Alternative comedy ruled, but so did a couple of Fools. Was the all-embracing Eighties the pinnacle of British comedy?

I agreed with Jo Brands selections but it was the first time I have seen the sketch with the female comedian performing as a young girl. Can anybody tell me her name?

It's Morwenna Banks from Ch4 sketch comedy Absolutely.

[link]

The Young Ones, plus SlackBladder and Balders in various guises. Quite funny at the time I suppose, but have those shows really stood the test of time. I don't remember any truly great moments in any of them. Miranda Richardsons portrayal of Queen Elizabeth was and still is great, but I like that because of the acting more than the comedy. I can't think of any scene in BlackAdder that really sticks in my mind, other than the poignant one at the end of BlackAdder Goes Forth - and that's not comedy. The only sketch I routinely look out for on the re-runs of the Young Ones is University Challenge.

The 80's had Arkwright and Granville of course. But this too falls into the same sort of category. Funny at the time. Worth watching again, but it is hard to recall any truly great "Don't tell him Pike!" moments.

'Allo 'Allo was quite good though. From the same authors that penned Dads Army. It sends up the French, the Germans, the Italians and us Brits in equal measures. Can't help thinking that the multitude of catch phrases would have worked even better on the radio, in the 1950's and 60's.

Then there's the Trotters. The biggest laughs from them in the 1980's were "Triggers Broom", again its a clever use of ordinary everyday language, the slapstick Chandelier stunt and the visual spectacle of Mum Trotters grave painted in luminous paint.

Overall, I think I would describe the 80's comedy as something of a curates egg, good in parts.

i absolutely luved the young ones also the comic strip presents especially supergrass i am a huge fan of french and saunders and also rik mayall and adrian edmondson i cant imagaine what comedy would be like today if it wasnt for the comedians and comediennes that started out in the comic clubs in soho dawn french jennifer saunders rik mayall adrian edmondson nigel planer peter richardson alexei sayle the aternative comedy generation and from them we have had some of the best sitcoms and sketch shows from them such as ab fab bottom young ones french and saunders series etc just brilliant