'I'm a classic sitcom superfan – here are my top 8 you can stream at home'

As a classic sitcom fan who loves British comedies from the 60s and 70s, it is getting ever more difficult to find some of my favourite shows. Episodes are either being edited for modern sensiblities or pulled from TV altogether as they are no longer deemed fit for viewing. I was forced to resort to DVDs when I needed to watch the long running classic sitcom Till Death Us Do Part, as it is never rerun on TV any more. In a worst case scenario, some episodes are lost forever as back when they were recorded on tape they simply reused it again and again overwriting whatever was on it originally.

Despite this, you can still find several vintage comedies to stream. Some now come with trigger warnings telling you they reflect the attitudes of the time (lest you think the show was made last week!) This doesn't detract from the humour though which is often saucy in a seaside postcard kind of way and far less uptight than more modern offerings. Yes, some of them are slightly sexist and race issues are handled somewhat awkwardly (hence those trigger warnings) but if you are grown up enough to look beyond that they also have a naivety and charm.

In no particular order here are some of the best you can currently find to stream. These aren't always the entire collection as what is available is often dictated by what episodes have recently been rerun. But there are enough epiosdes to ensure you tickle your funny bone.

Dad's Army - available on BBC iPlayer

The BBC iPlayer has a good selection of episodes of beloved sitcom Dad's Army set within the Home Guard during the Second World War. Originally broadcast on BBC One from 31 July 1968 to 13 November 1977 it ran for nine series and 80 episodes in total. It also spawned a feature film released in 1971, a stage show and a radio version based on the television scripts. The series regularly gained audiences of 18 million viewers in its heyday and remains as funny as ever.

Rising Damp - available on ITVX

Starring Leonard Rossiter, Richard Beckinsale, Frances De La Tour and Don Warrington, who is best known these days for his role in Death In Paradise, this bedsit set comedy originally ran from 2 September 1974 until 9 May 1978. It also generated a spin-off feature film of the same name released in 1980. Rossiter shines as Rigsby, the stingy and miserable landlord of the premises and, sadly, many of the jokes are still very close to the bone with today's housing crisis.

Steptoe and Son - available to buy on Prime Video

While not free you can purchase episodes or entire series of Steptoe and Son through your Prime Video account. All eight series are available- the first four black and white seasons from 1962 to 1965, followed by the colour series which ran from from 1970 to 1974. Thanks to the incredible chemistry and fantastic performances between Wilfred Bramble and Harry H. Corbett as the father and son rag and bone men Albert and Harold Steptoe this remains one of the most insightful comedies to deal with the human condition. It mainly focused on the inter-generational conflict between the pair and the fact Harold was continually prevented from achieving his ambitions was a huge source of the tragi-comedy.

George and Mildred available on ITVX

This spin off of Man About The House is possibly funnier than the show which spawned it. While Man About The House isn't currently available on ITVX it does pop up from time to time so keep an eye out if you want to see the genesis of the titular characters here. However you don't need to have watched that to appreciate Yootha Joyce and Brian Murphy as the constantly-sparring married couple in which the socially aspirational Mildred depairs of her workshy husband.

Porridge - available on BBC iPlayer

This prison set comedy remains one of the wittiest shows ever broadcast on the BBC thanks in no small part to Ronnie Barker's sparkling way with words. The visual gags are also second to none. One joke about a urine sample was considered so good it also made it into a James Bond film. Written by Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais, it originally broadcast on BBC1 from 1974 to 1977 and two Christmas specials. A feature film of the same name based on the series was released in 1979, after Beckinsale's death in March of that year.

Bless This House- available on ITV X

If you only know Sid James from his work on the Carry On Films, you may well have an image of a lacivious rogue in your head. However this ITV sitcom shows another side to him as head of the Abbot family dealing with the trials and tribualtions of marriage and raising his teenage children. Delightfully funny, much of the humour comes from the generation gap aspect of the show. It originally ran on ITV from 2 February 1971 to 22 April 1976, with a total of 65 episodes and didn't end because it ran out of steam but rather because of the tragic death of leadig man James at the age of 62. Four days after the broadcast of the final episode of the sixth series, he collapsed on stage at the Sunderland Empire Theatre during a performance of The Mating Season after failing to respond to a cue. He had suffered a heart attack and died on the way to the hospital.

On the Buses - available on ITVX

On the Buses ran on ITV from 1969 to 1973 and also spawned three spin-off feature films and a stage version. It had been rejected by the BBC, but found a home at London Weekend Television (LWT), who loved the idea. The colourful character quickly became a hit with viewers and while some of the humour may not have aged well, its hilarious moments can still make a viewer laugh out loud.

The Good Life - available on BBC iPlayer

Long before we were all obsessed by organic food and sustainability this classic comedy showcased the efforts of one couples attempts to escape the "rat race" by "becoming totally self-sufficient" in their suburban house in Surbiton. It ran from 4 April 1975 to 10 June 1978 on BBC One and remains a firm favourite with viewers.