20 Funniest Moments In British Comedy

17. The Bee - Absolutely Fabulous

The Show: The explosion of Britpop in the early 90s led to an inadvertent social movement dubbed "new lad", where almost overnight huffing in tabs, drinking to excess, and slumming around n tracksuit bottoms covered in last week's vindaloo was pretty much on point.

Women were either forced to join in (leading to the "ladette" trend that kept Zoe Ball in regular employment) or otherwise be ostracised. Step in Absolutely Fabulous, which proved that girls could still drink and smoke themselves into a weekend stupor, without having to surrender any of their femininity.

The Setup: Still clinging to a social life that they're ever-so-slightly too old for, out two protagonists are setting up some recreational drugs when a buzzing noise fills the room. While the series had far bigger laugh-out-loud moments, this clip (coming in the long awaited 4th series in 2001) perfectly encapsulates the demise of a generation that was once so trendy and independent, now struggling to keep its head above water in the digital age.