Best BBC radio sitcoms ranked - full list including 'hidden gem'

You might think the golden age of comedy lives on screen-but the real gems? They've been hiding in plain earshot. Over the years, BBC radio has quietly churned out some of the most brilliantly bonkers sitcoms ever made, with enough wit, warmth and weirdness to rival anything on TV. In this ranking, we're diving into the best of the best-from cult classics like Cabin Pressure and Steptoe and Son, to newer hits like Do Gooders, the offbeat workplace comedy skewering the charity sector one awkward fundraising stunt at a time.

Whether it's reassembling pottery in the dark at Plum House, dodging gourmet disasters in In and Out of the Kitchen, or tackling father-son tension with a side of junkyard grime, these shows prove that radio comedy is far from dead. We've picked out the essential listens, spotlighted the all-time fan favourites, and even uncovered a few hidden treasures along the way. Expect biting one-liners, outrageous characters and petty squabbles galore. Plug in, press play and prepare to fall back in love with the brilliantly British world of radio sitcoms.

7. Plum House

If you're into beautifully British chaos, Plum House is your new obsession. Set in a crumbling country house turned failing heritage museum, this hidden gem follows a gloriously inept team of staff as they stumble through weekly disasters.

Whether it's a smashed chamberpot, a haunted audio guide, or the absurd challenge of reassembling pottery in the dark, every episode delivers farcical tension over the tiniest of issues.

Simon Callow and Miles Jupp are comedy gold, especially when battling for vocal supremacy in the world's most dramatic tour recording.

Equal parts daft and delightful, it's a must-listen for fans of old-school farce with a modern twist.

6. Do Gooders

Charity begins with chaos in Do Gooders, a sharp-edged satire set inside the dysfunctional world of mid-level fundraising.

Written by stand-up firebrand Garrett Millerick, this newbie throws together a killer cast-including Frank Skinner, Fay Ripley, Lisa McGrillis and Ahir Shah-as they bicker, blag, and blunder their way through one PR disaster after another.

Whether it's woke social media campaigns, shameless jollies to exotic retreats or sponsored walks that go hilariously wrong, every episode delivers ego clashes, class snark and properly punchy jokes.

It's not out to reinvent the wheel, but that's its genius-this is classic ensemble chaos, dripping in sarcasm and brimming with laugh-out-loud moments. A spiky, smart office comedy with no time for actual goodwill.

5. In and Out of the Kitchen

A deliciously dry delight, In and Out of the Kitchen serves up middle-class neurosis with a side of culinary chaos.

Created by and starring Miles Jupp, this pitch-perfect radio sitcom follows meticulous food writer Damien Trench as he juggles recipe columns, diary entries, and his long-suffering partner Anthony (played brilliantly by Justin Edwards).

Each episode blends fussy domestic drama with utterly unhelpful kitchen tips-like the infamous pilchards al limone or that questionable hangover cure from episode one.

With its razor-sharp wit, posh bickering and knowingly useless recipes, it's the kind of show that leaves you both hungry and howling. A gourmet radio gem that's long overdue a TV revival.

4. Steptoe and Son

A gritty comedy classic that practically invented the dysfunctional family sitcom, Steptoe and Son is a masterclass in grimy laughs and tragic brilliance.

Set in a junk-stuffed yard in Shepherd's Bush, it follows bitter old rag-and-bone man Albert Steptoe and his ever-frustrated son Harold, whose dreams of a better life are crushed weekly under piles of scrap-and sarcasm.

Originally a TV sensation before hitting the airwaves, the show's mix of pathos and punchlines made it an icon, even inspiring remakes from the US to Sweden.

With Wilfrid Brambell and Harry H. Corbett's unforgettable chemistry, it's not just funny-it's raw, real, and rightly ranked among the best British comedies of all time.

3. Cabin Pressure

This high-flying gem of a sitcom takes off with a brilliantly bonkers crew and never looks back.

Written by comedy whiz John Finnemore and starring a pre-Sherlock Benedict Cumberbatch alongside Roger Allam and Stephanie Cole, Cabin Pressure is set aboard the world's tiniest, most chaotic airline - MJN Air.

Whether they're flying otters or aristocrats, the crew's globe-trotting disasters are pitch-perfect radio comedy.

First aired in 2008, the show built a cult following thanks to its razor-sharp writing, ridiculous cargo, and sky-high charm.

The two-part finale, Zurich, wrapped things up in 2014 with emotional turbulence and fanfare. A first-class seat in the BBC Radio 4 hall of fame.

2. Ed Reardon's Week

Grumpy, broke, and permanently furious, Ed Reardon is the ultimate anti-hero-and Ed Reardon's Week turns his miserable misadventures into pure comedy gold.

Played pitch-perfectly by Christopher Douglas, Ed is a middle-aged, penny-pinching writer who churns out terrible books, loathes millennials, and lives in a scruffy flat with his cat Elgar.

Every episode is packed with sharp one-liners, passive-aggressive rants, and hilarious jabs at modern life, from online banking disasters to literary festival humiliation.

First airing in 2005, the series has become one of Radio 4's most beloved sitcoms, winning multiple awards and a cult following who can't get enough of Ed's hopeless hustle.

Bitter, brilliant and painfully relatable, this is British radio comedy at its most savage-and most addictive.

1. Yes Minister / Yes, Prime Minister

Still the gold standard for political satire, Yes Minister and its brilliant sequel Yes, Prime Minister remain as sharp, sly, and scarily relevant as ever.

Penned by Antony Jay and Jonathan Lynn, the series follows the endlessly flustered cabinet minister Jim Hacker (Paul Eddington) as he tries-and fails-to outmanoeuvre the real power in Whitehall: the wonderfully serpentine Sir Humphrey Appleby (Nigel Hawthorne).

Add in Bernard Woolley (Derek Fowlds), the well-meaning private secretary caught in the crossfire, and you've got a masterclass in passive-aggressive plotting, bureaucratic doublespeak, and British stiff-upper-lip dysfunction.

Adapted for radio with just as much bite, the show's genius lies in its ability to turn dry policy and admin into absolute comic gold.

With 38 razor-sharp episodes and an unmatched ability to predict real-world politics, it's no wonder the show was adored by Margaret Thatcher herself. Smart, savage, and stuffed with quotable lines, this is essential listening for anyone who likes their laughs with a side of scheming.

The series received several BAFTAs, and in 2004, was voted sixth in the Britain's Best Sitcom poll.