Filthy Rich & Catflap

This is one of the premier comedy shows of the 80s, and certainly one of Elton's best. He uses every comedy technique in his repertoire for this series and it's clear his writing had matured considerably at this point in his career.

When I first got to university in 1989, a friend there was a staunch Filthy fan. He and I would argue the toss over whether Filthy or the Young Ones was the "best" comedy series (bloody students, nothing better to do). It took a few years but I'm now convinced - Filthy is "grown up" Young Ones. The writing is better, the characters are stronger, the jokes are funnier, and there are still surreal moments. There are even real plots for goodness' sake!

I honestly can't recommend watching this series highly enough. Even if you just do it once and decide you hate it, you will have seen some of Ben Elton's "Rik and Ade" masterwork.