Rolling UK Comedy Thread - "Ricky Don't Lose Larry David's Number

is this true?

xpost

xp

I would say that though, because I hate women.

Here's a scene. You're looking along your collection of CDs, or shuffling through your playlist, trying to find that new Lady Sovereign album or whatever. But you stumble across something else, something from 10 years ago - the Fugees, say."

That senile dribbling cunt with his own column in the Guardian weekend magazine.

That senile dribbling cunt with his own column in the Guardian weekend magazine.

Cue stock that's no way to talk about Zoe Williams gag.

I don't have a Wikipedia entry either.

Includes News Summary at 9.00pm.

like swimming in a cool sea and passing through a warm current, etc...

Where are the standards of today, I ask you.
I don't have a Wikipedia entry either.

-- Marcello Carlin (marcellocarli...)

Oh, have I got one?

Whew.

also on the bad can someone please put Have I Got News For You out of its misery.

At the risk of, on this reviewer's logic, inviting lynch-mobs to my door, I'd argue that Extras was shite.

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To put things into context: Harry Hill aside, all British TV Comedy right now is total shit.

-- Ruairi Wirewool (horseproduction...), January 15th, 2007. (Ruairi Wirewool) (later)

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what were the chances of that happening?
-- mark grout (mark.grou...), January 15th, 2007. (mark grout) (later)

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If you can put CT and Green Wing on a par, you truly show a lack of discernment IMO.
Frankly, now that GW has been and gone, I'm inclined to agree with Ruairi, minus the bit about Harry Hill.

-- You've Got Scourage On Your Breath (papiermachealamphibia...), January 15th, 2007. (Haberdager) (later)

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If you can put CT and Green Wing on a par, you truly show a lack of discernment IMO.
no it's just a 'higher' (or rather 'stricter') level of discernment.

-- vita susicivus (n...), January 15th, 2007. (blueski) (later)

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'the thick of it' will be back, later in the year, and so will 'peep show'.
-- the original hauntology blogging crew (miltonpinsk...), January 15th, 2007. (Enrique) (later)

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but in a another more accurate sense...
-- mark s (mar...), January 15th, 2007. (mark s) (later)

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but then i do like Harry Hill so it's apples and roundabouts.
-- vita susicivus (n...), January 15th, 2007. (blueski) (later)

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rubbish
-- RJG (RJ...), January 15th, 2007. (RJG) (later)

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so you keep saying
-- vita susicivus (n...), January 15th, 2007. (blueski) (later)

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RJG's TV Burp
-- Dom Passantino (juror...), January 15th, 2007. (Dom Passantino) (later)

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Hmm. I was only talking about currently-running comedy shows. If Peep Show returns for a fourth bite at the cherry (and TTOI for a second), I will only be too delighted. Of course, the one I'm really looking out for is Nathan Barley II.
-- You've Got Scourage On Your Breath (papiermachealamphibia...), January 15th, 2007. (Haberdager) (later)

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i think it would be a big ask for there to be a 'great' uk comedy series to be running all 52 weeks of the year. i have low standards perhaps; but i don't ask for a 'great' film each month either.
-- the original hauntology blogging crew (miltonpinsk...), January 15th, 2007. (Enrique) (later)

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of course i too want 'nathan barley' back.
-- the original hauntology blogging crew (miltonpinsk...), January 15th, 2007. (Enrique) (later)

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They could drop scissors on a dog's head this time.
-- Dom Passantino (juror...), January 15th, 2007. (Dom Passantino) (later)

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uh, rose-tinted view there i reckon - but at least it was generating interesting discussion.
one episode of Screen Wipe a month would be good. ditto TV Burp.

-- vita susicivus (n...), January 15th, 2007. (blueski) (later)

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ha ha Dom OTM
-- vita susicivus (n...), January 15th, 2007. (blueski) (later)

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Unread Messages
as with 'green wing', take away the hype and the expectation it'll live up to 'the day today' and 'nathan barley' was 23 minutes well-spent. i lolled anyway.
-- the original hauntology blogging crew (miltonpinsk...), January 15th, 2007. (Enrique) (later)

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i didn't laugh more than i did laugh etc.
-- vita susicivus (n...), January 15th, 2007. (blueski) (later)

And Screen Wipe rocks.

it was good, but not 300 times better than 'nathan barley'.

Speaking of Taskmaster alumni, Mae Martin is in Laugh One Laughing Canada (good, though helps if you feel the same tenderness in your heart for Dave Foley that I do) and Aisling Bea is in Last One Laughing Ireland (borderline unwatchable).

We almost watched the US LOL when trying to watch the UK one, as we're sneakily logging in on a friend's login and unfamiliar with the menu - is that any good, too?

Excited for s02 of the UK one but worry they'll struggle to match the lineup. Some of my favourite comedians in this, and the only one I didn't already know, Harriet, is dangerously funny.

Loved Harriet. "Not in that dress, princess!"

So there's an US one at last?? When I was going through them they had so many versions (Mexico, Philipines, Germany, France, Italy, it just went on and on) but no UK and no US.

"Not in that dress, princess!"

Ha! Yes. Lou currently the MVP. Bob amazing. Judi Love always v v v hilarious.

So there's an US one at last??

I assumed? Jay Baruchel appeared in the credits in the Jimmy Carr role and then my partner pointed out we were streaming the wrong one and I exited swiftly. Maybe this was actually the Canadian one?

Yeah that's the Canadian one.

I will say I know Aoyoade's aloofness is part of his persona but as it goes on it does make him seem like he looks down on everyone but Bob.

Harriet is amazing at this. I was actually crying at Bob's song, I have no idea how Daisy didn't crumble.

Our casting plan for season 2 mostly revolves around them getting Ed Byrne and Dara O Briain on together.

And Lucy Beaumont to play the part of Harriet.

Liza Tarbuck or Claudia Winkleman as the deadpan agent of chaos.

And Lucy Beaumont to play the part of Harriet.

Oh yes. Hells yes.

ahh you guys are gonna make me watch this

Yeah, I read reviews of the Irish one when it came out and assumed that they were all as bad, but the clips I've seen of the UK one do make it look worth watching. My aversion to at least one of the participants notwithstanding.

I'll admit I'm finding Carr, who reminds me of a glitching, malevolent robot at all times, hard to watch.

He's repulsive and I literally cannot watch anything with him in it.

xpost to trishyb - yep, she's awful in this too, but I'm largely pretending she's not there, assuming we're talking about the same person. Everyone else is golden.

If you can take it, I can.

I assume you guys are talkinh about Lou Sanders? It's ok, I don't think she posts here. I'm with stevie tho, she's great in this.

Yeah, I read reviews of the Irish one when it came out and assumed that they were all as bad

I'd say yes and no: there's aspects of the format that show up in every version (the garish sets, the lame footage of the eliminated contestants observing, the shitty surprise guest stars) except the Japanese one, which is the most hardcore but sadly also hosted by a now exposed sex pest. But if you can get past the trappings I listed there's a lot to enjoy in some of the versions.

Tbh I'm in it as much for the weird social experiment aspect as the comedy, the tension that builds, the way ppl circle each other or try to avoid each other's gazes. By the last episodes it does often resemble looking at ppl undergoing psychological torture tho.

Tbh I'm in it as much for the weird social experiment aspect as the comedy, the tension that builds, the way ppl circle each other or try to avoid each other's gazes. By the last episodes it does often resemble looking at ppl undergoing psychological torture tho.

Yes, this absolutely grew on me. Aoyade is very funny, but also seems a bit unpleasant. I have vague memories of unsavoury stuff having arisen about him, but I cannot remember what, but I was already ready to take against him (despite having loved him in a lot of stuff he's done). He seems to enjoy torturing the others a little bit too much. Tho Lou's a killer too, and I adore her in this.

A quote from Ayoade, featured in publicity materials, noted: 'Graham Linehan has long been one of my favourite writers – and this book shows that his brilliance in prose is the equal to his brilliance as a screenwriter.

'It unfolds with the urgency of a Sam Fuller film: that of a man who has been through something that few have experienced but has managed to return, undaunted, to tell us the tale.'

Ayoade's warm words for the man who gave him the role that made him mainstream prompted criticism from fans. He has now defended his review as being based on Linehan's skills as a writer - not necessarily his viewpoints.

Speaking on Gyles Brandreth's Rosebud podcast, Ayoade said: 'He's had, I think, a very harrowing time.

'But I wrote (the review) because he wrote an autobiography and his involvement, I suppose, he would frame it in terms of women's rights as opposed to being anti- anything, so I wanted to say I thought his book was well-written and good.

'I think he's a great writer, a brilliant writer, and I think everyone who would know him would know he's a man of great principle, I think.'

That's him off my Christmas card list.

Yup, that's what I thought of too.

Hadn't read the Sam Fuller namedrop tho, lol and indeed lmao.

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Ah, there it is.

I enjoyed this. Not sure it needed to be 6 episodes but it did build pretty effectively. I'm guessing the end was manufactured - Ayodae deferring to Mortimer?

I found some of the jokers pretty excruciating, particularly Lou Sanders', and not in the way I think she intended. No one laughing except her seemed painfully accurate. Thought she was generally good, though. Love Joe Wilkinson; his Stars in Your Eyes was magnificent.

Anyone got the case against Bob Mortimer? He was a prince in this.

The most I can say is that, as with Ayoade's Linehan defense, Mortimer's biog is full of happy memories with wrong 'uns, not acknowledged as such, but I guess that's just being in showbiz during the 90's. But yeah I love him.

There is no case against Bob Mortimer, surely. The man's a treasure. I'd hate to hear anything bad about him.

I just can't go Lou Sanders' schtick. She's just painful to watch. I understand others' mileage may vary on this, comedy being subjective and all that.

I've loved Lou in this tbh, but all comedians have the potential to be marmite ime

(meant to write Mortimer's autobio there. but yeah saying nice things about cunts ain't the biggest sin)

Finished it now. Just great stuff. Get Acaster on the next series please.

Also, Sean Lock would have been so good on this :(

Oh god, yeah.

I wasn't a fan of Lou before but quite liked her in this - 'naughty taughty' was genuinely hilarous.

I imagine we'll be seeing a lot of these, probably with diminishing returns cast-wise. surely cheap and quick as fuck to knock out, with contestant fees the biggest expense.

Bob winning was a boring result, much as I obviously love him

It turns out I don't enjoy people not laughing when other people are trying to make them laugh, so it wasn't for me... I'm out. /Deborah Meaden voice.

But yes, obviously it's going to run and run because it presumably costs nuppence nuppeny to make.

I'm still confused as to why they took so long to bring it to panel show happy UK tbh!

Ending did up conforming to most versions of the show - winners tend to be veterans, and almost always male.

Naughty taughty was great, yes.

The veterans thing is presumably because a lot of the young bucks have looked up to them their whole lives and are predisposed to finding everything about them hilarious. There's probably a ton of people on the casting team courting Jack Dee or Paul Merton round about now.

Well, and conversely, the veterans are jaded and not amused by the young 'uns. UK far from the worst version in that dynamic tho.

Yeah, I read reviews of the Irish one when it came out and assumed that they were all as bad

I loved this so much that I immediately watched the Irish one and thought it was great. It got so chaotic at the end. Started the Candadian one but it wasn't as good.

The UK one was one of the best things I've seen in ages. Mortimer and Ayodae doing the speed dating absolutely killed me.

Most of the ppl in the Irish one were rubbish imo and there was so much low hanging fruit.

The Canadian one has Tom Green's Carson monologue which is worth the price of admission.

I love Aisling and I liked Deirdre, Catherine, and Jason none of whom I knew before. It wasn't as good as the UK one at all but I enjoyed it.

I stopped the Canadian one part way through so I don't think I saw that but will go back to it.

Whatever about the rest of them, some of whom I know in person and they are nice people, you could not pay me to watch a programme with David McSavage in it. He is the worst.

I know nothing about him (had to look up which one he was just now) but he was def the worst one.

Saturday Night Live is to have its own British version called SNL UK.

It will be made in London with an all-British cast, executive produced by Lorne Michaels and it will air in 2026.

— Scott Bryan (@scottygb) April 10, 2025

I quite like US SNL, there are UK comedians I like, but somehow I can't imagine this being anything other than the worst programme ever made

have there been any good UK sketch shows in recent years? The only one I can think of is Ellie & Natasia

US SNL interesting as an exercise in "how much talent can you pour into a show for decades and decades without ever being funny", don't see any need to repeat the experiment elsewhere tho.

Who's gonna sing "Hallelujah" when Reform gets in?

have there been any good UK sketch shows in recent years? The only one I can think of is Ellie & Natasia

Burnistoun is the only one I can think of.

i've watched the first 3 eps of LOL. Bob Mortimer would have me in stitches.
switched over to watch a bit of The Martian I'd recorded for another day and Mr Swallow pops right up as a NASA JPL guy, freaked me out a bit!