The Ultimate Guide to British Sitcoms
All sitcoms starting with the letter R. This is part one and takes you from Rab C. Nesbitt to The River.
Head back to main sitcom page.
RAB C. NESBITT
BBC2 / 42×30 minute episodes / 1989-99 6 seasons + 4 Specials
Writer: Ian Pattison / Producer: Colin Gilbert
Sitcom. Drunken Scottish wastrel Rab C. Nesbitt likes nothing better than sitting around in his grubby string vest and filthy headband, much to his wife’s disgust.
Rab C. Nesbitt……………………………. GREGOR FISHER
Mary Nesbitt………………………………. ELAINE C. SMITH
Jamesie Cotter…………………………… TONY ROPER
Gash Nesbitt……………………………… ANDREW FAIRLIE
Burney Nesbitt…………………………… ERIC CULLEN
THE RAG TRADE
BBC / 36×30 minute episodes / 1961-63 3 Seasons. black and white
Writers: Ronald Woolfe, Ronald Chesney / Producer/Director: Dennis Main Wilson
Sitcom. Exploits of a group of women working at Fenner Fashions garment factory. The series ran on BBC until 1963, then it was ‘Everybody Out’ until an unexpected revival by LWT in 1977(see below entry).
Mr Fenner………………………………….. PETER JONES
Reg………………………………………….. REG VARNEY
Paddy………………………………………. MIRIAM KARLIN
Carole………………………………………. SHEILA HANCOCK
Judy………………………………………… BARBARA WINDSOR
Shirley……………………………………… WANDA VENTHAM
THE RAG TRADE
LWT / 22×30 minute episodes / 1977-78
Writers: Ronald Woolfe, Ronald Chesney / Theme Music: Lindsay De Paul / Producer/Director: Bryan Izzard
Sitcom. After a gap of 14 years the girls at Fenner fashions were brought out of mothballs for two more seasons. Interestingly the character of Olive in this show appears to be the same Olive who appeared in On the Buses ( by the same writers).
Harold Fenner…………………………… PETER JONES
Paddy…………………………………….. MIRIAM KARLIN
Tony………………………………………. CHRISTOPHER BEENY
Olive………………………………………. ANNA KAREN
Kathy…………………………………….. DIANE LANGTON
Lyn……………………………………….. GILLIAN TAYLFORTH
Mabel…………………………………….. DEDDIE DAVIES
Jo-Jo……………………………………… LUCITA LIJERTWOOD
THE RANDALL TOUCH
ATV / 12×30 minute episodes / 1958 20 June – 8 September
Writers: Gerald Kelsey& Dick Sharples, Bill Craig & John Law / Producer: Hugh Rennie
Sitcom. A sequel to Joan and Leslie featuring further adventures of journalist Leslie Randall and his real life wife Joan.
Leslie………………………………………… LESLIE RANDALL
Joan…………………………………………. JOAN REYNOLDS
Mike Kelly………………………………….. HARRY TOWB
Mrs Henshawe…………………………….. NOEL DYSON
RED DWARF
BBC2 / 61×30 minute episodes / 15 February 1988 – 5 April 1999 and 10 – 12 April 2009 (on pay TV channel Dave) and 4 October – 18 November 2012 (on pay tv channel Dave)
Creators: Rob Grant, Doug Naylor / Music: Howard Goodall / Executive Producer: Paul Jackson
Scifi sitcom. Three million years in the future space technician Dave Lister(the last human alive) is lost in space on the mining ship Red Dwarf with only a hologram, a mad robot servant and a part cat/human hybrid for company. In later seasons the love of Lister’s life Christine Kochanski appeared from a parallel dimension to join the ship. Red Dwarf, much like Doctor Who, has a huge fan following who are reluctant to let the series go, so far there have been two revivals, a three part mini-series in 2009 and then a six part series in 2012. Both of these aired on Pay TV channel Dave, there is also a new series currently in production.
Dave Lister…………………………………. CRAIG CHARLES
Arnold Judas Rimmer……………………. CHRIS BARRIE
Cat…………………………………………… DANNY JOHN JULES
Kryten………………………………………. ROBERT LLEWLELLYN
Holly(1)…………………………………….. NORMAN LOVETT
Holly(2)…………………………………….. HATTIE HAYRIDGE
Kochanski (from 1996-)…………………. CHLOE ANNETT
THE REFUGE
Channel 4-Yorkshire TV / 14×30 minute episodes / 1987-88
Writers: Sue Townsend, Carole Hayman / Producers: Vernon Lawrence (Season 1), Les Chatfield (Season 2) / Director: Les Chatfield
Sitcom. Episodes in the lives of four women living in a refuge.
Helen Crichton-Crick……………………… CAROLINE BLAKISTON
Julia………………………………………….. JULIA HILLS
Dee Dee…………………………………….. LOU WAKEFIELD
WPC Brenda Bollard…………………….. CAROLE HAYMAN
Cyril(Season 1)……………………………. LOUIS MAHONEY
REGGIE LITTLE AT LARGE
BBC / 6×30 minute episodes / 1953 6 May – 15 July Wednesdays 9.00pm shown Fortnightly black and white
Writer: Godfrey Harrison / Producer: Graeme Muir
Sitcom. The misadventures of an inept estate agent.
The Commentator……………………….. GODFREY HARRISON
Reggie Little………………………………. DESMOND WALTER-ELLIS
Maynard Withering………………………. RICHARD CALDICOTT
Pauline Dear……………………………… SHEILA McCORMACK
THE RELUCTANT ROMEO
BBC1 / 8×30 minute episodes / 1966-67 Pilot: 2 August 1966 Series: 15 May – 3 July 1967
Writers: George Evans, Derek Collyer / Producer: Eric Fawcett
Sitcom. Advertising executive Thomas Jones finds himself irresistible to women but would prefer to concentrate on his job and his fiancee Sally.
Thomas Jones……………………………. LESLIE CROWTHER
Geraldine Woods………………………… AMANDA BARRIE
Sally Gardner…………………………….. MARGO JENKINS
Henry Copthorne………………………… GEOFFREY SUMNER
John Blazer………………………………. KEITH PYOTT
RESIDENTS
BBC2 / 7×30 / First Episode 9 May 2001 / 9:00pm
The residents of a sleepy close in suburban England have a rude awakening when the council re-houses a family from hell amongst them.
RHONA
BBC2 / 6×30 minute episodes / 2000 Tuesdays 9.50pm 25 July – 29 August
Writers: Rhona Cameron, Linda Gibson / Costume: Sarah Lubel / Music: Alastair Collingwood / Theme sung by Rhona Cameron / Executive Producer: Jon Plowman / Script Associate: Paul Alexander / Design: Harry Banks / Producers: Stephen McCrum, Gareth Carrivick / Director: Gareth Carrivick
Sitcom. Episodes in the life of lesbian Rhona and her friends Lisa and Geoff. Rhona is the first UK sitcom to have a lesbian as the lead character. Rhona lived in London but the show carried echoes of both Rhoda (especially the title sequence) and Seinfeld but is not as funny as either of those two shows.
With:- RHONA CAMERON as Rhona / MEL GIEDROYC as Lisa / DAVE LAMB as Geoff / VICKI PEPERDINE as Ally / JANET BROWN as Rhona’s Mother
RINGS ON THEIR FINGERS
BBC1 / 20×30 minute episodes / 1978-80 3 Seasons + 1 special
Writer: Richard Waring / Producer/Director: Harold Snoad
Sitcom. Oliver Pryde and Sandy Bennett, who have been living together for six years, can’t decide whether to get married.
Oliver Pryde……………………………….. MARTIN JARVIS
Sandy Bennett……………………………. DIANE KEEN
Mrs Bennett……………………………….. BARBARA LOTT
Mr Pryde…………………………………… KEITH MARSH
Victor……………………………………….. TOM BARRETT
Edgar………………………………………. JOHN KANE
THE RIVER
BBC1 / 6×30 minute episodes / 1988 20 October – 24 November Thursdays 8.30pm
Writer: Michael Aitkens / Theme Music: David Essex / Producer/Director: Susan Belbin
Sitcom. The exploits of lock keeper Davey Jackson in the idyllic village of Chumley-on-the-Water, especially his on-off relationship with the fiery Scots lass Sarah McDonald.
Davey Jackson………………………….. DAVID ESSEX
Sarah McDonald……………………….. KATY MURPHY
Tom Pike………………………………… SHAUN SCOTT
Colonel Danvers……………………….. DAVID RYALL
Aunt Betty………………………………. VILMA HOLLINGBERRY
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