Comedy Playhouse 1971) starring Nicky Henson and Angela Scoular The Importance of Being Hairy (6 May 1971) starring John Cater and James Copeland The first episode of "Are You Being Served?" was broadcast as an episode. Of Funerals and Fish (4 January 1973). The pilot episode of the World's longest-running sitcom, "Last of the Summer Wine". The Rescue (11 January 1973) starring Moyra Fraser, Peter Jones and Nicholas Parsons. Elementary, My Dear Watson: The Strange Case of the Dead Solicitors (18 January 1973) starring John Cleese, Willie Rushton and Bill Maynard. The Birthday (25 January 1973) starring Gordon Peters, Frank Thornton and
Television comedy is true to say that certain genres of comedy transfer to the small screen more successfully than others. The "situation comedy", or sitcom, has been the most common, successful and culturally significant type of television comedy. As the name suggests, these programs feature recurring characters placed in humorous situations. The first television sitcom was "Pinwright's Progress", ten episodes being broadcast on the BBC between 1946 - 1947. Since the early 1950s with "Hancock's Half Hour" in the UK, (derived from a radio show) and I Love Lucy and spin-offs The Lucy Show and Here's Lucy in the United States, sitcoms