Coupling

One of the best sitcoms for many years. Clever comedy that doesn't cross the pond well. Each episode is an absolute gem, written to tease and tantalise you towards its climax which usually isn't quite what you thought it was going to be. It's Friends with intelligent humour. Overblown as the characters are you can relate to each and every one of them and the two straight characters offset the other four so perfectly you're never quite sure which you'd rather be. Jeff who is so cringe-worthy but lands himself in the most incredible positions, Patrick with his suave naivety and ignorance but with the image, the job and the reputation. Then Steve the calm centre who is anything but calm, full of doubt and fear and so like you that it's uncanny. Facing off against these three we have the panic-ridden self-obsessive Sally, the utterly ditzy but so desireable Jane and the seemingly composed Susan with her devilish streak.

The episode about Jeff and the prosthetic leg without doubt made me laugh more than anything I have ever watched - except perhaps the first viewing of Del Boy keeling over in that Wine Bar in Fools 'n' Horses but where that was one moment this is half an hour of gut-aching laughter.