Lost Sitcoms

The idea of celebrating 60 years of comedy on the BBC with a remake of lost episodes from series that were highlights in the history of the British channel may not have been a bad idea in itself, but the initial effect of it is anything but stellar. The problem lies mainly in the fact that for the series "Till Death Do Us Part" the BBC took over the original script in its entirety and recorded the episode live, played in front of an audience in the studio. However, the fact that the script has remained unchanged means that we are dealing with 50-year-old jokes, and the episode is brought according to the then current standard and language. That makes it all look very old-fashioned without there being anything to laugh about. In that respect, it would have been better to refresh the original script and adapt it to our current modern times. In addition, take the fact that the main character tries a little too much to resemble his predecessor from fifty years earlier and the end result is not only corny but also far too forced. My idea: 5.3 / 10 However, this is a first standalone episode. Additional episodes are remakes of lost episodes from "Steptoe and Son" and BBC's very first sitcom "Hancock's Half Hour".

The second series to be brought back to life with a lost episode whose old script is simply performed in front of a live studio audience is "Hancock's Half Hour". Just like with the first episode of this series, a bit of the same problem remains that it comes across as very obedient and dated, although the story, humor and execution are remarkably better than with the episode of "Till Death Do Us Part". Again, it would have been better to refresh the script and simply record the episode as if it were a contemporary comedy. The current result may have its charms for some, but it looks more like a slice of amateur theater than an episode from a series for which you would happily switch to the BBC in the evening. My idea for this second episode of the series: 6.3 / 10