Russell Howard

[supaseagull]

Taste in Comedians is like taste in music - all will appeal to a certain audience and then be disliked by others...Personally I can give or take Russell Howard but cannot stand the likes of so called comedians who aren't really comedians like Mark Steele and Mark Thomas who take themselves far too seriously.

 

[Dancing Sock]

Exactly. It's like music threads when people discover that everyone has different tastes and a different perspective on what's 'good'. With Gervais I loved Extras, but I've hated everything else he's ever done. The Office is the most overrated rubbish that has ever polluted our TV (although the American version is passable, mainly because the acting is a million times better and Gervais isn't in it).

Mrs Brown's Boys. Now that's comedy!

No it's not.

 

[clapham_gull]

Comparing Russell Howard with Ricky Gervais is truly comparing apples with oranges. The former is a flavour of the moment comedian who is lucky to be working in an era that means successful stand up guarantees TV work. The latter has created two sitcoms that redefined the language of comedy. It's not even enough to debate whether Gervais makes you laugh as much, The Office and Extras (to a lesser extent) were as much about depressing, mirror on society drama as they were about belly laughs. Gervais has never been a good stand up, unfortunately he works in an age where there is a lot of money to be made in doing it and a lot of questions if you don't. As a comic writer he is in a completely different league to the Mock the Week crew that write a few punchlines to regurgitate on panel show of the week for eternity.

Extras did not define the language of comedy and neither did the Office.

 

[IndependentWSU]

I saw Russell Howard at the Dome about 5 years ago, HE WAS FUNNY, bloody hilarious. But now totally agree, very weak and is playing on his past success.
This also goes for Sarah Millican, I saw her at The Bloomsbury years ago, smallish venue and totally amazing. But now like Howard weak and very repetitive.
It seems as soon as they appear on 'Live at the Apollo' they become tosh!!!

 

[Cheeky Monkey]

Anyone who appears on Mock The Week (and a right pile of wankers regularly do) should immediately have their 'Comedian' status revoked. Awful, awful show (not that I'd ever bother watching it of course).

 

[Tony Le Mesmer]

Exactly. It's like music threads when people discover that everyone has different tastes and a different perspective on what's 'good'. With Gervais I loved Extras, but I've hated everything else he's ever done. The Office is the most overrated rubbish that has ever polluted our TV (although the American version is passable, mainly because the acting is a million times better and Gervais isn't in it).

Mrs Brown's Boys. Now that's comedy!

I presume you are being ironic in that last statement....

 

[Dancing Sock]

Anyone who appears on Mock The Week (and a right pile of wankers regularly do) should immediately have their 'Comedian' status revoked. Awful, awful show (not that I'd ever bother watching it of course).

Don't mind Mock The Week, it has its moments.

Wouldn't watch it if Dara wasn't the presenter though, and Howard is often a panelist which makes it even harder to watch than it should be.

 

[Coach_Carter_92]

I personally find Russel Howard really funny, but then I guess im in his target audience of teens and young adults (im 20). But then I laugh at most things. Another comedian who IMO is under rated is Milton Jones

 

[Postman Pat]

Extras did not define the language of comedy and neither did the Office.

Only if define means to rip-off what Chris Morris was doing 10 years earlier.

And I'll also add that I can't stand Ricky Gervais, he has one character that he does all the time. Even managed to ruin an episode of Family Guy the other night.

 

[Ulloa's Soul Patch]

To be honest when I find something funny I don't generally laugh out loud.
I just exhale a bit more air out of my mouth, but Russell Howard makes me genuinely Laugh!

 

[joeinbrighton]

Mock The Week has been pretty poor since Frankie Boyle left the show. Coincidentally, Frankie Boyle has been pretty poor since he left Mock The Week and has been taking exclusively to mocking the weak. Dara O'Briain is really the only person that stops that show dying on its backside now, the likes of Chris Addison are terrible. Russell Howard was decent on Mock The Week but haven't really found him funny on anything else.

With regards to Gervais, The Office was brilliant, Extras very funny, An Idiot Abroad was amusing in parts and Derek and Life's Too Short both had their moments, but his stand-up is sub-standard in comparison to his comedy writing.