Best Of The Britcoms: From Fawlty Towers To Absolutely Fabulous, Jennifer Saunders, ...

A 'FABULOUS' READ ''Ab Fab'''s Jennifer Saunders (left) and Joanna Lumley

EW's GRADE
A-

Details Writer: Garry Berman; Genres: Nonfiction, Television

Now that the British are coming -- back, that is, by way of the new BBC America cable channel -- Anglophiles may want to pick up Best of the Britcoms: From Fawlty Towers to Absolutely Fabulous, an introduction to the best British comedies of the past three decades.

Covering the famous (''The Black Adder''; ''Yes, Minister'') and the fleeting (''Come Back, Mrs. Noah''; ''Hilary''), each entry includes the setting, background, and casting of a show, as well as synopses of the best episodes. Thanks to his interviews with 20 of the genre's most prolific writers, Berman has also gleaned insights into the shows' creative beginnings. The result: a book compiled with such intelligence and care that you could call its author a telly visionary.

Originally posted Nov 17, 1999
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