Sitcoms That Have Their Groove From The Get Go

[ros vulgaris]

The pilot of Fawlty Towers has my favourite Fawlty Towers moment. The part where he's shouting BASTARD at Melbury, and Sybil suddenly appears beside him looking shellshocked rather than apathetic towards him.

[ros vulgaris]

Steptoe & Son

A lot of the early episodes are ridiculously well written. They're like Harold Pinter plays with laughs.

[Terry Torpid]

It is, but the last episode of the series (where they think Jack has died) is the pilot. The set and makeup is a little different.

I didn't know that. I would have guessed that The Passion of St Tibulus was the first, only because Fr Hernandez clumsily namedrops Craggy Island and introduces the other characters. The opening feels like it's meant to be the very first scene of the series.

I second the Steptoe recommendation. I've been rewatching them from the start recently, and it's solid gold straight away.

[Cuellar]

This Country

💯

First episode includes maybe my favourite Kurtan line on the whole show:

Vicar - You're this close to not being in the competition at all.

Kurtan - Yeah, and you're this close to me dropping you right now, son.

[ros vulgaris]

Everyone comes together on days like scarecrow festival and just forgets their utter hatred of each other.

[Pink Gregory]

💯

First episode includes maybe my favourite Kurtan line on the whole show:

Vicar - You're this close to not being in the competition at all.

Kurtan - Yeah, and you're this close to me dropping you right now, son.

I'm sure I could find a funnier and less vulgar one, but my favourite Kurtan line is there too -

"I don't give a fuck, Ker, because, vegetable competition coming up.  I've got a broad bean that's the length of a scarf rolled out on the floor, and I've got a lettuce, yeah, that's gonna fuck this competition up the ass."

It's such an encapsulation of his competitiveness, obsession and youthful vulgarity, and it takes you by surprise right at the end.