Meet Roy Figgis, Archie Glover and Norman Binns -- three of the best arguments against socialized medicine you'll ever meet.

Roy (played by James Bolam, New Tricks), Archie (Peter Bowles, To the Manor Born) and Norman (Christopher Strauli) are the bed-ridden heroes of the classic British comedy series Only When I Laugh, which joins the VisionTV Britcom lineup in January.

Set entirely in a hospital ward, the series follows the misadventures of these three long-term patients, who somehow -- despite the tender ministrations of the National Health Service and the fact that none of them seems particularly ill -- never find themselves in any particular danger of getting better or going home.

One Foot in the Grave's Richard Wilson co-stars as their nemesis, the forbidding Dr. Gordon Thorpe, and Derrick Branche plays the long-suffering nurse Gupte. The series was written by Eric Chapell, who also created the Britcom classic Rising Damp.

Only When I Laugh airs Tuesday nights, starting Jan. 5, at 8:30 p.m. ET / 5:30 p.m. PT.

The series is one of several new "viewer approved" titles that VisionTV is adding this season to its popular prime time British comedy block (weeknights from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. ET).

Last July, VisionTV launched its “So You Wanna Be in TV” contest, which invited Canadians to offer their program suggestions for the chance to win an electronics shopping spree. More than 4,000 viewers took the opportunity to play network programmer by filling out an online questionnaire and casting their votes for a number of Britcom titles under consideration.