Underrated: Sledge Hammer! (1986 - 1988) Often overshadowed by the similar but much more slapstick Police Squad, it's a spoof cop action show with the excellent David Rasche playing Sledge, a Dirty Harry style cop that has full conversations with his .44 Magnum while racking up considerable collateral damage when on duty, and sleeping with it while off duty. Get your mind out of the gutter; the gun rests on its own little pillow.
OH CHRIST YEAH! I have Season One on DVD... Bloody Loved it! I still need to get the last Season... Its a shame it only had Two Seasons as it was FUNNY! Bit more serious than Police Squad... Not as much Zany Humour... But it worked...
Mentioned it before but I will again I'd nominate Police Squad! as an underrated gem. It was the predecessor to The Naked Gun movies and starred Leslie Nielsen as Frank Drebin. Much like many of the Zucker-Abrahams-Zucker productions, it had plenty of visual gags, wordplay and deadpan humour. Only had 6 episodes but I still think it was a very funny spoof on the detective cop genre
I agree that it was good, but I don't think it was underrated, at least not at the time. I remember it being very popular and was well known for directly inspiring the "Naked Gun" movies.
Yeah I reckon rossallen was born in 1960 and was a shrivelled husk by the early 2000s. 😹 It did start to get a bit tired by series three though, and the radio series was still better. Gonna have to check out Scot Squad.
Yeah I would reverse those shows round and I am a huge ade and Rik fan but the boosh for me is one of the best fun comedies of the last 20 years. It's totally original in its own way and is like a lighter hearted league of gentleman in some ways
The mighty boost is awesome. I might have to turn my back on you Naboo style 😂 I’m going to suggest Catterick starring Reeves and Mortimer. It was a bit odd but I had a soft spot for the songs in it. Underrated in my opinion
Another one which is perhaps underrated and certainly forgotten is a Scottish BBC comedy, The High Life. It centered on a couple of camp male flight attendants and gave Alan Cummings his big break.
Only 6 episodes were ever made though. (7 if you count the pilot as a sererate episode) so it probably skips under the radar for a lot of people. I was fortunate enough to see it when it aired, AND spy the DVD of that series in HMV on one of my DVD buying sessions. So I watch it yearly at least.
Could have another genre, forgotten gems. From 80s i give you Big Deal. Excellent with Ray Brookes. 90s i say The Paradise Club. Again superb with Leslie Grantham as Danny Kane.
Excellent/Underrate. Dr Terrible’s House of Horrible. Steve Coogan series, spoofing Hammer and Amicus type movies. I’ve put as both, as it’s a lesser known of Coogan’s work, but very funny.
I'm back with more crap that I remember! There used to be a reality show here in the US about Pirates. (I think it was also on in the UK and Australia) Yes, you read that correctly, Pirates. It was called Pirate Master and aired in 2007. Contestants lived on a ship and had the chance to win gold and treasure. If memory serves, the show got axed before the finale even aired, which shows just how terrible it was.
Got some Nominations... Excellent (But Dated): The New Statesman - God Rest Rik Mayall... Bloody excellent show! It captured the viewpoint of the majority of the population Under "Thatcher's Government" and Mayall played Alan B'Stard so perfectly... Even taking the show to the stage when B'Stard defected to Labour!!! Underrated (And very Forgotten): The Adventure Game - A BBC 2 Series, A strange kind of "Game Show" similar to the Crystal Maze but using very early Effects... It was Cheesy Fun! Terrible: Son's and Daughters - Do I really need to explain? This show was the reason we all HATED Soap Operas!!! And YET I STILL SODDING WATCHED IT! And one we WISH we got... But Never Did... And I am going to say EXCELLENT for this one as it was JUST INSANE!!!! ENDURANCE - A Japanese Game Show that featured Heavily on Clive James on Television here in the UK... Think Takeshi's Castle only Made by Eli Roth! 100 Contestants would sign up to be literally TORTURED in many cases in some of the most INSANE "It's a Knockout" Style Challenges that someone could create... Including but not limited to... Having to sit in a Perspex Box and Not eat or Drink for the Duration - While Food and Drink are shoved down a Trough in front of you... Being pulled along an assault course on a Tractor and having to endure SOLID BRICKS hitting you in the head (The Contestants were shown the "Dummy" being hit by Real bricks but did not know they were switched with FOAM!!! So many Jumped off and LOST!!!) You woudl think there woudl be an Amazing Prize... Well every Contestant got a Pen with a Digital Watch inbuilt... And the Grand Prize Winner got... a Pen with a Digital Watch inbuilt! I AM NOT JOKING!!!! THAT WAS THE GRAND PRIZE!!!!
They did a UK version of Endurance that aired on Challenge TV and it was shockingly bad. It was hosted by Paul Ross (as if that wasn’t bad enough), the challenges were less physical than the Japanese version but more gross-out, and Paul had two “Japanese” sidekicks named ‘Hoki’ and ‘Koki’ who were actually two white men in yellowface putting on offensively bad Japanese accents. It’s one of those shows that makes you think “how the hell did this ever make it on air?” The only positive thing I can say about the British version is at least they had decent prizes like holidays to Thailand. I’m shocked they had the budget.
@@CarysCreatesThings OH DEAR LORD!!! I have a very broad sense of Humour... God I grew up with Classic Doctor Who - Where Black and Yellow Face were very common... But just hearing that - YIKES!!!! Endurance is a show that ONLY JAPAN could ever make happen!
@@Phoenix2312Also it aired in 1998 😬 And these guys were doing full-on Mickey Rooney Breakfast at Tiffany’s style caricatures, fake buck teeth and all. Blackface and yellowface were never OK, but as you said they were a common trope in earlier media. They should have known by the late 90s that it was an unacceptable form of entertainment.
I wanted to add some more recent entries than I normally do, so... Good... well at least better than most things on at the time, "Men at Work" 2012-2014 on TBS in the U.S. Underrated, "The Great Indoors" 2016-2017 on CBS in the U.S. An American sitcom that included Stephen Fry. Terrible, "2 Broke Girls" 2011-2017 on CBS in the U.S. (No idea how it lasted so long)
You got a lot closer than most people! :) Would still love to see Absolute Power featured at some point, but glad to see Citizen Khan get its justified kicking.
I did leave this as a Comment for TFOOS but hell it better here! OH JOY! I have to agree with Zee om this one... CITIZEN KHAN... I dont know about the perpetuating Unhealthy Stereotypes as I feel its good to see Asian People embracing the stereotypes... While we In the UK do take the Piss a lot out of so many Asians owning Corner Shops and Convivence Stores, We often ignore that - Especially for those of us who grew up in the 1970's - Shops often CLOSED on Sundays and for half days on Wednesdays, and Asian folks saw opportunity as there was always someone who need to buy something... ... You cannot fault their logic!!! Truth is, Many Brits are JEALOUS they did not do the same thing! Asian folks made a lot of money playing to a weakness!!! Credit to them! So YES Embrace the "Harmful Stereotype" and have fun with it! BUT - Yeah, The show was JUST NOT FUNNY AT ALL! I wanted to like it... I Bloody Loved Goodness Gracious Me! which also had fun with so called "Harmful Stereotypes" - But that was ACTUALLY BLOODY FUNNY! Citizen Khan was DIRE!!!! I watched 3 Episodes and managed a Giggle only ONCE and that was in the first episode!!! UTTER TRIPE!!! Yes mate, You are right - It really deserves a kicking! How it won awards is beyond me!!!
@@Phoenix2312 Thanks for the comment! I guess I can only speak on my own experience and perspective, and that's that the only people I knew who regularly watched it, were a middle-aged couple who watched it to laugh AT the cultural points rather than with, and who felt that "if they see it that way, why shouldn't we?" And when I'd read on Twitter the people who would be describing it as funny, it'd be very much people who appeared to also fit that billing. Goodness Gracious Me was excellent because of the fact it was satirising the English perspectives, whereas Citizeh Khan feels to me like it encourages the worst ones to continue. BUT I recognise that I am not a British-Asian, nor am I the public at large, so I certainly welcome the discussion. I do certainly know that if a similar approach was given to LGBTQ+ people, or disabled people (both demographics to which I belong), I would be mortified.
@@zartesiempre9554 Sadly, there will always be the "morons" - In a Joking way... I treat everyone equally - So I have the same level of contempt for all Humanity... What bothers me as I have got older, There have been many GREAT LGBTQ+ and Disabled Comedians who we have never really heard of because of the very "Logic" that pervaded so long... A Beautiful thing with Comedy is done right... You can totally DESTROY the most "Abusive Behaviour" ... Unfortunately, It is an Art - And learning that art is HARD! I am seeing a lot of talk right now about the R-Word... Out of respect I am not saying it but I dont have an issue with the word in general - It just dropped from my lexicon decades ago! It was "Edgy" when I was a Teenager - Now I have grown up! People trying to Ban the Word... And where they have tried to ban it - I now see it being used MORE! I view it all as in our own way, We are all Stereotypes... Even a so called "Normie" like me... I am 51, Got Dentures, A Dad Bod... Oh and I have cremated 2 Wives... I am just a Prison Tag away from being a Perfect Guest for Jerry Springer or Jeremey Kyle... Humour is Subjective... And teh answer as you demonstrated - And me as well... If you dont like it - TURN IT OFF!
I didn’t mind it but out of all the Rik and Ade shows it was the worse. For me it's Young Ones and Bottom about the same. Dangerous Brothers. Filthy,Rich and Catflap
Just one from me. Underrated: Cloppa Castle A puppet animation, made from Gerry Anderson past employees, starring the friendly enemies the ‘by-gones’ and the ‘has-beens’ fighting over oil. But every day at three o clock they all sit down for tea. Forgotten and underrated, a great puppet animation with dry British humour.
I'll nominate This Life. Mid 90's drama about twenty something's living in London training as barrister's. Pretty edgy at the time and pretty good. They did a follow up to it a few years later. Dont remember how that was received though.
5:10 I wonder why I don't recall hearing anything about, "Murder in Small Town X", before. Based on what you said, it's the only reality show that has ever sounded intriguing to me. I may check this one out, too.
Excellent: The Good Place. One of the best sitcoms I’ve seen in decades. In my opinion it never jumped the shark, and it had great character development. I almost don’t want to say anything about the plot as there are so many twists, I wouldn’t want to ruin it for anyone who hadn’t yet watched it. Underrated: I’ve suggested this before, but Raising Hope is a great sitcom that nobody I’ve spoken to seems to have heard of. The premise is that a young working class guy named Jimmy has a one night stand with a woman who turns out to be a serial killer. She finds out she’s pregnant and has the baby whilst awaiting execution. Jimmy decides to raise the baby rather than have her put up for adoption, and names her Hope (hence the title). Despite how dark and gruesome it sounds, it’s surprisingly wholesome. It’s kind of an unofficial spin-off of My Name is Earl. They were made by the same people and set in the same universe. Terrible: Lots of people (including myself) have already suggested Mrs Brown’s Boys, but I’ll go one worse (if that’s possible). I’m nominating All Round to Mrs Brown’s. It’s a bad rip-off of The Kumars at Number 42, only with the cast of Mrs Brown’s Boys interviewing celebrities. I think it’s even worse than MBB, because as dreadful as that show was, I have to admit there would be the occasional gag or character break that made me laugh. ARTMB was just boring and unoriginal with no redeeming qualities.
Funland is a good little know dark comedy set in Blackpool. Nathan Barley is also a weird and underrated comedy. Garth Merenghi's Dark Place deserves a mention too.
One that needs to get a mention was the great Married With Children. A near perfect cast led by Ed O' Neil as the downtrodden and pessimistic Al Bundy. One of the best American sitcoms, a perfect antidote to the saccharin laced Cosby Show.
Good: Space Cadets. A Channel 4 show about a bunch of randos, and 1 actor, a plant, who are picked to be the crew of the Space Shuttle. Johnny Vaughan is the presenter but don't let that put you off. The actor dude is great. The scene explaining anti-gravity is a doozy. Can be found on RU-vid.
I didn’t like the Mighty Boosh at first but the penny finally dropped and I love it. I have a correction though: series 2 took place mainly during on the road adventures, series 3 took place in and around the Nabootique, the flat and trendy club The Velvet Onion.
Something I remembered earlier today was a series of tv movie westerns under the name Desperado from late 1980s. It starred Alex McArthur in five movies, which was pretty well written as I recall and it was full of great actors in supporting roles, John Rhys-Davies played a typically evil villain for example. I know it's not really on topic but I thought it would ring a bell with those who like classic television.
Murder In Small Town X was very good, actually. One of the best reality competition shows made, and it’s too bad it couldn’t find an audience. Sad Fact: the guy who won at the end was a New York City firefighter, and he perished during 9/11.
I’d like to nominate the very excellent The Almighty Johnsons - Norse Gods living quiet (and frequently not so quiet) suburban lives in Auckland New Zealand, trying to fulfil a prophesy that would return their full powers to themselves. Only ran for 3 seasons 2011-13, but is well worth tracking down and watching.
There was a short lived US Sitcom called 'Angie' that aired on ABC from 1979 to 1980. I thought the series was quite charming and had a chance. It fell victim to having it's air day and time slot repeatedly changed. I enjoyed the cast, and the premise.
I loved the Mighty Boosh, but then The Smell of Reeves and Mortimer was a seminal moment for my comedy tastes. I grew up in Germany and Hong Kong so we got BFBS or children's shows starring my primary school teacher. R&M was mind blowing to me at around the age of 10. For me shows like Friends, Miranda, Not Going Out or My Family are all pungent dog eggs.
Loved "Murder in Small Town X" - my fella and I never missed an episode. I would take copious notes trying to figure out the culprit...which I still got wrong, but oh well.
Grange Hill was suitable for kids until the underage pregnancy which I remember making the news very quickly in a bad way, so much so our school insisted with us and pleaded with parents to bam the kids show until they remembered the show was for kids, not adults. We stopped watching it and Biker Grove became more popular.
That clip of 'Murder in Small Town X' looked very similar to a British TV show. Maybe the format was adapted or used for a British show? Sadly, the name escapes me. It was a long time ago.
For me, the following would be my Children's TV suggestions: Excellent: Children of the Stones (which you've already reviewed.) Underrated: Shadows (TV series: Excellent first series, mediocre second series, and the third series had a few excellent episodes. This can now be seen on Talking Pictures and RU-vid.) Rubbish: Big John, Little John (oddly I liked this series as a child but on trying to rewatch it as an adult I saw how awful this American sitcom really was. To be honest I feel the same now about Round The Twist.)
Desmond's was fantastic. I rewatched it recently and the humour still holds up. They made a spin-off with Porkpie after Norman Beaton passed away which was pretty bad.
@@CarysCreatesThings I agree it never the same without norman beaton was the spin-off show porkpie any good i think that the story was that he either won the whole lottery or just won certain amount I can't remember
@@IainThomson-dc8ge Yeah the show was called Porkpie. He won the lottery jackpot after borrowing £1 from Michael. The first episode wasn’t bad as all three of Desmond’s kids were in it so it felt familiar, but Sean and Gloria weren’t in any more episodes.
Shane starring Frank skinner was utter number two toilet bowl content, he was basically just playing himself, no wonder the filmed 2nd series was never aired Underrated I thought Ssxondale with Steve coogan was very good, he was a roadie in the 70s who later in life I think did pest control, Steve played a few other small characters in it who were very funny. I remember one was a very camp sort of spaced out druggie, he was hilarious. Very good was still game a Scottish sitcom about a load of pensioners, in fact it's amazing.
I previously suggested Shane but they chose my other suggestion (Honky Sausages which was even worse). Shane was dreadful. All he did was moan about his wife and kids.
@@alexjohnston8889 It's awful. Genuinely one of the worst TV shows I've ever watched. It was a low budget sitcom on UKTV Play in the late 90s starring Laila Morse before she was in Eastenders. I think they only ever aired one episode before pulling the show due to complaints, and considering it was on a cable channel hardly anyone watched at the time, that says a lot. I couldn't make it to the end of the episode as I was so grossed out. Plus on top of being offensive, it's just boring and not objectively funny. It's on youtube if you want to check it out.
Recommendation - Heartburn Hotel, a Tim Healey starring, John Sullivan written comedy of the late 90s the BBC showed in a graveyard slot. It was really only done to pursuade Sullivan to write the final three Only Fools and Horses Christmas specials. Being un-pc, Guardian reader triggering, this is certainly not going on BritBox, which is a shame as it has its moments.
Nothing wrong with Citizen Khan in my book. It was hardly cutting edge comedy. But then, what on the BBC has been since pretty much the early 1970's? It was a sweet, half amusing homage to UK Muslim culture in the Midlands of it's time. It was as good or bad as anything else portraying such a sensitive subject and attempting to find humour in such, as anything could be.
Better off Ted is brilliant. Murder in a small town is crap so was Citizen Khan. The Mighty Boosh was rubbish. The only great show here is BETTER OFF TED. Father Ted is one of the best comedies ever written.
I thought Scot Squad was hilarious. A lot of it was ad libed by the cast. Especially Jack Docherty, who played Chief Commissioner Miekelson, a comic genius!
Id Agree about the Boosh I so wanted it to be good, eventually had to admit to myself what my comedy loving mates said "its Shite* ah well I tried. the boosh also rubbished slap bass which is a NO! what does Feilding know about playing music? ( Wan*er)
I would agree with the poster who like Coupling. I think that Steven Moffet is a brilliant Comedy WRiter. Writing For Doctor Who on the other hand? Not so much.
Still game should be included on the good list as it is an institution north of the border and until it's last few series at least which are a bit sh1t
Citizen Khan was a bbc box ticking exercise & painfully unfunny. It’s only good point was it wasn’t as crap as Mrs Brown, which admittedly isn’t saying much.
It is a British sitcom though. It was written by a British man, the cast is predominantly British, and it’s filmed and set in Birmingham (yes, the Birmingham in England).
How about rab.c.nesbit it was a brilliant scottish comedy the character came from another scottish comedy sketch show called naked video which was also very good
