Considering the hundreds of channels we can now all flip through, it’s no wonder that certain shows worth watching can get lost on certain channels that don’t often get watched. It’s ironic then that the heavy weight terrestrial channels would buy up some excellent shows and give them no support whatsoever by shoving them on at the graveyard slot.

One of those shows was the excellent US drama The Wire; the BBC bought it, but really didn’t know what to do with it. Thankfully, due in part to the FX channel, the show’s brilliance has come to more prominence. Some shows aren’t that lucky.

One of the greatest comedy shows of all time was also bought by the BBC, and surprise surprise, they just weren’t sure what to do with it. So in its infinite wisdom, it put it on virtually every night at a time that would please most insomniacs. But for those who managed to stay awake long enough to watch, The Larry Sanders Show was compulsive viewing.

The premise was a simple one; it was a behind-the-scenes look of a popular late night chat show, hosted by the neurotic comic Larry Sanders (Garry Shandling). The heart of the show focused on its three main characters – Larry, his on-screen sidekick ‘Hey Now’ Hank Kingsley (Jeffrey Tambor), and the show’s no horse shit producer Arthur (Rip Torn) – and their relationships with one another.

If pretending I'm Mulder will help in any way, then go for it.

The clever part of the show was that it featured a large number of guest stars, who were not only happy to appear as themselves, but also parody themselves. Guest appearances included Robin Williams, Billy Crystal, Jim Carrey, Dana Carvey, Sharon Stone and Burt Reynolds. One of the best, and certainly the bravest, was by David Duchovny, who was riding high from his role as Mulder on The X Files. Playing himself on the show, he develops a crush on host Larry, making it very clear to him that he had deep, deep feelings. It was a bold cameo, the likes of which had never been seen before.

That could be said for the show as a whole; despite its simple idea, nothing like it had been seen on TV up to that point. Not only did it push boundaries in terms of language, being broadcast on the subscription channel HBO as it was, but in content too. It wasn’t ahead of its time, as it clearly arrived just in the nick of time. During it’s time on air, from 1992-’98, it not only had a profound effect on the way US comedies were made, but it also inspired the likes of Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant to write The Office.

It also didn’t do any harm for much of the talent involved. Jeremy Piven was a regular in season 1, then went on to play Ari Gold in the show Entourage. Tambor appeared in the woefully underrated Arrested Development as George Bluth Snr, and Rip Torn – well, he took to drinking hard and robbing banks. It was also a great springboard for producer/writer Peter Tolan , director Todd Holland and writer Judd Apatow, who have all gone on to bigger and almost better things.

The only person who hasn’t is Garry Shandling himself, who appears to have retreated from the limelight, a little like his character Larry does towards the end of the series.

If you are unaware of show, but you’re a fan of comedy in any way, it is a must-see. The writing is painfully sharp at times, delivered by characters that are flawed beyond belief; Hank Kingsley alone has to be considered one of the funniest TV comedy characters of all time, in fact it’s difficult to think of another funnier than him.

And if you were one of those loyal few who watched it when it originally aired, you’ll be surprised at how fresh it still feels. The fashions and musical tastes (as represented by the bands that would often appear the show) may have moved on, but dialogue and characters this good are timeless.

The only downside to this entire collection is that unlike the US version, it doesn’t come with any extra bells and whistles. But when the comedy is this good, you really don’t need them.

Even with today’s more developed and sophisticated tastes in comedy, you’ll find it difficult to find a better show than this. No flipping guaranteed.