Some British TV comedies of last 20 years
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Topic: Some British TV comedies of last 20 years
Posted By: Logan
Subject: Some British TV comedies of last 20 years
Date Posted: September 04 2016 at 01:07
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So, yeah, we had a modern British sitcoms poll made a few years ago, and I've mentioned various of these in a poll or two I did, but these are some of my favourite comedies of the last twenty odd years -- some, like Misfits, are more other genres mixed with comedy, but still can be very funny, so I include it. Inside No. 9 is listed as a comedy show, or comedy drama, and can be funny or very sad. Haven't thought of Black Mirror as comedy really (one of my favourite shows), but I see it listed as a comedy drama, and the PM got bacon thing was pretty funny, so I can't resist including it. Ran out of space for Big Babies -- a weird BBC kids show that I love. I would have sooner kicked out another, but figured I'd keep another that I don't like as much but is more likely to get votes. Really doing this cause I finished watching two great ones fairly recently, Snuff Box (not that recently), and most recently the venerable League of Gentlemen -- better late than never. I had caught some of both before, but never finished with them until late. The League of Gentlemen series is amazing, but I didn't manage to make it all the way through the Apocalypse film -- would have loved to see them live. I had been put off a bit by the laugh tracks, and yes, they do use canned laughter in the first two series and none in the third, but as it is so genuinely funny I accept the laugh tracks. Multiple choice enabled... Please mention any other ones you like especially of the darker variety of comedy -- if I wanted to feel good I'd have married bloody James Brown. Guess I should have included Father Ted, though some claim it's more Irish (British production company for a British channel though). Still feel weird including some of these so-called comedy dramas, but whatever.... I'm sure I've missed some of my favourites and may edit the poll later. ------------- Just a fanboy passin' through. |
Replies:
Posted By: Blacksword
Date Posted: September 04 2016 at 02:31
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I'll go for Peep Show. It's run for nine series without loss of quality (IMO) There's some great shows on your list. The Office and Extras were genius as was Brass Eye and Spaced. Black Mirror, althogh briliant isn't really comedy, even of the dark variety. It's more 'speculative drama' Have I just invented a genre..?  ------------- Ultimately bored by endless ecstasy! |
Posted By: Kotro
Date Posted: September 04 2016 at 03:21
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Too hard to pick from the list, I think I need to click them all! I would like to add some from the same period that I love, like Fresh Meat, and That Mitchel & Webb Look. Also a honourable mention to The Wrong Door, which sadly balances brilliant sci-fi comedy with absolutely cringeworthy toilet humour.
------------- Bigger on the inside. |
Posted By: Atavachron
Date Posted: September 04 2016 at 03:28
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Don't know many of these, so The Detectorists will have to do. Lovely show. ------------- "Too often we enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought." -- John F. Kennedy |
Posted By: Dean
Date Posted: September 04 2016 at 03:35
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Tough choices - went with Garth Merenghi but Toast of London, Mighty Boosh, Green Wing, Snuff Box, IT Crowd, Spaced or Black Books would have done just as well. It's easier for me to list those I don't like: Brass Eye, The Office, Alan Partridge, Little Britain, Thick of It... all of which seem to consist of one or two mildly amusing ideas repeated ad nauseam. [the Fast Show has a lot to answer for] ------------- What? |
Posted By: Blacksword
Date Posted: September 04 2016 at 05:13
The ones you do like are good I agree, but I would have put most of your 'do not like' list ahead of all of those..  The Thick of It was the best policital satire since Yes Minister IMO. Loved Brass Eye, although must admit Alan Patridge was of its time, and I never liked Little Britain anyway.------------- Ultimately bored by endless ecstasy! |
Dean wrote:Posted By: Dean
Date Posted: September 04 2016 at 05:48
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Politics has surpassed satire these days so The Thick of It is more like a documentary than a comedy. ------------- What? |
Posted By: Logan
Date Posted: September 04 2016 at 17:32
As I think I said, I don't consider Black Mirror comedy either (lots of shows/ films/ novels have comedic elements without being comedy), but I couldn't resist adding it as I have seen it listed here: https://www.comedy.co.uk/tv/list/" rel="nofollow - https://www.comedy.co.uk/tv/list/ under Comedy Drama, "speculative drama" works well as a descriptor for its brand of speculative fiction. If Black Mirror is comedy then I think I could added Brooker's Dead Set (highly recommended, by the way, especially for those who like zombie stuff). I haven't watched a lot of the Peep Show yet -- some clips and a few episodes. Having run for so long, I found it a bit daunting, especially as I like to marathon shows (sometimes over a few days).
Cool, seen a bit of Fresh Meat and That Mitchel and Web Look, but not the Wrong Door at all. Somehow that completely escaped my radar that I recall. Sci-fi comedy mixed with toilet humour sounds right up my alley, if you'll excuse the pun. Was going to respond to all comments now, but got the runs, erm, have to run. ------------- Just a fanboy passin' through. |
Posted By: noni
Date Posted: September 04 2016 at 17:44
| How come , I cannot vote in polls? |
Posted By: Logan
Date Posted: September 04 2016 at 20:05
Voting in polls is disabled until you reach 40 posts.
Yet another that has thus far been undetected by me -- see it won a BAFTA for Best Situation Comedy and critics have called it "delightful". Seems it's on Acorn, which I might try since I'm tired of Netflix Canada.
I'm not a huge fan of Little Britain or Alan Partridge, though I like them, but I loved The Thick of It. I enjoyed it enough to marathon the whole series. I wouldn't put it as the best satire since Yes PM, but the best I can think of since House of Cards/ To Play the King (traditionally my fave series). The Thick of It is stellar compared to crappy quasi attempts at satire that were really lame farce such as Rideau Hall (toothless fiction about a Canadian Governor General). Disliked the film version of The Thick of It, though, but TV shows rarely translate well to film, I find (sure the Monty Python troupe made great films, but their approach was different). ------------- Just a fanboy passin' through. |
Posted By: Logan
Date Posted: September 04 2016 at 21:35
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Realized I forgot another show I finished recently, Buster, which I discovered particularly due to Matthew Holness (of Garth Merenghi and Man to Man with Dean Learner) involvement (was watching Time Trumpet too, but due to its nature despite taking place in the future it's dated). Speaking of Matthew Holness, I loved this: ------------- Just a fanboy passin' through. |
Posted By: EddieRUKiddingVarese
Date Posted: September 29 2016 at 04:08
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Most of these show have not aired on Oz TV, so don't know many of them so will pick The IT Crowd for the cute chick....
------------- "Everyone is born with genius, but most people only keep it a few minutes" and I need the knits, the double knits! |
Posted By: ClemofNazareth
Date Posted: September 29 2016 at 09:48
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From the ones listed I'll say the IT Crowd, but for me the best British comedy in a while was Come Fly With Me. Sure they beat a couple of jokes to death but Tommy, Fearghal and these ladies made it all worth while. ------------- "Peace is the only battle worth waging." Albert Camus |
Posted By: Saperlipopette!
Date Posted: September 29 2016 at 11:47
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I haven't seen much of these so I'm not gonna vote. But I really love Garth Merenghi's Darkplace. Had a great time watching the first season of: Spaced years ago, but hated the first two episodes of the second season so much I never finished it. The Office is a classic of the genre it pretty much invented (or if not it was certainly the most influential) but Extras was more to my taste. Especially the second season. Thanks to Ashley Jensen('s character) it had a heart as well. Enjoyed the little I've seen of The League of Gentlemen and the same goes for I'm Alan Partridge. Didn't find much to laugh at in Little Britain. Not familiar with the rest. ------------- 
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Posted By: Logan
Date Posted: September 29 2016 at 14:33
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I'm pleased to see this revived. Haven't been watching British comedy or British shows of late as I got addicted to the US show Dexter (like various shows on this poll, Dexter certainly has its dark moments). ^^ Have seen a bit of Come Fly With Me -- great suggestion for Little Britaineers.
I would like to suggest Man to Man With Dean Learner since you love Garth Merenghi's Darkplace. It's a fake chat show in the world of Garth Merenghi... with Richard Ayoade as the titular host and Matthew Holness playing various characters including an episode as Garth Merenghi which also features Matt Berry. https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Man+to+Man+with+Dean+learner+playlist" rel="nofollow - https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Man+to+Man+with+Dean+learner+playlist My particular favourite of the six episodes is the Randolph Caer one about the maligned star of the Garth Merenghi penned film, Bitch Killer. I also prefer Extras to the Office. The fake documentary series People Like Us which came out before The Office is quite similar (the show was actually cancelled by BBC to make way for or in favour of The Office, which was put on air soon after the last episode of PLU aired). I actually prefer People Like Us to the Office for its subtlety. Fans of The League of Gentlemen (of which I am disappointed that there isn't more evidence of here) who haven't seen Psychoville should really check it out, and then look into Inside No. 9. ------------- Just a fanboy passin' through. |
Posted By: ColonelClaypool
Date Posted: October 24 2016 at 07:08
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Only seen a few of these, and for me the only option is Black Books, which is brilliant. I've never understood why Ricky Gervais is considered a comedic genius and The Office is one of the least funny things I've ever seen. I don't find Alan Partridge all that funny, either, and Little Britain is just dreadful. ------------- With magic, you can turn a frog into a prince. With science, you can turn a frog into a Ph.D. and you still have the frog you started with. |
Posted By: Jamy
Date Posted: October 24 2016 at 15:50
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Nobody votes for League of Gentlemen? Disgusting. Where is Reginal Perrin, crissakes.
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Posted By: Greys0n
Date Posted: November 24 2016 at 10:00
| Unfortunately I can't take part in the poll. But I must I love British TV. It's unavailable for my area but I read an https://www.bestvpnrating.com/" rel="nofollow - article on this issue so no problem for now. Detectorists, by the way, is a great tv show. |
Posted By: siLLy puPPy
Date Posted: November 24 2016 at 10:36
| https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Dwarf" rel="nofollow - Red Dwarf - Wikipedia |
Posted By: Logan
Date Posted: November 24 2016 at 15:09
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I know that Red Dwarf is still going, but I meant British comedy series that first aired within about the last 20 years. Red Dwarf first aired in February 1988. I know it well even if I haven't been regularly watching it since the 90s. It's much the same reason why Red Dwarf wasn't included in this British sitcom poll: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=93887&KW=british+sitcom&PN=6" rel="nofollow - http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=93887&KW=british+sitcom&PN=6 This is a fave segment of mine from the show from the season that won me over (I wasn't a fan of the show when I started watching it in the late 80s, maybe cause I was just so into Black Adder back then): That said, I did say "Please mention any other ones you like especially of the darker variety of comedy", but I do tend to give such suggestions/ mentions more weight if people can think of something they like from my lists. And indeed, if somebody can say, because you like this, you might like this irregardless of country of origin or vintage then I would be very grateful for the recommendation. But, digressions are welcomed as polls are merely an accessory to discussion and a not wholly satisfory aid to revelation. I did remember one that I forgot that does fit my parameters: The Peter Serafinowicz Show which is sketch show from 2007 and 2008. ------------- Just a fanboy passin' through. |
Posted By: Upbeat Tango Monday
Date Posted: January 19 2017 at 04:31
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Darkplace ------------- Two random guys agreed to shake hands. Just Because. They felt like it, you know. It was an agreement of sorts...a random agreement. |
Posted By: Logan
Date Posted: January 19 2017 at 17:05
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My top three comedy, excluding various dramedies (and ones like Black Mirror that I don't consider to be comedy even if a British comedy guide includes it), picks would be League of Gentlemen, Darkplace and Snuff Box. Liked the Inside No. 9 Christmas special considerably, which was kind of Darkplaceish. ------------- Just a fanboy passin' through. |
Posted By: Davesax1965
Date Posted: January 23 2017 at 01:11
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Is there an option for none of the above ? ;-) ------------- |
Posted By: Logan
Date Posted: January 23 2017 at 12:21
Why do you ask? Please expatiate. You can always mention such a thing in post, but I'd be interested to get to understand your thinking better cause I could interpret the reasoning behind your comment in various ways. 1. You've seen all of these for some reason, but hate them all for some reason.. 2. You haven't watched any of them so you have no favourites. 3. You've watched a few of them that you don't like, and so assume that you wouldn't like any of them etc. 4. You're not a fan of comedy period 5. You're not a fan of British shows (not all of these are really comedy) 6. The darkness of many of these scares or disturbs you. 7. You hate TV shows period. 8. There were no good British comedies post 1999. 9. You are a fan of Friends. 10. Something else entirely. Be more descriptive. There could be an interesting story here, or maybe just an entertaining rant. I would like to know more, since I'm interested in people's tastes even if I don't share them, what television shows, if any, you do like. I would also be interested to hear from more people who have a general dislike of said shows. I tend to dislike soap operas, and there's no shame in expressing one's dislike of something. . ------------- Just a fanboy passin' through. |
Posted By: Dean
Date Posted: January 23 2017 at 12:31
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^ I suspect that none of those listed are safe, mainstream sitcoms that can be found on prime time, prewatershed tv ------------- What? |
Posted By: Logan
Date Posted: January 23 2017 at 12:44
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Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and dull. Some of these, the less interesting of them, are pretty tame. ------------- Just a fanboy passin' through. |
Posted By: EddieRUKiddingVarese
Date Posted: January 23 2017 at 15:20
IT Crowd - the girl alone is worth it.............. ------------- "Everyone is born with genius, but most people only keep it a few minutes" and I need the knits, the double knits! |
Posted By: Logan
Date Posted: January 24 2017 at 12:49
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^ Jen (Katherine Parkinson) is also in the first episode of Inside No. 9. I think my favourite IT Crowd episode overall was the first series of series 2 when they went to see "Gay! – A Gay Musical" "I'm disabled". It's a rare British comedy that my wife also loved and isn't so risque (though it contains adult humour and situations) that I felt I could usually watch it with the kids around. Sure she loved Mr. Bean... I think it helped open her up to watching more British fare. I mean, there are only so many Korean dramas you can watch. ------------- Just a fanboy passin' through. |
Posted By: Dean
Date Posted: January 25 2017 at 12:57
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Not TV, but Harry Hill's latest radio sitcom, Life On Egg, features Amon Duul 2's Yeti as its theme tune. ------------- What? |
Posted By: Pixel Pirate
Date Posted: February 10 2017 at 04:25
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What,no This Is Jinsy?! A work of sheer genius in my opinion. ------------- Odi profanum vulgus et arceo. |
Posted By: Logan
Date Posted: February 10 2017 at 12:54
Heard of it, but I'd never seen it. It seems something I might very well enjoy.
Right now I'm much more into documentaries and podcasts than comedies, but will try to route the name This is Jinsy into my mind palace for future recollection. ------------- Just a fanboy passin' through. |
Posted By: Logan
Date Posted: February 10 2017 at 13:27
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Speaking of rather surreal comedies, not a TV show, but rather a webseries which my daughter and her friends were very into and forced me to start watching, but I loved, is the Don't Hug Me I'm Scared series. The first one was a youtube hit, but the third is a particular favourite of mine: ------------- Just a fanboy passin' through. |
Posted By: Man With Hat
Date Posted: February 10 2017 at 14:39
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Peep Show is my favorite TV show, bar none. I'd love to get a chance to watch The IT Crowd though. ------------- Dig me...But don't...Bury me I'm running still, I shall until, one day, I hope that I'll arrive Warning: Listening to jazz excessively can cause a laxative effect. |
Posted By: Pixel Pirate
Date Posted: February 17 2017 at 04:35
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And let's not forget Hyperdrive,a sci-fi comedy that outdoes Red Dwarf in my,and quite a few others,opinion. ------------- Odi profanum vulgus et arceo. |
Posted By: Logan
Date Posted: February 17 2017 at 13:30
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Just to get to know your tastes a little better, are there any on my list that you like? Would like to get some Norwegian recommendations too, any genre (tv or film). I have listed my favourite modern movie before as The Bothersome Man (Den brysomme mannen), and I enjoyed Trollhunters, and want to see Dead Snow and Max Manus. I've been wanting to get a translated version of this short film for a long time, though I know how I could do it with translator program: As for Hyperdrive, I have seen the first episode and it failed to connect with me enough to choose to continue. I guess I should have given it more of a shot (I didn't like Red Dwarf at first). I have followed Nick Frost's work, and have loved lots of things with Kevin Eldon in them (the brilliant, I think, Dead Set, Nathan Barley, Big Big Train, Hot Fuzz etc. etc.) ------------- Just a fanboy passin' through. |
Posted By: Pixel Pirate
Date Posted: February 18 2017 at 02:41
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I'm living proof of the concept of familiarity breeds contempt,because I can't stand Norwegian comedy,I haven't seen more than about five minutes of any of it since the late 90's,so less of an authority in this field you couldn't hope to find! As for your list,my favourites are The League Of Gentlemen and Psychoville. I tend to go for the weird and surreal, but that doesn't mean that the criteria is that if it's off the wall, I will automatically like it. I don't like Snuff Box or Little Britain for instance,it has to be the kind of weird that appeals to me,This Is Jinsey is a perfect example. ------------- Odi profanum vulgus et arceo. |
Posted By: Logan
Date Posted: February 18 2017 at 09:16
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Thanks, Pixel. :) And League of Gentlemen and Psychoville are particular favourites of mine (which I notice is kind of obvious after saying that as they are at the top of my list). I'll definitely be looking out for This Is Jinsey. On that Norwegian note, and bit of a useless side-note: I sometimes wonder if I would have enjoyed a film or TV show much less had I understood the native language and had I not been reading subtitles (an English translation). I've been loving lots of Scandinavian TV and films -- not so much comedy comedy, but definitely some that have had black humour elements. Oh, and for admirers of League of Gentlemen and Psychoville: Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith's anthology series Inside No. 9 is coming back to our screens (at least some of our screens) in just a few days (on the 21st) with the second episode of series three (the first being the Christmas special, but this will be the first of the year). Here's the teaser trailer for the new series: ------------- Just a fanboy passin' through. |
Posted By: Pixel Pirate
Date Posted: February 19 2017 at 11:23
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Being a big fan of Pemberton and Shearsmith,I loved the first two of Inside No. 9,so I'm looking forward to the third. And while we're on the subject of weird comedy,I would also like to recommend one that slipped under many people's radar,Wild West,with Catherine Tate and Dawn French. Some didn't like this since they felt it tried too hard to be weird and unusual,and that may possibly be true, but it's nevertheless one of my favourites. It was witten by the very talented Steve Nye of Men Behaving Badly fame after all, one of my favourite comedy writers. Another really good one of his is Beast. ------------- Odi profanum vulgus et arceo. |
Posted By: AlanB
Date Posted: February 20 2017 at 06:15
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The only one I've watched in the list is Little Britain. Over half of them I've never heard of. Outnumbered would be my favourite British comedy of the last 20 years, but it's not on the list.
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Posted By: Dean
Date Posted: February 20 2017 at 07:58
Outnumbered is one of those odd ones that by all rights should be mentioned in the same echelon as those listed here but because it's a My Family-esque family-friendly sit-com that sits quite comfortably alongside other such BBC family sitcoms that used to star people like John Anderton, Richard Briars, June Whitfield and Wendy Craig it tends to get treated as being quirky but not particularly cutting-edge risky. I discovered it late in its run having purposely ignored it for many years precisely because I presumed it was yet another 2point4 Children/My Family type sit-com, even though it was written and created by Andy Hamilton and Guy Jenkins. While I can't say I became a regular viewer or someone who went out of their way to watch episodes on UKTV-rerun or whatever it's called today, I do enjoy watching it whenever it happens to be on and I'm not doing something more interesting instead. Letting the three child actors improvise their lines instead of learning a script was pure genius but sometimes (like with all children) I wish they'd just shut up and say nothing for a change. ------------- What? |
Posted By: Logan
Date Posted: February 20 2017 at 12:51
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I watched a clip off youtube from Outnumbered, which was a painfully awkward and uncomfortable talk between father and son, which definitely resonated with me as a father, so I will look into it more. The Brits are great at doing the comedy of embarrassment (Extras being a very good example). I've come across the name, but on the surface of it it didn't seem like one that I would have been particularly into at the time. Since I live in Canada, not many of these have I noticed on TV, and our Netflix has a limited Britcom selection. I used to have BBC iPlayer, which helped, and I've had to look to other means to see most of these shows. Commonly the way I discover music, TV, film, novels, podcasts, documentaries and other items of interest is I find one thing I like which leads me to discover other related media. Currently comedy is not so much my thing, although I am looking forward to the upcoming dramedy "Inside No. 9" episodes. So this bloggy topic sort of represents that. I discovered Extras and The Office on TV, as well as Black Books, and watched some Little Britain there (wish I'd put Big Babies in its place which I watched on BBC Kids). After getting turned on to AD/BC: A Rock Opera, I looked for more Matt Berry stuff (so Darkplace followed by Man to Man with Dean Learner, followed by Snuff Box and Toast of London because of Matt Berry, followed by my big interest in Matt Berry's music -- listened to The Pheasant ten times yesterday). The Thick of It I watched because of Peter Capaldi joining Doctor Who largely. Brass Eye was thanks to discovering The Day Today, which I loved, on youtube, which I discovered because I was looking for an episode of the Onion series Today Now. I discovered Psychoville since googling found it when doing a search for dark shows such as the mind-blowing for me Utopia and Black Mirror, plus black dramedies such as Misfits. That led me to League of Gentlemen and Inside No. 9. The terrific Nathan Barley was mentioned in another comedy thread here and I could see that it would appeal to my dark tastes. When it comes to comedy, like most series, I prefer to binge watch. If I love something I tend to want to watch as much as possible in a short time. One things I often like about Brit series is that the runs are more limited than successful American ones. Although too limited in various cases, where I really wanted another series/ season. I hate it when shows seem to finish prematurely -- more episodes are not ordered or when they are cancelled, and maybe cause my tastes are generally not that mainstream, it seems to happen quite a lot (Utopia and In the Flesh being prime examples). Rant, I hate Coronation Street and it seem like our public national broadcaster has been consistently showing it longer than I've been alive (hated that show as a child, and I hate it just as much now), and I wish they showed better British fare. Already since I made the topic, my list would be rather different (and yes, again, Black Mirror is not a comedy, but is listed as a dramedy in a British comedy guide, so I thought it would be mildly humorous to add it to the list). I wish we had better services for British TV here. I used to get BBC Canada, but it's not as good as BBC in the UK and has Canadian content requirements. Plus many Channel 4 shows have been so good (ITV was superb), but we don't get lots of them (at least we got dramas such as Utopia on Space).... Anyway, love to have the recommendations keeping on coming in -- be good to have little descriptions to come with them or links to youtube clips etc. I should have done that for all of these shows to make it easier for people to discover stuff that might be of interest to them, but know that as a pessimist my tastes tend to run to the darker side, and I often have an appreciation for the surreal and absurd. ------------- Just a fanboy passin' through. |
Posted By: Atavachron
Date Posted: February 21 2017 at 01:09
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I like a nice binge myself though I tend to stretch it out over a few days (staying up 'till 5am to finish a series won't do). I too often wish my favorite Brit shows would last longer but I remind myself it may be why the quality is so high, and the ones that last forever I don't really like (Poirot, etc.) For non-comedies I was enjoying Scott & Bailey and right now I watch Shetland and occasionally Foyle's War. ------------- "Too often we enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought." -- John F. Kennedy |
Posted By: Dean
Date Posted: February 21 2017 at 02:59
That's the advantage of not scripting the children's lines so they are more naturalist and as you say, painfully awkward and uncomfortable - an adult writing words around an uncomfortable topic for a kid to say would sound false and contrived. That's what irritates me about standard family sit-coms when a kid says something cute/smart/witty/profound that you know they'd never have said in real life even though kids come out with cute, smart, witty and profound things all the time. The writing team for Outnumbered first came to prominence with a sitcom called Drop The Dead Donkey that ran for most of the 1990s, ending in 1998 so just squeezes into your 20 year time-span. Their innovation for that programme was its topicality as it was set in a TV News room so scripts were rewritten at the last minute to include current news stories. The humour from that tended to fairly dark as a consequence and, since it was based on real events, more relevant than The Day Today (IMO). It's available on Netflix, in the UK at least, but a few episodes are on YouBoob: (watching that now it seem fairly topical some 27 years later...) ------------- What? |
Posted By: Logan
Date Posted: February 21 2017 at 11:26
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GEGS! A scrambled eggs cryptic crossword clue from that show that stuck with me (I used to love to do cryptic crosswords), and I still exclaim GEGS regularly to this day (it's become my personal swear word). As a child I could not pronounce Gregory so called myself Geggy, then was nicknamed Gegs, and later neurotically self-nicknamed "EggiweggsGegs and Lomticks of Toast" cause I was quite the Droog, I suppose. I used to love Drop the Dead Donkey -- watched it regularly until I left for Japan in the mid 90s, and then had my parents mail me recorded tapes of it. It was a terrific show, and is definitely one of my favourite comedies of the 90s. I'm sure I still have lots it on VHS in the house. It would be fun to-watch and I must have missed quite a few episodes. ------------- Just a fanboy passin' through. |
Posted By: Pixel Pirate
Date Posted: February 23 2017 at 04:54
Amazing! Ever since I saw that episode of Drop The Dead Donkey I have also used GEGS! as a personal swearword. Henry walking around saying GEGS! throughout that episode just stuck in my mind and since then whenever I'm annoyed I find myself saying GEGS!! I thought I was the only one ------------- Odi profanum vulgus et arceo. |
Posted By: Dean
Date Posted: February 23 2017 at 05:24
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Off topic because what I'm about to post is Old Harry's Game, a radio sitcom by Andy Hamilton of Outnumbered and Drop The Dead Donkey Fame, but it's worth a listen if you enjoy his humour: ------------- What? |
Posted By: Logan
Date Posted: March 02 2017 at 17:16
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^ That will be something to listen to as I lay in bed that will make a nice change from my usual nocturnal podcast rituals. ^^ That is a coincidence with GEGS! And, segue, speaking of cryptic crossword clues (used to love to do cryptics), the last Inside No. 9 episode had a cryptic crossword theme. And the episode the week before that was really brilliant (although the ending seemed rather implausible, but then Inside No. 9 often is, and it's part of the charm).  The crossword puzzle created by Pemberton for the episode was used by the Guardian (though changed somewhat from the episode): https://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/cryptic/27132" rel="nofollow - https://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/cryptic/27132 ------------- Just a fanboy passin' through. |
Posted By: Logan
Date Posted: July 31 2017 at 19:14
I like the IT Crowd, but not nearly as much as Peep Show on the whole. Can be hilarious though, and features some of my favourite comedians in it (Morris, Berry, Ayoade). When I made this list I had not seen many episodes of the Peep Show (not even he whole first season). Recently while continuing with it I really got big into the show. Mitchell and Webb are terrific. I like Mitchell in so many things: That Mitchell and Webb Look, Big Train, Bruiser, his appearances on comedy talk, variety, game show things. Very witty person. And I used to know someone like SuperHans. If you're like me, then you really wish that there was a good streaming service for watching a wide variety of British shows. Well, now there is! Try bangersandmashandsteakandkidneypie4u.ru.org to stream hundreds of thousands of hours of British TV right from your very own home, or even on the buses! We have everything from British comedy, to British drama, to British dog racing, to Yorkshire pudding toss sporting events, to the newest hit reality show, At Home With the Royals. Our tech experts have hacked into Buckingham Palace's security system, and you will be sure to enjoy Britain's Royalty at their most magisterial and at their naughtiest. For an extra fee, you get access to exclusive upskirt and under the crown coverage from our hidden cams. Now that's royally awesome! Been drinking a bit too much perhaps, which is never a good excuse for piss poor posting. ------------- Just a fanboy passin' through. |
Posted By: Logan
Date Posted: July 31 2017 at 19:45
See, if life were more like a comedy, somebody would have responded by now with, "So what's your excuse the rest of the time?" ------------- Just a fanboy passin' through. |
Posted By: Cosmiclawnmower
Date Posted: September 02 2017 at 16:46
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Its easier to name the shows i'm not a fan of- Not big on Alan Partridge but I liked Saxondale (I know too many ex roadies and its all true..), Not a fan of 'Little Britain' or 'The Office' (though Extras was ok), and didn't really enjoy 'The thick of it' that much. There are a few of these listed programmes that I didn't get to see and I don't watch much tv generally but I do love comedy, the IT Crowd, Spaced, League of Gentlemen, Brass Eye, Black Mirror, The Mighty Boosh, Black Books, Peepshow and Greenwings in particular. Whether complex and dark or daft and absurd, all quality stuff! ------------- |
Posted By: Logan
Date Posted: September 02 2017 at 18:08
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I'm lukewarm on Alan Partridge, Little Britain (sometimes very funny, I thought) or the Office either. A number of people here have mentioned that they don't like those ones (and The Thick of It, though I really like that). In particular I found the Alan partridge film pretty dismal, but then I wasn't a fan of the League of Gentlemen film. My list would be quite different now, and I wish I'd noted some of other good ones that I discovered. If you or anyone else hears about any good, new ones, please let me know. They wrote three new episodes of The League of Gentlemen. Filming begins this month. And for those who care, Alan Partridge seems to be in the works. And Shearsmith and Pemberton (who are part of the League, and made Psychoville in my list) will also be coming back for series 4 of Inside No. 9 this year (love that anthology show -- it's not always funny to be sure; it does dramedy and some serious drama). I haven't read, but I'm thinking they will start with a Christmas special again. The following is from 2016's Christmas special:  ------------- Just a fanboy passin' through. |
Posted By: TGM: Orb
Date Posted: September 02 2017 at 19:23
| The complete unfairness of Nathan Barley somewhat appeals to me. Great show. |
Posted By: Logan
Date Posted: September 03 2017 at 10:34
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Nathan Barley, written by Charlie Brooker and Chris Morris (two favourites of mine) is a very unique on the list. It can be very uncomfortable viewing, and it's brilliant. Potentially interesting factoid for those that may not know: Nathan Barley was based on a character created by Charlie Brooker (Nathan Barley, Dead Set, A Touch of Cloth, Weekly Wipe, Black Mirror) for the website TV Go Home http://www.tvgohome.com/" rel="nofollow - http://www.tvgohome.com/ which parodied the Radio Times publication, and was produced fortnightly from 1999 to 2001. in 201, a TVGoHome comedy sketch show was made with six half-hour episodes. Here is a taste of the tasteless sketch show. NOTE, those offended by hat defecation look away.
I also enjoyed Brooker's A Touch of Cloth, although the humour can be groan worthy, and the absurdity can be a bit much (watched both seasons, I think, on youtube). There is quite a bit of none-too-subtle innuendo/ double entendres. Note: those offended by court testimonies look away. ------------- Just a fanboy passin' through. |
Posted By: Logan
Date Posted: September 11 2017 at 13:43
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I've already seen all of the episodes, but today I noticed that Netflix Canada is showing Toast of London (the show with Matt Berry). I'm very happy that it will get more exposure. They haven't had a lot of British comedy shows. ------------- Just a fanboy passin' through. |
Posted By: Logan
Date Posted: December 21 2017 at 07:31
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Sorry bumping a poll of mine, but these topics act as list makers, and I always hope to learn about new ones from them. The one I've most recently enjoyed, though it's very low brow (unlike, say, Inspector Bumhat) and perhaps I should be ashamed to mention liking it, is The Windsors. Royalists and people with taste, discerning or otherwise, might wish to steer clear. I saw it on Netflix Canada. The League of Gentlemen just came back with a three episode special (bit late to mention this here though I saw the news ages ago as the three parts showed on December 18, 19, and 20th. I haven't had the chance to see them yet. And I look forward to the return of another Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton show, Inside No. 9. I mentioned that quite a lot in another thread too, and while more of a dark comedy anthology series, I would recommend it to people who enjoy Black Mirror (as well as shows such as The League of Gentlemen and Psychoville). It's a show that I love enough that I wish to promote it even if this site is not the best place for talking about such stuff. Anyway, Inside No. 9 is coming back to BBC on January 2nd with a six part series. This will be the fourth series. EDIT: Well, I have now watched the three episodes of the 2017 holiday special (series four) of The League of Gentlemen, and I loved it. I do think it was a bit rushed in just the three half hour episodes, but it's not a bad thing that it left me wanting more. And I wonder how many others here got the Inside No. 9 reference? Or if anyone other than me who regularly posts here even watched it. To sound unChristmasy, sh*tty "BBC Canada" (sh*tty any channel with Canada in the title and sh*tty Canadian TV shows too -- if I want BBC I want BBC shows/ British shows but they have bloody Canadian content. It's not even really owned by BBC, it's the Canadian Corus Entertainment mostly so the can shill their own productions) doesn't even show The League and most of my fave BBC shows, nor is it on Netflix Canada, so I streamed it elsewhere (on Christmas Day I will be watching Doctor Who on Space since BBC made a deal with them and don't show DW on the Canadian BBC channel). I stopped subscribing to the various BBC channels in Canada since they do a bad job (even BBC Earth had commercials here even though I paid for the channel -- Netflix is much better value). I used to subscribe to BBC iPlayer here in Canada, but they stopped offering it. Anyway, I'll buy the LoG box set one of these days. ------------- Just a fanboy passin' through. |
Posted By: Squonk19
Date Posted: December 23 2017 at 17:25
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Too many great programmes to choose! The Detectorists, Outnumbered and Red Dwarf not even on the list!!!! Big Train is an underrated classic - look at the actors who went onto even greater things - like Pegg, Eldon, Heap etc. No sign of The Fast Show or Vic Reeves' Big Night Out? Kept me in catchphrases at work for years! The Office over Extras any day (I think someone's being putting the multiple votes on!) The Thick of It, Alan Partridge etc. are classics too. However, for me here in UK, The League of Gentlemen (Series 1 and 2 at least) was the game changer! Dark and surreal, but wonderfully inventive (Hello Dave?) - Psychoville and Inside No. 9 kept the flag flying, but great to see the return of it this Christmas (hopefully more to come next year) - the exploding hedgehog must go down as the comedy moment of 2017! By the way, I know 'Black Mirror' had dark comedy moments - but it doesn't quite fit on the list for me. 'San Junipero' was one of the most uplifting dramas I've seen for years, with 'Shut Up and Dance', 'Hated in the Nation', 'White Bear' and 'Be Right Back' incredibly disturbing and thought-provoking. Looking forward to Series 4. ------------- “Living in their pools, they soon forget about the sea.” |
Posted By: Logan
Date Posted: December 23 2017 at 19:15
Nice! Thanks for the post. I was mighty impressed with the LoG specials, and the exploding hedgehog really did up the ante from, say, the tortoise which blasted out of its shell when he gave it oxygen. As for Black Mirror, while it may in part be considered dramady I added it in an attempt at some humour because I had seen it listed in a British comedy guide (maybe they added it because Charlie Brooker has done comedy and because it has some dark humour). https://www.comedy.co.uk/tv/black_mirror/" rel="nofollow - https://www.comedy.co.uk/tv/black_mirror/ It's generally about as funny as Inside No. 9's The 12 Days of Christine. It does fit with a few in the poll methinks even if it's not comedy. Some might find the hokey pokey, PM poke a pig in the hokey National Anthem thing amusing (to poorly link Black Mirror with the League of Gentleman). They say there will be one humorous BM episode in this series. And while I don't think this episode will be comedy, even if humorous moments, the trailer does make it look like quite a funny Star Trekish parody: Incidentally, there were various shows that I didn't consider for the poll as I mean shows that started within about the past 20 years. So, I didn't include Red Dwarf which started in 1988 (to think Blackadder was still going then) and The Fast Show and Vic Reeves' Big Night Out, which both started on TV I think earlier than any of my choices. A favourite of mine from when Big Night Out started is Rik Mayall's New Statesman To be honest, I haven't seen much of The Fast Show or Big Night Out, but will try to rectify this (Vic and Bob are legends). I hadn't even heard of the Detectorists and Outnumbered when I made the poll, let alone seen any of them. Living in Canada, watching these shows can take a little more effort and ingenuity. Would love more suggestions still. While I've discovered many more since I came up with the poll, and mentioned various one I liked in posts in the topic, and my choices would now be rather different, there are always more gems to discover. I also suspect that at least one over-exuberant person has used the multi-vote option in the improper manner, but the better way to express your passion is through an impassioned post, I think. That said, I do like Extras a lot. Its interesting for me to note the ones that have no votes and sole votes. Thought Misfits (which is more of a dramady and not a typical comedy) would be more popular, especially as there are various people here into the superpowers type thing. And People Like Us should interest those into The Office, but then the Office only has one vote. Green Room is one I sometimes like, but never managed to watch many episodes from as it kind of irritates me. ------------- Just a fanboy passin' through. |
Posted By: Squonk19
Date Posted: December 24 2017 at 12:31
A nice post yourself, Logan - some good points raised! Nice to talk about something other than prog on PA now and again. Although there is always the majestic Brian Pern to consider!........  ------------- “Living in their pools, they soon forget about the sea.” |
Posted By: noni
Date Posted: December 24 2017 at 14:46
I hate Little Britain, the humour does not appeal to me. Not sure, it's because it's a bunch of gay dudes but I'm not a huge fan of David Williams(a) . Just me, I suppose!!
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Posted By: Logan
Date Posted: December 24 2017 at 17:29
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^^ You know, I still haven't watched The Life of Rock With Brian Pern beyond a little bit. Prog and comedy would seem a match made in heaven. :) Not really a Prog pastiche, but I will be rewatching AD/BC: A Rock Opera this Christmas (for those that still don't know it). ^ As for Little Britain, a number of people have mentioned not liking it in this topic, though perhaps not for the same reason. Having grown up with Tom Baker in Doctor Who, his narration drew me in, and were I to discover Little Britain now, I'd find more Doctor Who relevance. I liked the dynamics of David Walliams and Matt Lucas as Lou and Andy particularly. Twas a hit or miss show for me and as comedy duos go I'm more into Pemberton and Shearsmith and Mitchell and Webb and others. Additionally, as sketch comedies go, there are quite a number that I prefer to Little Britain (a number of which I didn't yet know when I made this topic). I've been watching Fargo, and the first season/ series reminded me of Bruiser also with Martin Freeman (plus Mitchell, Webb, Holness and Coleman). Like Big Train, another show where actors went on to great things (not that Matthew Holness of Garth Merenghi has become as famous -- I love his short film https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fq0xt_gbVH0" rel="nofollow - A Gun for George ). What are your favourite TV comedies, Noni (from wherever in the world)? ------------- Just a fanboy passin' through. |
Posted By: Logan
Date Posted: January 03 2018 at 11:05
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Saw episode one of Inside No. 9's series four last night -- a clever Shakespearean tale in iambic pentameter called Zanzibar. Being into such stuff, I absolutely loved it. I'm jealous of creators/ writers/performers Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith.* I already mentioned how much I loved the recent League of Gentlemen specials, and am a big ban of their Psychoville. EDIT cause I'm a podcat and discovered Adam Buxton's podcast because of this: https://www.acast.com/adambuxton/ep.52-stevepemberton-reeceshearsmith" rel="nofollow - https://www.acast.com/adambuxton/ep.52-stevepemberton-reeceshearsmith Although I added Black Mirror as a bit of a joke to the list despite its sometime dramedy (comedy drama) elements, I did like having it on the list as something of an accessory to Inside No. 9 (the two anthology series are often compared). Mentioned in another thread, but I love Black Mirror's USS Callister from the latest series (Trek fans should watch it) and the episode Hang the DJ was quite comedic (at times that one reminded me of one of my favourite modern films, The Lobster, which in turn reminded me somewhat of another favourite film of mine called The Bothersome Man, which in turn was somewhat reminiscent to me of another fave, Amelie and other Jeunet et Caro films etc.) Don't know if I mentioned it already, but another dark comedic anthology series worth mentioning when talking Inside No. 9 is Steve Coogan's comedy-horror Dr. Terrible's House of Horrible (created by Graham Duff). I didn't know it when I made the list, otherwise it would have been included (think I'll do another for anthology series, a more classic one I adored was Michael Palin and Terry Jones's Ripping Yarns). Fans of ones such as Garth Merenghi's Darkplace may also like Dr. Terrible's House of Horror (I saw it on dailymotion and have recommended it to Netflix here since it's not readily available). *I had wanted to write comedy (more dramedy) for a living when I was young (of the dark and sad comedic variety), but my failure is a sort of tragicomedy of its own. At least I get some pleasure from rambling here. ------------- Just a fanboy passin' through. |
Posted By: Squonk19
Date Posted: January 03 2018 at 14:38
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Logan - I thought 'Zanzibar' was a great take on 'A Comedy of Errors' and built-up very well as it progressed. Some of my favourite actors in one hallway! I hope Steve and Reece continue their rich seam of fine comedy writing in the weeks to come. Great to see 'Black Mirror' back. Loved the first one - as I was a second generation Star Trek fan in the 70s. I loved the way you sympathised with the guy initially, but then....... (spoiler alert! 😉). The next two were good, but lesser creations - looking forward to 'Hang the DJ' tomorrow. Not trying to binge this week. Just worked through Season 3 of Mr Robot - and still thinking of the hours I'll never get back again! 😂 Actually, wasn't too bad - but each season has been getting less essential! ------------- “Living in their pools, they soon forget about the sea.” |
Posted By: Logan
Date Posted: January 03 2018 at 15:45
Agreed. And Zanzibar did Shakespeare more economically than Shakespeare did {and seeing how long this post got, that goes for what I would be capable of}. Very clever writing. Steve and Reece are a really dynamic duo for me -- tops in my list. I hope they can continue as long as possible. I would have liked a series three of Psychoville but it's great that they went on to do Inside No. 9 which is so creative and recent The League of Gentlemen specials I loved. Feel the same about Black Mirror, except I haven't seen Crocodile yet (seen USS Callister, Arkangel, Hang the DJ, and Metalhead). USS Callister is my favourite, but a lot of people put Hang the DJ over it. Some people especially like the more romantic BM episodes. From what I have read, the usual favourite from the last series was San Junipero, which didn't resonate with me as much as some other episodes, especially Shut Up and Dance (my other fave was Hated in the Nation from series 3). Or series 2's Be Right Back, whereas I'm more of a White Bear and Black Christmas person from that time. And most people I've read put The Entire History of You from s1 over Hated in the Nation, EDIT, I mean The National Anthem (those two titles get mixed up in my head) and Fifteen Million Merits, unlike me, so don't know how much my tastes correspond with others. Sorry, I'm rambling, but.... I still really like Black Mirror, but I feel in moving to Netflix it's often become a little too Americanized and Netflix series often feel test-marketed to me. Love the show, and glad it's continuing. USS Callister is one of my favourites from Black Mirror, though. Great way to start the series. And when I say too Americanized, I love plenty of US shows, but I love British qualities that you find in shows such as Inside No. 9 (which I would say was always more quintessentially British than Black Mirror and would not fare well if adapted for American audiences in particular, other than some PBS viewers). I'm going to watch Crocodile tonight. I enjoyed Metalhead a lot, but it's more for the aesthetic than the story (I will avoid spoilers). Good to see another person into Mr. Robot, I only recently started on the show. Really liking it. Side-note that will be of no interest to anyone but myself: I checked it out because of a podcast I listen to with two rather vulgar American Professors who make up https://verybadwizards.fireside.fm/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&term=Mr.+robot" rel="nofollow - Very Bad Wizards ------------- Just a fanboy passin' through. |
Posted By: Squonk19
Date Posted: January 03 2018 at 16:24
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Just pushed ahead with Hang the DJ tonight after your prompt and although it took me time to get into it, it was a really nice feel-good one - in a similar vein to San Junipero - my favourite from the last season. However, still think USS Callister has the edge overall, so we are in agreement there! Happy viewing (although maybe not an appropriate word for Crocodile) ------------- “Living in their pools, they soon forget about the sea.” |
Posted By: Squonk19
Date Posted: February 11 2018 at 17:34
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I really enjoyed 'Upstart Crow' first time around on the BBC - but watching it again on Netflix - it is really gaining in stature and Ben Elton's wordplay along with the sublime David Mitchell, the wonderful Mark Heap and the strangely seductive Lisa Tarbuck (maybe it's the brummie accent and the bodice!).....let alone Harry Enfield and Paula Wilcox - is all actually making it much very close to Black Adder in style and quality than I first thought. The satire around Shakespeare's plays, teenage culture and modern life seen through the past (the continued moaning about the coach service delays...) all hit the mark. Even a piss-take of Ricky Gervais! Highly recommended if you've ever had a brush with the bard! Or maybe I'm just talking a load of coddlingtons.... ------------- “Living in their pools, they soon forget about the sea.” |
Posted By: Lewian
Date Posted: March 05 2019 at 08:04
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Is this thread still going? Only now I saw it thanks to the League of Gentlemen thread. Not particularly a fan of that show (I've seen a few episodes but kind of got the impression that the way their jokes work is pretty much always the same), however I'm a massive fan of Green Wing and love quite a few others here, too, namely The Thick Of It, Brass Eye, Alan Partridge, The Office, Spaced, also Outnumbered as mentioned in the discussion. Getting On would have deserved a spot in the poll. Oh and not to forget Sean Lock's "15 Storeys High" from around the corner of where I lived in London. I'm surprised that Extras does so well in the poll; not that it's bad, I actually enjoyed it, but for me it was always an offshoot of The Office, good but not quite at the same level. Not sure whether the quality of Britcom has gone down a bit recently, I found it harder to find really great new shows in the last few years compared with when I came to London. 2012/W1A was great though and People Just Do Nothing has some Spaced-like charm. I have to check out a few mentioned here that I don't know.
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Posted By: Lewian
Date Posted: March 05 2019 at 08:26
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Haha, I realise I'm really a comedy oddball on this site... My vote for Green Wing was the first (unbelievable, this is so stunningly original and no show has more genuinely funny main characters) and I haven't voted for anything that had >= 10 votes before and only Alan Partridge even had more than two! Actually I liked "People Like Us" (one of the few still without votes) more than anything that has >=10, although I enjoy some of those as well.
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Posted By: Logan
Date Posted: March 05 2019 at 10:33
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^^ With The League of Gentlemen, I love the macabre/ horror aspect of it, the absurdity, the characters and atmosphere, and general ideas, more so than any particular jokes. The Beast of Royston Vasey, for instance, I found so creepy and ultimately funny. It might have helped that I'd just finished binging Psychoville, which I loved, when I finally got into watching TLoG. By the way, I only included ones I know well that were created during the past 20 or so years of when I made the poll, and I have not seen Getting On or 15 Storeys High that I recall. Thanks, I will look out for them, as well as People Just Do Nothing (caught some of it before). I discovered quite a few good per my tastes ones since making the poll. I loved People Like Us (more than the quite similar The Office). As for Greenwing, very good ensemble, Michelle Gomez being a particular favourite of mine on the show. Right now I'm going through Flowers (with Olivia Colman and Julian Barratt). ------------- Just a fanboy passin' through. |
Posted By: Lewian
Date Posted: March 05 2019 at 11:25
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Michelle Gomez is genius, pure gold in Green Wing. Flowers is the last thing I still watched in London, not too bad either. |
Posted By: MortSahlFan
Date Posted: March 05 2019 at 13:45
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Peep Show ------------- https://www.youtube.com/c/LoyalOpposition https://www.scribd.com/document/382737647/MortSahlFan-Song-List |
Posted By: Fischman
Date Posted: November 26 2019 at 13:44
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From the list, The IT Crowd. But the best in the time frame was As Time Goes By. Dame Judith Dench rocks at comedy as well. Oh, Wait... it's not that cut and dried. There's also Doc Martin. Yep, that's the ticket right there.
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Posted By: Psychedelic Paul
Date Posted: November 26 2019 at 14:08
I chose "Extras" even before I saw it in the list. 
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Posted By: LAM-SGC
Date Posted: February 10 2020 at 13:37
| How could you miss Friday Night Dinner? Everything with Tamsin Greig is amazing, Friday Night Dinner, Green Wing, Black Books. |
Posted By: Logan
Date Posted: February 10 2020 at 16:12
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^ I only caught Black Books because it showed on TV and Green Wing because it was on Canada's Netflix (loved Michelle Gomez in that). I watched all of the ones on the list through various means. This was a list of my modern faves at the time (I knew Black Mirror didn't fit well, but the pig episode needed to be represented due to it's very dark comedy aspect). While I have discovered many more since I made this poll four years ago, that is one show that I still have not seen. ------------- Just a fanboy passin' through. |
Posted By: Psychedelic Paul
Date Posted: February 10 2020 at 16:32
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At first, I couldn't think of any British TV comedies I'd watched in the last 20 years because I don't have a TV license, but then I remembered how much I enjoyed watching Ricky Gervais recently in Extras on DVD.
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Posted By: LAM-SGC
Date Posted: February 11 2020 at 06:49
| Black Mirror? Not even remotely a comedy. |
Posted By: Logan
Date Posted: February 11 2020 at 10:56
It might help it you expatiate on your statement -- it helps in conversation to understand where we're both coming from. I tend to resist such absolutist statements, and am more interested in the grey areas than black-and-white, this not that, kinds of thinking, but that's my psychology. While I have not claimed that is a comedy and I have addressed the inclusion in my opening post and in other posts, if one were to claim that it has no comedic aspect then that would seem very off to me. Is it comedy, I'd say no. Does it incorporate comedy (comedic aspects) in episodes, I'd say yes. I don't know if you've read through the thread, or even just the posts that mention Black Mirror, but I would argue that while Black Mirror is mostly a sort of dark drama, it does have dark comedy/ dramedy aspects, and to Charlie Brooker as I recall (some episodes come closer to dramedy for me than others). Charlie Brooker has said that he rather had wanted it to be a comedy, and of course he has that sort of background (Chris Morris was an influence, who he worked with on Nathan Barley). Would A Touch of Cloth, his Newswipe or Screenwipe be more relevant, yes. I would also argue that his Dead Set is a sort of dark comedy/ dramedy. In case you missed my earlier posts on this: From my original post:
Perhaps, there is some interesting discussion to be had here over whether Black Mirror is remotely a comedy (say if it has back comedy/ dramedy aspects), or if for you it ever crosses into comedy, and to find and take a deep dive into your disagreements in what I've written about it in this thread. Like with Inside No. 9, as an anthology series, it has the opportunity to be comedic. There are many episodes that I think have dark dramedy or tragicomedy aspects: The National Anthem, USS Callister, The Waldo Moment, Rachel, Jack and Ashley Too, Hang the DJ, Fifteen Million Merits and more. Heck, Crocodile was dark as hell, but the Guinea Pig aspect made me laugh like hell. Does it make it the anthology series a comedy, no, but I never claimed it was. Does it make it remotely a comedy when it comes to particular episodes, I would argue, yes. Maybe I would be more in-line with you if you spell out your argument, and your disagreement with what I have said in this thread. Disagreeing with me adding it, well, I debated doing that myself, and were I do do the poll today it would be rather different. I do think Charlie Brooker's sense of humour is clear across the series of Black Mirror (in some episodes more than others). If he does one that focuses on poo, then it will be clearer still. By the way, since you were surprised that I didn't include Friday Night Dinner, is it something you think would fit my tastes really well? I especially like dark comedy/ dramedies and often a certain surrealism. I'm surprised in this years old multiple vote poll that Psychoville, Inside No. 9, Snuff Box, and Misfits (Misfits is more of a dramedy serial than comedy per se, and the anthology series Inside No. 9 is part comedy, but is not at all comedy). ------------- Just a fanboy passin' through. |
Posted By: Psychedelic Paul
Date Posted: February 11 2020 at 11:13
| One of my all-time favourite comedy dramas is Minder, starring George Cole (Arthur Daley) and Dennis Waterman (Terry McCann). I have the entire ten season series on DVD. |
Posted By: LAM-SGC
Date Posted: February 11 2020 at 11:13
| Black Mirror is a sci-fi thriller. |
Posted By: Logan
Date Posted: February 11 2020 at 11:33
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Wow, I spend that much time writing and your response is that minimalistic and simplistic. I'm fine with that as a general descriptor for the show, but that seems overly narrow way to categorise each episode of the series. And a show could be sci-fi drama and still have comedy aspects (I never claimed it was a comedy and always try to at least read the OP before questioning things). If you've seen my sci-fi poll you will notice Black Mirror on it. I specifically referenced the initial episode, The National Anthem, in my response to you earlier. What's so science fiction about that? There's nothing particularly sci-fi about an episode like Smithereens either -- so the CEO goes God mode on his laptop. As with many things, I think you can add many descriptor for the show's episodes. Some are more sci-fi than others, and some are more thriller. I might refer it to the show as speculative fiction. Some episodes to me are more humorous than others. Technology is key throughout, whether cell phones in The National Anthem, "cookies' in various ones, social media apps is Smithereens or Nosedive, or killer robotic bees in Hated in the Nation. I think attempting a nuanced dialogue/ dialectic will be more work than it's worth. Kind of a downer, to be honest. ------------- Just a fanboy passin' through. |
Posted By: LAM-SGC
Date Posted: February 11 2020 at 12:00
| Sorry. |
Posted By: Logan
Date Posted: February 12 2020 at 12:08
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Oh don't worry about it, it was rather cheeky to include Black Mirror when I don't consider it to be a comedy. As ever, I'm far more interested in the discussion surrounding the choices, and discovering related ones, than the poll itself. I'm grateful when people take the time and effort to comment on my topics and respond to me. I wish that I were better at brevity. It's hard to get the right balance in communication, I find; one doesn't wish to seem too terse/abrupt, but not long-winded either. I think I'm a terrible communicator, but maybe because my ideas/ thinking are/is not that good to begin with. "To use many words to communicate few thoughts is everywhere the unmistakable sign of mediocrity. To gather much thought into few words stamps the man of genius" (Arthur Schopenhauer). ------------- Just a fanboy passin' through. |
Posted By: Cosmiclawnmower
Date Posted: February 12 2020 at 14:53
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Was lucky enough to catch 'The League of Gentlemen' live (last summer? no summer 2018) it was fantastic, the best live comedy since Python.. really well paced, non-stop engagement and a great atmosphere. I noticed 'Still Game' not mentioned on your original list; a great Scottish situation comedy which built from an original sketch on the 'Absolutely' TV show (Stonybridge, with its stony bridge!); talking of regional comedy, 'Barry Welsh is coming' a spoof of a Welsh news and chat show with John Sparkes (who also featured in Absolutely)- Although its Radio not TV, BBC radio 4 comedy 'Fags, Mags and Bags' is something I love; Sanjeev Kohli who plays Ramesh in F,B&M played Navid, the shop keeper in Still Game.
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Posted By: Squonk19
Date Posted: February 12 2020 at 16:57
Great choice - many favourites! Has to be BIG TRAIN though! Wonderful stuff from Simon Pegg, Mark Heap, Kevin Eldon and co. "...You do realise that I'm an evil hypnotist?" 'Jockeys..... something spooked them" "Do you speak English?" "...These warmed up cakes are really flying off the shelves" etc... etc  ------------- “Living in their pools, they soon forget about the sea.” |
Posted By: Logan
Date Posted: February 12 2020 at 17:29
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Truly, when teaching one of my children how to ride a bike, I started with this primer with her. It actually seemed to help with her trepidation. ------------- Just a fanboy passin' through. |
Posted By: Logan
Date Posted: February 12 2020 at 18:01
I have so wanted to see League of Gentlemen live. I did catch Still Game some time after making the poll. I was really enjoying it. I have yet to see most of the series/ seasons. Glad you mentioned it cause somehow I forgot about it. ------------- Just a fanboy passin' through. |
Posted By: Cosmiclawnmower
Date Posted: February 13 2020 at 11:53
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Have I mentioned i'm a HUGE HUGE Father Ted fan?.... Any thoughts on this omission from your list? ;) ------------- |
Posted By: Logan
Date Posted: February 13 2020 at 12:16
^ I actually addressed Father Ted specifically near the end of my opening post. I only included ones I know well, and I do know Father Ted well. Had it been a more recent discovery of mine, then I probably would have included it, but I hadn't watched it in considerable years at the time of this poll's creation.
------------- Just a fanboy passin' through. |
Posted By: Logan
Date Posted: February 13 2020 at 12:44
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Sorry for the double-post: Much as I really liked father Ted, though, I can't say that it was one of those ones that I was really passionate about at the time, most eager to discuss, or wanted to bring to people's attention at the time. Still, I could say the same of various others in the list. The ones that I still was most passionate about at the time were The League of Gentlemen, Psychoville, Inside No. 9, Misfits, Snuffbox, Nathan Barley, Brass Eye , Garth Merenghi's Darkplace, the sometimes darkly comedic Black Mirror, Man to Man With Dean Learner, Toast of London, and The Thick of It. The other British comedy I was really into then came too early for the poll, but I discovered it late: The New Statesman with Rik Mayall. I do tend to favour black comedy, or dramedies with a dark age, and dark dramas with some comedy. I posted this in another topic, but this is one example of comedy that I consider dark (as a parent it hurts to watch): I then listed various ones that I got into after this poll started in my posts here, such as The Peter Serafinowicz Show. So it's been something of a blog as well as a poll and discussion topic. Subsequently I spent more time on radio comedies, such as Good Omens, Old Harry's Game and Blue Jam, partially because my eyes get sore with work (and typing here). ------------- Just a fanboy passin' through. |
Posted By: Cosmiclawnmower
Date Posted: February 13 2020 at 13:09
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You're right; I didn't go back through and read any older messages- actually I found I had posted on this thread sometime ago which was a surprise... ive been away from the forum (and just about everything else in life) due to health/ depression reasons for about a year and a half so I cant remember what ive posted on and cant be bothered to read through pages and pages of old threads (though actually that's not entirely true, I have been when ive got time..) Yes, FT is Irish in spirit if not in finance but Arthur Matthews and Graham Linehan went on to be involved in SO many influential comedy programs in the UK. At the moment, No.9 is my particular favourite and there just seems to be no end to Shearsmith & Pembertons twisted sparling genius! ------------- |
Posted By: Logan
Date Posted: February 13 2020 at 13:51
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I also left for similar reasons for about a year and half before, and then again for a while. Probably it's not healthy for a depressive like me to be looking at some of this dark stuff. My memory has become very poor. Shame cause it used to be extremely good, and it makes work so hard (can't do as much as I used to), And right now Inside No. 9 is also my favourite and actually my reason for bumping this topic as, of course, it's on again. I love Shearsmith & Pemberton (I've online chatted with Reece Shearmith before, he makes himself available, but he's not someone I would want to piss off). I will listen to any podcast or radio show they have appeared on and watch everything by them that I can. Sparkling geniuses. They are my modern comedic faves. Charlie Brooker of Black Mirror/ Dead Set/ A Touch of Cloth/ Nathan Barley/ Screenwipe said he regrets that he couldn't write like them and that Inside No. 9 is one of his favourite shows. I was very surprised, and just a little saddened, in this multiple vote poll that it got zero votes. Perhaps its not a show that Neal Morse has endorsed (doubt it would be his cup of tea), or even Steven Wilson, or even Robert Fripp.... ------------- Just a fanboy passin' through. |
Posted By: Squonk19
Date Posted: February 13 2020 at 14:44
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Thanks for the BIG TRAIN bike clip, Logan! Another classic! ------------- “Living in their pools, they soon forget about the sea.” |
Posted By: Cosmiclawnmower
Date Posted: February 14 2020 at 02:41
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I'd forgotton to actually vote so now Inside No.9 has 1 vote!! Hmm.. I've been very lucky that my work (generally) helps with my depression as the work is mostly physical, in the open air and at times quite artistic and the pressures are usually seasonal, weather and hours of daylight rather than a company or institution breathing down your neck for results.. having reached a certain level of age and experience in my line of work i'm fairly much left to my own devices.. like yourself I used to have an excellent memory but it has got rather glitchy of late (but that's partly to do with other health issues..) But I still get a huge amount of joy and stimulation out of quality comedy of all sorts and of course music (and reading!) which are better all than any medication!! ------------- |
Posted By: Logan
Date Posted: March 12 2020 at 18:10
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Having now seen all of the latest series of Inside No. 9, I do have a favourite of this bunch with Misdirection. I thought that was brilliant, and will go down as one of the most classic episodes of Inside No. 9 with me. I should avoid spoilers, but I was delighted to see a certain back of the head, which was instantly recognisable to me, in one episode. Perhaps a topic with spoiler warnings for Inside No. 9 would be better to talk about the show than here, but there aren't many fans of it at PA -- perhaps a few more at Reddit and on Twitter. ;) I actually had some great in-depth Inside No. 9 discussion here before. Now I'm most looking forward to the new series/ season of Westworld, which is neither comedy (it has its moments) nor British despite having had some British actors. ------------- Just a fanboy passin' through. |
Posted By: Atavachron
Date Posted: March 12 2020 at 18:29
Gave me a good laugh, thanks. ------------- "Too often we enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought." -- John F. Kennedy |
Posted By: Atavachron
Date Posted: March 12 2020 at 18:31
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This has been posted several times over the years but it's worth repeating -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYrue4oXCbo" rel="nofollow - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYrue4oXCbo ------------- "Too often we enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought." -- John F. Kennedy |
Posted By: Logan
Date Posted: March 12 2020 at 18:39
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^ My dad was a very big Cricketer and having watched a few of his matches, I can relate. ------------- Just a fanboy passin' through. |
Posted By: essexboyinwales
Date Posted: April 02 2020 at 09:54
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Not familiar with many of these in enough detail, but right now I would recommend these if you want cheering up (although I understand that they're not to everyone's tastes): Miranda Gavin And Stacey The Detectorists |
Posted By: Logan
Date Posted: April 02 2020 at 10:37
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^ I've seen some The Detectorists, it's quite delightful, and some clips of Gavin and Stacey. I expect many here would like it, and there is at least one other fan of The Detectorists at this site. Can be very good stuff for dark times. A lot of that in my list is dark as I to tend to favour dark comedy (often dealing with mortality and quite taboo subjects, some having a horror element). Rather off-topic, but a favourite of mine of recent years, and it can be seen as cruel, and certainly very crude, of recent times (think most would hate it) was the Australian Chris Lilley Netflix mockumentary show Lunatics. Unlike how various others felt, I thought the show had heart and Lilley not just mocking certain kinds of people, and I could relate his characters to so many I've met. Strangely perhaps, dark comedy can cheer me up when times are really dark. I often like comedy best that have certain psychological components to it (often rather pessimistic views of human nature), and tend to reflect on the absurdities of life. Various Chris Morris stuff is a very good example of this, which can be forensic-like in its investigations of human nature and foibles. A lot would make people very uncomfortable The more I can relate to the characters and situations, he bigger the effect on me. I do like that which has heart, or at least of a kind. I love comedy and dramedy, which I had the skill to be making it (or making it well). ------------- Just a fanboy passin' through. |
Posted By: Cosmiclawnmower
Date Posted: April 03 2020 at 16:06
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Been re-visiting 'Stellar Street' from the 1990's.. Phil Cornwall and John Sessions are just SOOO good in it, very basic, low budget. Also running through 'This Country' which I love; first 2 series were best. Its very English and maybe wont translate across borders too well.. ------------- |