City Lights poster
Seen it?

City Lights

TV·1986–1988·5 seasons, 30 episodes·BBC One·Comedy·30m·Created by Bob Black

Not streaming in your region — see every region's options

Hapless bank clerk Willie Melvin dreams of being a successful writer but is held back by his own incompetence, the dodgy dealings of his best friend Chancer, and lack of support from his mother, the bank's manager Adam McLelland and his obsequious fellow teller, Brian.

Highest-rated episodes all ranked

  1. 01Crimewatch OKS02E04 · 7.0When Janice is robbed Willie decides to set up a neighbourhood watch group. However buying radio phones from Chancer for communication purposes may leave the group itself on the wrong side of the law!
  2. 02TalentS01E01 · 6.0Willie contemplates leaving his position at the Bank after seemingly managing to sell one of his short stories.
  3. 03Lost WeekendS01E04 · 6.0Willie manages to avoid a spending his weekend waterskiing with Brian and Vicky. Unfortunately for him this is due to being locked up in a storage unit with Chancer for the weekend.

Cast

Episodes by season

Season01Episode ratings across the season — the gold bar is its best episode6Episodes1986Aired 6.0Season avg
  1. S01E01Season's bestTalentOctober 14, 1986 6.0Willie contemplates leaving his position at the Bank after seemingly managing to sell one of his short stories.
  2. S01E02Deep FreezeOctober 21, 1986Life away from the Bank doesn't entirely work out for Willie as he becomes embroiled in one of Chancer's schemes in order to make some money
  3. S01E03MagazineOctober 28, 1986Willie gains some measure of success when turning his hand to a more "creative" type of writing. Unfortunately this transpires to be for a "
  4. S01E04Lost WeekendNovember 4, 1986 6.0Willie manages to avoid a spending his weekend waterskiing with Brian and Vicky. Unfortunately for him this is due to being locked up in a s
  5. S01E05A Room with a view, and youNovember 11, 1986Willie attempts to live a life of independence away from his overbearing mother. However moving in with Chancer brings it's own challenges,
  6. S01E06True Life AdventuresNovember 18, 1986 6.0When mother's away, Willie will play! Willie's left home alone when his mother goes to visit his Auntie. Left to his own devices it's not lo

Season 1 ranked & reviewed

Season02Episode ratings across the season — the gold bar is its best episode6Episodes1987Aired 5.5Season avg
  1. S02E01The More Things ChangeOctober 27, 1987 6.0Moving on from his mother's into his own swanky flat Willie appears to be moving up in the world. That is until Chancer, freshly released fr
  2. S02E02Local HeroNovember 3, 1987 5.0Mr McClelland is joined by a highly unlikely candidate for the Bank's Employee of the Month. However is Willie's "hero" status entirely dese
  3. S02E03MoonlightingNovember 10, 1987 6.0Unimpressed by Dicky Rainbow's hackneyed material Willie decides to turn his hand to comedy writing which, naturally, is an area he believes
  4. S02E04Season's bestCrimewatch OKNovember 17, 1987 7.0When Janice is robbed Willie decides to set up a neighbourhood watch group. However buying radio phones from Chancer for communication purpo
  5. S02E05True Love, The Course of...November 24, 1987 4.0Mrs Melvin appears to have found herself a new admirer. However Willie isn't convinced his intentions towards his mother are entirely honour
  6. S02E06FameDecember 1, 1987 5.0A mix up at the publishers leaves William believing his days at the bank are over...

Season 2 ranked & reviewed

Season036Episodes1988Aired 6.0Season avg
  1. S03E01The Longest DayOctober 24, 1988 6.0Willie is stood up by Janice at the alter and discovers she has gone to extreme measures to avoid life with the would be author. Mr McClella
  2. S03E02All In The Mind
  3. S03E03I'm Willie, Fly Me
  4. S03E04The Melvin Diaries
  5. S03E05Catch 23
  6. S03E06The Siege

Season 3 ranked & reviewed

Season046EpisodesSeason avg
Season056EpisodesSeason avg

Shows like City Lights all similar shows

The closest matches on shared genres, ranked by match strength and popularity.

  1. 01Comedy·Drama·CrimeFargo2014·FXStreaming on HuluFargo is a seasonal anthology crime drama with some dark comical elements, inspired by the film Fargo written by the Coen brothers.8.6Compare
  2. 02Comedy·FamilyThe Simpsons1989–present·FOXStreaming on Disney PlusThe Simpsons is the longest running scripted show in US television history.8.1Compare
  3. 03Comedy·FamilyFamily Guy1999–present·FOXStreaming on HuluFamily Guy follows Peter Griffin the endearingly ignorant dad, and his hilariously offbeat family of middle-class New Englanders in Quahog, RI.7.5Compare
  4. 04ComedySouth Park1997–present·Comedy CentralStreaming on Paramount Plus PremiumSouth Park is an adult comedy animation show centred around 4 children in the small town of south park.8.3Compare
  5. 05Comedy·FamilyAmerican Dad!2005–present·FOXStreaming on HuluIn American Dad!, Stan Smith leads the all-American family in this animated sitcom filled with wild and crazy extremes.7.5Compare
  6. 06Comedy·Adventure·Science-FictionRick and Morty2013–present·Adult SwimStreaming on HuluRick is a mentally gifted, but sociopathic and alcoholic scientist and a grandfather to Morty; an awkward, impressionable, and somewhat spineless teenage boy.8.7Compare

Head-to-head pick any opponent

Stack City Lights's full episode-rating history against a rival, on one chart.

Keep exploring top shows