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When you think about it, we seem to have hit a rich vein in TV Comedy in the last few years. When polls are carried out, it's usually one of the 'old' classics that wins - like Fawlty Towers or Only Fools and Horses. But there's never been a better time than now for variety and choice in TV comedy.
Take a look at the evidence:
In the UK we have
League of Gentlemen - Dark humour and twisted characters, but with a clever line in being not too distant from situations you may have experienced.
Spaced - Any show that bases character traits and interests around action flicks and Star Wars has got a huge head start. They even took the mick out of Robot Wars quite superbly.
Trigger Happy TV - A millenial update of the Candid Camera format. And no matter how many times I see Dom Joly with his huge mobile, I never grow tired of it. The two men in dog suits fighting is another high point.
Banzai - Comedy masquerading as an interactive game show. Though British, it captures our view on the insanity of Japanese culture very nicely.
The Royle Family - More mainstream, but still a wry portrayal of how demotivated and directionless some families become.
Then in recent years we've had Shootings Stars (They had the good sense to quit before the format went stale. A hint other BBC comedy quiz shows should maybe take.), The Fast Show, Big Train, two series of Alan Partridge (and another on the way), The Day Today, Brass Eye, and the lad humour of Men Behaving Badly and Game On.
From the US:
Friends - This tends to divide people into those who like it, and those who hate it with venom. If only they could cut the 'chick' bits and stick to Joey's dumbness and Chandler's sarcasm.....
Frasier - A consistently brilliant show. Never have such a pair of pompous twits been so appealing to watch.
Jackass - The new kid on the block. With OTT grossout tactics that will no doubt lose their appeal sooner rather than later. As it stands, it's the programme that has made LOL the most recently.
The Simpsons - Past it's prime maybe, but they can still throw out a gem of an episode every now and again.
Futurama - The Simpsons younger, ruder, brother. It's easy to see where The Simpsons' creative muse has gone to.
Family Guy - In your face satire, with a genius character in baby 'Stu'.
King of the Hill - Almost the US equivalent of The Royle Family. Propane and Boggle says it all.
South Park - Still going, but only just.....
Then you have 'Malcolm in the Middle' for the younger audience, 'Seinfeld', 'Larry Sanders', etc. No doubt I've missed a few shows out, but hopefully I've got the main ones down.
So three questions....
What are your favourite three TV comedies of recent times?
What are your favourite three TV comedies over the history of TV?
Currently, which is healthier, US or UK TV comedy?
Take a look at the evidence:
In the UK we have
League of Gentlemen - Dark humour and twisted characters, but with a clever line in being not too distant from situations you may have experienced.
Spaced - Any show that bases character traits and interests around action flicks and Star Wars has got a huge head start. They even took the mick out of Robot Wars quite superbly.
Trigger Happy TV - A millenial update of the Candid Camera format. And no matter how many times I see Dom Joly with his huge mobile, I never grow tired of it. The two men in dog suits fighting is another high point.
Banzai - Comedy masquerading as an interactive game show. Though British, it captures our view on the insanity of Japanese culture very nicely.
The Royle Family - More mainstream, but still a wry portrayal of how demotivated and directionless some families become.
Then in recent years we've had Shootings Stars (They had the good sense to quit before the format went stale. A hint other BBC comedy quiz shows should maybe take.), The Fast Show, Big Train, two series of Alan Partridge (and another on the way), The Day Today, Brass Eye, and the lad humour of Men Behaving Badly and Game On.
From the US:
Friends - This tends to divide people into those who like it, and those who hate it with venom. If only they could cut the 'chick' bits and stick to Joey's dumbness and Chandler's sarcasm.....
Frasier - A consistently brilliant show. Never have such a pair of pompous twits been so appealing to watch.
Jackass - The new kid on the block. With OTT grossout tactics that will no doubt lose their appeal sooner rather than later. As it stands, it's the programme that has made LOL the most recently.
The Simpsons - Past it's prime maybe, but they can still throw out a gem of an episode every now and again.
Futurama - The Simpsons younger, ruder, brother. It's easy to see where The Simpsons' creative muse has gone to.
Family Guy - In your face satire, with a genius character in baby 'Stu'.
King of the Hill - Almost the US equivalent of The Royle Family. Propane and Boggle says it all.
South Park - Still going, but only just.....
Then you have 'Malcolm in the Middle' for the younger audience, 'Seinfeld', 'Larry Sanders', etc. No doubt I've missed a few shows out, but hopefully I've got the main ones down.
So three questions....
What are your favourite three TV comedies of recent times?
What are your favourite three TV comedies over the history of TV?
Currently, which is healthier, US or UK TV comedy?
It's an interesting point. I would class comedy as anything that intentionally, or even unintentionally, makes you laugh. But I wouldn't say we were in a golden age of alternative comedy. Surely 'alternative comedy' is pretty much now the mainstream? I think the title was appropriate in the 80s, but not really now. If anything, you could say someone like Bobby Davro is alternative comedy now (an alternative to comedy).
Your List of TV comedies covers a broad range of TV programs, from Comedy Sketch Shows, Sitcoms, Animation and Topical/news comedy shows. I am sure that most people consider comedy to mean Sitcom or other "regular" comedy TV series, for example Friends, Red Dwarf and Only Fools and Horses. I think that comedy programs like Have I Got News are extremely funny but if asked in general or even for a survey I would immediately answer with Only Fools and Horse's or Friends etc. On the other hand if I was asked which Animation series I liked (comedy Or not) my answer would include series like The Simpsons or Family Guy or When The Wind Blows (A Short Film).
Taking into account all the comedies, whatever their format. I would still disagree with you and say that we are not in a golden age of comedy but more in a an age of alternative comedy. Whether the alternative comedy is in the form of Animation, which could also be classed as having it's own currant golden age or in topical news comedies such as Brass Eye. There is one thing for sure though we will only Know for definite if we are in a golden age of comedy in the future when we can compare what we have then with what we had now.
Ps. Two excellent comedy Series on BBC1 Sunday (and no one is not space with Sam Neil) 9pm "Life As we Know It" followed by "Chambers".
Taking into account all the comedies, whatever their format. I would still disagree with you and say that we are not in a golden age of comedy but more in a an age of alternative comedy. Whether the alternative comedy is in the form of Animation, which could also be classed as having it's own currant golden age or in topical news comedies such as Brass Eye. There is one thing for sure though we will only Know for definite if we are in a golden age of comedy in the future when we can compare what we have then with what we had now.
Ps. Two excellent comedy Series on BBC1 Sunday (and no one is not space with Sam Neil) 9pm "Life As we Know It" followed by "Chambers".
What are your favourite three TV comedies of recent times?
League of Gentlemen, the vet blowing up the tortoise was one of my all-time favourite rolling-on-the-floor with laughter moments.
Ally McBeal, it's just so quirky I love it.
Red Dwarf, when it's on.
What are your favourite three TV comedies over the history of TV?
Tough question, but in no particular order:
The Two Ronnies
Morcambe and Wise
League of Gentlemen
Currently, which is healthier, US or UK TV comedy?
In terms of a universal audience I'd have to go with US comedy, it's generally 'cleaner' for kids, any adult jokes being watered down a little so that only adults can really recognise them.
In terms of belly-laughs, the British sense of humour can only really be bourne out with British comedy, and although our sense of humour has become more diluted with the transatlantic TV coverage we mostly all now have access to, we're still in the Monty Python mindset as a general case.
League of Gentlemen, the vet blowing up the tortoise was one of my all-time favourite rolling-on-the-floor with laughter moments.
Ally McBeal, it's just so quirky I love it.
Red Dwarf, when it's on.
What are your favourite three TV comedies over the history of TV?
Tough question, but in no particular order:
The Two Ronnies
Morcambe and Wise
League of Gentlemen
Currently, which is healthier, US or UK TV comedy?
In terms of a universal audience I'd have to go with US comedy, it's generally 'cleaner' for kids, any adult jokes being watered down a little so that only adults can really recognise them.
In terms of belly-laughs, the British sense of humour can only really be bourne out with British comedy, and although our sense of humour has become more diluted with the transatlantic TV coverage we mostly all now have access to, we're still in the Monty Python mindset as a general case.
When you think about it, we seem to have hit a rich vein in TV Comedy in the last few years. When polls are carried out, it's usually one of the 'old' classics that wins - like Fawlty Towers or Only Fools and Horses. But there's never been a better time than now for variety and choice in TV comedy.
Take a look at the evidence:
In the UK we have
League of Gentlemen - Dark humour and twisted characters, but with a clever line in being not too distant from situations you may have experienced.
Spaced - Any show that bases character traits and interests around action flicks and Star Wars has got a huge head start. They even took the mick out of Robot Wars quite superbly.
Trigger Happy TV - A millenial update of the Candid Camera format. And no matter how many times I see Dom Joly with his huge mobile, I never grow tired of it. The two men in dog suits fighting is another high point.
Banzai - Comedy masquerading as an interactive game show. Though British, it captures our view on the insanity of Japanese culture very nicely.
The Royle Family - More mainstream, but still a wry portrayal of how demotivated and directionless some families become.
Then in recent years we've had Shootings Stars (They had the good sense to quit before the format went stale. A hint other BBC comedy quiz shows should maybe take.), The Fast Show, Big Train, two series of Alan Partridge (and another on the way), The Day Today, Brass Eye, and the lad humour of Men Behaving Badly and Game On.
From the US:
Friends - This tends to divide people into those who like it, and those who hate it with venom. If only they could cut the 'chick' bits and stick to Joey's dumbness and Chandler's sarcasm.....
Frasier - A consistently brilliant show. Never have such a pair of pompous twits been so appealing to watch.
Jackass - The new kid on the block. With OTT grossout tactics that will no doubt lose their appeal sooner rather than later. As it stands, it's the programme that has made LOL the most recently.
The Simpsons - Past it's prime maybe, but they can still throw out a gem of an episode every now and again.
Futurama - The Simpsons younger, ruder, brother. It's easy to see where The Simpsons' creative muse has gone to.
Family Guy - In your face satire, with a genius character in baby 'Stu'.
King of the Hill - Almost the US equivalent of The Royle Family. Propane and Boggle says it all.
South Park - Still going, but only just.....
Then you have 'Malcolm in the Middle' for the younger audience, 'Seinfeld', 'Larry Sanders', etc. No doubt I've missed a few shows out, but hopefully I've got the main ones down.
So three questions....
What are your favourite three TV comedies of recent times?
What are your favourite three TV comedies over the history of TV?
Currently, which is healthier, US or UK TV comedy?
Take a look at the evidence:
In the UK we have
League of Gentlemen - Dark humour and twisted characters, but with a clever line in being not too distant from situations you may have experienced.
Spaced - Any show that bases character traits and interests around action flicks and Star Wars has got a huge head start. They even took the mick out of Robot Wars quite superbly.
Trigger Happy TV - A millenial update of the Candid Camera format. And no matter how many times I see Dom Joly with his huge mobile, I never grow tired of it. The two men in dog suits fighting is another high point.
Banzai - Comedy masquerading as an interactive game show. Though British, it captures our view on the insanity of Japanese culture very nicely.
The Royle Family - More mainstream, but still a wry portrayal of how demotivated and directionless some families become.
Then in recent years we've had Shootings Stars (They had the good sense to quit before the format went stale. A hint other BBC comedy quiz shows should maybe take.), The Fast Show, Big Train, two series of Alan Partridge (and another on the way), The Day Today, Brass Eye, and the lad humour of Men Behaving Badly and Game On.
From the US:
Friends - This tends to divide people into those who like it, and those who hate it with venom. If only they could cut the 'chick' bits and stick to Joey's dumbness and Chandler's sarcasm.....
Frasier - A consistently brilliant show. Never have such a pair of pompous twits been so appealing to watch.
Jackass - The new kid on the block. With OTT grossout tactics that will no doubt lose their appeal sooner rather than later. As it stands, it's the programme that has made LOL the most recently.
The Simpsons - Past it's prime maybe, but they can still throw out a gem of an episode every now and again.
Futurama - The Simpsons younger, ruder, brother. It's easy to see where The Simpsons' creative muse has gone to.
Family Guy - In your face satire, with a genius character in baby 'Stu'.
King of the Hill - Almost the US equivalent of The Royle Family. Propane and Boggle says it all.
South Park - Still going, but only just.....
Then you have 'Malcolm in the Middle' for the younger audience, 'Seinfeld', 'Larry Sanders', etc. No doubt I've missed a few shows out, but hopefully I've got the main ones down.
So three questions....
What are your favourite three TV comedies of recent times?
What are your favourite three TV comedies over the history of TV?
Currently, which is healthier, US or UK TV comedy?