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Lorna Cooper, MSN TV Editor

Worst UK Sitcoms

Martin Clunes (Image © BBC)

John Cleese is of the opinion that British comedy isn't what it used to be. Martin Clunes disagreed. He told The Sun: "John Cleese certainly hasn't made any good comedy since the 80s!"

He continued: "Isn't it curious how successful people only think there's only success in their day? There's been loads of good comedy… there's even loads at the moment. What about Lead Balloon, Outnumbered, Pulling and Free Agents?"

Surprisingly, Martin Clunes didn't mention Reggie Perrin, his pointless remake of the classic Leonard Rossiter vehicle. Freudian slip perchance? It has its fans but I'm definitely not one of them. If we're talking comedy flops, ITV1's Teenage Kicks must be mentioned. It marked Adrian Edmondson's return to TV comedy as Vernon, a divorced former punk who moves in with his student offspring and their Chinese flatmate.

What little humour the laugh-free scripts eked out came from subverting the family set-up: Vernon's the big kid and his kids are the grown-ups. Think a more bald, less anarchic version of The Young Ones' Vyvyan (arguably Ade's most famous comic creation) and you've got the gist.

Chinese lodger David was little more than a cringy plot device for cheap laughs. Used in a way not seen since ITV's 1970s sitcom Mind Your Language, mocking his 'funny' accent became a running gag. A truly dire series, Teenage Kicks makes our list of the UK's worst ever sitcoms. See our gallery below for the likes of 'orrible comedy 'Orrible, My Family and Two Pints Of Lager & A Packet Of Crisps.

The views in this column/blog are those of the author alone and not of MSN or Microsoft.

Martin Clunes
Adrian Edmondson
Johnny Vaughan
Jim Davidson
John Inman and Rula Lenska
Pat Coombs and Stephen Lewis
Donald Sinden and Windsor Davies
Keith Barron, Gwen Taylor, Joanna Van Gyseghem and Neil Stacy
William Gaunt
Robert Lindsay and Zoe Wanamaker
Bruce Forsyth
Will Mellor
Queenie Watts and Arthur Mullard
Eric Sykes and Spike Milligan
Peter Dalton and David Ajala
Nicholas Lyndhurst
Robbie Gee
Samantha Janus and Karl Howman
Lucy Punch
Sheila Gish, Jean Boht, Sheila Hancock and Wendy Craig
Russ Abbot
Mollie Sugden and Christopher Blake
Robin Askwith
Lee Evans
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