Lack of familiarity breeds contempt
Why the cosy feel of Dad's Army is a potential problem for new viewers.
All British Comedy Explained
The new podcast in which Abigoliah Schamaun finds out all about British comedy from Tom Salinsky
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Latest episodes
The secret of Yes Minister's success
And the person who thought it would never ever work.
The purity of The Vicar of Dibley
One of the most compelling things in any kind of story is the moral dimension.
What do we lose as sitcoms get slick
Why The Vicar of Dibley sold its soul for a more filmic look
Hancock, British television comedy's great pioneer.
Hancock’s Half Hour is a big turning point in British television comedy.
The Rise of the Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin (and its fall)
Britain's weirdest sitcom of the 1970s and its bleak origins.
Built Like a Swiss Watch vs Run Like a Party
Why two comedy greats achieve their effects in nearly totally opposite ways.
Why The Young Ones Picked a Fight with The Good Life
Comedy’s favourite pastime: attacking the previous generation
Only twelve to choose from...
With Fawlty Towers, the hardest part was trying to decide which two episodes to show Abigoliah.
In on the joke
How I’m Sorry I Haven’t A Clue’s nonsense meta-game teaches us about humour
The Ministry of Silly Names
Why who gets called what is as individual as a fingerprint.
The British comedy canon — where should a newcomer begin?
What are some of the foundation stones on which modern British comedy is built?
Subtlety in comedy (and staplers in jelly)
How the best comedians let us come to our own conclusions.
Victoria Wood. She stood alone.
A true titan of British comedy who never for a moment betrayed any anxiety about the fact that she was doing something brand new, over which she had no control.
Self-flagellation for fun and profit – talking to Ben Elton
Why one of the great comedy writers of our age has such mixed feelings about some of his biggest successes.
The Goon Show – Goon Too Soon?
Peter Sellers, Spike Milligan and Harry Secombe didn't please my podcasting partner, Abigoliah Schamaun. Is the fault hers, theirs, or mine?
Pre-Cooked audience laughter?
Why having an audience can inject spontaneity even in a pre-recorded environment.
The Young Ones – a comedy revolution
It's not about the quality, it's about the impact.
Why is Monty Python’s Flying Circus so bad?
The original TV series can be a crushing disappointment if you come to them later. Why is that so, and is it fair?
1.1 Monty Python's Flying Circus Explained
All British Comedy Explained… to Abigoliah Schamaun, by Tom Salinsky