Comedy (mostly for UK-ians)

[Ben Hussey]

My DVD collection:

Al Murray live (both shows)
Bill Bailey live
Blackadder (all series)
Blackbooks (all series)
Bottom (Series 1)
Dara O'Briain Live
Dead Ringers (series 1 and 2)
Dylan Moran live (monster)
Ed byrne live
Falty Towers (Complete)
Fast Show (series 1 and 2)
Father Ted (series 1 and 4)
Have I got news for you (random recordings off TV)
Hot Fuzz
Jabberwocky
League of Gentleman (series 1 and apocalypse)
Mock the Week (series 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
Monty Pythons flying circus (everything ever made ever. Ever.)
Not the Nine O'clock news (series 1 and 2)
Red Dwarf (all)
Ripping Yarns (both)
Ruddy Hell it's harry and Paul
Shaun of the Dead
Spaced (both series)

The first five(?) series of Red Dwarf, Blackadder, League of Gentlemen, The Fast Show, Harry Enfield and Chums, Blackadder, French & Saunders,  The Day Today,Absolutely Fabulous were all pretty damn good.
Of the classics, you have Are You Being Served? The Young Ones, It Ain't Half Hot Mum, Some Mothers Do 'Ave Em, Not the Nine O'Clock News, Monty Python, Up Pompeii (Frankie Howard is probably one of the greatest unsung comedy genius), Kenny Everett and of course the Carry On series.

Bugger all since the millenium which has even come close though. Also, does Dame Edna count as British humour, or do the Aussies get it too?

Archonsod, I commend your taste, although I have to admit Ab Fab grates on my nerves.

Bill Bailey is le awsome.

I got the QI annual for christmas. It is most excelent. And I agree.... comedy is going downhill these days.. it's either attempting to be shocking or awkward and boring...

Little Britain series 1 was good... the ones after were unoriginal and frankly disgusting though.

 

[Dain Ironfoot]

They lost it after they moved to telly for me :p And I only found them vaguely amusing on Radio.

Dead Ringers certainly doesn't work quite so well on telly, though it does have it's moments.

 

[mrcrotch]

My DVD collection:

Al Murray live (both shows)
Bill Bailey live
Blackadder (all series)
Blackbooks (all series)
Bottom (Series 1)
Dara O'Briain Live
Dead Ringers (series 1 and 2)
Dylan Moran live (monster)
Ed byrne live
Falty Towers (Complete)
Fast Show (series 1 and 2)
Father Ted (series 1 and 4)
Have I got news for you (random recordings off TV)
Hot Fuzz
Jabberwocky
League of Gentleman (series 1 and apocalypse)
Mock the Week (series 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
Monty Pythons flying circus (everything ever made ever. Ever.)
Not the Nine O'clock news (series 1 and 2)
Red Dwarf (all)
Ripping Yarns (both)
Ruddy Hell it's harry and Paul
Shaun of the Dead
Spaced (both series)

Mostly good. Although I haven't heard of a few.

 

[Archonsod]

Another case in point : Hitchikers Guide to the Galaxy

Original Radio Series = Excellent
Original TV Series = Still good
Modern Movie = Pile of ****e

 

[Cymro]

Ripping Yarns (both)

"Ey, our Irene, guess who's got a new shovel then"

 

[Dain Ironfoot]

Another case in point : Hitchikers Guide to the Galaxy

Original Radio Series = Excellent
Original TV Series = Still good
Modern Movie = Pile of ****e

QFT. Modern radio series pretty good too. Though I prefer the old synthesised music and Peter Jones' voice but way to clear up the whole general mishmash, and have a far better ending to Mostly Harmless. That book should never really have been written.

 

[Buxton]

I enjoyed the film, even as a standalone it was enjoyable.

 

[Dain Ironfoot]

Was it? I found most of the jokes poor, tedious and dumbed down, the plot fairly useless and self contradicting and the art uninspiring.. (Ooo the vogon ships are big squares. Ooo the heart of gold is... a big white ball... someone trying to do comedy art direction. Which is a fail.)

The only redeeming feature was Bill Nighy being somewhat amusing and the rather awsome visuals in that sequence. Would that Mr Adams had had that technology all those years ago. (And on that subject... Zaphod? WTF... ruined... and the only reason Adams ever suggested the "1 head under another" was when they were considering making a movie back in the day... these days they could have easily done the 2 heads properly.)

Oh and Simon Jones cameo was nice

And then compared to what it was supposed to be based on... well

Oh btw.. red dwarf did the windscreen wipers on a spaceship joke first, and much better.

 

[Ben Hussey]

Bill Nighy makes up for all the shortcomings with his Slartibatfast. Alan Rickman was a pretty good Marvin too.

I considered it as a decent movie, but not a good hitchhikers guide. Sigh, if only Adams hadn't died.

Ripping Yarns (both)

"Ey, our Irene, guess who's got a new shovel then"

"shut up you boring little tit".

 

[Tpoucat]

There's kids in the hall over here in Canada, though they're not making any new episodes.