The Brittas Empire

a nineties standout, The Brittas Empire is currently streaming in the US on Britbox Apple TV Channel with a 7/10 audience score that speaks for itself. 7 seasons is a commitment that pays off. Television that earns its era label is rarer than the number of shows attempting it suggests — most of what gets called prestige TV is really just expensive TV. The Brittas Empire is one of the genuine examples: the craft is there in the writing, the performances, and the way it handles its subject matter. Chris Barrie's involvement signals the kind of production that attracts serious talent and uses it properly. Available now on streaming — no excuses left for not watching it.

Originally commissioned by BBC One, The Brittas Empire quickly became exactly the kind of show that viewers rearrange their evenings for. The Brittas Empire is a British sitcom created and originally written by Andrew Norriss and Richard Fegen. Chris Barrie plays Gordon Brittas, the well-meaning but incompetent manager of Whitbury New Town Leisure Centre. The show ran for seven series and 53 episodes — including two Christmas specials — from 1991 to 1997 on BBC1. The series ran for 7 seasons (1991–1997), 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 The Brittas Empire holds up on rewatch in a way that separates it from one-season curiosities. It delivers reliably on what it promises, which is more than most of its competition manages.

The kind of show you put on in the background and find yourself actually paying attention to. 7 seasons in and it still earns every laugh — the quality does not tail off. The comedy comes from character rather than situation, which means it holds up on rewatch in a way that pure farce never does. Chris Barrie sets the tone, but the supporting cast is where a lot of the best moments come from. If WKRP in Cincinnati is already in your rotation, The Brittas Empire fits naturally alongside it.