The sad thing about the mainstream stand up craze we're going through at the moment is I'm struggling to think of a single one who has something to say worth listening to. Of course there's no reason why all stand ups should be commenting on society and making a point, but they're all so bloody mainstream. Even those who set out to shock like Boyle have nothing really to say apart from trying to shock.
An opinionated comedian is one with a much smaller fan base, i.e. less profitable. If they are lucky, they might become as famous as, say, Mark Steel.
The wrong people go into comedy these days; careerists, people with good jobs who realised they could make more money in comedy, people like Jimmy Carr who was an oil executive.
And these people know that to make the money you have to play it safe
Jimmy Carr is someone who plays it safe? Have you seen him live? He's not very PC. What do you mean by "safe"?
The wrong people go into comedy these days; careerists, people with good jobs who realised they could make more money in comedy, people like Jimmy Carr who was an oil executive.
And these people know that to make the money you have to play it safe so you have very dull comedy from the likes of McIntyre, Bishop and Bridges.
Michael McIntyre drives a Jag and wears and Rolex, these dull middle-class career people aren't what British comedy needs, it'll not be long before they start talking about golf like Tarby and Forsythe.
Comedy shouldn't just be a way to pay off the mortgage and buy a holiday home in France.
I think Kevin Bridges is not too bad. I agree with the other two and would add Jason Manford and Russell Howard. I think British comedy has had its high points as well as low. There have been some good sitcoms like Benidorm, The IT Crowd and The Inbetweeners. The problem with stand up comedy is that there is alot of middle of the road comedians with good agents and they circle around the panel shows and put their Television careers before their live performance shows.
When the audience is laughing at the comedian, in a way totally controlled by the comedian themself, then you are in the hands of a true master of comedy.
The worst "comedians" get you to laugh at others. Today's lot are like this!
But there's Mirander.
Now she's a great comedian -- a great droll like Doddy, or the wonderful Tommy Cooper, or M&W, or ... These you laugh before they even start.
Jimmy Carr isn't the worst offender for playing it straight but he does just tell knob jokes, he's not breaking any barriers or pulling up any trees.
I think you are just not familiar with his material. For example, he got into trouble for this one: "Say what you like about those servicemen amputees from Iraq and Afghanistan, but we're going to have a ****ing good Paralympic team in 2012." (The asterisks courtesy of DS censorship filters.)
Pretty much standard-issue Jimmy Carr: tasteless, offensive, short, targeting disability – one of his key subjects alongside rape, paedophilia, prostitutes, homosexuality, Aids, the physical and sexual abuse of pets, sex of all kinds (but especially anal), penises, breasts, vaginas ("Where did you lose your virginity?" someone in the audience at Margate asks him. "In a vagina," he fires back), excrement, the awfulness of the Welsh, the even greater awfulness of the Scots, fat women, fat children, fat pets, fat Scots, and people (fatness optional) with ginger hair.
I always thought it was disappointing how Reeves and Mortimer decided to bring back Shooting Stars (again). The two series from the early 2000s were funny (especially Series 5 with the sweaty fox) but the two new series seem quite dull and stale. If Reeves and Mortimer wanted to return to TV, I don't know why they couldn't come up with new ideas.
I always thought it was disappointing how Reeves and Mortimer decided to bring back Shooting Stars (again). The two series from the early 2000s were funny (especially Series 5 with the sweaty fox) but the two new series seem quite dull and stale. If Reeves and Mortimer wanted to return to TV, I don't know why they couldn't come up with new ideas.
Yeah, I agree with you there. No offence to them but some of their jokes are dated and I'm finding shooting stars less and less enjoyable each time I watch it
Little Britain was a total kick in the teeth for alternative PC humour as they took on everyone. So much better than some left wing bore slagging off the Tories all the time or a feminist comedienne finding menstruation amusing.
I think there's been some very good comedy over the last couple of years - Miranda, Inbetweeners, IT Crowd etc. but watching the Father Ted documentary last night reminded me that real classics are always few and far between and much of TV comedy in the past has been mediocre.
As for stand-up comedy there are still a few decent comics about but I think it's hard to find good material sometimes. Since gag-based comedy was largely replaced by observational comedy there's only a finite number of topics to talk about. That's very evident on shows like Mock the Week where the comedians get to do a bit of their stand-up routine on the "topic wheel" round and it's largely dull and repetitive. It's a topical comedy, folks, so please stop going on about what things were like when you were a kid.
Sketch shows are always hit and miss (and the Two Ronnies were never as funny as people seem to remember them) but I think Armstrong and Miller are still good and Mitchell and Webb have come up with some good sketches.
british stand up is live and kicking....and in fact its more than just done that.
Right now we have some of the best stand ups in the world.
as for sitcom......all to do with money, bbc is not going to take a big risk on spemding money on a new comady, most take 2 season to get a lot of fans, in todays world it would be hard to say "give us the money to make a show that might work"
to see the real side of stand-up comedy in the UK you have to get into the clubs. its been the best in years. theres just not the shows on tv for them to get on.....and when they do they have to clean it up so much it dont always work.
I think there's been some very good comedy over the last couple of years - Miranda, Inbetweeners, IT Crowd etc. but watching the Father Ted documentary last night reminded me that real classics are always few and far between and much of TV comedy in the past has been mediocre.
As for stand-up comedy there are still a few decent comics about but I think it's hard to find good material sometimes. Since gag-based comedy was largely replaced by observational comedy there's only a finite number of topics to talk about. That's very evident on shows like Mock the Week where the comedians get to do a bit of their stand-up routine on the "topic wheel" round and it's largely dull and repetitive. It's a topical comedy, folks, so please stop going on about what things were like when you were a kid.
Sketch shows are always hit and miss (and the Two Ronnies were never as funny as people seem to remember them) but I think Armstrong and Miller are still good and Mitchell and Webb have come up with some good sketches.
Comments
Spell "sense".
... I'll allow myself one
Granted, but Mark Steel at least has his credibility.
And starting with "Stomp" an oil drum, drumming act? Not comedy
Cheers for that, but what's your point.
Safe = No Black, Asian or Irish jokes at a guess.
I think Kevin Bridges is not too bad. I agree with the other two and would add Jason Manford and Russell Howard. I think British comedy has had its high points as well as low. There have been some good sitcoms like Benidorm, The IT Crowd and The Inbetweeners. The problem with stand up comedy is that there is alot of middle of the road comedians with good agents and they circle around the panel shows and put their Television careers before their live performance shows.
I am so sorry I have been in bed all day otherwise I would have responded earlier.
I agree, Jimmy Carr live is much better than what he is presenting TV shows.
That's not true.
67% of all statistics are made up.
Rubbish. You might not find them funny, but plenty of people do.
Nothing. Comedy is all about your own taste. There's plenty of funny stuff out there.
The worst "comedians" get you to laugh at others. Today's lot are like this!
But there's Mirander.
Now she's a great comedian -- a great droll like Doddy, or the wonderful Tommy Cooper, or M&W, or ... These you laugh before they even start.
That's comedy!
Here's a quote from The Guardian:
Yeah, I agree with you there. No offence to them but some of their jokes are dated and I'm finding shooting stars less and less enjoyable each time I watch it
He could do a whole evening of bloody funny live TV without batting an eyelid.
Just don't sing Ken.
As for stand-up comedy there are still a few decent comics about but I think it's hard to find good material sometimes. Since gag-based comedy was largely replaced by observational comedy there's only a finite number of topics to talk about. That's very evident on shows like Mock the Week where the comedians get to do a bit of their stand-up routine on the "topic wheel" round and it's largely dull and repetitive. It's a topical comedy, folks, so please stop going on about what things were like when you were a kid.
Sketch shows are always hit and miss (and the Two Ronnies were never as funny as people seem to remember them) but I think Armstrong and Miller are still good and Mitchell and Webb have come up with some good sketches.
Right now we have some of the best stand ups in the world.
as for sitcom......all to do with money, bbc is not going to take a big risk on spemding money on a new comady, most take 2 season to get a lot of fans, in todays world it would be hard to say "give us the money to make a show that might work"
so they stick to on offs