Showing results for "The Sitcom" in Literature & Fiction

Sir John Woodstock (James Fleet) is the Lord of the Castle and basically in charge of keeping order in the ramshackle medieval village. Although he hates all that torturing and usually lets the peasants off with a bit of community service. He lives in his huge but slightly falling down castle (but then it was built by the French, so what can one expect) with his daughter Anne (Martha Howe-Douglas) and very teenage son Henry (Steven Kynman). Anne’s best friend Charlotte (Ingrid Oliver) nearly always joins Anne on her constant quest to find fit men in the village.

One of BBC Radio's most popular and long-running sitcoms, The Navy Lark sailed the airwaves for an impressive 13 series between 1959 and 1977. Included here are the complete Series 1 and 2, featuring the madcap escapades of the merry crew of HMS Troutbridge, a Royal Navy frigate based on an unnamed island just off Portsmouth.

Left hand down a bit! The clueless crew of HMS Troutbridge have returned to port after months at sea, and are soon getting into more hilarious scrapes... Included here are the complete Series Ten and Eleven of the fondly remembered show, remastered and restored for your listening pleasure. In these 34 vintage episodes, Troutbridge is assigned a new Captain, the seasick Commander Trotter; Povey prepares for a visit from Prime Minister Harold Wilson; the ship is hijacked by Forbodian spies; and Murray is promoted - and gets hitched to the Admiral's daughter...

There's more fun on the ocean waves in these 33 hilarious episodes, as the hapless Captain Povey and his reluctant subordinates are caught up in more comic capers. Contained here are the complete Series Eight and Nine of the popular show, which sees Murray courting Heather, Phillips pursuing the new Wren and Pertwee planning some special commemorative gifts for Troutbridge's 25th anniversary. Plus, the crew embark on a top secret mission, participate in a joint forces exercise and prepare to take two VIPs from The Embassy Lark to Tratvia for a trade festival.

Here is the unforgettable 'Fletch', everyone's favourite criminal, making the most of his enforced stay at Her Majesty's Pleasure. Never a man to shrink from a challenge, even from behind bars, Fletch could manage anything from organising a win on the horses to buying a council flat in Mayfair. Amazing his cellmates and infuriating officialdom, Fletch, the Arthur Daley of penal servitude, always comes out on top. Starring Ronnie Barker with Brian Wilde, Richard Beckinsale and Fulton Mackay.

All aboard HMS Troutbridge for maritime mishaps and merriment, as the crew return from eventful leave and sail into more trouble. This collection contains the complete Series Six and Seven of the long-running sitcom, in which Pertwee becomes embroiled in various money-making schemes, Povey has a few domestic difficulties, 'Fatso' Johnson's literary and culinary efforts cause havoc - and there's romantic rivalry between Mr Phillips and Mr Murray for Wren Chasen's affections... Also included is special festive episode 'Hitting the Ice Floe'.

First broadcast on the BBC Light Programme in 1950, Life with the Lyons was the first UK 'situation comedy'. More than 11 million listeners tuned in to the hilarious fictional misadventures of real-life Hollywood stars Bebe Daniels and Ben Lyons and their two children, Barbara and Richard, as well as Scottish housekeeper Aggie and next-door neighbours Florrie and Mr Wimple. Such was its popularity that the series ran for 11 years, spawning a TV spin-off, a West End play and two feature films.

The Navy Lark gang are back for more seafaring shenanigans, as they leave the island behind for high jinks on the high seas - and get drummed out of the service, only to switch to some brand new roles. Collected here are the complete Series 3, 4 and 5, plus two Specials. Additionally, Troutbridge's crew disembark and drop anchor at at television studio in all nine existing episodes of spin-off series The TV Lark.

Bill and Faith are both divorcees, late in love but new to each other. As they battle to forge a relationship together, they discover that the course of true love doesn’t always run smoothly. In these 31 episodes, they move in together, plan a wedding and deal with the challenges of married life – all the while trying to balance the demands of Bill’s ex-wife, Liza, and her teenage children, Hannah and Joe.

Author, curmudgeon and master of the complaining letter and the abusive email, Ed Reardon is back for a 16th series of this award-winning BBC Radio comedy.

It's all aboard for more entertaining escapades, as the classic comedy sets sail for its last two series. Included here are all 24 episodes from Series Fourteen and Fifteen, starring Leslie Phillips, Jon Pertwee and Stephen Murray. In these hilarious shows, HMS Troutbridge joins a flotilla travelling round the world on a Navy goodwill mission - but en route, the crew are ensnared in the revolutionary plans of El Godmother and the Raffia, and come up against The Master and his female associate The Mistress.

Everybody down! Prepare for more navigational blunders and maritime misadventures as radio's favourite frigate puts to sea once more. Collected here are the complete Series Twelve and Thirteen of the much loved show - including the 200th episode, 'Sir Willoughby at Shanghai', in which Troutbridge takes the Governor and his wife on a trip to China - only to find itself under attack... Plus, Lieutenant-Commander Murray and his wife Rita celebrate their first anniversary and move out to married quarters.

Irene Bruce spends her days pulling pints in Millport, the only town on the Isle of Cumbrae, a few miles off the west coast of Scotland. Frustrated and going nowhere fast, she yearns to escape to the mainland for a better life - or at least a bit of fun. Just over the water, there are clubs, cinemas and discos, so why is she stuck at home with tea, Scrabble and her boring sister Moira?

Author, pipe-smoker, fare-dodger and master of the complaining letter and abusive email, Ed Reardon returns for another four series. Despite many thwarted attempts at literary succes, he's still living a precarious existence with his trusty companion Elgar, reliant on any small morsels of work Ping can offer him to keep body, mind and cat together. He also continues to have regular run-ins with his nemesis, Jaz Milvane—who somehow manages to make money out of mad schemes, while Ed makes nothing—and his love life remains more than a little erratic.

Welcome to the world of Ed Reardon, writer and liver of life at the cutting edge—well, above The Cutting Edge, in a one-bedroom flat over a hairdresser's in Berkhamsted that he shares with his his trusty feline companion, Elgar. Divorced, impoverished and embittered, he spends his time penny-pinching, freeloading and ranting at the modern world and the 'moronic 12-year-olds' who run the media.

Life for supply teacher, Phil (Jim Sweeney), is turned upside down when his wife, Sarah (Caroline Quentin), is offered a new job. Phil agrees to give up work and become a stay-at-home dad to daughter Sophie - after all, how hard can it be? Phil quickly realises parenthood isn’t all coffee mornings and cake. He has to grapple with playgroups (when he can find them), new friends (some a little more ‘out there’ than others), a ‘helpful’ mother-in-law (she isn’t) and when Sarah goes to Paris with work, can Phil contain his jealousy?

Simon McGrath is a nice chap - he donates blood, he recycles, he cares about the world. He just happens to work as an arms dealer - or a 'defence and security equipment system solutions broker', as he prefers to call it. It wasn’t planned, and what he really wants is to pursue is his career in electronic music, but until that takes off he’ll stay where he is. After all, he has to pay his mortgage like everyone else....

Sitcom set in a Local Authority Register Office, where the staff deal with the three greatest events in anybody's life. David Schneider (The Day Today, I'm Alan Partridge) stars as chief registrar Malcolm Fox, who is a stickler for rules and would be willing to interrupt any wedding service if the width of the bride infringes health and safety. He's single, but why does he need to be married? He's married thousands of women. Alongside him are rival and divorcee Lorna, who has been parachuted in from Car Parks to drag the office (and Malcolm) into the 21st century.

When long-serving council leader Roland Whittaker loses his seat to a Monster Raving Loony Party candidate with the same surname and initials, he is both flabbergasted and furious. Young Robin Whittaker (who conducted his entire campaign dressed in a chicken outfit and a Viking helmet) isn’t happy either – he only stood for election as a student prank. Everyone expects him to resign, but he’s persuaded to stick it out, and it’s not long before he’s being proclaimed Mayor (and appointing a very unconventional Mayoress...)

Starring comedian John Fortune, best known for the satirical TV show Bremner, Bird and Fortune, and screen legend Eleanor Bron, Protesting Too Much is written by Sally Phillips and Kate Brooke. A classic comic caper that will have you in stitches.