In contemporary British culture the Second World War has provided plenty of material for drama and comedy on television. The conflict of 1939–45 inspired its own wartime radio comedy It's That Man Again (BBC, 1939), in addition to popular prime-time situation comedies for television such as Dad's Army (BBC, 1968–77), It Ain't Half Hot Mum (BBC, 1974–81) 'Allo 'Allo (BBC, 1982–92) and Goodnight Sweetheart (BBC, 1993–9). The Second World War has long been perceived as the ‘good’ war, providing ample material for comedy and drama programmes, while the First World War is still perceived in Britain as a national tragedy. With the exception of Blackadder Goes Forth (BBC, 1989), the First World War is rarely considered for dramatic – still less comedic – treatment. The sacred nature of Britain's war's memory means that, to be accepted by the viewing audience, dramatic and comedic interpretations set in the First World War must adhere to the accepted war narrative of mud, blood and poetry.

The Monocled Mutineer (BBC, 1986)

The most substantial television drama set in the First World War is The Monocled Mutineer (BBC, 1986). The screenplay for the four-part series, written by Alan Bleasadale and broadcast in September 1986, attracted an average audience of 8.8 million viewers, a 40 per cent audience share. Based on a book called Toplis: The Monocled Mutineer: The life and death of the incredible Percy Toplis – mutineer, racketeer, master of disguise, rake and rogue, written by John Fairley and William Allinson in 1978, the series was a source of political and historiographical controversy.