Terry and June

Terry and June has been quietly earning a loyal audience, and right now it is all available in the UK on Sky Go and ITVX Premium. Terry Scott leads a cast that brings something genuine to every episode. What sets Terry and June apart from the dozens of similar shows is hard to pin down in a single sentence — it is partly the writing, partly the performances, partly the way it commits to its premise without flinching. Genuinely funny in a way that holds up on rewatch: that is the shorthand, but it undersells how well Terry and June executes on it. An audience of 12 has voted with their time — and their score reflects a run without many weak episodes. The streaming access means you can form your own opinion tonight, without any barrier to entry.

A classic from before the prestige-TV era, Terry and June follows a path that stands out in a crowded field. Terry and June Medford are both middle aged and beginning to find the trials of life are more difficult as they try to succeed in their daily lives. The couple have just moved to Purley, south-east London... Aunt Lucy and the mynah bird had disappeared, as had the occasionally visiting daughters. Terry Scott and June Whitfield lead a cast that brings real weight to the material. The series ran for 9 seasons (1979–1987), building a story that gave its audience time to invest properly. The real test of any comedy is whether it is still funny once you know all the jokes, and Terry and June holds up on rewatch in a way that separates it from one-season curiosities.

If you need a comedy that actually makes you laugh rather than just smile politely, Terry and June is a strong candidate — fans of Who's the Boss? Will recognise the sensibility immediately. The writing is sharp without being exhausting, and the jokes land because they are grounded in characters you have had time to understand. 9 seasons means the chemistry between the cast is fully established by the time the best episodes arrive. Put it on on a weeknight when you need something that is not going to demand your full concentration, then find it demanding your full concentration. This is what good comedy does.