Who is your favourite character from a British sitcom?

Mrs Slocombe, of course.

"Mr. Humphries? Leave my pussy alone."

Tie: Basil Fawlty and Rupert Rigsby (Leonard Rossiter, "Rising Damp").

Another Tie:

Audrey fforbes-Hamilton in "To the Manor Born"

Lieutenant Gruber in "Allo Allo"

Margot Leadbetter - Well thank you very much Gerry!

Why haven't I fucking been mentioned yet you fucking cunts?

[quote]Well thank you very much Gerry!

Penelope Keith made that series worth watching. Besides "thankyouverymuch," I also loved her absent-minded "Checkbook Gerry" delivered with absolute assurance that the checkbook would appear on command.

Catweazle.

R7 She's absolutely brilliant. I love Margot because whilst she seems like a snob she's a decent good egg.

"The Ooh Ah Bird is so named because it lays square eggs - I'm sorry I don't get it!" Lol

Just say "Thursday."

Patsy Stone and one of these guys:

It’s Bouquet.

Fawlty Towers is the best.

I can't understand why the gay community never found "BIrds of a Feather." This should be a huge hit. It is absolutely hysterical and has all the elements of a gay show.

R12, beat me to it. She won a Tony for her part in Darling of the Day, with Vincent Price!

Rodney Trotter. I definitely relate to his depression and frustration with his life.

I always thought if I had to get stuck somewhere with any comedy or sitcom character I’d want to be with Dave Lister (Red Dwarf), which makes him a favourite.

He’s relatable to me in some ways (work ethic, disregard for rules), but different enough to be interesting. Even on repeat viewings his character never gets stale for me. He’s also very adorable, which helps.

Janice McCann from The Book Group.

What's a British Sitcom?

I thought they just sat around 24/7 looking miserable?

Fleabag anyone?

These guys!

....

Patsy Stone, Malcolm Tucker and Alan Partridge.

Oh, and Jez on "Peep Show."

Steven Toast

I am not sure which one to choose.

Birds of a Feather is shite. Lesley Joseph, though, should be a gay icon. She is the only reason to watch the show. The reboot is just awful.

Ab Fab's Jackie - "The only Chippendale I ever sat on had TWO legs"

Technically I guess it's not a sitcom, but both he and the show make me laugh

I think I'm tremendous

"I have a cunning plan"

If you put a gun to my head, I'd have to go with Tony Robinson's Baldrick though.

Mimi Labonq from 'Allo 'Allo

At the risk of firing up that British vs English debate again, I nominate Father Jack Hackett.

^^^^for the heretofore deprived:

Not technically a sitcom but the Rowley Birkin, QC and the "I'll get me coat" guy from the Fast Show make me laugh like a hyena.

Jill Tyrrell from "Nighty Night"

Lionel Hardcastle from As Time Goes By

Su Pollard in anything.

I do like As Time Goes By.

Always thought Alistair and Harry (both of them) were sexy. Really liked all the core characters. And Penny was always annoying as fuck.

Alice and Jim on "The Vicar of Dibley."

OP, I think Mr. Humphries and Mrs Slocombe were much funnier than uptight Captain Peacock.

Two other characters I enjoyed watching were Howard and Marina on "Last Of The Summer Wine".

"Oh Howard. Oh Marina" - Then someone or something always interrupts their amorous moment.

Jonny Buckland, ‘Two Pints of Lager..’

Patsy Stone, hands down.

R37 Loved Su Pollard more in You Rang M'Lord than Dr Beeching

Runners up...Victor Meldrew, One Foot in the Grave, Baldrick (esp in the medieval & Elizabethan era Black Adders), Rose, Keeping Up Appearances, Nigel Hawthorne in the Minister series.

Blackadder is 3,000 times superior to Captain Peacock.

OP = corny eldergay

I love Birds of a Feather, R13! The best parts are when they rip into Dorian. I love the bit where Dorian hands Sharon a poster for the Grand Prix and Sharon says, "You do know the second word is pronounced 'pree'?"

Captain Peacock was a great character. I loved his dry delivery and high-brow mannerisms.

Mr. Humphries!

As a Brit I'm pleasantly taken aback by some of the more obscure or 'vintage' choices here, from (I'm guessing) a predominantly-American group of posters.

Blackadder, yes, of course he's a household name and everyone loves him here & abroad. Ditto for Mr. Bean. Add Basil Fawlty, Delboy & Rodney, Hyacinth Bucket, Alan Partridge, Father Jack, Rev. Geraldine Granger and Patsy Stone. Perhaps Jez Usbourne & Malcolm Tucker too for the younger, hipper crowd (Fleabag & Toast are unfortunately both still lesser-known in spite of their contemporary brilliance).

I'm not sure many casual-television-watching Brits of today could tell you who Mrs. Slocombe, Lionel Hardcastle, Lieutenant Gruber, Jill Tyrell & Mimi Labonq are; nor Margot Leadbetter & Audrey Fforbes-Hamilton (criminally). The retired could, as well as more hardcore fans of comedy or drama students, but with the rise of streaming media most audiences don't sit through re-runs of 'oldies' anymore.

I love this bitch

R7 I adored this line:

"I consider it my duty to remind these would-be Commissars that I am an Englishwoman & a householder."

"Well, that's the last time I play the Tart for *you*, Jerry."

R47, I was going to mention Hattie Jacques in Our House, but I though that was just to "vintage" for everyone.

Is Acorn Antiques still remembered there? I have wanted to do the musical in the USA, but since Victoria Wood has died, that probably won't happen.

I love that scene, R49. Especially "I am the silent majority."

Victor Meldrew.

In my younger years I loved the show because it was absurd and funny. As I got older I realized I was becoming Victor and had more in common with him than not.

Patsy Stone

Onslow from Keeping Up Appearances

Linda La Hughes

Mollie Sugden

Mr. Bean, of course!

R48 Love her verger, too!

Going back a bit (though he's still delicious in a shlumphy way) I'd say Dylan Moran from Black Books. Black haired, green/brown eyed tall Irishman with a dimple a family of four could live in. Bonus: total potty mouth!

Hyacinth Bucket the deluded petty snob!

David Brent

'Allo 'Allo was very, very funny.

Michelle, "listen very carefully, I shall say this only once".

Fake policeman, Crabtree, "Good moaning"

Rene, "You stupid woman"

"The portrait of the fallen Madonna with the big boobies"

Nelly Lt. Gruber, Helga, Herr Flick of the Gestapo

[quote] As a Brit I'm pleasantly taken aback by some of the more obscure or 'vintage' choices here, from (I'm guessing) a predominantly-American group of posters.

A lot of the shows mentioned here were aired on public television and were more or less our only access to British tv. Some of them are still showing (Keeping Up Appearances, As Time Goes By, Are You Being Served) along with newer ones. Some of my British friends have teased me for liking the older shows, but even if they’re super outdated or I’ve seen them a million times, I find them comforting and fun to watch.

Little Britain, Miss Emily Howard.

Geraldine McEwan as Rose Farnaby on "Mulberry."

Gareth. He's so fucking unbelievable, yet so recognizable.

Same is true of David Brent.

Jenny Tomasin as Ruby in "Upstairs, Downstairs"

Ooops, US, DS was not a comedy, sorry. But I loved Ruby!

I’m afraid not in either case, my dear R51.

You’re quite right; ‘Our House’ is scarcely remembered, ‘vintage’ as it is (what a pity).

‘Acorn Antiques’ must be positively arcane as even I’ve never heard of it! All the same, this bread has proven a niche interest in the sitcom of yesteryear, particularly across the Pond—don’t give up just yet! And tell us about it; have you written a musical adaptation yourself, or is there a script already in existence that you had hoped to stage for an American audience?

R71, The below explains Acorn Antiques better than I could. It is basically a prototype of The --- that Goes Wrong plays that The Mischief Theatre Company produces. It is a parody of the old British soap operas with wobbly sets, props glued to trays, missed entrances, ridiculous plot twists, etc. It is truly silly and great fun.

One of the best parts of Acorn Antiques on TV was Susie Blake's continuity.

R47, we're a rare breed here. I'd bet I'm not even close to the only American DLer who has seen reruns of "No, Honestly."

Love Peep Show. But is it a sitcom really?

R74, I wish I still could. It was on Youtube for a about 2.5 seconds. Now you can only get it on DVDs.

Thank goodness o one mentioned anyone from Vicious.

Magda.... who else could leave Patsy & Edina in the shade?

Mine was Mr. Harmon from packing & maintenance at Grace Brothers Department Store (Are You Being Served).

Kathy Burke has been mentioned twice in this thread, in different roles, so therefore wins. She deserves endless praise anyway for putting prissy, Tory loving Bonham Carter in her place.

Jeez, it's such a long list I wouldn't know where to start. Malcolm Tucker, David Brent, Tim Canterbury, Miranda Hart (and her mother -- "Such fun!"), and on and on. Of the newer sitcoms, I loved Jessica Hynes's Siobhan Sharpe on Twenty Twelve and W1A, Jonathan Bailey's Sam on Crashing (everyone on Crashing, really), Michaela Coel on Chewing Gum and Frances de la Tour and Marcia Warren on Vicious.

Ruth Jones and Rob Brydon on Gavin and Stacey.

R82 Brydon is only truly great as a version of himself in ‘The Trip’.

‘Gavin & Stacey’ was utter rubbish, and I say that with affection and from a Welsh standpoint.

Seconded R56 R78 and R80! So glad Linda got her a BAFTA & her acceptance speech an insta- classic.

Miranda Richardson as Queenie (Queen Elizabeth I), in Blackadder II, "Wik", as played by Rik Mayall, in The Young Ones. Patsy Stone. Dylan Moran as Bernard, in Black Books.

*Special mention for Queenie's companion, Nursie, in Blackadder II, played by Patsy Byrne.

Margo Ledbetter is fabulousness itself

Eurydice Colette Clytemnestra Dido Bathsheba Rabelais Patricia Cocteau Stone then Basil Fawlty

R13 I can't understand a word of it. Not one word.