Ben Elton returns - please god, say it's not true!
The world's unfunniest 'comedian' and writer of shitcoms is to stage a comeback after 12 years off screen. Does anyone want to see him back?
http://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/tm_objectid=17638218%26method=full%26siteid=94762%26headline=tv%2dreturn%2dfor%2dcomic%2dstar%2delton%2d-name_page.html
http://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/tm_objectid=17638218%26method=full%26siteid=94762%26headline=tv%2dreturn%2dfor%2dcomic%2dstar%2delton%2d-name_page.html
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A good face for radio.
We Will Rock You is a huge West End hit.
Im not a big fan of him really, ive seen some of his other work and its just rubbish.
People rate him for Blackadder though, but I reckon the funniest lines were written by Richard Curtis.
Elton couldn't write his name on an envelope - witness that rubbish 'Blessed' with Ardal O'Hanlon and Mel Giedroyc that was on last year. It's not coming back AFIAK - get the message Ben?
His sense of humour appeals to me. I think it's probably an age thing.
Each to their own.
Totally agree with that. Used to howl at Vic Reeves but he stopped being funny after Shooting Stars (I loved Big Night Out). Now I just think 'do you want a cup of tea, love?!' when I see him!
IMO Ben Elton was always as funny as a stubbed toe. Never ever found the appeal. His BBC1 show eons ago was so unfunny that I thought Eastenders was a laugh riot in comparison.
His humour hasn't stood the test of time and he seems to write well in conjunction with someone else and not alone.
I saw him commenting on "The Young Ones" that he co-wrote and he said he didn't like a lot of the bits Lise Mayer wrote. Hm........
I have always found him to be hilarious. I guess some people have a peculiar idea of what funny is.
Different strokes for different folks I guess.
I've always found him about as funny as cancer whatever he does. :cool:
It's simple really. If you like Ben Elton, stand-up comedian, watch it. If you don't, don't. I love his stand-up, but he's the worst writer (of novels) in the world, so I just don't read them.
Ben Elton went to my college too!
That's the thing isn't it - all the 'alternative' comedians of the 80's have now become the establishment they were railing against 20 years ago!
For years he was anti-establishment, and annoyed at the decisions made on our behalf and now he has changed his stance to suit his needs.
He was anti-royal, yet you see him at the Palace for the anti-poverty concerts (nothing wrong with that), but then he is sucking up to the royal family while he was there.
He hosted the Royal Variety Show and was sucking up to Prince Charles in a vomit inducing way.
I also remembering do very scathing routines about the likes of Queen and Rod Stewart only to collaborate with them when he thought the money was good enough.
From a documentary I saw the other week, he appears he nicked most of his material from Alexei Sayle in the 80s (the two dislike each other immensely) and when you look at his routines now, it even looks like he was actually taking the p!ss.
His routines also featured the much hated 'farty' that everyone should detest and the but of most of his 'comedy', but actually he has morphed into that character completely - Ben Elton is now the 'farty' he once derised.
His recent Sitcom work has been dreadful and totally unfunny, and I really don't think he has any credibility left. He comes acroos as completely false, pretending to be radical to be popular - he's a complete try-hard.
Give me Rik Mayall, Ade Edmondson and Alexei Sayle anyday over him.
He doesn't stand the test of time, and younger comedians have moved things on past him.
He should get back to brown nosing the likes of Brian May and Rod Stewart! :mad:
The man grew up in Stratford-upon-Avon. You just can't take it out of him.
Nout wrong wi' a bit o' the posh!
He was a product of his time though.
Doesn't really matter where he grew up.
The early 80's were the time of Maggie, who most people hated, Elton was just one of several comics, including Alexei Sayle (working class Liverpool communist), whose style suited the mood of the times.
Difference is Sayle was (and still is) funny - Elton was just an unfunny bigmouthed ranter.
No that pile of tripe was written by Paul Mendelson and Paul Mayhew-Archer.
He did write the equally dire Blessed though.
Oh the hilarity of it all:
Babies mean you have leaky nipples and you are grumpy because you are so tired.
Oh my aching sides :rolleyes:
I liked his books too - didn't find them really funny, but I did think they were well written. Just read Gridlock - good book, but slightly cringeworthy in places
Personally I have never been a great fan of his. But as for sucking up to Royalty , well I missed that , what I do remember is how cringingly embarrasingly rude he was during his stint on the Princes Trust concert held at the Tower of London and was shown on ITV. He was very unfunny, very rude about the Royal family, now its ok if you dont like them , but when you are meant to be there doing a bit in support of Prince Charles charity then you do not behave as he did, there were quite a few comments on his arrogance and rudeness on some threads when it was aired. Also his tatse in jokes for what was an early evening family show.
Just found one of the threads and will post a couple of the comments on him from that night
I am sure there were some more threads on this concert with comments on him but cannoit find them. But he was definitely a disgrace that night , not just for his rude behaviour but his entire performance.