CHUD.com Community › Forums › SPORTS, GAMES & LEISURE › Television › The British Comedy Show Appreciation Thread
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

The British Comedy Show Appreciation Thread - Page 2

post #51 of 511
5/16/08 at 8:59am
Thread Starter 
A few other Recommendations that came to me. Probably impossible to get hold of outside the UK, though:

Never Mind The Buzzcocks. For years it was a so-so music-based panel quiz show hosted by Mark Lamarr that rehashed the same jokes every week. But a few years back, Bill Bailey became one of the team captains and a couple of years ago, Lamarr was replaced by Simon Amstell, who completely shook up the show and turned it into one of the funniest half-hours of the week.

Harry Hill's TV Burp - a Saturday evening show that's actually funny. Every week Harry "reviews" the week's soaps, reality shows, dramas etc. Now, I do not watch soaps or reality TV. Ever. My girlfriend doesn't watch them. They have no place on my TV. In fact my only knowledge of them comes from TV Burp. But, my goodness, is this some funny shit! No-one can take a clip out of context like my man, Harry! I think it would work well for people outside the UK. Who knew that a programme called Freaky Eaters could provide an hour's worth of A+ material.

Charlie Brooker's Screen Wipe - sort of the Yang to TV Burp's Yin. It's show about TV presented by the misanthropic Brooker. It's part review show, part behind the scenes look at TV production (it costs 70k to show the Hollywood sign! Who knew?). It's also really funny. I've a feeling you might even be able to watch this on the BBC iplayer, hang on. You can! I'm sure the iplayer isn't limited to UK users, so it's definitely worth a watch for fans of TV production and laughing.

Also, Re: Steve Coogan. I see him getting much love across Chud. Hell, he even turned up in Curb Your Enthusiasm. What's he known for over in the US? I assume Alan Partridge and not Around the World in 80 Days or The Parole Officer. So did you guys get I'm Alan Partridge or Knowing Me, Knowing You over there?
Reply
post #52 of 511
5/16/08 at 9:05am
Good recommendations, I love TV Burp and Screen Wipe. You can read Charlie's Screen Burn archive here http://www.guardian.co.uk/theguide/b...280131,00.html and his Comment is Free blog here http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/charlie_brooker/ . The guy is fuckin hilarious.
Reply
post #53 of 511
5/16/08 at 9:41am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dr. Murder View Post
Good recommendations, I love TV Burp and Screen Wipe. You can read Charlie's Screen Burn archive here http://www.guardian.co.uk/theguide/b...280131,00.html and his Comment is Free blog here http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/charlie_brooker/ . The guy is fuckin hilarious.
He is. Actually, speaking of him:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008...el4.television

Quote:
Originally Posted by That article
"E4 has commissioned Guardian columnist Charlie Brooker to write the channel's first scripted horror series.

The six-part thriller, with the working title Dead Set, will be produced by Zeppotron, the independent owned by Endemol UK. Dead Set will be both E4's and Zeppotron's first move into the horror genre.

Casting details had not been finalised but Brooker told MediaGuardian.co.uk he expected it to comprise a "mixture of known and less well known faces".

Brooker said of his new series: "Dead Set is very different to anything I've done before, and I hope the end result will surprise, entertain and appal people in equal measure."

He added that he has long been a fan of horror films and that his new series "could not be described as a comedy".

"I couldn't really describe what it is but it will probably surprise people," Brooker said, adding that he plans to "continue as normal" with his print journalism.
I's love this to be good, but TV horror - certainly in the UK - is seldom any great shakes due to production budgets being minute outside the two big channels. I'd trust him as a writer, though, so hopefully it can work.
Reply
post #54 of 511
5/16/08 at 9:45am
You ever see Garth Marenghi's Darkplace? If it can be as good as that, I'm on board.
Reply
post #55 of 511
5/16/08 at 10:03am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dr. Murder View Post
You ever see Garth Marenghi's Darkplace? If it can be as good as that, I'm on board.
I did see Darkplace. Liked it a lot but didn't quite love it. This sounds like it'll be closer to the League of Gentleman - particularly the Christmas Special - in that it's going for actual scares rather than spoof, though. If it's anything like as good as that, we're in for a treat!
Reply
post #56 of 511
5/16/08 at 10:17am
Great suggestions all round. Bloody good work chaps!

Let me chime in with unabashed praise for:
-Red Dwarf, esp. season 3 & 4, when they had the greatest metaphysical insane sci-fi comedy plot writing this side of Douglas Adams.
-Father Ted- if everybody on the planet was obliged to watch an episode every week, the world would be a truly better place.
To witness: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vf01daCfNh0 (and go on from there.. go on! go on!)
-Fast Show: redefined comedy as we know it.

And a few I didn't see mentioned yet:
-Absolutely Fabulous: two washed-up remnant hippie groupies trying to keep up the glamour with cringe-inducing results
watch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yjdTo6JT8U
-The Mighty Boosh: rarely laugh-out funny, but more like a surreal feel-extraordinary-good children's show for grown-ups, if that makes any sense.
Maybe this does: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKwQ_zeRwEs
-and finally, one of the big sad mysteries of our times... why the hell hasn't the BBC released the entire run of SHOOTING STARS on DVD!!? It was one of the most popular quiz shows in its time, and definitely one of the funniest, as in batshit insane. Scoring points was just an afterthought, it was really a vehicle for presenters Reeves & Mortimer to unleash their lethal brand of craziness week after week, for years on end. Still, the only thing we've left to remember it by is two (2) crappy outtakes DVD and a handful of snippits on Youtube to make us painfully aware what we're missing
(like this one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdqf_Sg1ZUw)

Although it could be, Reeves & Mortimer later squandered any goodwill at the Beeb by producing the creepy and uncomfortably abstract series Catterick (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lp_H12eYTu8). I quite liked that one too, though.
Reply
post #57 of 511
5/16/08 at 11:10am
Not a TV show, but if you can find some audio files of it, you have to hear I'm Sorry I'll Read That Again. Featuring all three future Goodies and John Cleese, it does for radio conventions what Python did to television conventions. It's inspired lunacy.

And of course, if you're talking about radio, you have to mention The Goon Show. Every single show mentioned in this thread probably owes some kind of debt to it.
Reply
post #58 of 511
5/16/08 at 11:22am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Vernon Signpost View Post
I'm a huge fan of Sadowitz! Here's a treat and here's some card tricks. I've seen him a few times. His show last year was possibly the best I've seen by him.
Wow, now I'm really jealous. I've only ever read about them, but his live shows are supposed to be legendary (people crying with laughter sort of thing).

Thanks for posting that clip, too. It's always great when he launches into the Connolly impersonation with "bums" this and "wee jobbie" that. So much hatred! Last time I saw him on tv, years ago, he had moved on to hating David Blaine, doing really half hearted impersonations interspersed with crap street magic. Great stuff.
Reply
post #59 of 511
5/16/08 at 11:38am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Vernon Signpost View Post
Also, Re: Steve Coogan. I see him getting much love across Chud. Hell, he even turned up in Curb Your Enthusiasm. What's he known for over in the US? I assume Alan Partridge and not Around the World in 80 Days or The Parole Officer. So did you guys get I'm Alan Partridge or Knowing Me, Knowing You over there?
BBC America has run some of the Partridge shows, as well as the newer Saxondale stuff (which I just found impenetrable. Bit of a misfire IMHO). And I'll sometimes notice him in films that get shown on cable channels like Comedy Central, e.g. Lies and Alibis and Happy Endings. Don't know what kind of proper release films like that ever got in the US, or how many people saw him in the excellent Tristram Shandy (with Rob Brydon doing Coogan AS Alan! Loved that). I'm hoping Hamlet 2 and Tropic Thunder both do good things for him.

What's great though is that the US comedy elite seem to be fully aware of how awesome Coogan is, which is a good thing.
Reply
post #60 of 511
5/16/08 at 2:01pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Disciple_72 View Post
Wow, now I'm really jealous. I've only ever read about them, but his live shows are supposed to be legendary (people crying with laughter sort of thing).

Thanks for posting that clip, too. It's always great when he launches into the Connolly impersonation with "bums" this and "wee jobbie" that. So much hatred! Last time I saw him on tv, years ago, he had moved on to hating David Blaine, doing really half hearted impersonations interspersed with crap street magic. Great stuff.
Yeah, I was looking for live clips on YouTube but came up blank. Some of his stuff is quite ribald to say the least! At a show I was at in Edinburgh a few years back a woman rushed the stage to try and punch him after a string of material about just what he'd do to Jill Dando's corpse. Then he spent the last 10 minutes of his show with his cock out! Good times.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Disciple_72 View Post
BBC America has run some of the Partridge shows, as well as the newer Saxondale stuff (which I just found impenetrable. Bit of a misfire IMHO). And I'll sometimes notice him in films that get shown on cable channels like Comedy Central, e.g. Lies and Alibis and Happy Endings. Don't know what kind of proper release films like that ever got in the US, or how many people saw him in the excellent Tristram Shandy (with Rob Brydon doing Coogan AS Alan! Loved that). I'm hoping Hamlet 2 and Tropic Thunder both do good things for him.

What's great though is that the US comedy elite seem to be fully aware of how awesome Coogan is, which is a good thing
That's cool. I think the problem with Saxondale is that he wrote it himself! He's an amazing performer, no doubt, but he needs someone like Morris or Iannucci to keep the writing tight.

Loved A Cock and Bull Story - hell, the end credits were worth the admission alone. Looking forward to seeing Hamlet 2 and Tropic Thunder

He's doing a live tour over here later in the year, so I'll definitely try to catch it.

If you were a fan of Cunt, You should definitely have a look at Screenwipe on that BBC iplayer if it works outside the UK. If not, there seems to be plenty of episodes on youtube - here's the biggest Cocks (vol 1), Cock's and She-Cocks in Advertising (vol 2) and the guide to TV
Reply
post #61 of 511
5/16/08 at 3:05pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Vernon Signpost View Post
At a show I was at in Edinburgh a few years back a woman rushed the stage to try and punch him after a string of material about just what he'd do to Jill Dando's corpse. Then he spent the last 10 minutes of his show with his cock out!
Awesome.

Quote:
I think the problem with Saxondale is that he wrote it himself! He's an amazing performer, no doubt, but he needs someone like Morris or Iannucci to keep the writing tight.
You're right about that. I think maybe those guys know him (and his skills) better than he knows himself.

Quote:
Loved A Cock and Bull Story - hell, the end credits were worth the admission alone.
Yeah, him and Brydon trying to outPacino each other was superb. Such great chemistry between the two of them. Brydon reading his character lines as Roger Moore also had me rolling.

I'm actually a bit of an Alan Partridge nerd (I always try to get someone to tape his in character interviews/Comic Relief appearances etc... I suppose I'm what Alan would call "a bit odd"), so the AP references in that film were a real treat for me. And that hot chesnut down the trousers scene was PURE Alan.

"At least take me for dinner first!"

Quote:
He's doing a live tour over here later in the year, so I'll definitely try to catch it.
I wonder if he'll still be bringing out all the old characters? I always liked his Pauline Calf material. And Tony Ferrino was a fun bit of self indulgence.

And thanks for the recos, I'll be checking them out!
Reply
post #62 of 511
5/16/08 at 3:23pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Disciple_72 View Post
I wonder if he'll still be bringing out all the old characters? I always liked his Pauline Calf material. And Tony Ferrino was a fun bit of self indulgence.
The tour is titled: STEVE COOGAN IS ALAN PARTRIDGE AND OTHER LESS SUCCESSFUL CHARACTERS So there's definitely going to be some Calf action.


Quote:
Originally Posted by Disciple_72 View Post
I'm actually a bit of an Alan Partridge nerd (I always try to get someone to tape his in character interviews/Comic Relief appearances etc... I suppose I'm what Alan would call "a bit odd"), so the AP references in that film were a real treat for me. And that hot chesnut down the trousers scene was PURE Alan.
Ha. Yeah. I'm a bit of - well actually, a lot of - a comedy nerd myself. I love collecting all the little snips of Python or Brass Eye that didn't make transmission and I've got all of Chris Morris, Lee & Herring and Armando Radio 1 stuff that I've been able to get my hands on. I've been reading Chud for a bit and thought I'd ease myself into the forums on a subject that I definitely know what I'm talking about! I'm glad it's getting some love!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Disciple_72 View Post
And thanks for the recos, I'll be checking them out!
Cool. Hope you like them, man!
Reply
post #63 of 511
5/16/08 at 4:44pm
No love for Tony Hancock? (radio, at least).
British comedy at it's best.

(Note: I've made NO mention of most of the 70's 'comedy'...'Are you Being Served', 'Open All Hours', 'Porridge', 'Mind Your Language', 'Dad's Army', 'In Sickness and in Health'...the list goes on.
Not because they're crap (though I can FEEL those fingers hovering over foreign keyboards waiting to SCHOOL me.)...but were just too formulaic.)

Steptoe and Son, however...
Reply
post #64 of 511
5/16/08 at 5:15pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Graham View Post
No love for Tony Hancock? (radio, at least).
British comedy at it's best.

(Note: I've made NO mention of most of the 70's 'comedy'...'Are you Being Served', 'Open All Hours', 'Porridge', 'Mind Your Language', 'Dad's Army', 'In Sickness and in Health'...the list goes on.
Not because they're crap (though I can FEEL those fingers hovering over foreign keyboards waiting to SCHOOL me.)...but were just too formulaic.)

Steptoe and Son, however...
I love you, man! I love Hancock. And Spike Milligan for that matter. Steptoe and Son is one of the greats. It's hard to sell it to other people, though. I've much love for Porridge and Ronnie Barker in general. I've mentioned earlier that I think The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin is this close to being my favourite show ever.

I'm fucking glad that this clip is on youtube. Some, ahem, nuanced underacting from Leonard Rossiter!
Reply
post #65 of 511
5/16/08 at 5:51pm
Fork 'andles.

Barker, you are missed.

...and here's my favorite clip of one comedy duo (quartet, but just Smith & Jones) taking the piss (very accurately) out of another.

The Two Ninnies
Reply
post #66 of 511
5/16/08 at 6:26pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Graham View Post
Fork 'andles.

Barker, you are missed.

...and here's my favorite clip of one comedy duo (quartet, but just Smith & Jones) taking the piss (very accurately) out of another.

The Two Ninnies
Ha! Nice one. I've not seen NTNOCN nearly enough. There's huge gaps in my knowledge.

I'd just like to use this post to break this thread's Derek and Clive virginity.


The Horn

The Worst Job I ever had

"Your Mum" Song - the material from 3:20 in this onwards was the funniest thing the 15 year old me had ever heard.
Reply
post #67 of 511
5/16/08 at 6:49pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Vernon Signpost View Post
Ha! Nice one. I've not seen NTNOCN nearly enough. There's huge gaps in my knowledge.

I'd just like to use this post to break this thread's Derek and Clive virginity.


The Horn

The Worst Job I ever had

"Your Mum" Song - the material from 3:20 in this onwards was the funniest thing the 15 year old me had ever heard.

To which I'll raise you...Peter Cook and Chris Morris' 'Why Bother?'...this thread seems to of almost come full circle!
Reply
post #68 of 511
5/16/08 at 7:10pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Graham View Post
To which I'll raise you...Peter Cook and Chris Morris' 'Why Bother?'...this thread seems to of almost come full circle!
I love Why Bother so very much! The infant christ practicing resurrection episode (which I cannot find on a quick search) is simply awesome.

I've just spent the last half hour watching the latest Peep Show. I love it. It's definitely a future classic. Wanking to the picture of the queen on the £20 note due to absence of porn in sperm bank cubicle= gold. Being put off your stroke by accidentally catching a glimpse of the picture of Elgar on the reverse = Fried Gold!

Peep Show
Reply
post #69 of 511
5/16/08 at 7:23pm
Are we allowed Douglas Adams in this thread?
Reply
post #70 of 511
5/16/08 at 7:29pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Graham View Post
Are we allowed Douglas Adams in this thread?
Man, I would not be happy if there weren't any! The Man wrote for season 4 of Monty Python, Dr Who and he also did some books or other!

I was actually wondering we were allowed any Viz! Then I remembered that if it's British and funny it's in! I'll get a scan up of the Vibrating Bum-Faced Goats in the next couple of days!

Bonus Uncut Brasseye: Gay as a window
Reply
post #71 of 511
5/16/08 at 7:31pm
...I fear we've lost most of our CHUD regulars...
Reply
post #72 of 511
5/16/08 at 7:39pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Vernon Signpost View Post

I was actually wondering we were allowed any Viz! Then I remembered that if it's British and funny it's in! I'll get a scan up of the Vibrating Bum-Faced Goats in the next couple of days!

[/URL]
Get some of the EARLY 'Paul Whicker, the Tall Vicar', 'The Parkie' or 'Roger Mellie'...and by early I mean 1980's.
Reply
post #73 of 511
5/16/08 at 7:44pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Graham View Post
...I fear we've lost most of our CHUD regulars...
You may be right. Hopefully the odd intrepid soul will find something they like in amongst some of these impenetrable references, though!

Maybe some Douglas Adams chat will bring people back out of the Top Chef 4 - Chicago thread! Hitch-Hikers Guide to the Galaxy, then. Radio version was best, eh?
Reply
post #74 of 511
5/16/08 at 7:47pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Vernon Signpost View Post
Hitch-Hikers Guide to the Galaxy, then. Radio version was best, eh?
There was another version?
(I actually miss the stuff removed from the original radio-cut...especially the inflections of the mice in 'Fit the Fourth'.)
Reply
post #75 of 511
5/16/08 at 7:54pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Graham View Post
Get some of the EARLY 'Paul Whicker, the Tall Vicar', 'The Parkie' or 'Roger Mellie'...and by early I mean 1980's.


I love me some Viz - although I'm missing two!

I think some of the modern stuff is under-rated - although there's more than a few crap issues these days. I'm with you on the Paul Whicker stuff, though!
Reply
post #76 of 511
5/16/08 at 8:03pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Graham View Post
There was another version?
(I actually miss the stuff removed from the original radio-cut...especially the inflections of the mice in 'Fit the Fourth'.)
I'm just old enough to remember the first broadcast of the TV show but even then, I found their claim that the practical effects for Zaphod Beeblebrox's second head were cutting edge to be spurious at best.

Edit: And I should add that I still love the TV show. It's just that the radio show is incredible.
Reply
post #77 of 511
5/16/08 at 8:17pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Vernon Signpost View Post
It's just that the radio show is incredible.

Yeah...the visuals are better.
Reply
post #78 of 511
5/16/08 at 8:28pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Graham View Post
Yeah...the visuals are better.
A long time ago I frequented a message board whose mantra was "It's better on the radio".

It's not quite the gospel truth, but there's definitely an argument to be made that it's true for Hitchhikers, On the Hour, Blue Jam, Hancock, Knowing Me, Knowing You and Room 101 off the top of my head. HitchHikers and Blue Jam, at least, are markedly better in your head than the TV shows could ever reproduce
Reply
post #79 of 511
5/17/08 at 9:46am
This thread is giving me serious flashbacks of all the comedy shows I watched growing up, Mr. Bean, Alas Smith and Jones, One Foot in the grave (which had some remarkable pathos) Not the nine o'clock news, Only Fools and Horses which despite it's formula is still incredibly funny.

I'll also second the love for 'The Goodies'

http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=QKcApI6uiSY

Puppets. RUN.
Reply
post #80 of 511
5/17/08 at 9:39pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dragon Ma View Post
This thread is giving me serious flashbacks of all the comedy shows I watched growing up, Mr. Bean, Alas Smith and Jones, One Foot in the grave (which had some remarkable pathos) Not the nine o'clock news, Only Fools and Horses which despite it's formula is still incredibly funny.

I'll also second the love for 'The Goodies'

http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=QKcApI6uiSY

Puppets. RUN.
Good stuff Dragon-Ma. Glad you're enjoying. I've much love for One Foot in the Grave but I'm torn on Only Fools and Horses - It was great for the first few series but the more girlfriends that appeared, the less funny the show became.

Talk of Smith & Jones made me have a flashback to Alexei Sayle's Stuff. It was completely in thrall to Flying Circus but brought plenty more to the table. Alexei even did his own version of Python's Self-Defense sketch. It's the same but with added Oscar Wilde!

Python Version

Alexei's Version - Puckish Epigrams and all!
Reply
post #81 of 511
5/18/08 at 12:37am
So many good things mentioned already, I think I'm at a disadvantage of being on the wrong side of the pond.

So glad someone is linking Peep Show's fifth series. I began watching this maybe a week ago, and before the day's end, I had burned through the previous four series.

Extending the appreciation for the following already mentioned: Fawlty Towers, Monty Python and the Flying Circus, Big Train, Spaced, Black Books, Peep Show, The Young Ones, Father Ted (finally got the series set last Christmas), Knowing Me Knowing You with Alan Partridge, and I'm Alan Partridge.

Those are the main favorites up to now, as being in Texas, I'm fucked when it comes to getting my Brit humor in a timely (and legal) manner. I'll definitely be checking out the Fast Show, Buzzcocks (Bill Bailey, you say?), and One Foot in the Grave in the coming week.
Reply
post #82 of 511
5/18/08 at 5:48am
That reminds me, I used to watch this UK sitcom set in an ad agency but for the life of me I cannot remember the name, I think it's from the people who made 'Absolutely'

I can't believe no-one's mentioned Coupling yet.
Reply
post #83 of 511
5/18/08 at 12:32pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dragon Ma View Post
That reminds me, I used to watch this UK sitcom set in an ad agency but for the life of me I cannot remember the name, I think it's from the people who made 'Absolutely'.
I think it was called The Creatives. I never actually managed to see it despite loving Absolutely/Mr. Don & Mr. George.

Quote:
Originally Posted by McMeatbag
Buzzcocks (Bill Bailey, you say?)
Yup. Since 2002, whichever series that was. Amstell took over presenting since Season 19.

Here's Amy Winehouse on it. She is drunk! And therefore an easy target!
Reply
post #84 of 511
5/19/08 at 5:27pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Vernon Signpost View Post
I was actually wondering we were allowed any Viz!
Haven't read it in YEARS but yeah, probably the best humour comic ever. Viz was so great it even had me reading all those stupid unfunny Viz knock-offs just in case I found anything in there that could compete.

Aside from Fawlty, I'm not much for traditional British sitcoms. Though I do have a certain fondness for Game On (starring the always solid Ben Chaplin as a DeNiro obsessed shut-in)
Reply
post #85 of 511
5/19/08 at 6:01pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Disciple_72 View Post
Viz was so great it even had me reading all those stupid unfunny Viz knock-offs just in case I found anything in there that could compete.
Poor guy! They were all terrible. That said, I did much the same thing myself! I did have a parochial fondness for the Scottish Viz knock-off, Electric Soup, but I think that's possibly down to all the Special Brew I'm duty bound to consume.

Bonus Electric Soup Fact: Frank Quitely out of All-Star Superman and the Invisibles used to draw strips in it.

Quote:
Aside from Fawlty, I'm not much for traditional British sitcoms. Though I do have a certain fondness for Game On (starring the always solid Ben Chaplin as a DeNiro obsessed shut-in)
That's one I haven't thought about in years. I enjoyed the first series which had Chaplin, but everything after he left has faded from memory apart from a phrase used in one episode where a post-coital room was described as being "festooned with jism." I still like to work that one into conversation every now and then.
Reply
post #86 of 511
5/25/08 at 5:36am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Vernon Signpost View Post
A few other Recommendations that came to me. Probably impossible to get hold of outside the UK, though:

Never Mind The Buzzcocks. For years it was a so-so music-based panel quiz show hosted by Mark Lamarr that rehashed the same jokes every week. But a few years back, Bill Bailey became one of the team captains and a couple of years ago, Lamarr was replaced by Simon Amstell, who completely shook up the show and turned it into one of the funniest half-hours of the week.
I remember seeing a clip of that show on some british comedy compilation, two teams were instructed to grab as much stuff small bedroom set, one team included Jonathon Ross and he proceeded to destroy the room, he even throws a TV through the window, fucking brilliant.

This also reminds me of Ben Elton's The Man from Auntie and the ben elton show, I used to love those shows.
Reply
post #87 of 511
6/3/08 at 2:52pm
Ian Mcshane born in Blackburn (apparently).

re: Sadowicz - Massive fan - I've got the poall bearers rvue on DVD it's still amazing - my favourite legendary moment was apparently sadowicz came on at the montreal comedy festival: "good evening moose fuckers!" and got bood straight off, escorted from the building onto a plane and sent the fuck home. Shortest ever set at just for laughs. I don't know if this is totally true, but I love it!. "Why is it called just for laughs? because that's all you get, just 4 laughs in 3 weeks."

Brooker is amazing but needs to be doing more! the last season of screenwipe was a bit of a disappointment, he needs to just be sat on his sofa swearing at the TV. I love his turn-of-phrase, like when he refered to the contestants on america's next top model as "a gaggle of chiruping skeletons".

also re:viz does anyone remember "theiving bastard gypsies" it's my all time favourite strip.

PS, iplayer does not work outside UK. Oh the pain!
Reply
post #88 of 511
6/3/08 at 4:33pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by mr_adam View Post
re: Sadowicz - Massive fan - I've got the poall bearers rvue on DVD it's still amazing - my favourite legendary moment was apparently sadowicz came on at the montreal comedy festival: "good evening moose fuckers!" and got bood straight off, escorted from the building onto a plane and sent the fuck home. Shortest ever set at just for laughs. I don't know if this is totally true, but I love it!. "Why is it called just for laughs? because that's all you get, just 4 laughs in 3 weeks."
I remember he was on something shit in the early 90s - possibly the Word or Naked City - and did the Levitating Hat trick (think Steve Martin in the Man With Two Brains) on live TV!

Quote:
Brooker is amazing but needs to be doing more! the last season of screenwipe was a bit of a disappointment, he needs to just be sat on his sofa swearing at the TV. I love his turn-of-phrase, like when he refered to the contestants on america's next top model as "a gaggle of chiruping skeletons".
"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, which is a pity because this week the National Association of Beholders wrote to tell me that I've got a face like a rucksack full of dented bells."

Quote:
also re:viz does anyone remember "theiving bastard gypsies" it's my all time favourite strip.
I do (and I'll get back to you on it)!

Quote:
PS, iplayer does not work outside UK. Oh the pain!
Fucking BBC! Can they do anything right?

[SPOILER] No [/SPOILER]
Reply
post #89 of 511
6/3/08 at 8:40pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Vernon Signpost View Post
I remember he was on something shit in the early 90s - possibly the Word or Naked City - and did the Levitating Hat trick (think Steve Martin in the Man With Two Brains) on live TV!
remember he was in the video for Ebeneezer goode by the shamen, E's r good!
It may also still be possible to get his total abuse show, the production quality is quite low (almost like a bootleg) but the material is incredible. If you can get a copy of theiving gypsy bastards I'll do you a copy of the pall bearers revue (featuring the roy walton moment).
Reply
post #90 of 511
6/4/08 at 1:40pm
Jerry Sadowitz. Genius.

"Nelson Mandela, what a cunt. Terry Waite, bastard. I dunno, you lend some people a fiver, you never see them again."
Reply
post #91 of 511
6/4/08 at 1:45pm
Inoticed this thread and thought, Oh, I like Black Adder. I wonder if anyone in there has seen it?

Well, I think I'm clearly out of my league on this one.
Reply
post #92 of 511
6/4/08 at 2:06pm
I remember that Shamen video well. It was great to see Sadowitz in a music video. Sadly though I was one of the slow ones who didn't catch the chorus gag at first and had to have it explained... though in my defense, I got "Turning Japanese" by the Vapors first time!

The Pall Bearer's Revue is the first thing I ever saw Sadowitz in, but yeah he did a bunch of different random TV appearances also, like the type of late night channel 4 stuff Vernon mentioned. And speaking of the Montreal Just for Laughs festival, I remember he turned up in a few of those clip shows hosted by Lee & Herring (actually they were the reason I tuned in in the first place). And the Total Abuse video is classic.

Of course there was his channel 5 show too, The People vs Jerry Sadowitz. I enjoyed that a lot. Sometimes you had to be patient and wait for the funny stuff, but it was there. I loved Jerry's banter with the bouncers. After that died, he did some card magic shows for the same channel (clearly that's his real passion)

Then I think he kind of disappeared from TV, didn't he? Has he done anything other than live gigs in the last few years?

Sadowitz is so great though, really. At his best he makes all other "shock" comedians look like Bill Cosby at a church function. I think the thing about him is he transcends offensiveness, through a combination of personality, imagination, and going so far beyond what's acceptable that the only possible response is laughter. Plus you know that he really doesn't mean it, which makes him kind of loveable.
Reply
post #93 of 511
6/4/08 at 2:13pm
Here's another guy I always liked- John Thompson, especially when doing his anti-Manning Bernard Righton schtick. But also as Joe Beazley with Cheeky Monkey!

"DON'T TOUCH HIM!" [raises fist towards Partridge]
Reply
post #94 of 511
6/4/08 at 3:30pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Arjen Rudd View Post
Inoticed this thread and thought, Oh, I like Black Adder. I wonder if anyone in there has seen it?

Well, I think I'm clearly out of my league on this one.
Not at all Arjen!

The point of this thread - well one of several, anyway, it's gone on a diversion or three since - was to turn people who liked Spaced or Blackadder onto some other things they'd probably enjoy.

Blackadder the Third was always my favourite. No-one shouts "SAUSAGE!?" like Robbie Coltrane!
Reply
post #95 of 511
6/4/08 at 3:47pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Disciple_72 View Post
I remember that Shamen video well. It was great to see Sadowitz in a music video. Sadly though I was one of the slow ones who didn't catch the chorus gag at first and had to have it explained... though in my defense, I got "Turning Japanese" by the Vapors first time!
The Shamen always denied it was about drugs at the time! Although, to sidetrack a bit, I remember the Radio 1 (Peel?) session of it replaced the "Got any Veras?" bit with

Mr C. out the Shamen - "Got any Axminster?"

Colin out the Shamen - "ooh, I get it, Mr C. That's a Rug reference!"

It was funny at the time!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Disciple_72 View Post
The Pall Bearer's Revue is the first thing I ever saw Sadowitz in, but yeah he did a bunch of different random TV appearances also, like the type of late night channel 4 stuff Vernon mentioned. And speaking of the Montreal Just for Laughs festival, I remember he turned up in a few of those clip shows hosted by Lee & Herring (actually they were the reason I tuned in in the first place). And the Total Abuse video is classic.

Of course there was his channel 5 show too, The People vs Jerry Sadowitz. I enjoyed that a lot. Sometimes you had to be patient and wait for the funny stuff, but it was there. I loved Jerry's banter with the bouncers. After that died, he did some card magic shows for the same channel (clearly that's his real passion)

Then I think he kind of disappeared from TV, didn't he? Has he done anything other than live gigs in the last few years?

Sadowitz is so great though, really. At his best he makes all other "shock" comedians look like Bill Cosby at a church function. I think the thing about him is he transcends offensiveness, through a combination of personality, imagination, and going so far beyond what's acceptable that the only possible response is laughter. Plus you know that he really doesn't mean it, which makes him kind of loveable.
My experience with Sadowitz is more or less the same. The People Vs... was essential viewing at the time for those two or three nuggets of gold you'd get per episode

As you suspect, he's totally disappeared from TV and pretty much plies his trade doing Magic Shows and the odd bit of stand up between Soho and Edinburgh.

Speaking of Lee and Herring, actually, I hear Stewart Lee has some sort of TV pilot based - I think - around his stand-up, which will hopefully get picked up. It's almost 10 years since he's had a series, although he was recently a regular on Armando's Time Trumpet*.

His latest DVD, 41st Best Stand-Up Ever! that I mentioned earlier in the thread is available from Amazon next month. Buy it and possibly see the back of my head!


* Which was a bit disappointing, actually, apart from Rape an Ape

ETA: And Rape a Celebrity Ape How did Ricky Gervais keep that dance up for so long?
Reply
post #96 of 511
6/4/08 at 5:42pm
I'll have to get that Stewart Lee DVD.

and Vernon, those clips were great. The bit with fake Seb Coe killed me. And "Darts at Stars" belongs on TV in the next Grand Theft Auto game!
Reply
post #97 of 511
6/4/08 at 6:24pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Phil View Post
Any fan of The Young Ones should track down Comic Strip Presents, especially the episodes A Fistful of Travelers' Cheques, Five Go Mad in Dorset, and above all, Bad News Tour, which was produced the same year as This Is Spinal Tap.



Here's the whole episode:

Part 1

Part 2


Part 3
I own the Bad News album. It's fucking excellent.

Second the love for Big Train. It was shown just before League of Gentlemen back in the day and was far superior in my opinion. Hasn't aged that well, but still.

Anything with Harry Enfield.

Special mentions:

Red Dwarf.
Men Behaving Badly.
Blackadder.
Father Ted.
The Office.
Extras. (Patrick Stewart especially)

Also, seconding the love for Dark Place. Really, really surprising.

I watched League of Gentlemen loads when it came out, but I never "got" the comedy. It wasn't just dark, it was just way over my head - perhaps too experimental for my liking.
Reply
post #98 of 511
6/4/08 at 6:26pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Arjen Rudd View Post
Inoticed this thread and thought, Oh, I like Black Adder. I wonder if anyone in there has seen it?

Well, I think I'm clearly out of my league on this one.
Not even slightly. That show hasn't aged a bit - it's still extremely sharp.

The episode with 'Bob' is worth mentioning.
Reply
post #99 of 511
6/4/08 at 6:58pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Disciple_72 View Post
I'll have to get that Stewart Lee DVD.

and Vernon, those clips were great. The bit with fake Seb Coe killed me. And "Darts at Stars" belongs on TV in the next Grand Theft Auto game!
Bas Rutten to host!

Actually, after watching those clips and a couple of others*, I feel like giving the series another chance. I'd completely forgotten Adam Buxton and everyone from Dark Place were also in it. Don't think it's appeared on DVD, yet, so presumably it never will. I'll find it under an internet rock, I'm sure.


* specifically, this one
Reply
post #100 of 511
6/4/08 at 7:28pm
is the stewart lee video from Scotland - I think it was called stewart Lee - Stand up comedian or something, I saw it and it was amazing. He managed to abuse the Scots for an hour but in such a way that they couldn't get mad at him. Like when he destroyed braveheart - saying that the french princess would only have been a child of 8 or 9 when she supposedly slept with Wallace. "Now I'm not saying he didn't sleep with her..." then he went on about how they found love-letters from wallace to robert the bruce. Then he gets started on princess diana - outstanding.

Incidentally, I loved stephen fry as wellington in Blackadder 3 but 2 will always be my favourite series.

Sadowitz:
"why are return train tickets always cheaper than one-way? I mean you're always going to come back from birmingham aren't you?"

"my mother was Jewish and my father was a 1.5litre bottle of diet pepsi."

"not only did my mother smoke during pregnancy but she even sent me out for the fags!"

Also remember the psychiatrist sketch from Pall Bearer's revue featuring Mark E Smith? What a god.

Sadowitz always seems to do a bit of a tour and a few ights in that london around x-mas - but it's rarely covered anywhere because he's burned all his bridges.
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: Television
CHUD.com Community › Forums › SPORTS, GAMES & LEISURE › Television › The British Comedy Show Appreciation Thread