Television series

Citizen Smith

Name: Citizen Smith
Genre: Comedy
Released: 1977
Cast: Robert Lindsay, Mike Grady, Hilda Braid

Satire
Light-hearted
Dip in and out

Citizen Smith is a gloriously silly sitcom about a self-proclaimed Marxist revolutionary in South London whose grand political ambitions collide spectacularly with his actual incompetence, apathy, and complete lack of follow-through. Robert Lindsay is magnetic as Wolfie, a young man convinced he's the next Che Guevara while remaining utterly, entertainingly useless. It's sharp political satire wrapped in warm, character-driven comedy—smart enough to skewer both revolutionary posturing and working-class inertia without ever losing affection for its people.

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The Vicar of Dibley1994

Shares Citizen Smith's gift for mining comedy from mismatched ideals and small communities, with a protagonist whose well-meaning schemes constantly backfire. Warm, generous humour that loves its characters without mocking them.

But The whimsy can tip into saccharine; it's gentler and less politically engaged than Citizen Smith, which may feel like a step down.

Only Fools and Horses....1981

Another John Sullivan creation that perfected the sitcom formula: lovable hustlers with big dreams and tiny follow-through, set in South London with real affection beneath the chaos. Essential viewing.

But Runs for seven series; you'll need commitment. Some later episodes coast on formula rather than invention.

The Young Ones1982

Shares Citizen Smith's obsession with youthful revolutionary posturing and political idealism meeting reality, but amps the anarchic energy and absurdism. Faster, looser, and thrillingly unpredictable.

But Deliberately chaotic and hostile; if you want coherent plotting or likeable characters, this will exhaust you.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Citizen Smith

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Kes1970

Both mourn the gap between the lives working-class youth dream of and the ones they're actually allowed to live. Wolfie makes jokes about it; Billy doesn't have that luxury.

A working-class Yorkshire boy finds meaning and dignity training a hawk—a portrait of thwarted potential and institutional indifference that shares Citizen Smith's anger at class and wasted lives, but expressed through poetry instead of sitcom jokes.

But Bleak and emotionally brutal; there's cruelty here that doesn't resolve into comedy. Not entertainment in the conventional sense.

Red Dwarf1988

A different kind of space-age Marxist comedy: sarcastic, clever, and endlessly inventive about the collision between grand ambitions and pathetic reality. Started as deadpan social satire before becoming something wilder.

But The early series are the strongest; later seasons rely heavily on sci-fi spectacle and running gags that wear thin.

Steptoe and Son1962

The template for all British sitcoms about working-class life and family friction. Two men trapped in a small space with impossible dreams—the DNA of everything that followed, including Citizen Smith.

But Bleak in places and genuinely cruel; the humour comes from real resentment between characters, which can feel uncomfortable.

Blackadder1983

Sketch-show DNA meets sitcom structure, with characters scheming against an absurd backdrop. Smart historical satire with formidable comedic writing and genuine invention in every episode.

But The fourth series (set in WWI) is far darker than the others and divides viewers sharply; early series are uneven.

Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?1973

Two working-class lads navigating changing times and their own inertia; bittersweet and keenly observed about class, ambition, and the gap between who you wanted to be and who you actually are.

But Gentler and more melancholic than Citizen Smith; if you want chaos and energy, this is too measured.

Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads? poster

The Good Life1975

A couple attempts to drop out and live self-sufficiently in suburban London, confronting their own incompetence and class anxieties. Warm comedy about idealism meeting reality, with real heart.

But More domestic and cosy than Citizen Smith; lacks political edge and can feel dated in its gender dynamics.

Breathless1960

Both are comedies (sometimes unintentionally) about young men performing revolution rather than living it, treating criminality as glamorous performance. Michel and Wolfie are cousins separated by language and a decade.

Godard's French New Wave masterpiece: a petty criminal drifting through Paris, talking endlessly about ideology and authenticity while being fundamentally shallow and performative. Exactly Wolfie's spiritual ancestor, but in a Citroën.

But Experimental structure and deliberate anti-narrative meandering; if you need plot momentum, this will feel like watching someone fail on purpose.

This Is England2007

Both understand that young men's grandiose political dreams—left or right—often stem from loneliness and powerlessness, not conviction. Both love their protagonists while refusing to excuse them.

Shane Meadows' debut: a troubled boy drifting into far-right subcultures in 1980s Britain. Tonally shifts between warm comedy and genuine darkness, capturing how ideology fills voids in young lives with the same clear-eyed affection Citizen Smith shows Wolfie.

But Deals with fascism and racial violence; the lightness disappears as it progresses. Harrowing in ways that sitcom never is.