All sitcoms have something to say about the eras they are made in, but few sum up an era so definitively as Men Behaving Badly, the no-­holds-barred slice of 1990s lad culture created and written by Simon Nye. 

Today, looking at this raucous tale of two best mates making complete, often drunken, idiots of themselves, it is tempting to dismiss Gary and Tony, played by Martin Clunes and Neil Morrissey, respectively, as disgustingly sexist bores short on social graces and big on schoolboy humour. 

That would be to miss the point. Whatever you may think of their attitudes, especially their attitude to women, Men Behaving Badly remains a very funny show. The four main characters are well drawn and there’s wit aplenty. Subtle or sophisticated it isn’t, but there is an innocence about the show that reflects the pre-internet age and what were, in sexual and cultural politics, perhaps more simplistic times. And Clunes and Morrissey’s physical comedy remains a joy to watch. 

From The Odd Couple to The Young Ones, house-share settings have always been part of film and television’s armoury of ideas. What stands out in Men Behaving Badly, apart from their immaturity, is how much Gary and Tony enjoy each other’s company. Why else would they spend so much time together, not only at home but also down the pub, where they can often be found propping up, or being propped up by, the bar. 

The programme was made originally for the ITV station Thames TV, and the first series starred Harry Enfield as Gary’s flatmate, Dermot. Reportedly, Enfield felt he was the weak link in the show, so Dermot was written out and he left the UK to seek his fortune overseas. 

Given the chemistry between Clunes – then largely unknown – and Morrissey this was, to say the least, a stroke of good luck. Unfortunately for producer Beryl Vertue (see her obituary on page 50), whose Hartswood Films made the show, Thames axed Men Behaving Badly after the second series. 

She takes up the story: “We did two series for Thames TV, then ITV took over and said that if any episode got 10 million viewers, the show would stay on air. We got 7 million, which people would kill for today – and ITV pulled the plug. I felt so cross I went to the BBC, which took it, and it became a huge hit and definitely got more than 10 million viewers.” 

Hapless Tony’s infatuation with Deborah (who lives in the flat above and is played by Leslie Ash) provides a lot of the storylines, as does Gary’s relationship with Dorothy (Caroline Quentin), a nurse who is much cleverer than Gary, though, frankly, that is not saying a lot. 

The best approach to Men Behaving Badly is not to take it seriously and revel in the comedy. Re-watching some episodes, I laughed out loud when Tony’s inept attempt to light a barbecue – and, of course, impress his female guests – ends in disaster by burning down the garden fence. Perhaps it is the pair’s complete lack of machismo that makes them so endearing. 

Clunes once said: “Beryl Vertue was an empowering producer: she let us have real input, let the monkeys run the zoo. And Simon Nye, the writer, was up for anything. We just showed off for each other. 

“It was the best job – not a threatening or edgy show, but still cheeky and on the edge. I have a great memory of sitting in a birthing pool with Neil, farting. I don’t care if our characters were heroes or fools. People were fond of them. They still are.” 

He added: “The men always lost, too – Dorothy and Deborah had the upper hand. We did The Late Late Show once and they tried to drag us into a war of the sexes. We just said: ‘Look at the programme – it’s not about anything!’” 

That is, other than having a laugh. Or, as Nye said recently: “It was an exuberant half hour of stupidity, really, so to have to think too hard about the sexual politics of it might take away some of the joy.” Precisely. 

Men Behaving Badly is available on Amazon Prime Video, BritBox, Virgin TV Go and Now TV.