Il premio British Academy Television Award per il miglior programma o serie comica è stato assegnato per la prima volta durante la cerimonia del 1981. Secondo la British Academy of Film and Television Arts, la categoria «include programmi che catturano l'idea che la commedia sia centrale nell'editoria del programma e include programmi con panel, talk show in cui il contenuto comico gioca un ruolo importante, stand-up comedy e programmi di clip comiche».
A partire dalla cerimonia di premiazione dei BAFTA Television Awards del 2000, esiste una categoria di premi separata per la migliore sitcom. Questa categoria era già stata presentata dal 1973 al 1980 (quando non esisteva il premio per la migliore serie comica). Negli anni '80 e '90, le sitcom venivano spesso incluse nella categoria Miglior programma o serie comica.
Nel corso degli anni, il premio ha subito diverse variazioni di denominazione:
1981–1992: Miglior serie comica 1992–2007: Miglior programma o serie comica 2007–2013: Miglior programma comico Dal 2014: Miglior commedia e programma di intrattenimento comico
Vincitori e candidati Anni '60 +Miglior serie comica Anno Vincitori Titolo1965 Joe McGrath1966 Michael Mills The World of WoosterComedy Playhouse: Sam the Samaritan90 Annos On - Churchill Birthday Programme Dick Clement The Likely LadsComedy Playhouse: Barnaby Spoot and the Exploding Whoopee Cushion David Croft Hugh and IA Slight Case of...Dick Emery Show Shaun O'Riordan The WorkerThe Tigers Are BurningEmergency Ward TenThe Braden BeatFront Page Story1967 Dick Clement1968 Michael Mills
Anni '80 +Miglior serie comica Anno Titolo Vincitori Emittente1981 Yes Minister Sydney Lotterby BBC Two Agony John Reardon ITV Shelley Anthony Parker Butterflies Sydney Lotterby, John B Hobbs BBC Two To the Manor Born Gareth Gwenlan BBC One1982 Yes Minister Peter Whitmore BBC Two A Fine Romance James Cellan Jones ITV Hi-de-Hi! David Croft, John Kilby BBC One To the Manor Born Gareth Gwenlan BBC One1983 Yes Minister Peter Whitmore BBC Two Hi-de-Hi! David Croft, John Kilby BBC One Last of the Summer Wine Alan J. W. Bell A Fine Romance James Cellan Jones ITV1984 Hi-de-Hi! John Kilby BBC One A Fine Romance Don Leaver ITV Last of the Summer Wine Sydney Lotterby BBC One Only Fools and Horses Ray Butt1985 The Young Ones Paul Jackson BBC Two A Fine Romance Don Leaver ITV Hi-de-Hi! David Croft BBC One Just Good Friends Ray Butt1986 Only Fools and Horses Ray Butt BBC One Last of the Summer Wine Alan J. W. Bell BBC One 'Allo 'Allo! David Croft Open All Hours Sydney Lotterby1987 Just Good Friends Sue Bysh, Ray Butt BBC One Duty Free Vernon Lawrence ITV Only Fools and Horses Ray Butt BBC One Ever Decreasing Circles Harold Snoad 'Allo 'Allo! David Croft Yes, Prime Minister Sydney Lotterby BBC Two1988 Blackadder the Third Mandie Fletcher, John Lloyd BBC One Ever Decreasing Circles Harold Snoad BBC One Bread Robin Nash 'Allo 'Allo! David Croft Yes, Prime Minister Sydney Lotterby BBC Two1989 Only Fools and Horses: "Christmas Special" Tony Dow, Gareth Gwenlan, John Sullivan BBC One After Henry Simon Brett, Peter Frazer-Jones ITV Bread Robin Nash, Carla Lane BBC One 'Allo 'Allo! Jeremy Lloyd, David Croft, Martin Dennis, Susan Belbin
Anni '90 +Miglior serie comica Anno Titolo Vincitori Emittente1990 Blackadder Goes Forth Richard Boden, Richard Curtis, Ben Elton & John Lloyd BBC One After Henry Simon Brett, Peter Frazer-Jones ITV The New Statesman Tony Charles, Geoffrey Sax, Laurence Marks, Maurice Gran Only Fools and Horses Tony Dow, Gareth Gwenlan, John Sullivan BBC One1991 The New Statesman Maurice Gran, Laurence Marks, David Reynolds & Geoffrey Sax ITV Drop the Dead Donkey Andy Hamilton, Guy Jenkin, Liddy Oldroyd Channel 4 May to December Paul Mendelson, Verity Lambert, Sydney Lotterby BBC One One Foot in the Grave David Renwick, Susan Belbin Only Fools and Horses Tony Dow, Gareth Gwenlan, John Sullivan
+ Miglior programma o serie comica Anno Titolo Vincitori Emittente1992 One Foot in the Grave Susan Belbin, David Renwick BBC One The Curse of Mr. Bean Richard Curtis, Robin Driscoll, Rowan Atkinson, John Howard Davies ITV Drop the Dead Donkey Guy Jenkin, Andy Harnilton, Liddy Oldroyd Channel 4 Only Fools and Horses Tony Dow, Gareth Gwenlan, John Sullivan BBC One1993 Absolutely Fabulous Jon Plowman, Jennifer Saunders, Bob Spiers BBC Two One Foot in the Grave Susan Belbin, David Renwick BBC One Birds of a Feather Terry Kinane, Laurence Marks, Maurice Gran, Candida Julian-Jones Waiting for God Gareth Gwenlan, Michael Aitkens1994 Drop the Dead Donkey Andy Hamilton, Guy Jenkin, Liddy Oldroyd Channel 4 Rab C. Nesbitt Colin Gilbert, Ian Pattison BBC Two Chef! Charlie Hanson, John Birkin, Peter Tilbury BBC One Desmond's Humphrey Barclay, Paulette Randall, Jan Sargent Channel 41995 Three Fights, Two Weddings and a Funeral Geoff Posner, David Tyler BBC Two Absolutely Fabulous Jon Plowman, Bob Spiers, Jennifer Saunders BBC One One Foot in the Grave Susan Belbin, David Renwick Drop the Dead Donkey Andy Hamilton, Guy Jenkin, Liddy Oldroyd Channel 41996 Father Ted Graham Linehan, Declan Lowney, Arthur Matthews, Geoffrey Perkins Channel 4 One Foot in the Grave Susan Belbin, David Renwick BBC One Absolutely Fabulous Jon Plowman, Bob Spiers, Jennifer Saunders Men Behaving Badly Beryl Vertue, Martin Dennis, Simon Nye1997 Only Fools and Horses Tony Dow, Gareth Gwenlan & John Sullivan BBC One Father Ted Lissa Evans, Graham Linehan, Declan Lowney, Arthur Matthews Channel 4 Absolutely Fabulous Jon Plowman, Janice Thomas, Bob Spiers, Jennifer Saunders BBC One Game On Geoffrey Perkins, Sioned Wiliam, John Stroud, Andrew Davies, Bernadette Davis BBC Two1998 I'm Alan Partridge Peter Baynham, Dominic Brigstocke, Steve Coogan, Armando Iannucci BBC Two One Foot in the Grave Esta Charkham, Christine Gernon, David Renwick BBC One The Vicar of Dibley Jon Plowman, Sue Vertue, Dewi Humphreys, Richard Curtis, Paul Mayhew-Archer Men Behaving Badly Beryl Vertue, Martin Dennis, Simon Nye1999 Father Ted Andy DeEmmony, Lissa Evans, Graham Linehan, Arthur Matthews Channel 4 The Vicar of Dibley Jon Plowman, Sue Vertue, Dewi Humphreys, Richard Curtis, Paul Mayhew-Archer BBC One Dinnerladies Geoff Posner, Victoria Wood The Royle Family Glenn Wilhide, Mark Mylod, Caroline Aherne, Craig Cash, Henry Normal BBC Two
Anni 2000 +Miglior programma o serie comica Anno Titolo Vincitori Emittente2000The League of Gentlemen BBC Two Best of Ali G Dan Mazer, James Bobin Channel 4 Smack the Pony Victoria Pile, Dominic Brigstocke People like Us Jon Plowman, Paul Schlesinger, John Morton BBC Two2001Da Ali G Show Channel 4 Baddiel and Skinner Unplanned David Baddiel, Frank Skinner, Peter Orton ITV Smack the Pony Victoria Pile e il team di produzione Channel 4 Victoria Wood with All The Trimmings Jemma Rodgers, John Birkin, Victoria Wood BBC One2002The Sketch Show ITV Brass Eye Special Chris Morris, Phil Clarke, Tristram Shapeero Channel 4 Bremner, Bird and Fortune Geoff Atkinson, Steve Connelly, David G. Croft The Kumars at No. 42 Richard Pinto, Sharat Sardana, Lissa Evans BBC Two2003Alistair McGowan's Big Impression Gareth Carrivick, Charlie Hanson, Alistair McGowan BBC One Smack the Pony Victoria Pile, Steve Connelly Channel 4 Bremner, Bird and Fortune Geoff Atkinson, Steve Connelly, David G. Croft Look Around You Robert Popper, Peter Serafinowicz, Tim Kirkby BBC Two2004Little Britain Matt Lucas, Myfanwy Moore, David Walliams BBC Three Bo' Selecta! Spencer Millman, Leigh Francis, Ben Palmer Channel 4 Interviste mai viste Julie Lockhart, Richard Goleszowski, Nick Park ITV1Doubletake BBC Two2005Little Britain Geoff Posner, Matt Lipsey, Matt Lucas, David Walliams BBC One The Catherine Tate Show Geoffrey Perkins, Gordon Anderson, Catherine Tate BBC Two Harry Hill's TV Burp Nick Symons, Peter Orton, Harry Hill ITV The Mark Steel Lectures Jon Rolph, Michael Cumming, Mark Steel BBC Four2006Help Jane Berthoud, Chris Langham, Declan Lowney, Paul Whitehouse BBC TwoThe Catherine Tate Show BBC Two Interviste mai viste Julie Lockhart, Gareth Owen, Richard Goleszowski ITV1 Little Britain Matt Lucas, David Walliams, Geoff Posner, Declan Lowney BBC One +Miglior programma comicoAnnoTitoloVincitoriEmittente2007That Mitchell and Webb Look Gareth Edwards, David Kerr, David Mitchell, Robert Webb BBC TwoThe Catherine Tate Show Gordon Anderson, Aschlin Ditta, Geoffrey Perkins, Catherine Tate BBC Two Little Britain Abroad Matt Lucas, David Walliams, Matt Lipsey, Geoff Posner BBC One Little Miss Jocelyn Gary Reich, Jemma Rodgers, Gareth Carrivick, Jocelyn Jee Esien BBC Three2008Fonejacker Kayvan Novak, Mario Stylainides, Helen Williams, Ed Tracy E4 The Armstrong & Miller Show Alexander Armstrong, Ben Miller, Jeremy Dyson, Mario Stylianides BBC One Russell Brand's Ponderland Russell Brand, Matt Morgan, Jack Bayles, Gareth Roy Channel 4 Star Stories Lee Hupfield, Elliot Hegarty, Kevin Bishop, Phil Clarke2009Harry & Paul Harry Enfield, Sandy Johnson, Geoffrey Perkins, Paul Whitehouse BBC One The Peter Serafinowicz Show Peter Serafinowicz, James Serafinowicz, Ben Farrell, Becky Martin BBC Two That Mitchell and Webb Look Gareth Edwards, David Kerr, David Mitchell, Robert Webb Star Stories Lee Hupfield, Ben Palmer, Michael Livingstone, Phil Clarke Channel 4
Anni 2010 +Miglior programma comico Anno Titolo Vincitori Emittente2010The Armstrong & Miller Show Alexander Armstrong, Dominic Brigstocke, Ben Miller, Caroline Norris BBC One The Kevin Bishop Show Lee Hupfield, Kevin Bishop, Dominic Brigstocke, Sam Martin Channel 4 Stewart Lee's Comedy Vehicle Stewart Lee, Tim Kirkby, Richard Webb BBC Two That Mitchell and Webb Look David Mitchell, Robert Webb, Ben Gosling Fuller, Gareth Edwards2011Harry & Paul Harry Enfield, Sandy Johnson, Izzy Mant, Paul Whitehouse BBC One Catherine Tate's Little Cracker Catherine Tate, Sophie Clarke-Jervoise, Izzy Mant Sky1 Come Fly with Me Adam Tandy, Paul King, Matt Lucas, David Walliams BBC One Facejacker Kayvan Novak, Ed Tracy, Mario Stylianides, Tom Thostrup Channel 42012Stewart Lee's Comedy Vehicle Tim Kirkby, Stewart Lee, Richard Webb BBC Two The Comic Strip: The Hunt for Tony Blair Peter Richardson, Pete Richens, Nick Smith Channel 4 Charlie Brooker's 2011 Wipe Charlie Brooker, Al Campbell, Annabel Jones, Alison Marlow BBC Four The Cricklewood Greats Peter Capaldi, Tony Roche, Adam Tandy2013The Revolution Will Be Televised Mark Talbot, Heydon Prowse, Jolyon Rubinstein, Joe Wade BBC Three Cardinal Burns Jenna Jones, Ben Taylor, Sebastian Cardinal, Dustin Demri-Burns E4 Mr Stink David Walliams, Jo Sargent, Declan Lowney, Mark Freeland BBC One Welcome to the Places of My Life Steve Coogan, Neil Gibbons, Rob Gibbons, Dave Lambert Sky Atlantic