M
y Favourite Comedies
Here are the programs which have made me laugh the most over the years from the early Blackadders and The Young Ones to Fantasy football and The Fast Show.
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Cat and Lister (Demons and Angels) |
Kryten and Rimmer (Rimmer World) |
Recently celebrating 10 years, Red Dwarf has been 7 series and 42 episodes of Cult comedy. Writers Rob Grant and Doug Naylor created Dave Lister and Arnold J. Rimmer as two vending machine repairman on board the Jupiter Mining Corporation Vessel the Red Dwarf. After Rimmer failed to mend one of the machine properly and the whole crew were wiped out in Episode 1 (apart from Lister who was put into stasis for bringing a Cat onboard). 3 million years on Dave is brought back as the last human alive, with a creature who evolved from his cat, a Hologramatic version of Rimmer and in series 3 a mechanoid called Kryten who was rescued. Other characters include Haytie Hatridge as Holly in Red Dwarf 3-6 and, Chloe Anette as Kachansloki in 7 and ??? as Holly in 1 and 2 and a guest appearance in the last episode in 7. Join in with the gang against backwards worlds, Kinnotawawwi tribes, the Inquistiter, the Vindaloo beast and dozens and dozens of more hilarious capers.
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The Blackadder |
Blackadder II |
Blackadder the 3rd |
Blackadder Goes Forth |
Rowan Atkinson and Chums join in with humour thorough the ages with Blackadder thorough Victorian to the First World War and more. Edmund Blackadder descended from the stupid in The Blackadder with his sharp servant Baldrick to the cruel character in the others where Baldrick is marely his Dogsbody. Blackadder brought Rowan Atkinson to fame after he starred in No the 9 O clock news and other programs in his early career. Now famed for Mr. Bean, it is Blackadder which shows the comic known as God in the business at his witty best.
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I’m Alan Partridge |
Would you like me to lap dance for you? |
Comic Steve Coogan brings us his most famous character. Alan Partridge is the chat show host from hell, well, Norwich to be more precise. From radio to T.V. Alan and his wacky quests delight us with his witty chat and insults while things never seem to go to plan but he’s a professional after all. His other characters include Paul and Pauline Calf, and a number of characters he did in a mini series 2 years ago. Knowing Me Knowing You sees Steve Coogan at his best and a new series cannot come a second too soon.
Anyone who has heard "3 Lions" the England Football song will know that Skinner and Baddiel where the influence behind it with their great TV show Fantasy Football League. It started off with celebrities buying players (not real buying!) before the football season started and getting points for them doing well. The celebrities would come on the show and would chat with Dave and Frank about everything football. Statto the brainbox on football trivia and Geoff Astle the ex England and West Brom start turned singer join them. What made this show great were the footballing clips and originality in the witty and sharp gags. How they spotted some of their observations at matches I’ll never know. The brilliant Phoenix from the flames where a famous football moment is reinacted is for me the funniest bit of the show but their observations about "watching football this week" are unreal. They would often take the piss out of what footballers look like and in the world cup edition which is on at the moment (FFL hadn’t been broadcast for a few years before this), there have become great gags such as "Does Pele shag around?" and the "Hello’s" to people who sound like England players like "Wol Campell" and "Aron Shearer". Every football fanatic’s comedy dream. Only bad think is that if you don’t know anything about football you wont get the jokes.
The lives of Tony and Gary with Gary’s girlfriend Dorothy and Tony’s wannabe girlfriend Debra. As the title suggests its all about the stereotypical man: Drinking, girls, being stupid and immature. Tony and Gary are these typical stereotypes (whether ALL men are like this is another matter). Surfing on ironing boards, wearing pillows on their heads and throwing up are all normal things in their household while Tony’s trying to get Debra have gone on for years. He’s trying to do a tattoo on himself was a classic as was trying to lose weight. The girls (unfortunately) have to live with this and Tony and Gary’s pub antic in front of them entertain us. One for the girls and the boys me thinks.
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The Old Gits |
The Slobs |
Smashie and Nice |
Babby Harry |
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Mr You Don’t wanna do it like that |
Kevin |
Tim Nice But Dim |
Harry Enfield’s delightful characters have become household names while he topped the ratings in the comedy scene. The hilarious sketches which include the Old Gits, The Slobs and Kevin the teenager are original, loveable and most importantly funny. He is joined with Paul Whitehouse and ???? and has brought us his finest moments in this hit half hour of fun. One of the funniest characters that was killed of was Mr You don’t wanna do it like that with his "Only meeeeeee" making him the most annoying person alive. With Smashie and Nice also being taken out of the show Harry bounced back with new characters like Tory boy and Baby Harry which are all equally impressive but still fall to the grace of the original works of genius. RIP the Old Gits
Classic comedy with The Young ones. The start of Rik and Adrian’s successful careers is as students with Hippy Neil and Hip Mike in the two series of 1982 and 1984. The politically incorrect jokes and oringallity is there for all to see. Vivian the punk is a rock hard madman and everything he does spells disaster in every possible sense of the word. Neil’s speech of "First we sow the seeds, nature grows the seeds, then we eat the seeds" will live long in my memory so will the classic University challenge episode. Rik is like a younger versio of the charcater he plays in Bottom. Richard Richard being Rick when he’s older? There are numerous comparisons.
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Which was nice… |
Unlucky Alf |
Ohh! Suits You sir! |
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Rowley Birkin |
Jessie’s Diets |
Even More Brilliant!!! |
After working with Harry Enfield, Paul Whitehouse brings us a similar series of sketches with completely different characters. It is fast and in your face and the famous suits you shops assistants and drunken Rawley Birkin are hilarious. With Unlucky Alf says "Bugger" and Jessie’s "This week I have been mostly eating…." Paul Whitehouse and co have brought us a follow-up to Harry Enfield and Chums with original characters which has been praised by the great man himself.
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David Baddiel |
Steve Punt |
Rob Newman |
History Today |
It is amazing what a following four students could have. Baddiel, Newman, Punt and Dennis split into their couples of Newman and Baddiel and Punt and Dennis with The former having the best of it. Baddiel now co hosts Fantasy Football League and Newman is still on the club comedy scene. To be honest they had the better of the characters in Mary Whitehouse as well (although Hugh’s "Milky, Milky" deserves a mention having said that). History today was continued as was Jarvis but in the early 90’s The Mary Whitehouse Experience gave the comedy scene a kick up its arse and gave to us 4 young and talented comics who have come on from there (well at least half of the them have)
Richard Richard and Edward Hitler
One half of the Young Ones (the more successful half) are two unemployed bums who are at rock bottom. The stupid but funny Richard and Eddie have done many series with sharp up to date gags and moments of violent madness (all shown in good faith). We are shown the lives of the wittier Eddie and stupider Richard as they try to get more money, girls and fame but in this comedy at least they never will. Bring on Reality…..
