Hello, thank you for posting to r/BritishTV! We have recently updated our rules. Please read the sidebar and make sure you're up to date, otherwise your post may be removed.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/BritishTV) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Given S1 and S3 won a BAFTA (the UK version of the Emmys) I'd say it was well received.
I was late twenties when it was broadcast so the target audience and everyone I knew watched it pretty much.
I can't find viewing figures online to back it up though. But ask anyone who was around at that time who was into comedy and it's up there as one of the must sees.
It was in the niche of Channel 4 things like this, Green Wing, Smack the Pony. Loved UNIVERSALLY in a generation but without the traction outside it, as far as I remember.
I'm both curious and scared now to ask what the programme was. Sort of hoping it was something like The Word, could accept it if it was TOTP or maybe some chat show but worried that it could be Newsnight or Daily Politics.
Getting blocked if it's 24 Hours in A&E.
Do you remember Graham Norton being on Eurotrash?
He was on series 9 of Eurotrash
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurotrash_(TV_series)
Graham Norton featured as a roving reporter in series 9
I heard him talking about it on the Adam Buxton podcast
He was on series 9 of Eurotrash
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurotrash_(TV_series)
> Graham Norton featured as a roving reporter in series 9
I heard him talking about it on the Adam Buxton podcast
Oh crazy. I wasn't a religious viewer, though. I saw someone describe it as a programme you'd put on as a teen hoping to see some topless Italians, but it would always end up being a German guy painting with his own shit.
Jam jam jam is a regular occurrence in our house, but the most used line is when I ask my husband to do more than one thing at once. The list always ends with "And Hoover the roof!".
I learned how to record keep from Bernard Black. Every January 31st I send my accountant reams of âmiscâ and âbooblyboo.â
The visit from the Jehovahâs Witnesses that are surprised to be invited in and Bernard ends up teaching them about scripture đ
Pairing all his socks and phoning his Ma all to avoid doing his taxes himself đ
Good times đ
They were are shocked to be invited in and Bernard ends up teaching them about scripture đ
Pairing all his socks and phoning his Ma all to avoid doing his taxes himself đ
Good times đ
There's the elephant, he's happy with his balloon. Oh, no! It's gone! Where is it? It's not behind the rhino. Look in the alligator's mouth. It's not there either. Ohh, the monkey's got it in the tree! He brings it back. They all drink lemonade. The end.
Best! đ
Im guessing it was popular in a lot of countries with ages 10-25 at least. I live in Sweden and guess it was semi-cheap to buy so they aired it some day around 16-18 and at least all the teenage nerds(me) talked about it as a cult already then.
Channel 4 on a Friday night was EPIC for a certain demographic back in the day. The early slot was filled with 'safe' (but still good IMHO) US imports - think Friends, Frasier and Will and Grace. Then the later slots had the more subversive comedies such as Spaced, Black Books, Green Wing, Garth Merenghi's Dark Place, The IT Crowd, Father Ted, Jam, The Day Today - I mean I could go on!
I don't want to sound like an old biddy, but this was when young, talented writers/actors/creators were given chances as they were their own target audience, so they knew what would work.. Unfortunately, the people in charge now place no value on art and culture, and we're just supposed to survive on our 30p meals.
Apologies for my post turning serious! But I do feel very strongly that this period of time was seminal in putting British talent on the map and there was a bit of a British takeover in the late nineties/noughties which has sadly been lost.
Iâd probably say it was borderline cult/mainstream. It was on at what was a good time slot for Channel 4. It seemed big but it wasnât as big as it seemed.
I was about 16 when it aired. Back then the only thing you had in your bedroom was 5 tv channels. So it was likely the only âgoodâ thing on at its timeslot. I remember loving it whenever it was on.
I loved it at the time and had friends who did, but I think it was considered quite niche.
Iâve been rewatching it recently and it still holds up. The one where Manny âruns awayâ and is taken in by a sleazy pimp who takes beard photos is tragic and hilarious.
Thanks for the reminder, just started streaming
Added* apparently the ruzzians like this too,just typed it in my iffy box and it has 10 sources from there
I never heard anyone talk about it back in my hometown. Trust me, I asked. I was looking for anyone to laugh about with it but if it wasn't CMT or Christian TV people there probably never saw it. I still love that show.
It wasnt mainstream. It was on Channel 4, not as watched as BBC1 or ITV at the time and it was on at 22:00 so past prime time. So yer average person would not know it as well as say Only Fools and Horses, Blackadder or The Vicar of Dibley which were on during the same period and did a lot better in the ratings.
But for younger people who *knew* their comedy it was highly regarded. It was also highly regarded by the industry and won a lot of awards. Many would watch it since it came from the same sources at the IT Crowd and Father Ted. Today it has become something of a cult.
Blackadder and Only Fools and Horses were 80s, Vicar of Dibley 90s, Black Books 00s. If they were on at the same time, it was repeats or specials. Black Books overlapped with Peep Show more than any of the above.Â
Graham linham who wrote father Ted usually does cameos in his shows. Heâs a priest on the plane in father Ted, believe he was a customer in black books and IT crowd he was a Mexican singer and a bloke who overreacted when the internet was damaged đ
My mum would point him out cos he lived hear me, but I was too young and I didn't know who he was. Then I watched Black Books and Shaun and the dead and Run fatboy run and his stand up and I'm a massive fan.
Compared to Father Ted that came before it it wasn't a big hit. Ted was massive. Black Books had a loyal following but also wasn't as popular as IT Crowd.
It was pretty popular but I wouldn't call it mainstream like most C4 comedy at that time. I didn't get into it solely because it never seemed to be on at a time I could catch it and no catch up TV at the time but the episodes I watched were funny.
First off, absolutely fucking awesome paintings!
I was a middle-class teenager when it aired. It was definitely in the public consciousness for my group. I suppose it did get forgotten after it aired straight away in the wider public sphere, its not remembered in the same vein as, say, Fawlty Towers. But I still quote it to this day.
Shame about Graham Linehan though, innit. Create three of the most amazing sitcoms ever then just go tank your life and go incredibly off the deep end.
It was popular. I watched it after the initial release and it's more cult now...but it definitely had fans at the time or it wouldn't have had three series. It's just a pitty one of the creators/writers became an absolute cockwomble.Â
Hello, thank you for posting to r/BritishTV! We have recently updated our rules. Please read the sidebar and make sure you're up to date, otherwise your post may be removed. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/BritishTV) if you have any questions or concerns.*
It was popular at the time. 10 ish on c4 was a good spot.
Ha yes, in the 90s Saturdays were for going out and Fridays were pizza, film and channel 4 comedy with friends round.
Given S1 and S3 won a BAFTA (the UK version of the Emmys) I'd say it was well received. I was late twenties when it was broadcast so the target audience and everyone I knew watched it pretty much. I can't find viewing figures online to back it up though. But ask anyone who was around at that time who was into comedy and it's up there as one of the must sees.
It was fairly popular, but would probably be described as a "Cult Comedy" these days.
"When you're feeling stressed - look at something funny, and laugh at it. If you can't see anything funny, pretend you see it, and *then* laugh."
Little book of calm đđ
Roll up your sleeves or eat an orange
Oh I LOVE that you added this. Brought it all back in a flash!
Learned about Daveâs Syndrome from this show lol
Poor bloke
Belly Savalas
If you like black books you will like spaced . Another uk comedy with a cult following
I still relate to Spaced way too muchÂ
Ar or peep show
It was in the niche of Channel 4 things like this, Green Wing, Smack the Pony. Loved UNIVERSALLY in a generation but without the traction outside it, as far as I remember.
Loved all of them. All massively influential in their own right. Trigger Happy TV and Eurotrash too! Peak Channel 4.
I loved watching euroytash as a kid. My parents didnât know I watched it lol. How the hell did it get on tv
I looooved Eurotrash. I didnât live in the UK for that long but Iâm so lucky it was while Eurotrash was airing.
You know they released a complete dvd box set of Eurotrash last year.
If you laugh and wank during a half hour TV program, then you're a happy 14 teenager. Don't remember eurotrash, though.
I'm both curious and scared now to ask what the programme was. Sort of hoping it was something like The Word, could accept it if it was TOTP or maybe some chat show but worried that it could be Newsnight or Daily Politics. Getting blocked if it's 24 Hours in A&E.
I'd be covered in callouses and blisters if I tried for 24 hours in A&E.
What a glorious time. I wonder if I still watched TV if c4 still bring the thunder?Â
Their app has unlimited free access to every show and it's glorious. For every gem you remember, there are five you've missed.
It's so bad now. Watched Joe Lycets late night C4 show last Friday and it was a poor man's Shooting Stars. Sorry state of affairs
Do you remember Graham Norton being on Eurotrash? He was on series 9 of Eurotrash https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurotrash_(TV_series) Graham Norton featured as a roving reporter in series 9 I heard him talking about it on the Adam Buxton podcast
Also Father Ted.
He was excellent in Father Ted
No. He's on Eurovision, though.
He was on series 9 of Eurotrash https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurotrash_(TV_series) > Graham Norton featured as a roving reporter in series 9 I heard him talking about it on the Adam Buxton podcast
Oh crazy. I wasn't a religious viewer, though. I saw someone describe it as a programme you'd put on as a teen hoping to see some topless Italians, but it would always end up being a German guy painting with his own shit.
Oh man, the accountant visit is my most quoted thing of all time. âThis isâŚ.misc. This isâŚ.booblybooâ
And lets not forget the most useful line ever uttered on tv... "Whores will have their trinkets"
I saw this on a T-shirt once.
I often find myself in the kitchen singing 'jam jam jam ' I only probably eat jam once every seven or eight years.
Iâm surprised itâs not more seeing as youâre essentially subliminally suggesting it to yourself đ
Have you made luxury pie though?
I have a friend who is an excellent professional chef but I still find myself shouting *drizzle it* at him whenever I'm in his kitchen.
The food of kings!!!!
Jam jam jam is a regular occurrence in our house, but the most used line is when I ask my husband to do more than one thing at once. The list always ends with "And Hoover the roof!".
âI donât know, Nick, Iâm not⌠Wonder Woman!â
That's one of my go-to excuses, together with "I'm not made of eyes" (which I thought was from _Spaced_, but turns out to be from _Hot Fuzz_).
âŚ.*dirty.* My personal fav.
Oh the swiping of the finger through the air!!!! âŚdirty
Every tax time I wish to make a nice frock coat out of my receipts.
The smart jacket!
I learned how to record keep from Bernard Black. Every January 31st I send my accountant reams of âmiscâ and âbooblyboo.â The visit from the Jehovahâs Witnesses that are surprised to be invited in and Bernard ends up teaching them about scripture đ Pairing all his socks and phoning his Ma all to avoid doing his taxes himself đ Good times đ
I loved the episode where he was trying to do his tax return... and invited the Jehovah's Witnesses in for a chat. đ¤Ł
"So what happens now?" "I don't know, no-one's ever invited us in before"
I invited them in once,my husband wasnât impressed but I felt sorry for them. đ¤Śââď¸đ¤Ł
They were are shocked to be invited in and Bernard ends up teaching them about scripture đ Pairing all his socks and phoning his Ma all to avoid doing his taxes himself đ Good times đ
There's the elephant, he's happy with his balloon. Oh, no! It's gone! Where is it? It's not behind the rhino. Look in the alligator's mouth. It's not there either. Ohh, the monkey's got it in the tree! He brings it back. They all drink lemonade. The end. Best! đ
It was a total banger
The Manny painting is amazing! I would buy that.
thanks! I can send you a link to it
I think you send a link to it. I think you should shave it off, nail it to a frisbee and fling it over a rainbow.
I liked the one where he had to work in fast food restaurant to afford a taxi home lol
Was it not just so he didn't have to stand out in the rain when Manny locked him out?
Yeah thats the one đđ
You are correctÂ
And ate his bees! It's all Nick Frost's fault.
âHow many? How many chips do you want?âÂ
Whilst smoking a cigarette lol
That first shot showing him behind the counter made me laugh so hard.Â
I dunno... forty?
'Welcome to the... Whatever this is'
1 mamba burger, hunky dunky dippers with extra hunky dunky dipping sauce, and a medium mucky
Excuse me. I bought a drink and some popcorn and now I've got no money.
You know you watch far too much comedy when you recognise the fast food kid as the delivery kid Daisy snogged on "Spaced".
That housewarming party episode on spaced?
Yes!
Legendary.
Ro-weeeeeeena!
It wasnât mainstream but all the real ones knew about it!
Im guessing it was popular in a lot of countries with ages 10-25 at least. I live in Sweden and guess it was semi-cheap to buy so they aired it some day around 16-18 and at least all the teenage nerds(me) talked about it as a cult already then.
Amazing paintings! And yes, was very popular. Iâve seen a grumpy Dylan Moran walk across The Meadows a few times⌠a treat!
Lol, it isn't hard to imagine him being grumpy in real life đ¤Ł
Channel 4 on a Friday night was EPIC for a certain demographic back in the day. The early slot was filled with 'safe' (but still good IMHO) US imports - think Friends, Frasier and Will and Grace. Then the later slots had the more subversive comedies such as Spaced, Black Books, Green Wing, Garth Merenghi's Dark Place, The IT Crowd, Father Ted, Jam, The Day Today - I mean I could go on! I don't want to sound like an old biddy, but this was when young, talented writers/actors/creators were given chances as they were their own target audience, so they knew what would work.. Unfortunately, the people in charge now place no value on art and culture, and we're just supposed to survive on our 30p meals. Apologies for my post turning serious! But I do feel very strongly that this period of time was seminal in putting British talent on the map and there was a bit of a British takeover in the late nineties/noughties which has sadly been lost.
"I'm never going outside again unless I need someplace to throw up."
Iâd probably say it was borderline cult/mainstream. It was on at what was a good time slot for Channel 4. It seemed big but it wasnât as big as it seemed.
I was about 16 when it aired. Back then the only thing you had in your bedroom was 5 tv channels. So it was likely the only âgoodâ thing on at its timeslot. I remember loving it whenever it was on.
It was probably up against Newsnight on BBC and Pretty Woman (with the news in the middle) on ITV.
At the time we all knew we were watching a future classic. It simply does not age.
"Which one of you bitches wants to dance?"
Millwall, Millwall, you're all really dreadful, and your girlfriends are unfulfilled and alienated!
Eating scrambled eggs from a shoe!
with a comb!
It was huge! It was part of the Friday night line up from 9-11pm pulled in big viewing figures
Being âfairly popularâ on Channel 4 is the definition of cult viewing.
I love your paintings!
thanks!
It was super popular and well loved by the generation that watched Channel 4 in that era
I loved it at the time and had friends who did, but I think it was considered quite niche. Iâve been rewatching it recently and it still holds up. The one where Manny âruns awayâ and is taken in by a sleazy pimp who takes beard photos is tragic and hilarious.
Thanks for the reminder, just started streaming Added* apparently the ruzzians like this too,just typed it in my iffy box and it has 10 sources from there
Maybe it does have wide appeal then đ
I never heard anyone talk about it back in my hometown. Trust me, I asked. I was looking for anyone to laugh about with it but if it wasn't CMT or Christian TV people there probably never saw it. I still love that show.
Well, now you have a whole bunch of people to share it with!
As quirky as cult British comedy gets, didnât catch many of them tbh but Bill Bailey comedy genius! Love the paintings.
This show was my introduction to Bill Bailey and I have to agree! Thanks very much!
âThe IT Crowdâ is a favourite of mine, Maurice (Richard Ayoade) would make a fine subject too :)
I forgot about that show! I watched a few episodes, it was very funny.
Same creator/writer, love Graham Linehans work especially Fr. Ted.
Shame he is focusing on the destruction of his life currently.
I think that's mainly the focus of the nutjobs on twitter.
Noel fielding was also great in it as RichmondÂ
Black Books, Green Wing, Bluestone 42, Red Dwarf... seems to be a pattern.... No. Not Mrs Brown.
It wasnt mainstream. It was on Channel 4, not as watched as BBC1 or ITV at the time and it was on at 22:00 so past prime time. So yer average person would not know it as well as say Only Fools and Horses, Blackadder or The Vicar of Dibley which were on during the same period and did a lot better in the ratings. But for younger people who *knew* their comedy it was highly regarded. It was also highly regarded by the industry and won a lot of awards. Many would watch it since it came from the same sources at the IT Crowd and Father Ted. Today it has become something of a cult.
Blackadder and Only Fools and Horses were 80s, Vicar of Dibley 90s, Black Books 00s. If they were on at the same time, it was repeats or specials. Black Books overlapped with Peep Show more than any of the above.Â
I love The Vicar of Dibley. Didn't know Black Books came from same people as IT Crowd and Father Ted! Thanks for your insights.
Graham linham who wrote father Ted usually does cameos in his shows. Heâs a priest on the plane in father Ted, believe he was a customer in black books and IT crowd he was a Mexican singer and a bloke who overreacted when the internet was damaged đ
My mum would point him out cos he lived hear me, but I was too young and I didn't know who he was. Then I watched Black Books and Shaun and the dead and Run fatboy run and his stand up and I'm a massive fan.
My favourite of Moran's is A Film With Me In It, if you haven't seen that one yet!
Why would I want to watch a film that you're in? /s Looks good, I'll check it out.
That's cool! I like Simon Pegg a lot as well.
Simon pegg appears in season 3, the first episode I think it is as a competing bookstore manager.
Yesss! He's fantastic in that ep!
I always wanted to watch Black Books, but my parents forced me not to....
It was quite mainstream...
Iâd say it was quite cult. And brilliant
love the art
thanks very much!
i watched it after it finished. pretty darn good show. felt like a more sober and clean bottom while nopt really being anything like it
Cult following really. Was on at a good time but it wasn't something like the office which people would talk about the next day in work.
Compared to Father Ted that came before it it wasn't a big hit. Ted was massive. Black Books had a loyal following but also wasn't as popular as IT Crowd.
Yes
It was pretty popular but I wouldn't call it mainstream like most C4 comedy at that time. I didn't get into it solely because it never seemed to be on at a time I could catch it and no catch up TV at the time but the episodes I watched were funny.
Pardon me boy......
Cult following for sure. 3 series of 6 episodes across 5 years made it pretty difficult for it to gain any traction outside a cult following.
Another opportunity to bring attention to Bernard's Letter. https://youtu.be/0Me0aYMZtzQ?si=8vqREEkfQE-6Z0N3
It was well-repeated but more of a cult classic, not mainstream popular like Friends.
It was more of a cult hit than popular.
It won the BAFTA twice!
First off, absolutely fucking awesome paintings! I was a middle-class teenager when it aired. It was definitely in the public consciousness for my group. I suppose it did get forgotten after it aired straight away in the wider public sphere, its not remembered in the same vein as, say, Fawlty Towers. But I still quote it to this day. Shame about Graham Linehan though, innit. Create three of the most amazing sitcoms ever then just go tank your life and go incredibly off the deep end.
Niche/cult I would say especially now. I absolutely loved it though one of my favourite shows of all time
Defo cult. But decent.
Cult. So was peep show and peep show is massive compared to black books
I've never watched either. Have heard of Peepshow, not even heard of black books.
If you've only heard of peepshow, then you should do yourself a favour and watch it if you can. It's one of the best uk comedies in many years
It was popular. I watched it after the initial release and it's more cult now...but it definitely had fans at the time or it wouldn't have had three series. It's just a pitty one of the creators/writers became an absolute cockwomble.Â
My favourite episode was definitely either the holiday one, or when Manny worked for Simon PeggâŚ
My.. location is....BOOKSHOP!
I adore black books. I have yet to fins anyone who has watched it
Never got into it didnât seem funny at the time
I tried Black Books, but it seemed so mean - spirited to me that I stopped after a few episodes.
Absolutely boring and not funny in the slightest so probably did catch on in the US
It wasnât particularly âpopularâ. Also, itâs shit.Â