What currently passes for "Brit Comedy" TODAY is a simple extension of the slumcult of much of England today and will do nothing for an arts student unless he is simply looking for the most banal crap to pitch to an exxex/barrow boy/girl at Sky/Carlton/Beeb/C5/C4.

Try the original St Trinians series, try the "Carry-ons" to demonstrate the English ambivalence to sex. Butterflies was excellent but I think you want big-screen, don't you? If you include small screen start wireless and go ITMA, ISIRTA, Goons, Michael Bentine, TW3, and then the leap to Python has a run-up. Peter Sellers should be studied. Lovejoy showed some understanding of the English "loveable rogue" and attitudes to class.

You might try Frankie Howard (I liked), or Tony Hancock, or Steptoe and indeed Goerge and Mildred or Michael Crawford (I didn't). 2.4 Children I thought had something.

The Young Ones, Ben Elton, B'Stard and the stuff that has flowed out of it since seems, frankly, idiotic.