RIP Winsor Davies

@Fat Controller , can we lock this thread please?

 

This is true. The comedian Jerry Lewis said fifty years ago, "You can't beat carefully rehearsed spontaneity."

 

There's not much room on TV now for pure stand up. I can only think of one programme where it features and that's Live at the Apollo. Most stand ups now take the easier option of panel shows as that sells seats on their tours. Can't blame them for that, I suppose.

 

The languge of comedians/comediennes on Live at the Apollo can be really appalling. I sometimes think, the poorer the joke, the more offensive the language used for emphasis.
I could never watch Mrs Brown, I find that completely offensive.

 

Reginald D Hunter, I like him

 

Me too! You can tell he's been here a long time, he's really sarky!

 

OK, I own up, I stopped watching "comedians" these days, so dont know many.
Not sure why, I just dont find them funny, I never found some of the old ones particully funny either, but a few stood out.
Ken Dodd was probably the master of the one line joke that you couldn't laugh at, because you were trying to hear the next one.
Dave Allen was different, but kept you listening, along with sketches.

Tommy Cooper, well he tried hard.
So there are good and bad, but I just dont think "comedy" is funny anymore, I always think the audience must be pissed as often I wonder what they have found funny.

Add to that the fact that you cant have a go at anyone these days and its all gone downhill, often just bad language gets a laugh.
I dont mind bad language, but it has to add something to the joke, otherwise what is the point.

 

Which is why I like Henning Wehn

 

If comedy is something that makes you laugh then watch Michael Mcintyres Big Surprise.
I just spent an hour of continuous laughing.
The whole show is hilarious ,good clean absolute fun IMHO.
Can’t wait for the next series..

 

Oh Pete, Pete, any chance of recording it and uploading it to YouTube? I could do with a good laugh

 

Comedy is a funny thing (see what I did there? ) as it divides opinion. I find McIntyre all a bit too rehearsed and wooden/forced.

 

Each to their own, but he has me looking for the remote control to switch to anything else!

I saw the Tommy Cooper documentary (again) last week.
There was none like him.

I'm reminded of decades ago, I was friendly with the manager of a Manchester nightclub. He gave me a handful of free tickets each week and we used to take a few friends.
On the night we were going I read in the morning paper that Tommy Cooper who was that week's star had fallen off the stage and broken his leg.

We decided to go anyway as there was always a decent dance band and a supporting act. We wondered if they'd have a replacement. The pre-show finished, the lights went down and there was a hush around the place.

Then we heard.

"I'm here!"

It brought the house down.

He did his act wearing a kaftan over his fully plastered leg.