00s comedy timeline

2000

Having successfully avoided an apocalyptic meltdown as the Millennium passed, people up and down the country were in jubilant mood. There was another reason to be cheerful, in the shape of Caroline Aherne’s ever masterful Royle Family. The former Mrs Merton set the tone for the decade by penning a comedy that wasn’t about pratfalls or punchlines, but lovingly observed characters and making the youngest family member make all the brews. It also gave us a cuddly father figure in the shape of bearded couch-potato Jim Royle and his oft-mentioned posterior. Even the usually sofa-bound Royles got in on the party mood in the year 2000 – turning a spot of decorating into an excuse for a knees-up.

Someone who was never in a particularly festive mood, even after his third bottle of expensive claret, was Dylan Moran’s Bernard Black. The grumpiest bookshop owner in all of London Town, alongside Bill Bailey’s long-suffering Manny, made his TV debut in 2000’s cult smash Black Books.

2001

2001 gave British comedy a new leading light with the rise and rise of Ricky Gervais. The former co-star of Ali G in Channel 4’s 11 O’Clock Show turned the nation’s obsession with docu-soaps on its head, ushering us through the doors of Wernham Hogg for the first time. What we found in Slough was the desperate to be popular David Brent – arguably the finest comic creation since Basil Fawlty – not just a boss, but also a chilled-out entertainer. Ricky’s Office would go on to sweep the board at countless awards and get the remake treatment all around the world.

Another very different slice of reality-based humour was also causing a stir, in the shape of Dom Joly’s Trigger Happy TV. Turning the bemused public into his unwitting foils, Dom transformed the mobile phone into an iconic gag accessory – a feat truly worthy of respect.

2002

Everyone loves a heart-warming story of triumph over adversity, of underdogs made good, of Toblerone addictions bested, and 2002 saw just that. Alan Partridge, Norfolk’s premier radio presenter, and host of one of the highest rating shows on the cable channel Skirmish, was back – and this time he had a girlfriend. In between bouts of textbook intercourse, Bond marathons and run-ins with sex people, Alan had well and truly bounced back, despite living in a static home full of scatter love cushions. He even made a new best friend, briefly. Dan! Dan! He’s not heard me...

If Alan was looking to set up home he could have done worse than to tune into another big success of 2002: The Kumars at No. 42. Proving that blood is thicker than chutney, the Kumars' Wembley residence played host to more stars than a weekend in Monte Carlo. And it provided more laughs and better sandwiches to boot. Harry Hill, former darling of the alternative stand-up scene, became a big-league TV star too, with his televised Burp. And to think he was once a doctor...

2003

It’s hard to think of a time when we weren’t all loyal subjects of Little Britain, but it was 2003 that first saw David Walliams and Matt Lucas inject new life into the sketch show. With a host of unforgettable characters, catchphrases, and the god-like wisdom of Tom Baker, it couldn’t miss, but no one could have predicted just how big Little Britain would be. If Vicky Pollard captured the essence of gobby teenage girls from Bristol to Birkenhead, it was Lou and Andy’s antics that turned the show into a global phenomenon. Yeah, I know.

While Little Britain was making a big impression on viewers, there was also a resurgence in impressionists on the box in 2003. Dead Ringers was busy proving that politics needn’t be dull, while Alistair McGowan and Ronni Ancona cemented David and Victoria Beckham’s status as stars of comedy as well as fashion and footy. Highlighting the darker side of Blighty with pitch-black humour, Peep Show aired for the first time, taking us into the flat, and minds, of Mark and Jeremy, Croydon’s El Dude brothers. Meanwhile the animated Monkey Dust was a cartoon show that was strictly for adults. And meat-safe murderers of course, only he never did it...

2004

2004 saw the first airing of one of the most surreal, psychedelic and downright wonderful shows of the decade – The Mighty Boosh. With Camden Leisure Pirate Vince Noir adding glamour and rock ‘n’ roll to the world of zoo-keeping, and Howard Moon keeping the spirit of jazz alive, the show gave the world talking gorillas, a shaman and the coolest double act in decades. If the Boosh boys were good natured, then Keith Barret was positively saintly, talking to celebrity couples in an attempt to find out just why Marion had left him for Geoff.

Julia Davis was the brains and the star of the year’s darkest hit, Nighty Night. The femme fatale had a very different view of marriage from Keith Barret, going after Angus Deayton with all the subtlety of a rampaging bison. The Worst Week of My Life also looked at marriage, or the run-up at least, showing that if something can go wrong it usually does.

2005

Having changed the face of British comedy, scooped Golden Globes, become a stand-up star and children’s author, what could possibly be left for Ricky Gervais to achieve? Well, write and star in another mega-successful sitcom of course. If David Brent was a hapless pillock, Extras’ Andy Millman was a lot savvier, but no less desperate to be a star. As if trying to get a few seconds on camera wasn’t hard enough, the poor chap had to put up with a hilariously incompetent agent, played expertly by Ricky’s writing partner Stephen Merchant. With a stellar list of Hollywood cameos and his trademark brand of cringeworthy scenes, Ricky certainly proved that The Office was no fluke.

If Peep Show had started out as an underground hit, by 2005 it was a major player as it moved into series three. With Mark having finally won Sophie’s heart, what could possibly go wrong for the loveable history-buff? Well, he could get mugged in an underpass, see her move to Bristol and then get engaged out of embarrassment. Oh Mark...

2006

Jack Dee’s reputation as a bile-filled, droll-humoured stand-up had long been assured, but it still looked like a gamble transferring his comedy to a sitcom format. There was no need to worry, as Lead Balloon quickly demonstrated that Jack, in the guise of Rick Spleen, is England’s answer to Larry David. A celebration of the little things, packed with wry observations and Rick’s ability to play it very fast and loose when it came to morality and honesty, saw the show become a word-of-mouth sensation.

Not content with starring in Peep Show, David Mitchell and Robert Webb penned their very own sketch show in 2006. Featuring Sir Digby Chicken Caesar, TV’s first homeless detective, some disinterested snooker commentators and a host of other wild and wonderful characters, That Mitchell and Webb Look was the natural successor to Little Britain.

2007

2007 saw the return of a double act who had become a British institution while the likes of Mitchell and Webb and Lucas and Walliams were still at comedy school. Ruddy Hell! It’s Harry and Paul showed that class doesn’t fade, and saw Harry Enfield and Paul Whitehouse setting the world to rights all over again. Showing the criminal intent of Nelson Mandela, sending up the world of football and the north/south divide, perhaps their biggest stroke of genius was the Notting Hill antique store owner who saw a lot of very gullible, and very posh, customers coming.

Armstrong and Miller were the year’s other big double act, with their brand new sketch show touching on everything from chav pilots to the Prime Minister. If ever a comedian was equipped to lead the country it’s Stephen Fry, but even the cleverest of us can make a slip up every now and then. Having hosted QI since 2003, a rare moment of confusion over the Acropolis saw that rarest of things: Stephen Fry corpsing, to the hilarity of his faithful pupils. Even the real PM, Tony Blair, got in on the comedy action in 2007, popping up with Catherine Tate to prove he wasn’t bovvered by the impending Brown handover.

2008

Having first aired in 2007, 2008 was the year of Gavin and Stacey. Standing out in a comedy scene full of sarcasm and send-ups, the tale of a long-distance love affair saw Barry and Billericay become the centres of British humour. Written by two of its stars, James Corden and Ruth Jones, this slice of feel-good fun saw some masterful performances, not least the ever reliable Rob Brydon as the kindly Uncle Bryn. With pregnancies, weddings and line-dancing, Gavin and Stacey felt like a good old-fashioned sitcom while being rooted firmly in the realities of modern life. Millions of viewers thought it was well lush.

If Gavin and Stacey painted a very recognisable picture of family life in the UK, Benidorm continued to capture the charm of the Brit abroad. The force of nature that is Johnny Vegas proved that there’s a lot more to him than 18 stone of idiot, and made everyone think twice about going on a foreign jaunt any time in the near future. If you thought Johnny had a big personality, however, a quick look at the perennial panel-show favourite Have I Got News For You in 2008 would have made you reconsider, with Brian Blessed taking the hot seat and making it his own. Satire has never sounded so theatrical...