Upstaged by a Dog

YouTube video by Upstaged by a Dog Mabel Constanduros and the Birth of Sitcom

Mabel Constanduros and the Birth of Sitcom
On a dismally wet February morning in 1925, a 45 year old woman walked along the Thames Embankment, anxious about the meeting she was about to attend.
Mabel Constanduros would become a pioneer of British sitcoms and soap opera.
youtu.be/sqBO9CnDEAM

YouTube video by Upstaged by a Dog The ITC Sitcom Story

ITC’s British–American Co-productions
From the mid-1950s through the early 1970s, ITC Entertainment, pioneered lucrative American syndication alongside British broadcast. They also had a fascinating foray into sitcom and light entertainment co-productions and distribution deals.
youtu.be/HSTN8uQ0DuQ

YouTube video by Upstaged by a Dog Tribute to the cast of Last of the Summer Wine

A Tribute to the cast of Last of the Summer Wine
I’ve seen countless videos claiming to show how various actors died, but they’re often full of false information. So, let’s take a look at what really happened to the cast of Last of the Summer Wine.
youtu.be/8GKvnueL-UI

YouTube video by Upstaged by a Dog Tribute to Prunella Scales

Tribute to Prunella Scales
Prunella Scales passed away peacefully at home in London, aged 93. Her sons said she was watching Fawlty Towers the day before she died.
youtu.be/FwBR15ckIaw

YouTube video by Upstaged by a Dog UK's Least Funny Sitcoms – Viewers Top 3

The UK's Least Funny Sitcoms – Viewers Top 3
You voted in your hundreds, and the results are in. Get ready to count down the three shows that you think are the least funny British sitcoms ever made.
youtu.be/lch-Kogr4j8

The continued intransigence of BBC management - gatekeeping a resource that they are preserving on behalf of the public who paid for it - is staggering.

YouTube video by Upstaged by a Dog UK’s Least Funny Sitcoms 1990 to 1997

UK’s Least Funny Sitcoms 1990 – 1997
The 1990s. A decade that gave us Britpop, dial-up internet, and what many remember as the golden age of British comedy. I recently asked you to name the sitcoms that you found the least funny and the results are in:
youtu.be/AOeZ4DRO9Qg

Sat opposite Don Warrington on the tube.

Historians dismayed by ‘scandal’ of BBC cutting access to... Critics say new limit to trove of information sounds knell for independent research

For reasons, it would be v. helpful to have information from a broad range of academic and non-academic (incl. GLAM) users of the BBC Written Archives OTHER THAN historians, briefly on: 1) What you've used it for and 2) How the proposed changes would impact on your research.

Reposts welcomed.

I'm a 'small' YouTuber, covering manly tv sitcoms. Some WAC content I've used was referred to in historian's websites and blogs, and WAC responded to a few queries. Structured release is no use to anyone. My viewers like the sort of detail you can only get from PasB and old BBC memos. I'm bereft.

Bah.. wha... 😐 Meh!

The have GPS. The company that owns them knows where they are. The are responsible for collecting them.

YouTube video by Upstaged by a Dog UK's Least Funny Sitcoms 1985 to 1990

UK's Least Funny Sitcoms 1985 – 1990
The late 1980s. A time of big hair, shoulder pads, and for many people, the golden age of British sitcoms. We’re about to take a look at the sitcoms that your collective memory has deemed the least hilarious between 1985 and 1990.
youtu.be/cRUbX3j0kDU

YouTube video by Upstaged by a Dog A Tribute to Patricia Routledge

A tribute to actor, singer, national treasure, and the queen of ‘Keeping Up Appearances’, Dame Patricia Routledge, who passed away on 3 October 2025.
youtu.be/jXiF6Yi4lYA

Guesswork.

YouTube video by Upstaged by a Dog Least Funny British Sitcoms 1968 to 1984

UK’s Least Funny Sitcoms 1968 – 1984
We’ve all got our favourite shows, but there are some shows that just didn’t hit the comedic mark for some people. In this video, we’ll explore why you voted these 1970s and 1980s sitcoms the least funny.
youtu.be/uVAlwwJmmxI

YouTube video by Upstaged by a Dog It’s safe and cosy / It’s painfully unfunny

Today, we're tackling two shows that are practically twins: 'Happy Ever After' and 'Terry And June'!
Let's dive find out what made these cosy, comforting sitcoms so beloved, and what, if anything, people found not so charming!
youtu.be/liM7PWYeaE4

YT did announce this change a while ago. Why make it more difficult to see the controls? The constantly changing background of the video makes it almost unusable. Isn't the idea to see the video, not the control interface?

Not just once Davo, Spike appeared twice as Kevin O'Grady, 1970 and 1974, plus as an Indian on a train in 1972.

Don't worry John, I started watching the Melting Pot, only managed 3 of 7 episodes, it gave me a headache. More fluffs left in that show than in any number of navels. Not forgetting the overt racism...

YouTube video by Upstaged by a Dog It’s consistently funny / It’s lame, and boringly repetitive

Love It or Hate It: Not Going Out
I asked all of you: which sitcoms do you absolutely adore, or hate? And among your suggestions, one show definitely made a strong appearance: ‘Not Going Out’!
Let’s unpack what viewers and critics loved or hated about this very British comedy!
youtu.be/p2xnRvAiok4

Hype do not affect video rankings (you won't get more impressions) - Hype points just add videos to a Hype 'leader board' for various topics. They rely on people looking at the leader board to see what videos have most points.

YouTube video by Upstaged by a Dog It’s heart-warming, and beautiful / It’s disgraceful, and controversial

Love It or Hate It: Derek
I’m always curious about your British TV opinions, so I recently threw out the question: which sitcoms do you absolutely love, or maybe hate? And among the fantastic suggestions that poured in, one name kept popping up: ‘Derek’!
youtu.be/7P1VpudX2wk

I'd like to be able to disable recommendations in my feed of non-English videos dubbed into English!

YouTube video by Upstaged by a Dog It’s enjoyable holiday escapism / It’s slow-paced, creaky rubbish

Love It or Hate It
I asked you all: which British sitcoms are your absolute favourites, and which ones just rub you the wrong way? And amidst all your brilliant suggestions, ‘Duty Free’ popped up time and time again!
youtu.be/o1cIEoo8b-s

YouTube video by Upstaged by a Dog It’s witty and wholesome / It’s boring, overrated, and dated

Love It or Hate It: To The Manor Born
This beloved classic gave us the unforgettable duo of Penelope Keith as Audrey fforbes-Hamilton and Peter Bowles as the self-made millionaire, Richard DeVere. So, what could possibly be controversial or disliked about a show like this?
youtu.be/b0I9dGSgPDs

YouTube video by Upstaged by a Dog It’s inoffensive, family viewing / It’s uncomfortable and problematic

Love It or Hate It?
I recently asked: which British sitcoms do you absolutely adore, or, let's be honest, totally can't stand? And out of the hundreds of replies I got, one title stood out: 'Sorry!'
Let's find out what people loved and, perhaps, what they didn't quite forgive!
youtu.be/vhfWouh9bHU

I think if you re -read my post you'll see it was a suggestion, not a decree.

Gary, I'm sure you know that there would be many suitably trained (junior) archivists that would jump at the opportunity of even an unpaid internship at WAC, especially considering the personal interest and the value of the archive to he public.

I have been in correspondence with WAC. They say "around 30% of the WA collection was open and available for research". Their point is 'piecemeal' access disrupts their process. However, declaring the archive closed to all but academics goes against BBC core values to, inform, educate & entertain.