British sitcom of British sitcom. Well-remembered series include John Cleese and Connie Booth's farcical "Fawlty Towers" (1975, 1979), John Esmonde and Bob Larbey's self-sufficiency comedy "The Good Life" (1975–78). "Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?" (1973–74), a sequel to the earlier show, surpassed the original, while the same writers (Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais) provided Ronnie Barker with his most successful sitcom vehicle, "Porridge" (1974–77). Barker also starred (along with David Jason) in the very popular "Open All Hours" (1973, 1976–85), written by Roy Clarke. Clarke's long-running "Last of the Summer Wine" began in 1973 and ended in 2010, becoming the
British sitcom consciously avoids traditional situation comedy themes and storylines to branch out into more unusual topics or narrative methods. "Blackadder" (1983–1989) and "Yes Minister" (1980–1988, 2013) moved what is often a domestic or workplace genre into the corridors of power. A later development was the mockumentary in such series as "The Office" (2001–2003). The first British television sitcom was "Pinwright's Progress", broadcast by the BBC from 1946 to 1947, but the form did not take off until the transfer of "Hancock's Half Hour" from BBC radio in 1956. Hancock biographer John Fisher dates the first use of the term 'situation comedy'