What happened when Gen Z watched Britain's favourite retro comedies: From Carry On to Little Britain, the shows that wouldn't be made today

Daily Mail​

29-04-2025

In 2021 Little Britain was pulled off streaming sites with Ofcom branding the show, created by comedians Matt Lucas and David Walliams, as 'explicitly outdated and racist'.
And Benny Hill, one of Britain's favourite entertainers with his particular brand of comedy hugely popular for some two decades, has also fallen victim to changing tastes.
Earlier this month the comedian's career was the topic of a Channel 5 programme, The Cancellation of Benny Hill, in which Gen Z viewers were introduced to his slapstick and risqué sketches for the first time to gague their reactions.
Some of the clips shocked the younger viewers due to their politically incorrect content, such as a male office worker lecherously gazing at the secretary as she bends down to open a drawer in a short skirt and suspenders.
While the skit was very much of its time, it was certainly not the only retro comedy that would never be made in this day and age. The Carry On series pedalled the same brand of bawdy comedy, while Are You Being Served? was similarly focused on sexual innuendos.
Meanwhile, the loud-mouthed, bigoted bully Alf Garnett in the BBC sitcom Till Death Us Do Part was a loathsome character, known for his racist rants and woman-hating grumbles.
Both the writer, Johnny Speight, and lead actor Warren Mitchell always made it clear the show was meant to be a satire, intended to mock the bigots and racists, but that didn't stop some viewers taking it at face values - and indeed agreeing with Alf's views.
To find out what the modern audience thinks of the shows that would never be made today, Gen Z viewers Emily Cooper, 23, Poppy Gibson, 25, Poppy James, 23, sat down to watch some of the UK's best-loved retro comedies to see if they really deserve to be cancelled.
1960s: Carry On Doctor
The 15th comedy in the 31-strong Carry On film series, Carry on Doctor was full of classic British comedians including Sid James, Barbara Windsor and Kenneth Williams.
It was well received at the time and spawned even more Carry On films,
Taking place in a hospital, the film follows the unrequited love affairs and sexual tension between staff and patients, who regularly find themselves in sticky situations.
One clip sees Barbara Windsor enter the hospital ward in a tight pink mini dress and stockings along with a little nurses cap was deemed sexy' by Emily Cooper, Poppy Gibson and Poppy James.
Poppy Gibson said: 'Oh wow, very sexy'
In another scene nurses tried to take the temperatures of patients which rose drastically as soon as the younger nurses wearing short skirts came in.
'You wouldn't get this anymore, it wouldn't be so hammy', Poppy Gibson said, while Poppy James said the outfit was 'a bit like a Halloween costume'.
Despite the sexual innuendos, the film didn't go down too badly with the Gen Z viewers.
Emily said who enjoyed the campness of it but decided it probably wouldn't be made now.
The verdict? Emily said she liked the campness and thought it was funny because 'it was clearly a joke' but said you 'wouldn't see anything like that on TV nowadays'
But it was one comment in particular that shocked the viewers, where one of the characters in a hospital bed was asked about his medical history by a matron and said that he liked to touch young girls's 'yo-yos'.
'Oh my god, I don't even know - who came up with that?', Emily said, while Poppy James covered her mouth in shock.
The trio later said they didn't understand the reference fully but felt it was inappropriate and that it made them uncomfortable.
Discussing the clip, Emily said she liked the ramped-up bawdiness.
She said: 'I liked the sexiness - it's clearly a joke and you wouldn't see anything like that on TV nowadays - maybe Drag Race would do it.
'You wouldn't see it on V now but it still made me laugh and I still found it funny.'
1970s: 'Till Death Do Us Part
The British TV show was such a success when it was made that it spanned seven series over ten years and was revived twice in 1981 and 1985.
The show centred on the East End Garnett family, led by Alf Garnett (Warren Mitchell), a white working-class man with racist and anti-socialist views who is teased and challenged by his long suffering wife, daughter and son-in-law.
Billed as a satire showcasing the widening cultural gap in the 1960s and 70s, the show did not stand the test of time in front of the Gen Z Goggleboxers who were left shocked by the repeated racial slurs and outdated gags.
In one episode Alf repeatedly uses a racial slur, to refer to African slaves sold as part of the Atlantic slave trade while discussing the subject in the pub with an American visiter.
Emily, Poppy Gibson and Poppy James were visibly shocked, covering their hands with their mouths.
Poppy Gibson said: 'Jesus Christ that is so racist', while Poppy James added: 'It's actually more upsetting with the laughter.'
All three agreed they felt uncomfortable and couldn't believe it was only from the 1970s with Emily saying: 'I can't believe this is the 1970s - this feels way older.
'That one actually made me feel wholly uncomfortable. The other one from the 60s there were moments where I was laughing along and it was funny but I didn't enjoy that'.
1980s: Are You Being Served?
The BBC sitcom ran from 1972 to 1985 and followed the misadventures of staff and regular customers at a department store.
The show was so popular it was broadcast in Canada, New Zealand and the US and was revived more than 30 years after it ended due to popular demand.
The comedy centred around sexual innuendos and slapstick elements with a regular gag including a reference to Mrs Slocombe's pussy and the obsession with Mr Humphries, a gay character, measuring the inside of gentlemen's legs.
In one scene Mrs Slocombe' announced to the staff gathered at the till that she's never late for work because her pussy is like an alarm and always gets her up.
In another clip one of the shop assistants berates another for having his hands down the bra of a mannequin made up to look like her and is told it's the most 'action' she's like to get.
Poppy Gibson said: 'It's hyper-sexualised but it's not funny though like the other one was - it feels a bit on the nose.'
While the trio weren't overly offended by the gags they did feel they were out of date and not particularly funny, finding the pussy reference silly and over-used.
She the comedy was made up of 'a lot of boob jokes, a lot of pussy jokes and pussy puns that weren't funny.'
Poppy James thought the sexualised jokes aimed at women were 'unnecessary' but thought some of the gags poking fun at men were a little bit more humorous.
In another snippet Mrs Clocombe complained that one of the employees was more talk than action and one of the younger female assistants noted that he seemed to be very hands-on when he dragged her into a cupboard at a Christmas party.
In response to the joke Emily said her comment 'sounded like a cry for help' and the and the plethora of 'boob jokes and pussy puns were cheap gags', which felt 'sad' rather than funny'.
Emily also commented that all the women all seemed to be playing the same role and said she would've been interested to know how the actors felt about playing those parts at the time.
'Did you notice how all the women were just copy and pastes of each other? They're just playing the dumb, blonde, hypersexualised woman', she said.
Poppy Gibson added that the show was 'very much of its time'.
1990s: Men Behaving Badly
The ITV show, which was first broadcast in 1992, follows two beer-drinking, TV-watching flatmates as they try (and fail) to pursue and date women living in their flat block.
The sitcom, which ran for six series and spawned a Christmas special and three-spin off episodes, was well received and it seems the comedic elements have stood the test of time with all three viewers laughing along to Martin Clunes and Neil Morrissey.
While some of the jokes flew over their heads, they all agreed the show had great comedic timing with the harmless jokes that poked fun at the hapless men but not in a particularly mean way.
In one scene the two main characters Gary and Tony confess they've given up drinking and prefer staying in with a cup of tea before cutting to a scene of them being drunk and dancing in a pub.
The physical comedy triggered some giggles with Emily declaring it was her favourite era so far because 'they weren't cheap jokes and it was harmless and light' with timeless gags.
Poppy Gibson said: 'It's nice to see that women aren't the butt of these jokes'.
Emily added: 'There was lots of physical comedy which I think you just can't go wrong with and it's just timeless, really.'
2000s: Little Britain
All three Gen Z-ers confessed they could remember when Little Britain first came out and enjoying the show and its spin off Come fly With Me.
As soon as iconic character Vicky Pollard came on, the trio began smiling and chuckling and thought it was funny because of the relatable nature of the jokes.
In one scene where the schoolgirl Vicky explains why she hasn't got her homework and is seen smoking and rolling her eyes, Emily exclaimed that the teenagers reminded her of people she knew at school.
In another scene, wheelchair-bound Andy Pipkin and his carer Lou Todd decide what show they want to see for Andy's birthday and he chooses the opera La Traviata which he hates - heckling the singer during the performance.
Emily and both Poppy Gibson and Poppy James revealed they thought it was impressive that writers and stars Matt Lucas and David Walliams played such a range of characters but noted that it did seem insensitive.
'It was written by those two and the range of characters they played is really impressive and still is impressive but I think if it was on today there would probably be backlash about them playing minority characters that they don't identify with,' Emily said.
But Poppy James both said they found it funny and didn't think the jokes made in the clips were actively harmful although they probably re-enforced stereotypes.
'The character in the wheelchair that would not fly today. You couldn't do that today.'
Poppy Gibson said: 'I don't think there's anything actively harmful or offensive about it and I thought it was funny', and added that Matt Lucas's character 'is one people remember and do find funny.'
Poppy James added that Little Britain still has negative connotations and those who find it funny today are met with raised eyebrows.
She said: 'It's not got to the point where it's been cancelled completely but people do look at you differently for liking it and it just couldn't happen today'.
And Poppy Gibson said she didn't think sketch shows could be made in the same way anymore, saying: 'I don't think sketch shows can be made like this anymore because people are more aware of the offence they can cause'.
Overall the group concluded that they had enjoyed the comedic offering from the 1960s in the form of Carry On Doctor and the slapstick humour of the 1990s with Men Behaving Badly.
However they also noted that there were fewer women included as time went on and they were either shown a sex symbols or not at all.
Emily said: 'I preferred the 60s one which is odd - I would've thought as it got more up to date I would like it more, but no.'