The 2000s was an influential decade for British comedy. It was during this decade that comedy legends such as Ricky Gervais, Noel Fielding, and David Mitchell would rise to the top and begin to dominate the comedy scene, both nationally and internationally. In addition to being an incredibly successful decade, the 2000s was also an experimental decade for comedy, with many shows abandoning the tried and tested sitcom formula, opting to create absurd sketch shows or mockumentaries instead of the typical, laughter track backed, comedies that had been popular for decades in both the UK and abroad.
This article will list the 10 best British comedy shows of the 2000s.
The Mighty Boosh
The Mighty Boosh was a surreal comedy show developed by Noel Fielding and Julian Barratt that ran for 20 episodes between 2004 and 2007. Each season focussed around a different setting, with the first season being set in a zoo, the second season being set in a flat, and the third and final season being set in a secondhand shop.
The Mighty Boosh was one of the most influential comedy shows of all time, with the series inspiring a new era in surreal comedy and catapulting comedians such as Noel Fielding, Richard Ayoade, and Matt Berry into the mainstream.
Little Britain
Little Britain was a sketch comedy series developed by Matt Lucas and David Walliams that originally ran from 2003 to 2006, although another season has been announced for release in 2020. The series consisted of a series of sketches that mocked various stereotypes and norms of British life at the time.
The series was incredibly popular, though it was criticized by some for its overuse of toilet humor and for its treatment of marginalized people, which creator Matt Lucas has come to agree with of late.
The Inbetweeners
The Inbetweeners was a comedy based around the lives of 4 sixth form students in the UK that ran for 3 seasons between 2008 and 2010. As the program focussed on the lives of 4 students as they grew up and entered adulthood, the series touched upon themes of sex, friendship, and male bonding.
The series was very successful, particularly with the high school demographic, with the show being praised for its accurate representation of school life. The show also received several BAFTA nominations and its own movie in 2011, followed by a sequel in 2014.
Phoenix Nights
Phoenix Nights was a British sitcom about a working-class pub called the Phoenix Club in Bolton, the show ran for 2 seasons between 2001 and 2002, receiving a People’s Choice Award in the process. The series was based around Brian Potter, the owner of the Phoenix Club, and his goal of making the club the most popular club in Bolton.
Written by Peter Kay, with additional material provided by Paddy McGuinness, the show helped to launch the careers of both comedians, with both Kay and McGuinness becoming comedy stars after the show.
IT Crowd
The IT Crowd was a sitcom based on the lives of computer professionals that ran from 2006 to 2013, with the series starring Richard Aoyade, Chris O’Dowd, Katherine Parkinson, Matt Berry, and the legendary Chris Morris. The series helped to launch the careers of Aoyade, O’Dowd, and Berry, with the actors going on to star in several more properties after the conclusion of the series.
In addition to the critical acclaim that the series received, the IT Crowd would also go on to be a cult classic, with the series being extremely quotable and endlessly watchable.
Black Books
Black Books was a series based around the life of a bookshop owner and his friends that ran from 2000-2004 and was co-created by Dylan Moran and Father Ted and IT Crowd writer, Graham Linehan. The series starred Dylan Moran as Bernard Black, with Bill Bailey and Tamsin Greig as supporting characters.
The series received critical acclaim upon its release, with the series winning two BAFTA awards for best sitcom as well as a Bronze Rose at the Festival Rose d’Or.
The Thick Of It
The Thick of It was a British sitcom that was focussed around the lives of politicians as they bumbled their way through public life. The series gained a reputation for its colorful language, with Peter Capaldi’s Malcolm Tucker being known as the master of swearing among many fans of the show.
For those who are interesting in British politics, the show is hysterical throughout its entire four-season run. The Thick of It was a critical success, with the series winning several BAFTAs as well as awards from the Broadcasting Press Guild Awards. The series spawned a spin-off movie called In the Loop in 2009 and would be influential in the production of Veep.
Extras
Extras was Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant’s successful follow up to the Office. The series followed an extra as he met famous faces while working on the production of several movies, before then going on receive to fame and fortune in his own right, as the trials and tribulations that follow it.
The series was famous for its use of celebrities as fictionalized versions of themselves, with Sir Patrick Stewart, David Bowie, and Samuel L Jackson all appearing in the series to hilarious effect.
Peep Show
Peep Show is one of the most loved and successful British sitcoms of the past few years. Starring David Mitchell (Mark) and Robert Webb (Jez) as two flatmates, the series follows Mark and Jez as they try consistently manage to find themselves in hilariously cringy situations.
The show was influential due to its use of the inner-monologue of Mark and Jez, with the series using the characters’ own thoughts to hilarious effect. In addition to David Mitchell and Robert Webb, the series also starred the future Oscar-winning actress, Olivia Colman.
The Office
There is no British comedy that is more influential than Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant’s the Office. While the series only ran for two seasons and a Christmas special, it still went on to spawn countless remakes across the globe, the most notable of which is the American remake of the mockumentary.
The series was filmed in a mockumentary style and followed the lives of workers in a paper company based in Slough. The series was critically acclaimed and would go on to win several BAFTAs and Emmys, catapulting Ricky Gervais into a new territory of stardom.
