What happened to British Comedy?

[bluestreak]

see johnny, we're glad you get those two - both are comedies we british feel proud of!

i always prefered FT to AP, but there are many who walk these boards who would lynch me for that.

 

[jugularvein]

Don't forget about the The Mighty Boosh.

mighty boosh!

 

[poului]

ew45dert2w3e

Another vote for Curb Your Enthusiasm, the best thing to come out of the world of American comedy since the Larry Sanders Show, (and note that both conspicuously don't use a live studio audience).

 

[Johnny Canuck3]

see johnny, we're glad you get those two - both are comedies we british feel proud of!

i always prefered FT to AP, but there are many who walk these boards who would lynch me for that.

Why wouldn't I get it?

British comedy has been big here forever, and I've been watching it since the days of Eric Sykes and Hattie Jaques.

 

[John Quays]

Here is another one I remembered too.

Game On.

Another Great little comedy that was.

I'm not sure that was very good, really, now? Was it? All vulgar and what have you. Still, I'm not gonna correct your taste, obviously!

I didn't like League of Gentlemen much either, it was as if it set out to be cult before the humour was properly in place. The Extras was good, but I don't find much coming close to Father Ted even now.

Two Pints of Lager and... no, sorry.

Heheh

 

[tiki]

Royle Family. Don't forget that little gem, it was pure genius.

 

[Fong]

I'm not sure that was very good, really, now? Was it? All vulgar and what have you. Still, I'm not gonna correct your taste, obviously!

I didn't like League of Gentlemen much either, it was as if it set out to be cult before the humour was properly in place. The Extras was good, but I don't find much coming close to Father Ted even now.

Two Pints of Lager and... no, sorry.

Heheh

Problem with Game On is it holds a place in my life memory.

Bit like Blackadder, have you ever seen the original series, since its original airing that is? I bought it on VHS for my dad about 10-15 years ago, and its really crap.

Had you asked me the day before I watched it, I would have told you that Blackadder was quite possibly the greatest comedy ever written, 5 minutes after watching it, I realised that it was pretty rubbish in that first season and got markedly better.

Perhaps Game On is like that, my memory of it may be clouded, but then it would only be clouded by Samantha Janus /drool

 

[Moggy]

Garth Merenghi's Darkplace was another of the few absolute gems in british comedy IMO, although it seemed to completely pass a lot of people by

 

[Fong]

Garth Merenghi's Darkplace was another of the few absolute gems in british comedy IMO, although it seemed to completely pass a lot of people by

Yeah I have seen that. I didn't really rate it. I got the feeling the humour in it was a bit too smug. Like it didn't need to try.

Here is something, don't you think that the guy who played the hospital manager, and the 'co-producer' of the 'show' is the same guy that is now in IT Crowd?

They have very similar voices if nothing else, and I think it might be the same guy, think I will go find out.

Yep, it is, one Richard Ayoade apparently.

 

[Johnny Canuck3]

One show I don't get: Three Non Blondes.

Can anyone explain this to me?

 

[Johnny Canuck3]

I actually do need help with this.

 

[Johnny Canuck3]

It is a British show, isn't it?

Do people there find it funny?

Three Non Blondes, I mean.

 

[purves grundy]

One show I don't get: Three Non Blondes.

Isn't that 3/4 of a band?


My faves of recent years:

Human Remains
Nathan Barley
15 Storeys High
Marion and Geoff
Peep Show
Look Around You (tragically overlooked)
Monkey Dust (first 2 series at least)

 

[purves grundy]

It is a British show, isn't it?

Do people there find it funny?

Three Non Blondes, I mean.

Ahhh, actually I do remember that. 3 lasses go out on the street and play jolly japes on unsuspecting Joe and Joan Public, right? Highly original, groundbreaking stuff

No, nobody watched it.

 

[Johnny Canuck3]

Isn't that 3/4 of a band?


My faves of recent years:

Human Remains
Nathan Barley
15 Storeys High
Marion and Geoff
Peep Show
Look Around You (tragically overlooked)
Monkey Dust (first 2 series at least)

No, its these three women.

Apparently on BBC 3, whatever that is.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcthree/tv/3_nonblondes/index.shtml

 

[Johnny Canuck3]

From that website, looks like it's still on.

 

[goldenecitrone]

Last night, I watched two shows on BBC World: Alan Partridge, and Father Ted.

I've never seen either before.

Alan Partridge was trying to steal a highway cone. Father Ted was dancing to Shaft.

You're in for a treat. Partridge is brilliant, but Father Ted is just sublime. So many grotesque, surreal characters. Dougal's imbecility is just superb.

 

[Johnny Canuck3]

You're in for a treat. Partridge is brilliant, but Father Ted is just sublime. So many grotesque, surreal characters. Dougal's imbecility is just superb.

I know, I like them both.

But what about Three Non Blondes?

It left me perplexed.

I've watched it three times now.

 

[Wolfie]

.... Eric Sykes and Hattie Jaques.

now that's what I call comedy!

they don't write em like that any more ...

(and I've no idea about 3 non blodes JC - I've never heard of it, let alone seen it)

 

[clandestino]

(and I've no idea about 3 non blodes JC - I've never heard of it, let alone seen it)

it was a pretty dreadful rip off of 'trigger happy tv', the three non blondes of the title being three black female comedians. there were a few decent ideas in there, but mostly it was embarrassing stuff.

 

[isvicthere?]

Also most American comedy is wank too. Most of their stuff is more in the 'pleasantly amusing' vein than the 'outright hilarious' one. While the Yanks might produce on a more regular basis, when we really hit the spot we do it better than they do

My thoughts entirely. The reason our best stuff is IMO better than their best stuff, whereas their prolificity is greater is because our stuff is more writer-driven - e.g. every word of OFAH is written by John Sullivan. In the US the writer is very low down the food chain. Every major series has an army of writers. Rather than write an episode organically, someone might, say, be given the task to write a quip from Chandler about surfing as he comes in Central Perk.

Thing is, when you've got cable, the huge turnover of episodes is much more broadcast-friendly than a handful of "classic" episodes.

 

[goldenecitrone]

I know, I like them both.

But what about Three Non Blondes?

It left me perplexed.

I've watched it three times now.

Never seen it, to be honest, so can't comment.

 

[zoltan]

Theres so much rubbish about nowadays, by all accounts its down to the fact that no-one watches telly any more cos everyone is out every night wednedsay to Sunday binge drinking under the new 24/7 drinking laws, snorting drugs & having risky sex ... apart from me :-(

Its easier to list the toss than it is to list the wonderful & even listing the wonderful is a bit depressing, cos most of it is 10 years old now......

Three non blondes - SHIT
IT crowd - SHIT
Smack the pony - SHIT
AB Fab - There isnt enough space on this bulletin boards server for me to spill my bile about this heinous travesty of licence payers money.

 

[HarrisonSlade]

Before the Big Night Out and after the Young Ones was the poorest time for comedy on TV IMHO. Comedy was taken over by Russ Abbott and Bobby Davro. The only alternative was "HEllo Peeps" and Naked Video.

Comedy is far superior now than it has been in some time.

 

[Idris2002]

Last night, I watched two shows on BBC World: Alan Partridge, and Father Ted.

I've never seen either before.

Alan Partridge reminded me of Fawlty Towers a little. Father Ted was not like any other show. Both were hilarious.

When they're really on their game, british sitcoms are the best, better than most american sitcoms. I think it comes down to the innate oddness of the british: it makes for better tv.

Alan Partridge was trying to steal a highway cone. Father Ted was dancing to Shaft.

I'm afraid your hypothesis of British oddness overlooks the fact that Father Ted is visibly an IRISH comedy, about IRISH people, using IRISH actors and writers.

It was never offered (deliberately) to the Irish national TV station, but that's another story.

 

[Johnny Canuck3]

I'm afraid your hypothesis of British oddness overlooks the fact that Father Ted is visibly an IRISH comedy, about IRISH people, using IRISH actors and writers.

It was never offered (deliberately) to the Irish national TV station, but that's another story.

I didn't realize that. I didn't know the writers producers etc were also Irish. Since that's a case, a big up to the Irish for an excellent comedy. Unfortunately we only get it once a week, on Tuesday [that's comedy night on BBC World], but I don't plan on missing it if I can help it.

I agree with the poster above that UK comedy often rings the bell more times than american sitcoms, although there are exceptions. IMO, My Name is Earl is a top comedy. Malcolm In The Middle is also an excellent show, or at least was in its early seasons.

 

[John Quays]

of course

blue jam

and the day today particularly

never really saw brass eye for some reason, but it's probably up there

 

[purves grundy]

of course

blue jam

and the day today particularly

never really saw brass eye for some reason, but it's probably up there

10 - 13 years old that stuff now, though

Blue Jam especially still sounds fresh as fuck, but the Brass Eye spoof interview formulae has been done to death now, although never better than the way Morris did it imo. I'm glad he moved on.

 

[barneymagrew]

Can't believe no-one has mentioned the funniest shows of 2005- Nighty night.
And Shameless, although not really a comedy, is howl-out-loud funny. Other than that its all shit

 

[Belzub]

I absolutely hated Nighty Night. Totally bland attempt at making "edgy comedy" - which failed as it was neither edgy nor comedy. Awful, nasty little program.

Though IMO British comedy never quite recovered from the beating it took in the 90s, when Red Dwarf went down the pan and American shows like the Simpsons and Seinfeld ran rings around anything we could muster up (and yes, that includes overrated BBC mediocrities like the Royle Family and the Office).