Some British TV comedies of last 20 years

^ I'd like to see This Country. I think that comedy of different stripes is my favourite milieu, and British comedy (despite living outside of the UK) definitely has had the biggest impact on me.

I appreciated Rocky Gervais' After Life.

I've been back through one of the classics, The Young Ones.

^ I've seen some The Detectorists, it's quite delightful, and some clips of Gavin and Stacey. I expect many here would like it, and there is at least one other fan of The Detectorists at this site. Can be very good stuff for dark times.

A lot of that in my list is dark as I to tend to favour dark comedy (often dealing with mortality and quite taboo subjects, some having a horror element).

Rather off-topic, but a favourite of mine of recent years, and it can be seen as cruel, and certainly very crude, of recent times (think most would hate it) was the Australian Chris Lilley Netflix mockumentary show Lunatics. Unlike how various others felt, I thought the show had heart and Lilley not just mocking certain kinds of people, and I could relate his characters to so many I've met.

Strangely perhaps, dark comedy can cheer me up when times are really dark. I often like comedy best that have certain psychological components to it (often rather pessimistic views of human nature), and tend to reflect on the absurdities of life. Various Chris Morris stuff is a very good example of this, which can be forensic-like in its investigations of human nature and foibles. A lot would make people very uncomfortable

The more I can relate to the characters and situations, he bigger the effect on me. I do like that which has heart, or at least of a kind.

I love comedy and dramedy, which I had the skill to be making it (or making it well).

Edited by Logan - April 02 2020 at 10:42

^ My dad was a very big Cricketer and having watched a few of his matches, I can relate.

Logan wrote: Truly, when teaching one of my children how to ride a bike, I started with this primer with her. It actually seemed to help with her trepidation.

I also left for similar reasons for about a year and half before, and then again for a while. Probably it's not healthy for a depressive like me to be looking at some of this dark stuff. My memory has become very poor. Shame cause it used to be extremely good, and it makes work so hard (can't do as much as I used to),

And right now Inside No. 9 is also my favourite and actually my reason for bumping this topic as, of course, it's on again. I love Shearsmith & Pemberton (I've online chatted with Reece Shearmith before, he makes himself available, but he's not someone I would want to piss off). I will listen to any podcast or radio show they have appeared on and watch everything by them that I can. Sparkling geniuses.   They are my modern comedic faves.

Charlie Brooker of Black Mirror/ Dead Set/ A Touch of Cloth/ Nathan Barley/ Screenwipe said he regrets that he couldn't write like them and that Inside No. 9 is one of his favourite shows. I was very surprised, and just a little saddened, in this multiple vote poll that it got zero votes. Perhaps its not a show that Neal Morse has endorsed (doubt it would be his cup of tea), or even Steven Wilson, or even Robert Fripp....

Edited by Logan - February 13 2020 at 13:57

Sorry for the double-post:

Much as I really liked father Ted, though, I can't say that it was one of those ones that I was really passionate about at the time, most eager to discuss, or wanted to bring to people's attention at the time. Still, I could say the same of various others in the list. The ones that I still was most passionate about at the time were The League of Gentlemen, Psychoville, Inside No. 9, Misfits, Snuffbox, Nathan Barley, Brass Eye , Garth Merenghi's Darkplace, the sometimes darkly comedic Black Mirror, Man to Man With Dean Learner, Toast of London, and The Thick of It. The other British comedy I was really into then came too early for the poll, but I discovered it late: The New Statesman with Rik Mayall. I do tend to favour black comedy, or dramedies with a dark age, and dark dramas with some comedy. I posted this in another topic, but this is one example of comedy that I consider dark (as a parent it hurts to watch):



I then listed various ones that I got into after this poll started in my posts here, such as The Peter Serafinowicz Show. So it's been something of a blog as well as a poll and discussion topic. Subsequently I spent more time on radio comedies, such as Good Omens, Old Harry's Game and Blue Jam, partially because my eyes get sore with work (and typing here).

Edited by Logan - February 13 2020 at 12:51

Have I mentioned i'm a HUGE HUGE Father Ted fan?.... Any thoughts on this omission from your list? ;)

Truly, when teaching one of my children how to ride a bike, I started with this primer with her. It actually seemed to help with her trepidation.