By Rahul Dua
For me personally, summer is the perfect time of the year to kick back and indulge in some great shows. As part of an ongoing recommendation series, this post will introduce some of the best comedies coming out of Great Britain.
Personally, I love British shows. While Sherlock and Doctor Who are great mystery and thriller dramas, I feel like their North American counterparts often overshadow exemplary classic British comedies. The difference in their production style and narrative is generally quite stark but entertaining nonetheless.
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If you are a fan of cheeky banter and dry humour, check out the following shows (presented in no particular order). These are the shows that I typically recommend to all my friends and have successfully created a cult following among my social group over the years.
There is something here for everybody so enjoy!
If you loved watching the atrociously hilarious, Jonah Hill starred Superbad, then this would be right up your alley. Delve into the world of perpetually horny and absurdity-filled lives of a couple of adolescent high schoolers and watch their struggles as they desperately try to fit in, and stand out, often with highly amusing and extremely entertaining consequences. With Inbetweeners, there is never a shortage of boner jokes and quirky banter.
2. Peep Show
Quite possibly one of the best shows that I’ve ever had the pleasure to watch, Peep Show stars the dynamic duo – David Mitchell and Robert Webb. The unique style of storytelling – mostly from one of the two’s point-of-view, while might take a while to get used to, delivers an unparalleled insight into the minds of two seemingly normal young adults and the mess they unintentionally get themselves into.
If you live with college roommates or have any experience with living with one in the past, Peep Show will quickly grow on you. Peep Show is littered with Mark’s (David Mitchell) sarcastic, and what I can only describe as uncomfortable humour, never fails to deliver hearty laughs.
3. Coupling
A couple of years ago, as I was suffering from my post-Friends heartbreak(which happens time to time), I was searching for something similar to fill the void. A kind stranger on the interwebs suggested that I try out a show that many have hailed as the British equivalent of Friends. Immerse yourself once again in the uncomplicated early 2000s as you get to know a similar set of friends as they comically navigate through their relationships.
Keeping consistent with the openness of European culture, Coupling focuses more on the sexual exploits and the perils of feelings of infatuation. It might come off as a bit crude but that is expected and can be attributed to the differences in cultures when it comes to sexuality. Don’t get me wrong, the situations that Jeff (Richard Coyle) and the rest of then gang gets into are nothing but hysterical but I probably wouldn’t watch it on family night.
4. The IT Crowd
If you are on the lookout for more “nerd” humour now that Silicon Valley’s season 3 has wrapped up, it is time to check out The IT Crowd. If you are also your family and friend’s go to IT guru then this show will feel very relatable.
Undoubtedly you must have come across Chris O’Dowd’s (Roy) famous catchphrase: “Have you tried turning it off and on again?” Having worked in the IT field previously, let me tell you that there nothing but immense love for this proudly nerdy comedy and this is probably the most quoted show of all time among sysadmins.
If you enjoy HBO’s award-winning series Veep then you must check out Armando Iannucci’s profanity-laden masterpiece that inspired it all. The Thick of It provides an all-access, behind the scenes musings of the British government and cleverly demonstrates just how complicated upholding democracy can be.
While the whole cast is fantastic, Peter Capaldi’s character steals the show for me. Quite possibly one of my favourite characters of all time, Malcolm Tucker (Peter Capaldi) holds nothing back as he berates and drops a flurry of hysterical insults that are nothing short of an all-out laugh riot.
Image Credits: Google Images
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http://edtimes.in/2017/08/10-movies-that-will-become-classic-in-future/