Imagine…: 8x3

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Studio

Critics say the British sitcom is dead by virtue of its middle-aged, middle-class “appeal”. Why then are our finest comic writers and performers making prize-winning shows? As he talks to Ricky Gervais, Stephen Merchant, Armando Iannucci, Graham Linehan and Chris Langham – and makes a surprise entrance on My Family – Alan Yentob finds the genre in rude health.