, Margaret, was played by		Annette Crosbie
	Patrick Trench, their neighbour		Angus Deayton
	Patrick's wife (played by Janine Duvitski)		Pippa
	Theme tune written and sung by		Eric Idle
	Job from which Victor was forced to take early retirement		Security guard
	Ran Victor over in the final episode (actress)		Hannah Gordon
Only Fools and Horses	Derek (Del–Boy) Trotter		David Jason
	Rodney Trotter		Nicholas Lyndhurst
	Grandad (died during the filming of Series 4)		Lennard Pearce
	Uncle Albert		Buster Merryfield
	Del's wife (Tessa Peake–Jones)		Raquel
	Rodney's wife (Gwyneth Strong)		Cassandra
	Tower block that the Trotters lived in		Nelson Mandela House
	Their local		Nag's Head
	Their van		Reliant Regal
	Colin Ball is the real name of		Trigger
	Actor who played the above (died in 2014, aged 69)		Roger Lloyd Pack
	Bristol–born actor who played Boycie (died in 2021, aged 79)		John Challis
	Boycie's flirtatious wife (played by Sue Holderness)		Marlene
	Hapless black lorry driver (Paul Barber)		Denzil
	Youthful spiv, always seen wearing a pork pie hat (played by Patrick Murray)		Mickey Pearce
	Landlord of the Nag's Head (played by Kenneth MacDonald – who also played Gunner 'Nobby' Clark in It Ain't Half Hot Mum)		Mike (Fisher)
	Real–life (18th century) maker of the watch that made Del & Rodney's fortune, in the final episode (1996 Christmas special); history records that he intended to make it, but there is no evidence that he ever did		John Harrison
	Price that the watch fetched at auction		£6,200,000
Only When I Laugh (ITV, 1979–82)	Figgis		James Bolam
	Archie Glover		Peter Bowles
	Norman		Christopher Strauli
	Gordon Thorpe, the consultant		Richard Wilson
On the Buses	Reg Varney's character		Stan Butler
	His mum	1st series	Cicely Courtneidge
		Other series	Doris Hare
	Olive – Butler's sister		Anna Karen
	Olive's husband, Arthur		Michael Robbins
	Butler's clippie		Jack Harper
	Played by (committed suicide by car exhaust poisoning in 2003, aged 71)		Bob Grant
	Inspector Blake (Blakey) (died in 2015, aged 88)		Stephen Lewis
	Bus company		Luxton & District
Open All Hours	Set and filmed in (real life village near Doncaster)		Balby
	Ronnie Barker's character		Albert Arkwright
	David Jason's character (Arkwright's nephew)		Granville
	Nationality of Granville's absent father		Hungarian
	Arkwright's fiancée: District Nurse		Gladys Emmanuel
	Nurse Gladys Emmanuel played by		Lynda Barron
	Mrs. Blewitt played by		Kathy Staff
	Nickname of Mrs. Featherstone (played by Stephanie Cole)		The Black Widow
Outnumbered	Name of the family		Brockman
	Pete Brockman		Hugh Dennis
	Sue Brockman		Claire Skinner
	Jake		Tyger Drew–Honey
	Ben		Daniel Roche
	Karen		Ramona Marquez
Peter Kay's Car Share (BBC1, 2015–18)	Character played by Peter Kay		John Redmond
	His car sharing passenger		Kayleigh Kitson
	Played by		Sian Gibson
	Radio station that they always listened to		Forever FM
The Phil Silvers Show (Sgt. Bilko)	Bilko's army camp	Seasons 1–3	Fort Baxter (Kansas)
		Season 4	Camp Fremont, CA
	Bilko's first name		Ernest (Ernie)
	Bilko's commanding officer – often the target of his swindles		Col. John T. Hall
	Hapless private, often the butt of Bilko's jokes		Duane Doberman
Phoenix Nights	Owner of the Phoenix club, played by Peter Kay		Brian Potter
	The hapless club compere, and licensee in Series 2		Jerry (Dignan)
	Jerry was played by		Dave Spikey
	Bouncer 'Paddy' O'Shea: played by		Paddy McGuinness
	The other bouncer – played by Peter Kay		Max (Bygraves)
	Former fairground gypsy – the club's general handyman and DJ (played by Neil Fitzmaurice)		Ray Von
	'Bolton's biggest liar' (played by Archie Kelly)		Kenny (Dalglish) Senior
	The friendly, hardworking cleaner (played by Janice Connolly)		Holy Mary
	Asian chefs, unwittingly brought in as illegal immigrants by Max and Paddy in Series 2 (nicknames given to them by Potter)		Ant & Dec
Please Sir!	Character played by John Alderton		Bernard Hedges
	His nickname		Privet
	Name of the school (mentioned in the title of a spin–off series)		Fenn Street
	School caretaker		Mr. Potter
	Played by		Derek Guyler
Porridge	Name of the prison		Slade
	Fletcher's first names		Norman Stanley
	Mr. McKay		Fulton McKay
	Mr. Barrowclough		Brian Wilde
	Lenny Godber – Fletcher's cellmate		Richard Beckinsale
	'Genial' Harry Grout		Peter Vaughan
	Blanco Webb		David Jason
	Jim McClaren ('Black Jock')		Tony Osoba
	Fletcher's illiterate associate (Sam Kelly)		'Bunny' Warren
	Gay prisoner, played by Christopher Biggins		Lukewarm
	Ineffectual prison governor, played by Michael Barrington		(Geoffrey) Venables
	Fletcher's daughter, played by Patricia Brake		Ingrid
The Rag Trade	Name of the company		Fenner's Fashions
	Fenner		Peter Jones
Red Dwarf	Company that owned the eponymous spaceship		Jupiter Mining Corporation
	Name of the computer		Holly
	The only human being left alive – played by Craig Charles		Dave Lister
	Character who is a hologram – played by Chris Barrie		Arnold Rimmer
	Middle name of the above (chosen by his mother for various side–splitting reasons)		Judas
	Self–obsessed character, named after the life form from which he is evolved – played by Danny John–Jules		Cat
	Lister's best friend: an android, played by Robert Llewellyn from Series 3 onwards		Kryten
Reggie Perrin	Reggie's employer (before his fall & rise)		Sunshine Desserts
	Reggie's boss CJ: played by (d. 2004)		John Barron
	Reggie's cat		Ponsonby
	Reggie's middle name		Iolanthe
Rising Damp	Rigsby		Leonard Rossiter
	Rigsby's first name		Rupert
	Miss Jones		Frances de la Tour
	Miss Jones's first name		Ruth
	Rigsby's cat		Vienna
	Alan		Richard Beckinsale
	Philip		Don Warrington
Robin's Nest	Robin Tripp (the character he also played in Man About the House)		Richard O'sullivan
	Robin's girlfriend (and wife in later series), Vicky		Tessa Wyatt
	Vicky's father, James Nicholls		Tony Britton
	Albert Riddle, the one–armed Irish kitchen hand (previously played O'Reilly, the incompetent Irish builder, in Fawlty Towers)		David Kelly
The Royle Family	Theme song (performed by Oasis)		Half the World Away
	Jim Royle		Ricky Tomlinson
	Barbara Royle (Jim's wife)		Sue Johnstone
	Denise Royle (their daughter)		Caroline Ahearne
	Antony Royle (their son)		Ralf Little
	Dave Best (Denise's fiancé and husband)		Craig Cash
	Norma Speakman (Barbara's mother)		Liz Smith
	Antony's best friend (played by Andrew Whyment, later known as Kirk in Coronation Street)		Darren
	Family friend played by Geoffrey Hughes		Twiggy
	Antony's first girlfriend, and the mother of his son Lewis (played by Sheridan Smith)		Emma Kavanagh
	Local pub		The Feathers

Secret Diary of Adrian Mole	Adrian's mother played by	First series (1985)	Julie Walters
		Second series (1987)	Lulu
		The Cappuccino years (BBC, 2001)	Alison Steadman

Soap	The two families	Tates & Campbells
Soap	The Tates' butler – featured in a spin–off series	Benson
Shooting Stars	Character played by Matt Lucas	George Dawes
Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em	Frank Spencer	Michael Crawford
	His wife, Betty	Michelle Dotrice
	Their baby	Jessica
Sorry!	Timothy	Ronnie Corbett
Steptoe & Son	Albert (Steptoe Sr.)	Wilfred Brambell
Steptoe & Son	Harold (Steptoe Jr.)	Harry H. Corbett
Still Open All Hours	Granville's son (played by James Baxter)	Leroy
Still Open All Hours	'Wet' Eric Agnew – who often turns to Leroy for romantic advice	Johnny Vegas
Taxi	Name of the taxi company	Sunshine Cab Co.
Terry and June	Terry	Terry Scott
	June	June Whitfield
	Their surname	Medford
	Set in (real–life South London suburb)	Purley
The Thick of It	The original name of the department (DoSA): Department of	Social Affairs
	Word added to the name of the department in episode 5, as part of a reshuffle (making it DoSAC)	Citizenship
	The aggressive, profane and feared director of communications – said to be modelled on Alastair Campbell – played by Peter Capaldi	Malcolm Tucker
	Nicola Murray – replaces Hugh Abbot (Chris Langham's character) as head of DoSAC in Series 3: played by	Rebecca Front
Till Death Us Do Part	Alf Garnett	Warren Mitchell
	His wife, Else (the "silly old moo")	Dandy Nichols
	Their daughter, Rita	Una Stubbs
	Her husband, Mike	Anthony Booth
	Pictures on Alf's wall	The Queen
	Pictures on Alf's wall	Winston Churchill
	Football club that Alf supported	West Ham
To the Manor Born	Penelope Keith's character	Audrey Fforbes–Hamilton
	Peter Bowles's character	Richard DeVere
	Audrey's best friend, played by Angela Thorne	Marjory
	Name of the manor	Grantleigh Manor
	Nearby village	Marlbury
Two Pints of Lager …	Set in (Cheshire town)	Runcorn
	Name of the pub	The Archer
	Jonny Keogh (previously played Anthony in The Royle Family)	Ralf Little
	Janet Smith (played Anthony's girlfriend)	Sheridan Smith
	Gaz Wilkinson	Will Mellor
	Donna Henshaw	Natalie Casey
	Selfish, naive social science student – played by Kathryn Drysdale	Louise (Brooks)
	Floella Henshaw – Donna's mother	Beverley Callard
	Gaz's half brother – played by Lee Oakes	Munch
2 Point 4 Children	Name of the family	Porter
Up Pompeii!	Frankie Howerd's character	Lurcio
	Lurcio's master: Senator ...	Ludicrus Sextus
	Wife of the above	Ammonia
	Son of the above couple	Nauseous
	Daughter of the above couple	Erotica
	The terrible soothsayer	Senna
The Vicar of Dibley	Set in (county – but filmed in Buckinghamshire)	Oxfordshire
	Saint to whom the church is dedicated	St. Barnabus (sic)
	Title character, played by Dawn French	Geraldine Grainger
	Geraldine's main antagonist: gentleman farmer, MBE and chairman of the Parish Council – played by Gary Waldhorn (died in 2022, aged 78)	David Horton
	Sweet–natured, friendly yet dim–witted and childlike son of the above	Hugo
	The dippy blonde verger, who marries the above childlike son – played by Emma Chambers (who died in 2018, aged 53)	Alice Springs Tinker
	Simon, the tall and attractive brother of the above antagonist – who has a brief romance with the Vicar – was played by	Clive Mantle
	The likable but boring and pedantic secretary of the parish council, whom nobody listens to – played by John Bluthal	Frank Pickle
	Church organist in the first series, who dies in the subsequent Easter episode – played by Liz Smith	Letitia Cropley
	Replaces the above as church organist, and proposes to the Vicar in the final episode; played by Trevor Peacock	Jim Trott
	Local farmer, with notoriously poor personal hygiene – always late for meetings	Owen Newitt
	... played by	Roger Lloyd–Pack
Waiting for God	Name of the residential home	Bayview
Yes, (Prime) Minister	Jim Hacker	Paul Eddington
	Sir Humphrey Appleby	Nigel Hawthorne
	Bernard Woolley	Derek Fowlds
	Hacker's Ministry, before he becomes PM	Administrative Affairs
	Cartoons in the title sequence	Gerald Scarfe
The Young Ones	Neil Pye	Nigel Planer
	Vyvyan Basterd	Ade Edmondson
	Rik	Rik Mayall
	Mike	Christopher Ryan
	Landlord Jerzei Balowski (also played other members of the Balowski family, and other characters)	Alexei Sayle
	Vyvyan's (puppet) pet hamster – known for short by its initials	Special Patrol Group
	College that the four main characters attended	Scumbag College
	College that Scumbag played in University Challenge	Footlights

The "friend" that Victoria Wood's character was looking for, in one of her most popular sketches

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