[Humour] Comedy's that have aged well and those that haven't

Harry Wilson's tackle · Oct 31, 2024

Stato said:
Was never a huge fan of 'The Good Life' but have to watch the Christmas special every year just for Margot saying 'Christmas has not been delivered to this house.' Will sit through any episode of Porridge any time I catch the beginning of one. The Young Ones can never age for me. It is written on my heart. Fawlty Towers has aged much better than John Cleese has. Love Pete and Dud, but Derek and Clive got old quickly especially when the cruelty bubbled to the surface. I just wanted them to love each other.

I know. I loved the shocking first LP but was shocked by the cruelty in the others.

(Incidentally I am obsessed by a Christmas thing. Not a comedy, but The Box of Delights. Pure nostalgia for the early 80s, crappy special effects, and an imaginary England that always seemed beyond my grasp (takes out small onion) and Patrick Troughton!!!)

lawros left foot · Oct 31, 2024

Weststander said:
I loved Butterflies. More than a comedy, a take on life, teenage sons, suburbia.

I really hated Carla Lanes sit coms.

The Liver Birds, Butterflies, and, worst of all Bread, were all unfunny, overrated crap .

IMO, of course.

Weststander · Oct 31, 2024

Jam The Man said:
From the mid 90s I’d say The Fast Show has aged well, yet Harry Enfield and chums hasn’t.

Also - and I know I’m in the minority - I’ve never found any of Vic Reeves shows funny at all.

Same thoughts here.

The difference imho is Paul Whitehouse, a comic genius. He’s always reminded me of Milligan and Cooper, when on one of life’s highs, a creative force.

Enfield wasn’t anywhere near that level.

Bodian · Oct 31, 2024

jcdenton08 said:
I like Joan Hickson’s Marple too, and that is just about the least diverse show in the history of television…

Except for Miss Hinchcliffe & Miss Murgatroyd in 'A Murder is Announced'

Weststander · Oct 31, 2024

lawros left foot said:
I really hated Carla Lanes sit coms.

The Liver Birds, Butterflies, and, worst of all Bread, were all unfunny, overrated crap .

IMO, of course.

Bread was shite. As was the Royle Family, Derry Girls and Mrs Brown’s Boys. All lowest common denominator tripe.

Butterflies was special at the time for me, I looked up to the older teenage sons, I loved the interplay of the generations.

hart's shirt · Oct 31, 2024

Weststander said:
The difference imho is Paul Whitehouse, a comic genius. He’s always reminded me of Milligan and Cooper, when on one of life’s highs, a creative force.

Enfield wasn’t anywhere near that level.

A shameless indulgence, but Whitehouse's flexibility and talent is showcased in 2 and a half minutes here.

Enfield very much the supporting cast.

Weststander · Oct 31, 2024

hart's shirt said:
A shameless indulgence, but Whitehouse's flexibility and talent is showcased in 2 and a half minutes here. Enfield very much the supporting cast.

Whitehouse, Milligan, Smith & Jones clips all still make me laugh out loud now. There’s a natural nuts to them all, palpably laughing at their own wonderful p-takes, parodies. I loved the blank expression dryness of Mel Smith.

Palin probably had that too.

papachris · Oct 31, 2024

Used to really enjoy One foot in the grave

Sid and the Sharknados · Oct 31, 2024

Dinnerladies is great.

I'll be honest, I'm struggling to think of things that I think are shit now that I didn't always think were shit.

Machiavelli · Oct 31, 2024

Weststander said:
Aged well:
Fawlty Towers
Spike Milligan
The Office - UK and US versions
Frasier - saw an incredible episode this week.
Anything by Smith and Jones.
Dad’s Army
The Thick Of It

Eek. Disagree vehemently on this. Loved it first time and probably saw the two series more than once back in the day. Went back to it a year or so ago, and it's of a different era.
Delightfully we've got some channel that's got Curb Your Enthusiasm which we haven't seen for about two decades, and it's still comedy gold.

Machiavelli · Oct 31, 2024

Charlie Livesey said:
Still enjoy Royle Family and Early Doors. Always found Butterflies boring

Haven't seen Butterflies in yonks, but thought it was charming if somewhat petty bourgeois. The other two are exemplars.

Sid and the Sharknados · Oct 31, 2024

Weststander said:
Long before my time (honest) there were Basil Rathbone movies. Also brilliant, without the all pervasive opioid darkness.

Is this going to be like that time I watched a Poirot film and they had somebody who wasn't David Suchet as Poirot?

No. Nothing could ever be that disturbing.

Weststander · Oct 31, 2024

Machiavelli said:
Eek. Disagree vehemently on this. Loved it first time and probably saw the two series more than once back in the day. Went back to it a year or so ago, and it's of a different era.
Delightfully we've got some channel that's got Curb Your Enthusiasm which we haven't seen for about two decades, and it's still comedy gold.

Probably different senses of humour.

I never liked the hitting a car with a stick or silly walk stuff. Too basic.

What I do love is; The Major and 6 o clock drink “That time already?”, mocking very British snobbery Lord Melberry, the ignored family as not posh, Basil dealing with the spoilt brat kid, the crazy upstairs floor levels … that really is a feature in old hotels, the person complaining about the view, the yank and Waldorf Salad, the general parodying of the British class system.

jcdenton08 · Oct 31, 2024

Bodian said:
Except for Miss Hinchcliffe & Miss Murgatroyd in 'A Murder is Announced'

Good shout. I love the Hickson Marple’s. “Oh no, dear”. Lovely stuff

Machiavelli · Oct 31, 2024

Weststander said:
Probably different senses of humour.

I never liked the hitting a car with a stick or silly walk stuff. Too basic.

What I do love is; The Major and 6 o clock drink “That time already?”, mocking very British snobbery Lord Melberry, the ignored family as not posh, Basil dealing with the spoilt brat kid, the crazy upstairs floor levels … that really is a feature on old hotels, the person complaining about the view, the yank and Waldorf Salad, the general parodying of the British class system.

I do think Sybil is one of the most hilariously cutting characters in comedy: "Oooo, I know"

jcdenton08 · Oct 31, 2024

papachris said:
Used to really enjoy One foot in the grave

4291…. WHAT THE BLOODY HELL!!!?? :lol:

Harry Wilson's tackle · Oct 31, 2024

Weststander said:
Long before my time (honest) there were Basil Rathbone movies. Also brilliant, without the all pervasive opioid darkness.

The modern reboot written by Mark Gatiss is bloody brilliant.

BN9 BHA · Oct 31, 2024

papachris said:
Used to really enjoy One foot in the grave

jcdenton08 said:
4291…. WHAT THE BLOODY HELL!!!??

I enjoyed this when it was on, haven’t watched any repeats for years, stumbled across this recently and thought it was really funny.

METALMICKY · Oct 31, 2024

JBizzle said:
Blackadder has aged well, most of Friends has, a lot of Only Fools and Horses hasn't

The quality of the writing on Friends was astonishing with hardly a duff line in sight. Not forgetting the brilliant casting.

Loved Blackadder too but the Elizabethan and World War I series were a cut above.

Weststander · Oct 31, 2024

METALMICKY said:
The quality of the writing on Friends was astonishing with hardly a duff line in sight. Not forgetting the brilliant casting.

Loved Blackadder too but the Elizabethan and World War I series were a cut above.

I loved the Xmas Scrooge special too.

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[Humour] Comedy's that have aged well and those that haven't

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