Ah, the Britcom. Generations have grown up watching the delights of the British comedy scene, from Fawlty Towers (a personal classic) to the more recent disfunctions of David Mitchell’s Ludwig. For me, though, the golden age will always be the 2000s, the turbulent era that resulted in such gems as Miranda, Peep Show, and Ab Fab.

As a loud brunette who has never been on the shorter side, Miranda will always hold a special place in my heart, and she is who I come back to repeatedly in times of trouble (so much so that I can almost recite it). Other shows, like Gavin and Stacey, for instance have captured mine and the nation’s hearts, so much so that the long-awaited finale episode had over 12 million tune in to finally discover if Nessa and Smithy tied the knot. But what is it that makes a Britcom so captivating?

For me, it’s the humour. Call me a cynic, but Friends has never done it for me. The American laugh track has a different energy from its UK counterpart, maybe they’re just more enthusiastic. It’s the dry sarcasm of Blackadder and the social dysfunction of The IT Crowd that just hit home. It’s why the British and American versions of The Office are so different. Hours could be spent debating which is better, and they have been, but the differences are undeniable for better or for worse. The energy that radiates from Steve Carrell is incredibly American when compared to the quiet bravado of Ricky Gervais.

After the success of this adaptation, many American companies tried to adapt Britcoms into American sitcoms with little success. My favourite failed attempt is The Inbetweeners, where Joe Thomas (Simon in the British version) famously declared that the problem was that ‘There’s a sense of loserdom and failure in British comedy that kind of is represented in The Inbetweeners.’ This is exactly what I’m getting at; the mishaps, the failures, and the losers that make up Britcom scripts are shot through with the occasional tender gold that keeps audiences coming back for more. I mean, come on, even the most disinterested amongst us at least gave ‘Did Smithy and Nessa end up together’ a Google a couple of years back.

Lately, Britcoms have been leaning into their sentimentality, very surprising for a nation that is famous for its stiff upper lip. Don’t worry, the tear-jerkers are still saved for a season finale, God forbid. Nevertheless, if we take Miranda as an example of our classic 2000s Britcom her moving moment came with her final address to us, her ‘chums’, as she said goodbye to the show forever. Compared to one of my favourite newer Britcoms, Ghosts (made by the astonishingly talented creators of Horrible Histories), which has a moment that makes me get all weepy and sentimental at least once a series, the tone has definitely changed.

I do confess that I don’t think this is in any way a bad thing. I think if a show like Little Britain had had an ounce more empathy… well, not my best example perhaps, as the show wouldn’t exist then, but you get my point. I personally love Amandaland, which gives the frankly ridiculous Amanda the compassion she doesn’t necessarily deserve, but which definitely adds to the fun created by Motherland all those years ago.

The evolution of the Britcom has been wonderful to witness, and its special brand of dry humour will always keep me, and the country, in stitches.

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