The comedy genius.

Aongus Von Bismarck

The lockdown has given me an opportunity to catch up on some TV shows I haven’t watched over the years, despite them being recommended to me. I never really got into the whole boxset ‘binging’ thing, and it seemed like a bit of a waste of time to be honest. I’m the sort who would prefer to read the classics instead of staring gormlessly at a screen watching the latest dross that Netflix have released.

However, I’ve just finished watching Veep. The phrase comedy genius is overused, but can there be any doubt that Armando Iannucci is indeed fully deserving of the title? The writer of such comedy classics as The Day Today, I’m Alan Partridge, The Thick of It, The Death of Stalin etc.

Is there anyone else you feel is deserving of the comedy genius title? I’ve scanned threads in AH that relate to comedy, and find they always seem to be bad tempered affairs where desperately unfunny men give out about comedians and comedy, so I’m hoping this thread doesn’t follow the same route. Preferably modern comedy geniuses, as otherwise we get the Steptoe and Son, Dave Allen, Two Ronnies, P.G Wodehouse sorts putting in their false teeth and waxing lyrical about the ‘good old days’.

I’m also well aware that I’ve a magnificent sense of humour (and am quite the gifted mimic in real life), but I don’t feel I deserve the title of comedy genius. So no need to flatter me unnecessarily.

LeYouth

Jayz you're back

colm_mcm

Stewart Lee.

Woke Hogan

I reckon The Viper’s is Ireland’s pre-eminent comic genius at the moment. My son introduced me to his streams a few months ago and I have to say The Viper blows that pseudo intellectual fraud Blindboy Boatclub out of the water. The Viper strikes me as a very smart man pretending to be stupid and Blindboy is the exact opposite.

One eyed Jack

Aongus Von Bismarck wrote: »

I’m the sort who would prefer to read the classics instead of stating gormlessly at a screen watching the latest dross that Netflix have released.

...

I’m also well aware that I’ve a magnificent sense of humour (and am quite the gifted mimic in real life), but I don’t feel I deserve the title of comedy genius. So no need to flatter me unnecessarily.

You do unintentional comedy well at least.

EmmetSpiceland

Woke Hogan wrote: »

I reckon The Viper’s is Ireland’s pre-eminent comic genius at the moment.

Yeah, that ‘Hardy Bucks’ was good alright but I think Tony Cantwell, The Fresh Prince of Hilar, would have him beat for the “crown“ of current top Irish comedian.

colm_mcm

EmmetSpiceland wrote: »

Yeah, that ‘Hardy Bucks’ was good alright but I think Tony Cantwell, The Fresh Prince of Hilar, would have him beat for the “crown“ of current top Irish comedian.

His later stuff is way better than Hardy Bucks.

EmmetSpiceland

But if we’re talking modern “comedy genius” you’d have to consider people like Dave Chappelle, Larry David, Sacha Baron Cohen, Dylan Moran, Rhod Gilbert, Limmy, Tina Fey, Steve Coogan and a few others to go along with Iannucci.

EmmetSpiceland

colm_mcm wrote: »

His later stuff is way better than Hardy Bucks.

Like that ‘Republic of Telly’?

Central Services

Lewis CK, Tommy Cooper, The Marx Brothers, Emo Philips, Richard Pryor

colm_mcm

EmmetSpiceland wrote: »

Like that ‘Republic of Telly’?

He does live streams and was doing some stuff for RT. I wouldn’t call him a comedy genius though.

Joe_ Public

If we're talking tv shows/sitcoms then Ianucci is hard to beat. Veep is sublime, albeit i wasnt mad about last series and his latest with Hugh Laurie isnt his best either. I would have both Ben Elton and Gervais up there too, as writers. Probably a lot of other good ones i wouldnt even know.

85603

If I had candidates for the title of comedy genius then four of them are in this clip together at the same time, below.

norton, cumia, louis ck and patrice, at the same time. the dream team.

honorable mentions for burr, stanhope, larry david, chris rock, dave chappelle.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mN8j6xjAqrg

EmmetSpiceland

colm_mcm wrote: »

He does live streams and was doing some stuff for RT. I wouldn’t call him a comedy genius though.

The ‘Sherlock’ spoof on that ‘Republic of Telly’ was very funny.

Pintman Paddy Losty

85603 wrote: »

If I had candidates for the title of comedy genius then four of them are in this clip together at the same time, below.

norton, cumia, louis ck and patrice, at the same time. the dream team.

honorable mentions for burr, stanhope, larry david, chris rock, dave chappelle.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mN8j6xjAqrg

Didn't Louis CK masturbate in front of children? I wouldn't be including him in any hall of fame to be honest.

85603

Pintman Paddy Losty wrote: »

Didn't Louis CK masturbate in front of children? I wouldn't be including him in any hall of fame to be honest.

yes, in a cancer ward. while laughing about nelson mandellas death.

andekwarhola

EmmetSpiceland wrote: »

Dave Chappelle,

I'm not really well versed in comedy admittedly and don't know a huge amount about him but his sketches on Prince and Rick James were amazing. I love humour that is somewhat surreal and highly observational and takes the piss but isn't cruel or lowest common denominator.

punisher5112

Look up Hale and Pace.... Hilarious

mfceiling

Gervais and Merchant...together magic.

Louis CK.

Stewart Lee.

Steve Coogan.

EmmetSpiceland

punisher5112 wrote: »

Look up Hale and Pace.... Hilarious

He said “modern”.

Hale and Pace haven’t been “relevant” since they were warning us about fireworks and trying to sell us Clorets.

Quantum Erasure

Pintman Paddy Losty wrote: »

Didn't Louis CK masturbate in front of children? I wouldn't be including him in any hall of fame to be honest.

is it possible to separate the artist from the art?

FVP3

The OP mentioned Armando Iannucci, a writer and people are replying with comedians. I don't know who can match Iannucci on modern comedy writing. Maybe Charlie Brooker, but he is more a general satirist than a comedy writer.

Stewart Lee is as funny as cancer, though.

FVP3

Louis didnt mastrubate in front of children, he got the lad out in front of women who knew that if they didn't have much choice in the matter, and tugged on it good. Not the same.

I thought that Stewart Lee was outed as an anti-semite recently. Disgusting.

topper75

Woke Hogan wrote: »

The Viper strikes me as a very smart man pretending to be stupid and Blindboy is the exact opposite.

An interesting weigh-up there, which I agree with.

The only thing is Francis Viper Higgins can go a bit out there at times. Loses me. Boy doesn't be well at times.

EmmetSpiceland

FVP3 wrote: »

Louis didnt mastrubate in front of children, he got the lad out in front of women who knew that if they didn't have much choice in the matter, and tugged on it good. Not the same.

I never really got the “full story” there, did he not ask the women if it was ok before he took it out?

colm_mcm

FVP3 wrote: »

I thought that Stewart Lee was outed as an anti-semite recently. Disgusting.

He was accused of being anti Semite because he made a joke about Tom Tugendhat’s name in a newspaper column.

Junkyard Tom

Genius.

Tiredalways

Any love for Friday night dinner out there. regularly has me in peels of laughter.

Drumpot

I like Marc Maron. Prob the most enjoyable comedic show I attended in vicar street last year. I’ve been to a fair few over the decades. My only regret was never getting to see Billy Connolly live. Surprised nobody mentioned him, maybe some feel he’s not modern, he’s still alive....

Norm MacDonald.

JohnnyFlash

Chris Morris hasn't done a whole lot recently, but Brass Eye, On the Hour, The Day Today etc are comedy classics.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fnao5SBunfI

I'd also consider the South Park lads to be comedy geniuses.

Arghus

Another vote for The Viper.

Makes me think of you AvB

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9XgvkkVmhM

Arghus

EmmetSpiceland wrote: »

I never really got the “full story” there, did he not ask the women if it was ok before he took it out?

He did, but it still sounded really sketchy.

khalessi

Black Books with Dylan Moran and Bill Bailey also a big fan of Tim Minchin

SEPT 23 1989

Bernard Manning

Won't get many thanks for that

mr_edge_to_you

Tiredalways wrote: »

Any love for Friday night dinner out there. regularly has me in peels of laughter.

It's a masterpiece. Check out the clip on YouTube where they have a Paul Ritter voiceover saying Sh/t On It over his Chernobyl character.

Channel 4 is where it's at in recent times. Add in The Inbetweeners which is priceless and we're also fans of Greg Davies' Man Down here. Indeed, Channel 4 were behind Phoenix Nights and Max & Paddy.

Which leads me to Peter Kay - he's a comedic genius but sometmes the co writers on his TV shows don't get enough credit.

KoolKluxKlan

Chris Lilley did some great Australian

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=KTtxc87mYC4

cj maxx

I can't say who is a comic genius, and I haven't read the whole thread. But all of the above comics have had me in stitches of laughter.
Not for the whole show or routine maybe but a particular joke / skit.
All have had moments of comic genius.

EmmetSpiceland

cj maxx wrote: »

I can't say who is a comic genius, and I haven't read the whole thread. But all of the above comics have had me in stitches of laughter.
Not for the whole show or routine maybe but a particular joke / skit.
All have had moments of comic genius.

Have you seen much of Tony Cantwell’s “work”? It’s really bloody class.

Buck_rodgers

If a comedians job is to entertain and get a few laughs the queen of comedy is Alison Spittle!
Allow me to explain, she is without a doubt brutal , as funny as a tooth ache, but watch her with a few beers and a few friends and you will be wetting yourself as you and friends critique her terrible act, she is comedy gold if you have a few friends with a quick wit.

Retro.

SEPT 23 1989 wrote: »

Bernard Manning

Won't get many thanks for that

He was good

Could someone put up his Rolf Harris video

DEFTLEFTHAND

85603 wrote: »

If I had candidates for the title of comedy genius then four of them are in this clip together at the same time, below.

norton, cumia, louis ck and patrice, at the same time. the dream team.

honorable mentions for burr, stanhope, larry david, chris rock, dave chappelle.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mN8j6xjAqrg

Anthony Cumia is amazing, has such great chemistry with Jim Norton. How he never winded up in standup is crazy.

Better Than Christ

Almost everything Armando Iannucci touches turns to gold (except Lab Rats, which was shite). A comedy genius, and also a great producer. He seems to specialise in gathering groups of talented people together and then giving them free rein to 'do their thing' and create something brilliant. It's particularly amazing that he's managed to do it over three decades and in two different continents.

FVP3 wrote: »

Stewart Lee is as funny as cancer, though.

He seems very unpopular among the kind of people who think the term 'as funny as cancer' is the height of hilarity.

Vita nova

Woody Allen
Robin Williams
Jerry Seinfeld
Honourable mention to Seth MacFarlane

cj maxx

EmmetSpiceland wrote: »

Have you seen much of Tony Cantwell’s “work”? It’s really bloody class.

No but I'll have to Google him now

Woke Hogan

Buck_rodgers wrote: »

If a comedians job is to entertain and get a few laughs the queen of comedy is Alison Spittle!
Allow me to explain, she is without a doubt brutal , as funny as a tooth ache, but watch her with a few beers and a few friends and you will be wetting yourself as you and friends critique her terrible act, she is comedy gold if you have a few friends with a quick wit.

Judging by this post I presume your contribution during these mirth sessions is to keep everyone’s drinks topped up and refilling the snacks in the bowls.

RollieFingers

Steve Coogan and Frankie Boyle. People Just do Nothing is one of the best modern comedy shows too.

EmmetSpiceland

Buck_rodgers wrote: »

If a comedians job is to entertain and get a few laughs the queen of comedy is Alison Spittle!
Allow me to explain, she is without a doubt brutal , as funny as a tooth ache, but watch her with a few beers and a few friends and you will be wetting yourself as you and friends critique her terrible act, she is comedy gold if you have a few friends with a quick wit.

Aongus Von Bismarck wrote: »

I’ve scanned threads in AH that relate to comedy, and find they always seem to be bad tempered affairs where desperately unfunny men give out about comedians and comedy, so I’m hoping this thread doesn’t follow the same route.

Guess the OP wasn’t wrong about that. Desperate.

Birneybau

FVP3 wrote: »

The OP mentioned Armando Iannucci, a writer and people are replying with comedians. I don't know who can match Iannucci on modern comedy writing. Maybe Charlie Brooker, but he is more a general satirist than a comedy writer.

Stewart Lee is as funny as cancer, though.

Chris Morris worked with Lee, Iannucci and Brooker and to me is the pinnacle of modern comedy.

It BeeMee

mfceiling wrote: »

Gervais and Merchant...together magic.

The podcast would be nothing without Karl Pilkington

CrankyHaus

Birneybau wrote: »

Chris Morris worked with Lee, Iannucci and Brooker and to me is the pinnacle of modern comedy.

The Director of Brasseye was touring a film about the making of it last year, Oxide Ghosts.

Good show, with some very funny bits they weren't able to put into Brasseye.

Writer Arthur Matthews, who also wrote for Father Ted, was along for the Q&A but he was mainly paro about bringing up Graham Linehan.

I assume Aonghus Von Bismarck has never actually read PG Wodehouse if he's listing them with the 2 Ronnies.