British comedy

British comedies have set themselves apart from the TV shows of other countries by providing consistently quirky characters, settings and plots for many years. One of the most notable is the seventies show Monty Python's Flying Circus, a sketch comedy show that introduced us to such comedy luminaries as John Cleese, Eric Idle, and Terry Gilliam. Other sketch shows include French and Saunders, Alas Smith and Jones, Rutland Weekend TV and Spike Milligan's Q series.

As well as sketch shows, the situation comedy is another genre of peculiarly British humour. Popular British sitcoms have included Absolutely Fabulous, The Young Ones, Murder Most Horrid, Fawlty Towers, and Are You Being Served.