Must-Watch Comedy Shows for Every Sense of Humor in London

In London, where the pub quiz ends in a shout and the Tube ride feels like a live improv sketch, comedy isn’t just entertainment-it’s survival. Whether you’re dodging rain on the South Bank, waiting 20 minutes for a bus in Camden, or trying to explain why you laughed at a man in a suit arguing with a vending machine at King’s Cross, British humor has your back. And if you’ve ever sat through a painfully polite dinner in Richmond only to burst out laughing at a joke about tea bags and queueing, you know: the right comedy show can feel like coming home.

For the Dry-Witted Londoner: Line of Duty (Yes, Really)

Don’t roll your eyes-this isn’t a comedy. But if you’ve ever worked in a London office where a meeting about printer paper led to a 45-minute investigation into who stole the stapler, you’ll recognize the absurdity. Line of Duty is a police drama, but its real genius lies in the way it turns bureaucratic nonsense into high-stakes farce. The endless acronyms, the soul-crushing meetings, the way everyone says “I’ll look into it” and never does-it’s all painfully familiar. Watch it after a long day at Canary Wharf and you’ll laugh because you’ve lived it. It’s not punchlines you’ll remember, it’s the silence after a senior officer says, “We need to follow procedure,” while the whole building is on fire.

For the Pub-Goer Who Knows Too Much: Peep Show

If you’ve ever been to a Soho bar on a Friday night and watched someone try to explain their “relationship status” to a stranger while holding a half-empty pint of Guinness, you’ve seen Peep Show in action. Set in Croydon and filmed with that claustrophobic first-person POV, it’s the most accurate portrayal of modern British male anxiety ever made. Mark’s internal monologue-full of delusional confidence and crippling self-loathing-is the soundtrack to every awkward date in Brixton. Jez? He’s the guy who still thinks he’s a musician, even though his guitar’s been collecting dust since 2012. You’ll recognize him from the open mic night at The Windmill in Brixton. The show doesn’t just make you laugh-it makes you cringe, then whisper, “That’s me.”

For the East End Realist: Only Fools and Horses

You can’t talk about London comedy without mentioning the Del Boy and Rodney show. It’s not just a classic-it’s a cultural artifact. The Trotters’ dodgy deals, their endless schemes to get rich quick, their reliance on a dodgy van and a dodgier cousin, all mirror the spirit of street-smart Londoners who’ve learned to hustle through the system. If you’ve ever bought a “genuine” designer coat from a market stall in Brick Lane, or been told by a cabbie that “the traffic’s bad because of the Queen’s birthday,” you’re living in a Only Fools and Horses episode. The show’s heart lies in its honesty: no matter how hard you try, London doesn’t always reward hard work-it rewards persistence, luck, and knowing where to find a free pint.

For the Expats Who Still Don’t Get It: The Office (UK)

If you moved to London from New York, Sydney, or Berlin and still can’t understand why your colleague won’t say “thank you” after you bring them coffee, The Office is your Rosetta Stone. Set in Slough-yes, Slough-this show is the blueprint for British workplace awkwardness. David Brent’s desperate attempts to be liked, the deadpan stares, the silence after a bad joke-it’s all painfully real. Watch it after your first team-building day at a WeWork in Shoreditch. You’ll finally understand why no one claps during the “fun” presentations. The UK version doesn’t have the polished charm of the American one-it has something better: truth. No one’s trying to be funny. That’s why it is.

For the Late-Night Nighthawk: Inside No. 9

If you’ve ever taken the last Northern Line train home after a gig in Dalston, and found yourself stuck in a quiet station with a stranger who starts telling you a story about a haunted pub in Walthamstow, you’re in the right headspace for Inside No. 9. Each episode is a standalone dark comedy set in a different location-a retirement home in Kent, a flat in Hackney, a roadside café near M25. The writing is razor-sharp, the twists are brutal, and the humor is so British it hurts. It’s the kind of show you watch at 2 a.m. after a night out at The Old Blue Last, when your brain is tired but your soul still needs a laugh. You won’t see it coming. And when you do, you’ll laugh so hard you’ll forget you’re on the 3:17 bus back to Canning Town.

For the Foodie Who Laughs Through Tears: Great British Bake Off

Yes, it’s a baking show. But in London, where a £5 latte is a status symbol and a £20 artisanal sourdough is a weekend ritual, Great British Bake Off is the ultimate comedy of manners. The way contestants panic over a collapsed sponge, the judges’ polite but devastating critiques (“It’s a bit… structural”), the tea breaks where everyone pretends they’re not emotionally invested in a meringue-it’s all a mirror to London’s obsession with perfection and politeness. Watch it while you’re waiting for your order at Pret or Leon. You’ll recognize the tension in the queue. You’ll recognize the silent judgment when someone uses a plastic fork. And you’ll laugh because, deep down, you’ve been that person holding a slightly lopsided Victoria sponge and whispering, “It’s fine, it’s fine.”

For the Modern Urbanite: Barry (Yes, It’s American-but It’s Very London)

This one’s tricky. It’s set in LA. But if you’ve ever tried to quit a job you hate, only to find yourself stuck in a cycle of self-sabotage, Barry feels like it was filmed in Peckham. The protagonist, a hitman trying to become an actor, is the perfect metaphor for the London creative: full of dreams, zero confidence, surrounded by people who don’t get it. The show’s quiet moments-Barry sitting alone in a tiny flat, staring at a script, wondering if he’s wasting his life-are the same ones you’ve had after a Zoom call at 10 p.m. in a one-bed in Wembley. It’s dark, it’s weird, and it’s hilarious because it’s true. If you’ve ever thought, “I could do better,” then changed your mind because you’re tired, this show will nod at you.

For the Traditionalist Who Still Likes a Good Punchline: Blackadder

If you’ve ever been to a Christmas party in Hampstead and heard someone quote, “I have a cunning plan,” you know Blackadder is alive and well. Set in different eras of British history, it’s the most intelligent satire ever made. Edmund Blackadder is the ultimate Londoner: sarcastic, resourceful, and always one step ahead of the fools around him. Whether he’s in the Tudor court or the trenches of WWI, his wit cuts through the nonsense. It’s the kind of show you watch on a Sunday afternoon after a roast dinner in Notting Hill, with a glass of wine and the silence of a house that’s finally quiet. The jokes are clever, the wordplay is dense, and the delivery is deadpan. It’s the comedy equivalent of a perfectly brewed cup of tea-no sugar, no milk, just pure, bitter truth.

Where to Watch These in London

You don’t need to go out to enjoy them. But if you want to watch them with people who get it, head to the Barbican Cinema for their monthly “Comedy Classics” nights, or catch a live taping at Soho Theatre-many of these shows started as stand-up routines in back rooms of pubs like The Comedy Store or The Groucho. Streaming is easy: most are on BBC iPlayer, Netflix UK, or Amazon Prime Video. And if you’re in a hurry? Try the London Underground-you’ll find someone watching Peep Show on their phone, trying not to laugh too loud on the Central Line.

Why This Matters in London

London doesn’t just need comedy-it needs it to survive. The city is loud, expensive, and sometimes cruel. But comedy? Comedy is the equalizer. It turns a £500 rent increase into a punchline. It turns a 40-minute delay on the District Line into a shared joke. It turns loneliness into a group laugh in a pub after work. The best British comedy doesn’t try to fix the system. It just makes you laugh while you’re stuck in it.

So next time you’re on the bus, waiting for a delayed train, or standing in line at a coffee shop that charges £4.80 for a flat white, put on one of these shows. You’ll feel less alone. And you might just laugh out loud-something Londoners rarely do in public. But when we do? It’s magic.