10 Incredibly Dark British TV Comedy Series You NEED To Watch
1. Camping
Julia Davis proves once again to be the authority on cruel British humour and Camping is undeniably her masterpiece.
A six-part display of cringe-inducing depravity in the British countryside, Camping follows the ill-fated birthday celebrations of Robin and his tribe of broken companions as they settle in for the holiday from hell.
Things start off civil enough, with only smatterings of passive-aggression and irrational prejudices bubbling away under the surface, but with each episode, the layers of these characters are stripped back until we see the real ugliness beneath it all. Transitioning into pure horror by the finale, few comedies are likely to get as visceral a reaction out of you as this one will.
Whilst any of Julia Davis' work could top this list, Camping hits that sweet spot of relatable darkness, shocking thrills, and gut-wrenching belly laughs, so much so that it holds up remarkably well on repeat viewings, with many jokes only rearing their head a second-time around.
Anchored by some truly fearless performances from its central cast of well-known comedy actors, Camping is bleak, brutal, and fundamentally wrong on so many levels, but that's exactly why we love it.