Comedy shows to watch with pre-teens

[greencalx]

As child hurtles towards the end of primary school, we're finding ourselves watching comedy shows together which is a nice fun family activity. Obviously I can wheel stuff out that I watched when I was his age, but it would be good to get some more modern stuff in there. I'm pretty clueless about anything released since ~2000 when it all went style over substance for a bit (your opinion may vary, let's take that to another thread if so...).

For background, it all kicked off when one of his teachers produced a Taskmaster homage just before the second lockdown, and we worked through the first few series in the period before the schools reopened. We started watching Malcolm in the Middle, until it got pulled from All4 (I think we got to about the third season, and hope to have a chance to finish if off someday, but not to the extent that I want to shell out the full whack for DVDs). We've since done Man Down, Father Ted and WILTY, all of which have met with approval. You will see that we're not too bothered about swearies or the odd adult reference, as long as its not too graphic.

Any suggestions? EDIT: we have Netflix and All4 subscriptions, and stuff on the iPlayer is good too. We watch on our TV, so anything that isn't on the standard catch-up services is probably going to be too much of a faff to make viewable on the TV.

[Jackson K Pollock]

If you don't have any moral objections, Malcolm in the Middle recently went up on Disney Plus - looks great and no ads either, so a far easier watch than the frankly dreadful All 4.

[Alberon]

You mean you've not subjected him to Derke or OFAH? Call yourself a Cabber?

More seriously, what about Friday Night Dinner?

[The Ombudsman]

My daughter is a little older, but she really enjoyed Friday Night Dinner. Some bits were a bit too much but nothing she's not going to be hearing in the playground.

[jobotic]

My son's been watching this

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/p0bh0ftr/dodger

He started watching it by himself but I've joined him, it's really good and pretty funny. Got a few favourite faces too.

[NattyDread 2]

We're in much the same boat, although we also have a 9 year old so we have to be a bit careful.

Red Dwarf went down a treat with them and they're hooked on Modern Family but both of those moved from Netflix.

Tried them on the first episode of the Young Ones last week and it didn't exactly go down a storm.

[MigraineBoy]

Ghosts

[Alberon]

Yes!

And if they like that, and you can get it, Yonderland by the same team on Sky.

[Captain Z]

The Amelia Gething Complex

[NattyDread 2]

Just remembered, our two are also keen on Young Sheldon.

[Gurke and Hare]

My niece apparently saw Friday Night Dinner at a quite young age and then went round shouting "Shit on it" so you might want to watch for that.

I'd suggest Fawlty Towers and Python.

[Alberon]

Blackadder, though probably not the first series.

[neveragain]

I'd suggest Fawlty Towers and Python.

Yep. Never did me any harm! (Except for Late-Onset Cleese Disappointment.) I'd also recommend The Day Today, Look Around You, Red Dwarf and classic Simpsons. If they're of a darker bent, the League of Gents.

[robhug]

One Foot in the Grave went down a storm with a 10 and 8 year old during lockdown - although there are some moments when it gets quite grim

[greencalx]

Wow! Fantastic suggestions. Thanks all.

If you don't have any moral objections, Malcolm in the Middle recently went up on Disney Plus - looks great and no ads either, so a far easier watch than the frankly dreadful All 4.

The only issue I have with All4 is the amount of advertising, but there's enough on there that I don't mind stumping up the £4 to get rid of them. We hit the Walter Presents strand quite hard after bedtime, so feel like we get our money's worth. Don't have an issue with Disney+ per se, but it's yet-another-streaming-service and there'd have to be a compelling reason to sign up to another one. It's not like we'd be binging the four remaining seasons in a matter of days, so would have to be signed up for some time...

More seriously, what about Friday Night Dinner?

Ghosts

The Amelia Gething Complex

Young Sheldon.

Noted - thanks. Friday Night Dinner is looking like something we could turn to next.

I'd suggest Fawlty Towers and Python.

Yeah, these are in the classic territory that I'm much more familiar with. We've seen ...Holy Grail together, which went down well. Can't remember if we tried out one of the TV series – I remember the first time I saw one (back in the 80s) it was at the time the funniest thing I had ever seen. FT I think we tried an episode of a while back to some indifference, but he was quite a bit younger than and maybe didn't really get it.

Blackadder, though probably not the first series.

Yeah, I remember seeing Blackadder 2 when I was around his age, so that's probably a go-er. If memory serves, 4 is a bit easier than 3, simply by virtue of the First Word War being more relatable than the Regency period.

I'd also recommend The Day Today, Look Around You, Red Dwarf and classic Simpsons.

Simpsons has been part of the diet for a while. I had wondered about TDT – although a kid would be familiar with the news bulletin oeuvre, some of the very 90s references might be a bit obscure. On the other hand, it could act as a gateway drug to Partridge.

One Foot in the Grave went down a storm with a 10 and 8 year old during lockdown - although there are some moments when it gets quite grim

...Grave is one of the shows we've been working through in the post-bedtime slot. I had wondered if we might have put this in the family-viewing slot, but thought it might be a bit too complex for that age group. Interesting to her your kids' reactions – maybe we should give it a whirl. I guess we don't have to start from the beginning again: if memory serves it gets a bit more slapstick as it rumbles on – although I may be wrong on that as I only dipped in and out of it first time round. What's already evident is that (so far, I think we're somewhere in S3), Victor hardly ever says "I dooon't beleeeeeve it!".

[Pink Gregory]

I want to suggest Uncle, but I think it's locked away on yet another streaming service (apple tv) despite being a bbc show.

It *does* start with Nick Helm's character fairly explicitly trying to electrocute himself in the bath, but past that it's both funny and genuinely affecting.  Maybe not the kind of thing I would have gone for as a pre-teen but that's just me being autistic and having trouble with anything that's not flippant and silly.

[Captain Z]

What's already evident is that (so far, I think we're somewhere in S3), Victor hardly ever says "I dooon't beleeeeeve it!".

I noticed that too, I think he says it once before series 4, at which point it does become more of a once-per-episode catchphrase.

[mippy]

I used to love Bottom when I was 13, but probably wouldn't have been allowed to watch it if my mum knew of all the sexperv gags. When I was a bit younger I was quite into repeats of Citizen Smith, though god knows how relevant that feels to someone born this century.

The Fast Show? Shooting Stars? I quite like The Goldbergs but I'm probably alone in that. Young Sheldon is surprisingly good (the girl who plays Missy is excellent). King Of The Hill and Bob's Burgers both feel like family sitcoms to me as well.

[mippy]

I also thought of The Museum Of Everything, which obv isn't a TV show but I think kids who have been on school trips would find it quite funny. Even if they don't know of I Love Horses.

[The Late Satoru Iwata]

I also thought of The Museum Of Everything, which obv isn't a TV show but I think kids who have been on school trips would find it quite funny. Even if they don't know of I Love Horses.

They'll at least know about the GIFT SHOP.

[Wayman C. McCreery]

The first few series of Arrested Development before it went shit should do the trick.

[Steven88]

My Name is Earl.

[Pimhole]

Another strong vote for Blackadder. Also Father Ted (cough). Parks & Rec. Would love to know what a kid that age would make of The Good Place.

[Noodle Lizard]

I really liked Fawlty Towers, Black Books, Blackadder and I'm Alan Partridge when I was 10ish. It depends on the kid, though - some of the cultural references may be a little less accessible now, and my (American) stepson wouldn't have a clue what was going on in any of them.

I second Ghosts, though, I think that's a great choice and I would've loved it at that age. I think early South Park is probably okay too (the first couple of seasons are very tame by today's standards).

[Captain Z]

Monkey Dust
Jam
The Eric Andre Show
Brass Eye Paedogeddon Special

[shlug]

Classic Simpsons
Futurama
Malcolm in the Middle
Father Ted (if you think feck is an age appropriate spoonerism alternative)
Earlier seasons of Outnumbered
Grandma's House
Open All Hours

Just thinking of sitcoms I used to watch with my dad back in the day

EDIT: incorrect use of spoonerism

[DrGreggles]

Laurel & Hardy did the trick for me as a kid.

[Autopsy Turvey]

Laurel & Hardy did the trick for me as a kid.

In the early 00s I was shocked when a teenage colleague said he didn't realise that Laurel & Hardy were real people, he thought they were just Hanna-Barbera cartoon characters. Nowadays I'd just be delighted if any teenager knew L&H existed on any level.

When we were 6/7/8ish, my sister and I used to 'play Harold Lloyd', which involved pretending to dangle from a clock.

We used to 'play Fawlty Towers' too, making good use of our dad's collection of 1970s menus (he had been a waiter, so they were mementos, he didn't have a hoarding disorder. Although he does still have a 1970s hairdryer in the loft, presumably a memento of having hair).

[Brundle-Fly]

Why not get him on some comedy starter kits like: Maid Marian and her Merry Men, Rentaghost, I'm Sorry I've Got No Head, or better still buy him a boxset of Chuck Jones, Tex Avery cartoon shorts.

[Panbaams]

Two series and various specials seem to not have been much discussed on CaB so I'm not sure how popular it is round these parts, but I think that The Goes Wrong Show could go down well.