I’ve been digging deep, reading tons of reviews from way back in the early days of TV right up to today. I looked through newspapers, magazines, and online review sites. In this video, I’m going to share the five sitcoms that, according to both the public and the critics, were just… not funny. I’ll be counting them down in the order they first aired, so get ready for some laughs (or maybe not!).
The UK’s Most Controversial Sitcoms EVER!
I’ve talked about other shows that were pretty controversial, but those usually got cancelled after just one episode aired. These two shows, though, actually made it onto TV for a while – one even ran for years!
Both shows were slammed by critics and the public, but unfortunately, some people actually admired the characters and their awful views. One show relied on its main character performing long, angry rants, while the other used a ton of racial slurs and even had a character in ‘blackface’! It’s pretty shocking stuff.
The UK’s Most Controversial School Sitcoms
Schools, students and teachers have always been a rich source of material for television shows. There is an easily recognised dynamic of us versus them – children versus teachers, and it’s not always the teachers on the winning side. So, it comes as no surprise that some of the school based sitcoms will end up being judged as controversial in some way.
This video covers the most controversial school related sitcoms from three different types of school in three time periods. Two of these sitcoms lasted a number of years, but one had its first series cancelled after only two episodes had been broadcast.
The UK’s Most Controversial Sitcoms Episode 3
In this video, I’m going to be talking about three TV sitcoms that got a lot of negative attention because people thought they were offensive. We’ll explore why these shows caused such a stir. Two of them were just pilot episodes, and never actually became full-blown series. And one show, even though it was finished, was cancelled before it even aired in the UK!
BBC Restricting Access to Written Archive
The BBC Written Archive is an essential research resource for all types of writers and content creators.
The BBC Written Archive contains documents relating to radio and tv shows and the operation of the BBC in its over 100 year history. They have now decided to close access to the archive to all but media professionals and researchers, meaning creators and writers like myself will no longer be able to use their resources.
If you think they should change their mind, please contact them.
email: Heritage@bbc.co.uk
or write to: BBC Written Archives Centre,
Peppard Road,
Caversham Park,
Reading,
RG4 8TZ
BBC Written Archives Centre – Access and Facilities
A vital research resource that many of us have used, the BBC Written Archives, is proposing to seriously restrict access to materials.
Over a year ago the BBC Written Archives Centre, posted a notice on their website that while they conducted an audit, that only “material that have previously been opened for external research” would be available. This was entirely reasonable, to avoid problems auditing items in the Archive. However, this has become their new policy – except for professionals: (writers, press, other media, etc.
The notice on their website states:
From March 2025 we’re unable to answer any personal interest enquiries, supply copies of documents, or undertake any research on behalf of external users.
For external users who meet our access criteria below, we can only offer access to materials that have previously been opened for external research.
This means we are unable to review files for release on demand in response to enquiries.
Going forward we will release archive content in a more structured way.
The “access criteria” only includes:
- Writers who have been commissioned to write a book or article.
- Those undertaking research for a commercial project.
- Academics in higher education undertaking accredited research.
There are thousands of independent “non-professional” (but very professional in content and delivery) bloggers, video makers (like me) and other writers that have brought the history of the BBC in it’s many iterations to the public, that will no longer have any access to the BBC Archive.
You could contact the BBC WAC to comment on this at: Heritage@bbc.co.uk
Leigh
The UK’s Most Controversial Sitcoms Episode 2
In this video I’m going to be looking at three more television sitcoms that were criticised for their offensive content. We will see why people considered these shows so controversial. They all lasted for several series, and one show was the writer’s favourite. However, they have all suffered from – mostly retrospective – criticism.
The UK’s Most Controversial Sitcoms Episode 1
This is the first of five videos, exploring the most controversial sitcoms on television in the UK. We will have a look at why people considered these shows so controversial. As this is the first in this series of videos, these are some of the least offensive offerings.
A Tribute to Victoria Wood
It is rare that one individual can combine so many talents that they’re almost able to single-handedly produce a TV show, but during her career Victoria Wood was a writer, comedian, actress, pianist, composer, singer, screenwriter, producer, and director. From amusing her family as a child, to entertaining huge theatre and television audiences, Victoria kept excelling in comedy and drama.
The UK’s Forgotten Sitcoms (1950s and 1960s)
Television in the 1950s was still relatively new. Sitcoms were evolving, and audience tastes were different. These shows, often unseen for decades and in some cases possibly lost entirely, represent a unique window into the cultural landscape of the era. Join me as we explore the stories behind these largely forgotten pieces of television history.
This is a bit of a “bumper episode” with 12 ‘forgotten’ sitcoms, and references to about 12 other sitcoms!