I haven't read the first Dirk Gentley book, only The Long Dark Tea Time of the Soul and thought it was fantastic. You might be surprised but it was the first I read by Douglas Adams and I immediately wanted to read more. I bought the first Hitchhiker and read it overnight. The next day I ordered...
Blackadder is amazing, Fawlty Towers is a masterpiece, Red Dwarf was a bit too much, many times I didn't understand a thing. There is an Irish comedy called Father Ted I think, that was hilarious too.