From 1970s slapstick to 1980s political satire and 21st-century whimsy, there is something for all tastes – and, in a welcome punchline, many of the best are available to stream for free. Here are 14 hilarious picks to set your funny bone tingling – and without the need for an expensive subscription. He fantasises about ditching his wife for his secretary and leaving behind his dull life in the ’burbs. It’s Benny Hill meets Samuel Beckett – a crossing of the streams that only the 1970s British sitcom could pull off so skilfully. One of the best examples is Black Books, in which misanthropic stand-up Dylan Moran excels as a wilfully obnoxious owner of a second-hand bookshop.