The Morecambe & Wise Show was a comedy sketch show starring English comedy double-act Morecambe and Wise. It began airing in 1968 on BBC2, specifically because it was then the only channel broadcasting in colour.
The Two Ronnies was a British television comedy sketch show starring Ronnie Barker and Ronnie Corbett bbroadcast on BBC1 from April 1971 to December 1987. The usual format included sketches, solo sections, serial stories and musical finales, many of which had our dynamic duo dressing as women. This willingness to dress up as women was rife in 70’s comedy, mady particularly famous by Les Dawson and Roy Barraclough’s incorrigible Cissy and Ada – a couple of northern ex-mill workers.
Here are some of the popular British Sitcoms – I’ve bolded my abolute faves:
Are You Being Served? (’73-’85), Bless This House (’71-’76), Butterflies (’78-’83),
Citizen Smith (’77-’80), Dad’s Army (’68-’77), Doctor in the House (’69-’70),
Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin (’76-’79), Father Dear Father (‘68-’73),
Fawlty Towers, George and Mildred (’76-’79), The Good Life (’75-’78),
The Goodies (’72-’76), It Ain’t Half Hot Mum (’74-’81),
Last of the Summer Wine (’73-’01), The Liver Birds (’74-’81),
Love Thy Neighbour (’74-’81), Man About the House (’77-’80), On the Buses (’69 -’73),
Please Sir! (’68-’72), Porridge (’74-’77), Rising Damp (’74-’78), Robin’s Nest (’77-’81), Steptoe and Son (’70-’74), Till Death Us Do Part(’65-’75), To the Manor Born (’79-’81),
Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads? (’73-’74), Up Pompeii (’75-’91)
And some of the UK Crime Series
Hazell (’78-’79), The New Avengers (’76-’77), New Scotland Yard (’78-’79), The Persuaders! (’71-’79), The Professionals (’78-’79), The Protectors (’72-’74), Raffles (’78-’79), Return of the Saint (’78-’79), Shoestring (’79), The Sweeney (’78-’79), Target (’78-’79), Randall and Hopkirk (deceased ’69-’70) , Van der Valk (’78-’79), The XYY Man (’78-’79), Z Cars (’62-’78).
Popular US Crime Series
Baretta (’75-’78), Cannon (’71-’76), Charlie’s Angels (’76-’81),
Chips (’77-’83), Columbo (’71-’03), Hart to Hart (’79-’84), Hawaii Five-O (’68-’80),
Ironside (’67-’75), Kojak (’73-’78), Longstreet (’71-’72), McCloud (’70-’77),
Policewoman (’74-’78), Quincy(’76-’83), Rockford Files (’74-’80), Shaft (’73-’74),
Streets of San Francisco (’72-’77), Starsky & Hutch (’75-’79)
In 2004, over a million people voted for Britain’s best sitcom, and half of these were broadcast in the 70s. Here’s the top 10:
| Title | Broadcast | Votes | |
| 1 | Only Fools and Horses | 1981–2003 | 342,426 |
| 2 | Blackadder | 1983–1989 | 3282,106 |
| 3 | The Vicar of Dibley | 1994–2007 | 212,927 |
| 4 | Dad’s Army | 1968–1977 | 174,138 |
| 5 | Fawlty Towers | 1975–1979 | 172,066 |
| 6 | Yes Minister | 1980–1984 | 123,502 |
| 7 | Porridge | 1974–1977 | 93,902 |
| 8 | Open All Hours | 1976–1985 | 67,237 |
| 9 | The Good Life | 1975–1978 | 40,803 |
| 10 | One Foot in the Grave | 1989–2000 | 31,410 |
JRo Author 