From classic episodes to edgy pilots and retro revivals, British sitcoms always follow three rules

As the BBC celebrates 60 years of UK television comedy, we unpick what unites every successful series, from Steptoe and Son to The Office.

By James Cooray Smith

This month, all three BBC TV channels are celebrating 60 years of the British television sitcom, year one being dated to the move of Hancock’s Half Hour from radio to television.

As part of the anniversary, BBC One has given us three sequels, and one prequel, to sitcoms of the past, BBC Two five pilots for new series, and BBC Four three remakes of sitcoms that are ostensibly no longer in BBC archives. It’s a good mix: celebrating the past while planning for the future.