2point4 Children

From writer Andrew Marshall who also used to team up and write with David (One foot in the Grave) Renwick comes one of the funniest sitcoms on British television in the 1990s.

The 1990s were not a good time for a lot of situation comedies in Britain more a barren mirthless wasteland. 2point4 children had genuine chemistry between the main characters Bill and Ben (Belinda Lang and Gary Olsen) and the children were not annoying.

The show was blessed with good writing and good acting and also some of the episodes could be far out or slightly surreal with the writer taking risks and it paying off. The best thing to say about the show was that it was consistently funny and entertaining.

The 1990s; The persistence of the nuclear family, The end on Thatcherism, the media-domination of Princess Di and the emergence of the digital age. Yes it's ALL present here in this witty, realistic comedy about the average British family struggling to maintain that status !

Essentially about carnage-obsessed son David, dysfunctional teenage daughter Jenny, semi-juvenile Dad Ben(hence the .4!) and straight- laced Mum and family boss Bill, not to forget UK comedy's mandatory slut-next-door Rona, the 1990s family household was portrayed pretty much EXACTLY as it was in real life, with little exaggeration!

Facing all the contemporary family issues of unemployment (hence the extremely realistic jobcentre interview!), teenage relations, 'controversial' youth culture (that's revolting! My son a metalhead!), NHS faults (We lost him...No no,I mean we literally lost him!) and inadequate banking (I'm your Pers-On-Al Bank-Er),the show gave the British public a good chance to laugh off all the everyday chaos of contemporary society !

Family-friendly yet with plenty of innuendo - "I'm waiting for him to pot the pink"; "Aren't We All!" - a universal audience could enjoy the hilarity of flatulent dogs, Bimbo housewives, Star Trek funerals and (unexplicitly portrayed) strip dancers. Not to forget the gloriously kitsch sing-songs at the end of the Christmas episodes !

All in all, this light-hearted perspective of the complexities of everyday life was witty and entertaining, yet insightful and loosely thought-provoking; if only they'd known back in 1994 that 15 years later 'Electronic Mail' would be mandatory! I give it 9/10 for being ALMOST PERFECT!

The Porters were the iconic 90's family, dysfunctional, always at eachother's throats, but loving and caring.

2.4 Children was one of the best 90's sitcoms to come out of the UK, and there were a few good ones. The BBC attempted to replace it with My Family, it was very good, but not in the same league as this.

Super funny, bonkers, outrageous, often totally off the wall, but always with a heart. Genuinely funny from start to finish, so many great episodes, I always loved the appearance of Auntie Tina, Sandra Dickinson was hilarious, as was Liz Smith.

The cast were a joy, a real tragedy Gary Olsen passing so young. Belinda Lang was marvellous as Bill, the essential 90's mum.

Coleslaw and Thatcher have never been so funny. 9/10

Started, well binge watched, this series on Britbox.

In my memory this was one of my favourite television programmes from my childhood and my memory has not let me down.

Though clearly a product of the 90s many, if not all, themes resonate today. The wit and pathos shine through the last 30 years.

Definitely worth a watch!

Omg started watching this again its so funny 😅 the one liners are fantastic such a dysfunctional family but brilliance at its best. All the characters are spot on with there characters. Chris's cracks me up big time 😄😁😄😁