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Don't forget Catherine Tate.
Reading an article in the Sunday's about Bill Bailey (A comic I much admire) I started wondering who might feature in new editions of John Fisher's Heroes of Comedy in years to come?
Eddie Izzard
Peter Kay
Paul Merton
Victoria Wood
Michael McIntyre (Please No!)
Vic & Bob
Paul Whitehouse & Harry Enfield
Fast Show
Little Britain
To my mind few have the public affection of say Eric & Ernie, Frankie Howerd or Arthur Askey, but it has to be said that I could never warm to Max Miller (Creepy) Arthur Askey or Tommy Trinder much either.
Don't forget Catherine Tate.
Agreed. Catherine Tate is very popular and would be high on any list.
Stephen K Amos
Frankie Boyle
Jason Manford
Paul Merton
Stella Street (Phil Cornwell)
Michael McIntyre (Please No!)
Vic and Bob
Rab C Nesbitt (Gregor Fisher )
Steve Coogan
The Thick of It (Peter Capaldi' Rebecca Front .
Mark Williams (The Fast Show)
Now that would be interesting jimw1.
Top you your list for me would be:
Paul Merton
Eddie Izzard
Peter Kay
Vic & Bob
Paul Whitehouse
Used to love Harry Enfield shows but he seems to be carried by Paul quite a bit in these new shows, for me anyway.
I have to admit I couldn't remember who was in the original series, having not seen all of them. This is the list from imdb...
# Frankie Howerd
# Tommy Cooper
# Joyce Grenfell
# Max Miller
# Arthur Haynes
# Terry-Thomas
# Kenny Everett
# Alastair Sim
# The Goons
# Benny Hill
# Peter Cook
# Arthur Askey
# Tony Hancock
# Norman Wisdom
# Ken Dodd
# Eric Sykes
# Barry Humphries
# Kenneth Williams
# Bernard Manning
# Mike Yarwood
# Sidney James
# Spike Milligan
# Hattie Jacques
# Ronnie Corbett
The series ran (correct me if I'm wrong) from the mid-90s to the early 2000s. A couple of these were historic characters by that time, some were (are) still alive, and some look like personal choices ...
My question is: does anybody know what kind of criteria Fisher was using? Am I being dense wondering why Eric Morecambe (or better, Morecambe and Wise) is not there, or Charlie Chaplin (was that too Hollywood?). It's difficult to know who might be included without any kind of framework, because personally, I would start with Morecambe and Wise, who could so easily have been in this original list ...
Comics under official retirement age that I would include would be Paul Whitehouse, Ricky Gervaise, Stephen Fry ... not because they're the funniest, but because they have perhaps had the widest influence ... I don't know, really.
Ricky Gervaise? I thought it was a series about comedyname='Rowdon' timestamp='1287481777' post='484119']
Comics under official retirement age that I would include would be Paul Whitehouse, Ricky Gervaise, Stephen Fry ... not because they're the funniest, but because they have perhaps had the widest influence ... I don't know, really.
Steve
Yes.. How long do we have to wait for Ricky Gervaise to retire?
Apparently, Gervais, like Michael Winner, has his fans. Personally, I can't bear him, but presumably this kind of series is at least partly based on prominence, so I guess he'd be considered.
name='Rowdon' timestamp='1287481777' post='484119']
I have to admit I couldn't remember who was in the original series, having not seen all of them. This is the list from imdb...
# Frankie Howerd
# Tommy Cooper
# Joyce Grenfell
# Max Miller
# Arthur Haynes
# Terry-Thomas
# Kenny Everett
# Alastair Sim
# The Goons
# Benny Hill
# Peter Cook
# Arthur Askey
# Tony Hancock
# Norman Wisdom
# Ken Dodd
# Eric Sykes
# Barry Humphries
# Kenneth Williams
# Bernard Manning
# Mike Yarwood
# Sidney James
# Spike Milligan
# Hattie Jacques
# Ronnie Corbett
The series ran (correct me if I'm wrong) from the mid-90s to the early 2000s. A couple of these were historic characters by that time, some were (are) still alive, and some look like personal choices ...
My question is: does anybody know what kind of criteria Fisher was using? Am I being dense wondering why Eric Morecambe (or better, Morecambe and Wise) is not there, or Charlie Chaplin (was that too Hollywood?). It's difficult to know who might be included without any kind of framework, because personally, I would start with Morecambe and Wise, who could so easily have been in this original list ...
Comics under official retirement age that I would include would be Paul Whitehouse, Ricky Gervaise, Stephen Fry ... not because they're the funniest, but because they have perhaps had the widest influence ... I don't know, really.
I think they started with the obviously deceased then later went on to 'Living Legends' featuring the likes of Doddy and Ronnie C.
One of my favourite comic's Les Dawson was also featured, but is not on your list.
Another comic who could feature in a future edition would be Alexei Sayle. His 'Stuff' show from the nineties was great.
The series was inspired by John Fisher's brilliant book about all the comedians he admired. The problem now is that most candidates for new profiles have already been over-hyped.
name='waldo_lydecker' timestamp='1287521168' post='484339']
The series was inspired by John Fisher's brilliant book about all the comedians he admired. The problem now is that most candidates for new profiles have already been over-hyped.
I think you are right on both counts Waldo. John Fisher's book was 'Funny Way To Be A Hero'. Long regarded as the book on British comics.
name='waldo_lydecker' timestamp='1287521168' post='484339']
The series was inspired by John Fisher's brilliant book about all the comedians he admired. The problem now is that most candidates for new profiles have already been over-hyped.
I haven't read the book but will be ordering it forthwith. And I agree (with Tigon Man) that the new boys are over-hyped before they've really had to earn their rep.
(With reference to other posts) ... I'm not particularly a fan of Ricky Gervais, and his shortcomings are obvious even to people who are fans, but I would still expect him to be in any list of important British comics of the last two decades. Like it or not, "The Office" changed British comedy, and was a wonderful example of the British comedy of embarrassment. It may not have changed anything forever, but Gervais' TV work is hugely important to the way comedy is viewed. You don't have to like him to acknowledge the fact that he has a place in this kind of list.
Well, Channel 4 already did the mini-series 'New Heroes of Comedy', which, IIRC, featured
-Lucas and Walliams
-Sacha Baron Cohen
-Ricky Gervais
There are so many to choose from but based on originality and innovation here are a few I'd have to include regardless of personal preference:
John Cleese
Michael Crawford
David Jason
Frank Skinner
Jenny Eclair
Rik Mayall
Stewart Lee
Rowan Atkinson
Victor Lewis-Smith
Julian Clary
Paul Merton
Chris Morris
Peter Kay
Steve Coogan
Phil Jupitus
Jimmy Carr
name='Steve Crook' timestamp='1287482630' post='484128']
Ricky Gervaise? I thought it was a series about comedy
Steve
My thoughts entirely. I finally watched the episode of The Simpsons,which was written by the "genius" Ricky Gervais,and I gave up half way through. It was woefully unfunny. Admittedly,The Simpsons can go below par,but that one was abysmal.
Mark
Omid Djalil
Peter Kay
Frankie Boyle
Ta Ta
MArky B
Not altogether thrilled at the prospect of these future shows - Gervais, Boyle, Coogan and the rest seem wholly limp to me, and the extent of Peter Kay's appeal and popularity mystifies me. I'd rather have shows on neglected (but great) people like Harry Worth, Kenneth Connor, Harry H Corbett, Kenneth Horne, Eric Barker.... and have they really already covered Ronnie Corbett but not Ronnie Barker ?
Dylan Moran
Eddie Izzard
Harry Enfield
Paul Whitehouse
Steve Coogan
Oh, and stay away from:
Catherine Tate
Katie Brand (and Russell Brand and Jo Brand for that matter) Pattern here?
Alan Davies
Mayall and Edmondson
name='Captain Casper' timestamp='1287577554' post='484512']
Oh, and stay away from:
Mayall and Edmondson
I disagree. Approach them. Get in really close. Hurt them physically.
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