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Joined: October 20 2009
Location: Not Here
Status: Offline
Points: 1754
Topic: Favorite UK Sketch Comedy Show Posted: June 12 2013 at 12:48
I did a UK sitcom poll already; here's the sketch comedy poll I threatened to do. A few caveats: First, I drew the line at 1990. (I know Monty Python was a great show, but it's not the Sixties anymore.) Second, I then moved back the line to include a couple of shows that began in the late 80s, because, well, I wanted to. Third, fate or just rotten luck consigned me the ignominy of being born and raised in the USA, far from my Italian/English roots, so therefore learning about quality British tv shows and then finding them and watching them is no easy task. Which is to say, there's probably other good sketch shows from the UK that I'm not aware of. Please recommend them. Fourth, no Rowan Atkinson. I don't think that needs an explanation. (Okay, just joking. Blackadder's great. It should've been in the sitcom poll, but I didn't think of it. And I quite like Mr. Bean as well.)
My favorite's a toss-up between Mitchell & Webb, and League of Gentlemen. Going to go with League of Gentlemen.
Joined: May 13 2007
Location: Europe
Status: Offline
Points: 37575
Posted: June 22 2013 at 04:32
ExittheLemming wrote:
I seem to be the only one whose voted for the Fast Show(........Oh suits you sir)
It was a damn fine programme and full of inovation amid a dearth of tv comedy at that time, the number of different well-crafted characters and gags they produced in the first series was staggering, but later series became 100 ways to replay those same gags with the only redeeming segment being the ongoing story of Ralph and Ted, which highlighted how pivotal Charlie Higson was to that ensemble (more so than Paul Whitehouse IMO).
...superlatives are often misapplied to the arts, but that putting that in a sketch show was a piece of total genius.
Joined: May 13 2007
Location: Europe
Status: Offline
Points: 37575
Posted: June 22 2013 at 05:02
I voted for A Bit Of Fry & Laurie but I'd like to make an honorary mention for The Mary Whitehouse Experience that gave us the follow-on's Newman and Badiel In Pieces and The Imaginatively Titled Punt & Dennis Show.
...another worth a mention is A Kick Up The Eighties, while not being that original as a sketch show, it did feature Rik Mayall's finest comedic characterisation, Kevin Turvey (well, the only one that didn't rely on scatology and slapstick as much anyway).
Joined: December 28 2009
Location: Scotland
Status: Offline
Points: 522
Posted: July 10 2013 at 16:54
It's got to be Fry and Laurie. The sketch shows from here in Scotland (Chewin' the Fat/ The Elaine C. Smith Show...both from '90's) are actually pretty good as well and tend to get overlooked because the English have more well known comedians plus our slang terms aren't always easy going in the ranks of understanding. The following explanation should serve as a reasonable guide.
"Fir exampule, a loat ay us kinnah sound lik this if ye git ma meanin'. Whin they talk reallie fast thi awe jist seem lik thir tal'in' sum kinna noansinse tae ye...Ah rest ma case. See whit ahm teln ye?"
Translation Scottish Slang to Earth Human Speak:
"For example, a lot of us kinda sound like this if you get my meaning. When they talk really fast they all just seem like they're talking some kind of nonsense to you. I rest my case. You see what I'm saying?"
"Man is nothing else but that which he makes of himself" - Sartre
Joined: December 28 2009
Location: Scotland
Status: Offline
Points: 522
Posted: July 10 2013 at 17:45
Nice one Dean. Actually the slang's quite tame on that compared to stuff like Rab C. Nesbitt at times. One time, I was watching this sketch show based in Aberdeen, and I swear, I thought...this should be subtitled, honestly, and I'm notorious for my overuse of slang...
Oh, and on the subject of Rab C, is anyone a fan of the '80's sketch show Naked Video?
"Man is nothing else but that which he makes of himself" - Sartre
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