DISQUS

blatherskite · 2 years ago

Don't forget the ingenious Count Arthur Strong, my favorite recent discovery via BBC 4.

Though, in addition to your listings of more-or-less current comedy, I 'd add a slew of other things from the past decade or so, such as World of Pub, People Like Us, The Consultants, Mitchell and Webb, Knowing Me, Knowing You, .... even the recent Bleak Expecations was pretty good. There are too many good programs to mention.

As an American who has never lived outside the US, there's just nothing on the radio here that even comes close to the output of great stuff (along with the dross) that comes from BBC 4, and not just the back catalogue.

A radio sitcom or sketch show in the US? I'm not sure such a thing really exists. There's a US rough equivalent of News Quiz (called "Wait Wait Don't Tell Me) but it's not nearly as good as the BBC quiz.

And nothing in any medium remotely as funny as Count Arthur Strong. But that's in part my idiosyncracy, I presume.

blatherskite · 2 years ago

I should say thanks for the quick overview of history, btw. It fills in a few gaps I was curious about.

I heartily agree with all your recommendations for current things, too (Ed Reardon, et al.). Hilarious stuff.

Steve Bowbrick · 2 years ago

Thanks for those worthy additions. I'd forgotten Count Arthur Strong. While I'm at it I'd add the pseudonymous Creighton Wheeler, sufferer from perhaps the most hilarious illness in human history: Splicer's Disease. Also wry standup Adam Bloom, weird Milton Jones, the late Linda Smith (and how could I have forgotten the News Quiz?). BTW, how does America receive the now legendary game of 'Mornington Crescent'? I'm gong to try to feed a few MP3s into this entry when I get a minute so people can sample more of the good stuff!

blatherskite · 1 year ago

I've never heard of Creighton Wheeler before, but from searching I see he's a relatively recent creation. I'll keep an ear out for him. Thanks!

I liked Adam Bloom's recent series, the name of which I can't remember but which included audience participation. Enjoyable but didn't bowl me over.

However, I find Milton Jones endlessly hilarious in all his incarnations, particularly "The House of Milton Jones" which is a bit more structured sitcom than some of his other efforts. He's a rare thing: a comedian who can make puns thoughtful (though he's not solely a punster).

Linda Smith was a treasure.

As for Mornington Crescent, I have to say I'm not sure how other Americans view it. The few I've exposed to it have ended up following my lead and thinking it's a bit past it's sell-by date, though good in small portions. However, overall I think I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue is still a phenomonal program.k(Rob Brydon doing a Tom Jones number as the last performer in several "Pick-up Song" in recent years --- stunning).

[For some reason in my first comment here I wrote in "The Consultants" -- which I don't like so much-- instead of "The Department" which I really do like. I'm glad we got "The Department"s John Oliver here from the UK, let's hope he does well. He was on the Writer's Guild picket the other day, as I heard him quoted in an NPR news report. Good on ya, John.]

nick sweeney · 1 year ago

There are a few strands you can unravel in recent R4 comedy, but I'm surprised you didn't mention Andy Hamilton: Old Harry's Game has been in and out of the schedule since 1995 (which makes me feel old) and before that, you had The Million Pound Radio Show with Nick Revell.

It might also be worth mentioning the two slots for R4 comedy. It's 6.30pm for the establishment (ISIHAC, JAM, The News Quiz and Quote bloody Unquote), and 11.30pm for stuff that's slightly more out on a limb. And though it's long, long gone, Week Ending can't be ignored as an incubator for young writers. (The same applies to The News Huddlines, which often gets the snob treatment from R4 fans.)

Oh, and The Sunday Format. Radio at its purest, sui generis, wickedly sharp, and it really doesn't get old with repeat listening.

blatherskite · 1 year ago

I'm not sure if stretching this comment thread out is kosher at this point, but I'm game and you brought up one of my favorites: Andy Hamilton. I just finished series 6 of Old Harry's Game and OHG is still endlessly enjoyable. I also like Trevor's World of Sport (on radio-never seen the TV version) and Hamilton's become one of my favorite contributors to the News Quiz. Both these are fairly standard sitcom formats (OHG less standard than Trevor) that show Hamilton's mastery of the form. Outnumbered, on TV, was quite good too and stretched the genre formally and tonally more than I expected.

Sadly I can't appreciate Drop the Dead Donkey. I presume that it's partly due to the half-life of topical humor added to my ignorance of UK politics of the time. But I also I can't stomach the laugh track (I implore all UK broadcasters to get rid of laugh tracks and overemphatic miking of audience laughter. No US program that I would want to watch offends this way anymore, but it crops up on quite a few UK shows that are otherwise of high quality.)

Another Andy Hamilton project I didn't care much for was the sitcom about the US Revolution he did with a US writer: Revolting People, I think it was. Far too much the standard US "setup-joke" format, with payoffs rarely worth it. But with Trevor and O.H.G., he's earned a slot in the pantheon. I pick up repeats of the Million Pound show on BBC7 and it's another that's a favorite of mine of the "comedy team does a few sketches and address the audience" show, which Lee and Herring also did most entertainingly.

I'll look forward to programs in the 11:30 slot, I'm sure great comedy will open up there, so thanks for that tip.

I'm in a bit of a quandary, since I am enjoying a lot of UK comedy (radio and TV) but can't find many decent places (a good literate blog like speechification, for instance) to read about it and possibly ask a few questions to fill in my gappy knowledge.

... And also to be tipped off to upcoming things to see and avoid. BBC7 had a comedy review/discussion show called "Serious About Comedy," with some flaws but mostly enjoyable. Hosted by Robin Ince, "Serious" has turned me on to many things (such as my beloved Count Arthur Strong). Unfortunately, it's been canceled and I'm wishing for something that could, in relatively brief form, warn me off off and onto upcoming shows, especially comedies.

I've looked over your speechification blog and it's tremendously well done (I've subscribed to the RSS feed), but it's not quite the kind of thing I'm referring to above.

Again, if this thread is getting too far afield, I apologize. Recommendations for a good place to read about and discuss comedy that's not so fannish but more thoughtful would be appreciated.

And I just noticed that a new series of Ed Reardon's Week is coming up soon. I can't wait! Maybe I'll pick up that copy of New Grub Street I had forgotten to buy.