Sub-standard comedy

[Nibble]

Is it me being a snob or does there seem to be a glut of really dire comedy on TV the last few years?

From earlier drivel such as My Family, Two pints of lager, that shite with Jasper Carrot through to stuff like Catherine Tait, After you've gone (the dire new Nicholas Lyndhurst effort and that f***ing awful new one Touch me Im Karen Taylor (this is f***ing, f***ing shite).


Even the old reliables such as Mock the Week, Buzzcocks and Live at the Apollo seem to have completely unfunny panelists on them even though they are clearly scripted.

I saw Live at The Apollo last night. Jack Dee was awful (I used to like him), Somebody called something Manford was just plain unfunny and the young lad who followed (usually on mock the week) sounded like a hyperactive child but when you got through the fake excitement there was just drivel there.

There have been some great comedies recently - Gavin & Stacey etc but how does this shite get through to commission. Is it me?

 

[CHAPPERS]

Try and watch Tonightly without wanting to punch yourself in the face.

Impossible.

 

[Nibble]

Try and watch Tonightly without wanting to punch yourself in the face.

Impossible.

Ah, I caught a bit of that last night. It has that Manford bloke on it doesn't it. Shocking.

 

[CHAPPERS]

Jason Manford - Chisla.

 

[User removed 4]

Is it me being a snob or does there seem to be a glut of really dire comedy on TV the last few years?

From earlier drivel such as My Family, Two pints of lager, that shite with Jasper Carrot through to stuff like Catherine Tait, After you've gone (the dire new Nicholas Lyndhurst effort and that f***ing awful new one Touch me Im Karen Taylor (this is f***ing, f***ing shite).


Even the old reliables such as Mock the Week, Buzzcocks and Live at the Apollo seem to have completely unfunny panelists on them even though they are clearly scripted.

I saw Live at The Apollo last night. Jack Dee was awful (I used to like him), Somebody called something Manford was just plain unfunny and the young lad who followed (usually on mock the week) sounded like a hyperactive child but when you got through the fake excitement there was just drivel there.

There have been some great comedies recently - Gavin & Stacey etc but how does this shite get through to commission. Is it me?

nibble i dont know how old you are but even some of the crap you mentioned is better than some of the truly , truly dire shite we had to endure in the seventies, dont let anyone tell you such dross as on the buses are" iconic classics" they were awful , alongside such monumental manure as bless this house and father dear father, excepting love thy neighbour of course which was truly brilliant and exceptionally funny.

 

[Les Biehn]

Jason Manford - Chisla.

He thinks he's very funny though doesn't he?

 

[Franks Wild Years]

Couldn't agree more Mr Nibble. I think part of the problem is Radio 4 not commissioning many new shows for their 6.30 slot which used to lead to some great TV comedy, League of Gentlemen, Mighty Boosh etc etc. I can't think of a current comedy show that I would set my alarm for like I would in the past.

 

[Mendoza]

I take it we are talking British Comedy here. I tend to agree.

The Office, Partridge, Father Ted were BRILLIANT and since then nothing much has come of it.

Gavin and Stacey is great, as it appeals to the common people and you can see yourselves in the same sort of situations. Great characters you can relate to, and some quality catchphrases.

Touch me Im Karen Taylor, I find it amusing, but a bit annoying, but then she shows you her tits and all can be forgiven for 5 seconds.

The BBC stuff at the moment is terrible, Little Britain was the best they came up with for ages.
Mighty Boosh, I just dont get, nbut I can see why people find it funny. And League of Gentleman is up there when I watch it

Inbetweeners on channel 4 is the only other one that got me laughing, but the seems to be nothing out there that makes you LMAO of ROFL, but lets you do a mild LOL

 

[Nibble]

nibble i dont know how old you are but even some of the crap you mentioned is better than some of the truly , truly dire shite we had to endure in the seventies, dont let anyone tell you such dross as on the buses are" iconic classics" they were awful , alongside such monumental manure as bless this house and father dear father, excepting love thy neighbour of course which was truly brilliant and exceptionally funny.

I am sure you are right. I was just old enough to see some of the shows you mention but not really old enough to know whether they were funny at the time. Of course on seeing re-runs I agree, not funny.

What I mean is that there seemed to be a time when genuinley funny things like The Fast Show, Red Dwarf and Shooting Stars were on telly and Stand-ups such as Bill Hicks were doing the rounds, now it seems to have reverted, with the odd exception to Little & Large style comedy.

Maybe there was always this crap around and I am looking back with rose tinted glasses. Though I think with the arrival of so many channels the commisioners have to fill it with something, anything!

 

[vegster]

I think the days of the 30 minute sit-com are well and truly over. I think that nearly all the possible formats have been tried. worked on, improved and eventually bled dry.
My Family is merely a collection of slighty "Wacky" characters loosely based around a family... its utter garbage and I just don't know how it keeps getting re-commisioned. Lyndsay and Wannamaker are just treading water and trousering the cheques.
If you look as a whole how television has changed over the years, the most recent attempts at comedy are comedy quiz shows HIGNFY,Buzzcocks,QI Mock etc.. but even these are running out of steam... tis a sad looking future..

 

[gripper stebson]

AGREED.

Give my £200 quid property spoof a go.

MySpaceTV Videos: Slightly Better Homes - Sixty6 Films by Dogberry and Bob


Got pitched to the majors by Babycow but not picked up sadly. The series we pitched was 6 diffrent 'Slightly Betters...' Homes, Sex, Antiques, cars etc.

We also pitched to Babycow an idea about Sky TV channels being flicked around with sketches in between and was told that it was a basically crap idea.

Now being done (quite poorly IMO) on C4.

Hey ho.

 

[CHAPPERS]

He thinks he's very funny though doesn't he?

Yes, yes he does.

 

[Franks Wild Years]

Time to get writing Nibble !

 

[Nibble]

AGREED.

Give my £200 quid property spoof a go.

MySpaceTV Videos: Slightly Better Homes - Sixty6 Films by Dogberry and Bob


Got pitched to the majors by Babycow but not picked up sadly. The series we pitched was 6 diffrent 'Slightly Betters...' Homes, Sex, Antiques, cars etc.

We also pitched to Babycow an idea about Sky TV channels being flicked around with sketches in between and was told that it was a basically crap idea.

Now being done (quite poorly IMO) on C4.

Hey ho.

Has he got room for his hobby?

 

[Badger]

Has anyone seen that show on BBC2 at the moment called Lab Rats? I watched 5 minutes of that and came to the conlusion that it is truly, truly, truly awful, almost as bad as the one Johnny Vaughan made a few years ago.

Someone needs to come up with a modern day Red Dwarf or Blackadder

 

[Nibble]

Has anyone seen that show on BBC2 at the moment called Lab Rats? I watched 5 minutes of that and came to the conlusion that it is truly, truly, truly awful, almost as bad as the one Johnny Vaughan made a few years ago.

Someone needs to come up with a modern day Red Dwarf or Blackadder

Now you're talking. It has been such a long time since we had a truly great, escapist, iconic comedy such as Blackadder.

 

[Stumpy Tim]

The Office, Partridge, Father Ted were BRILLIANT and since then nothing much has come of it.

Extra's was quality IMO, but when average "same joke over & over again" tat like Little Britain becomes a hit you know comedy has gone downhill. I pine for the Blackadder days personally. Rowan Atkinson even ruined that by selling out with BEAN

 

[Mendoza]

Extra's was quality IMO, but when average "same joke over & over again" tat like Little Britain becomes a hit you know comedy has gone downhill. I pine for the Blackadder days personally. Rowan Atkinson even ruined that by selling out with BEAN

cant believe I forgot Extras, its brilliant, and getting all those special guests to do those cameos made it 100 times better

 

[Nibble]

I watched Little Britain Last night and In particular that sketch with the wheelchair guy in it. How can anyone laugh at something so predictable. When the likes of Catherne Tait and her charcater of that gobby school child are hailed as genius it's all over really. I just don't get it. The boat left and I wasn't on it.

 

[Brighton till i die]

I watched Little Britain Last night and In particular that sketch with the wheelchair guy in it. How can anyone laugh at something so predictable. When the likes of Catherne Tait and her charcater of that gobby school child are hailed as genius it's all over really. I just don't get it. The boat left and I wasn't on it.

not really into Little Britian but i do love Catherine Tate, especially the Nan!