Alternative comedy and sketch comedy, consisted of Manchester University and Royal Central School graduates Ade Edmondson, Rik Mayall, Nigel Planer, Dawn French, and Jennifer Saunders, who began to aim their talents at television. As "The Comic Strip Presents", the group made over 40 television films for both Channel 4 and BBC. Ben Elton, who had by then become the Comedy Store's next MC, was invited by Rik Mayall to join him as co-writer of BBC2's TV hit sitcom "The Young Ones". However, it was as MC of Channel 4's new comedy show "Saturday Live" that Elton found fame in his own right.
Comedy-drama type of comedy-drama hybrid. Examples of this genre include "All in the Family", "M*A*S*H", and "One Day at a Time". Another example was "The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd", which aired from 1987 to 1991. In fact, the term "dramedy" was coined to describe the late 1980s wave of shows, including "Hooperman", "Frank's Place", and "Doogie Howser, M.D.". These early shows influenced how general TV comedies and series (especially family themed sitcoms) were developed. They often included brief dramatic interludes and more serious subject matter. An example of a successful comedy-drama series that distinguished this genre in television was