Ha ... wait, that's not funny!

[alan nagsworth]

Your favourite (is that the right word?) sad moments in comedy.

The ending of Blackadder Goes Forth is an obvious choice, but personally I think it overshadows the equally excellent end to the first series. Edmund is more pitiful in this series, as they progressed he became wisened and sarcastic from the offset of each series but it took him the entire first series to come into this change of persona.

The way it came about in series 1, by the end of it you almost felt he was deserving of his comeuppance. This is much the same in Blackadder Goes Forth because the war is a lot closer to us chronologically and we can relate to the disastrous circumstance; it's an easier target to hit. Plus, in series 1 he really is a snivelling dork, you do feel as though he's deserving of his father remembering his name, at least.


Another one for me would be series 1 of Father Ted. I think it's the third or fourth episode where Bishop Brennan is introduced, and before he leaves Craggy Island he really lays into the three of them and paints such a sad picture of how they ended up there and why. I didn't laugh at all during that scene, it was really a depressing experience (albeit a well-performed one!) that set the standard for Ted's bleak outlook during the rest of the show's course.

On a Linehan-related note, I seem to remember mentioning S3E1 of Black Books in the Random Comedy Moments thread, and MuteBanana saying how bleak and depressing the episode was. At first I thought it was just the usual vein of no-hope humour and MuteBanana was over-reacting, but on repeated viewing I'm inclined to agree: There are certain moments where I found myself pitying poor Bernard. In particular, the scene where he drinks the oven cleaner and lets off that gut-wrenching, face-contorting wheeze - bleak as hell!

Anyway let's hear some of yours! *sniffle, sob*

[j_u_d_a_s]

One foot in the grave, when an almost throwaway mention reveals that the Meldrews had a son once.

[Jemble Fred]

One foot in the grave, when an almost throwaway mention reveals that the Meldrews had a son once.

The saddest bit of OFITG for me was Eric Idle's Mars Bar-toting government soil inspector, or whatever he was. Such a sad little man, I remember feeling heartbroken for him when Victor lashed out.

I'd say the best sudden jump from joviality to deep dark depression would be the end of Planes, Trains & Automobiles. I don't think I could watch that again.

[j_u_d_a_s]

The saddest bit of OFITG for me was Eric Idle's Mars Bar-toting government soil inspector, or whatever he was. Such a sad little man, I remember feeling heartbroken for him when Victor lashed out.

Which episode is that? We could probably fill up this whole thread with moments from OFITG but the one I mentioned has more power for me because it really is such a casual mention that it would probably pass most people by totally.

Another Renwick moment, Love Soup. In Take five, when Gil is drafted in on a pilot sitcom for a Reality TV star who later commits suicide. It's just all so believable even though there's no real life precedent, that we're forced to question our reaction to someone who at first comes across as a complete attention seeker. There's a reall difference from when we first see her filmed on glorious technicolour tape to the cold stark lifeless colours of film. The ending of series 1 is a complete joy killer.

And also series 2 when Alice finally "meets" Gil as well.

Ok I'm done.

[wherearethespoons]

Which episode is that?

That's The Man in the Long Black Coat.

[JPA]

The end of the Futurama episode, Jurassic Bark. You all know what I'm talking about.

[Marvin]

The end of the Futurama episode, Jurassic Bark. You all know what I'm talking about.

God yeah, that's heartbreaking. There's 5 or 6 episodes in Series 3 and 4 of Futurama that are genuinely really moving, which was very unexpected.

[Angst in my Pants]

There's a wonderfully horrible scene in Muriel's Wedding where Mariel can't stop laughing during sex, her laughter is so infectious and builds as the beanbag splits, the two men her flatmate is having sex with come out naked and she can't stop laughing at their penises, then her flatmate falls down in hysterics and proclaims "I can't feel my legs!" ...and then you realise she's serious.

[Backstage With Slowdive]

The American sitcom Benson, about the butler in the office of some hapless US state governer, which was shown on ITV at midday on Sundays in the early 80s, had an episode in which Benson met up with some old Army friends and they reminisced about the Korean War, accompanied with their Korean friend who'd emigrated to the US. Tension arose because the Korean had done really well whilst one of the white Americans had been a failure in peacetime. But they all bonded at the end by remembering the ones left in Korea. This was fairly strong stuff that didn't stint on the angry emotions and didn't fit any jokes into the ending, just let the resolution be that they stop fighting. There was another episode of Benson in which he has a big argument with his brother about growing up, that got quite serious, but that finished with laughs in the ending.

[purlieu]

Ones I mentioned a previous incarnation of this topic:
OFITG, the episode where Victor believes Margaret is dead.  Obvious but fantastically done.
Love Soup series 2, the moment when you first find out about Gil actually shocked me.  I had to pause the DVD for a moment to take it in.
Marion & Geoff - well, most of it really, but in particular the moment in series 1 where Keith has the Eyeore and Tigger dolls in the channel tunnel.
The last episode of Black Books where you find out about Bernard's past.
The end of the last episode of World Of Pub, bizzarely, I find quite touching.

[The Mumbler]

Soap, which Benson spun off from, used to have deliberately non-funny downbeat scenes and endings all the time.

OFITG's Man in the Long Black Coat special gets a BBC1 repeat - the first for many years, I think - next Thursday (18th) at 10.35pm.

[Jemble Fred]

Damn that Outnumbered tagger! Funny how Maddie tags glide over you, but mentioning a fictional child can elicit genuine outrage.

While I'm here, I have to admit the very ending of The Young Ones was pretty devastating to a 6-year-old. I was so relieved when they came back from the dead to team up with Cliff.

[The Mumbler]

Downbeat endings: Hard to surpass the end of One Foot in the Grave's Who Will Buy?, the fate of the blind pensioner that Margaret visits, and the package that he will never receive. Although The Man Who Blew Away (premiered on Christmas Day!), and the sad story of Mr Foskett, runs it close.

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

Red Dwarf has a few, like the part where Rimmer discovers his Dad's died. The little piano interlude and Rimmer looking out into space is a moment of genuine sadness.

Likewise, the episode Thanks For The Memory has moments of real intimacy that you would not think possible of a sci-fi sitcom- or indeed, a sitcom.

[Jackson K Pollock]

Genuinely get a bit choked up at this one.

[Sexton Brackets Drugbust]

Despite being a big tough man, the final episode of Marion and Geoff always reduces me to tears.

[funstuie]

The Bicycle Man episodes of Diff'rent Strokes (I think there were 2) were pretty fucking horrible. I remember watching them when I was a kid and even then feeling really uncomfortable and wanting Arnold and Dudley to leave the shop.

[Brundle-Fly]

The penultimate episode of It A'int 'Alf Hot, Mum when the relieved platoon stand at the end of the departing ship to Britain and Char Walla (Dino Shafeek) is jumping up and down on the dockside, grinning and waving goodbye. You Have Been Watching...etc

And as for the final episode, " You didn't get that warder's job, did you, Sergeant Major?"
"No, lad."

*sniff*

[Sexton Brackets Drugbust]

The penultimate episode of It A'int 'Alf Hot, Mum when the relieved platoon stand at the end of the departing ship to Britain and Char Walla (Dino Shafeek) is jumping up and down on the dockside, grinning and waving goodbye. You Have Been Watching...etc

Doesn't he also have presents for them, but arrives too late to give them?

I remember being gutted by that.

[Gulftastic]

Doesn't he also have presents for them, but arrives too late to give them?

I remember being gutted by that.

Me too, starting a life long tradition of crying at sad telly.

An episode of Taxi showed the heart's desire of all the cast members. Bobby's fantasy involved a washed up Louie, and I remember finding that incredibly sad and crying.

[Kishi the Bad Lampshade]

The episode of Fresh Prince of Bel-Air where Will Smith's dad meets up with him and says that they can go trucking together and then his dad never turns up. Really choked me up when I first saw it.

[squinky]

"When I grow up I want to have 100 kids so that I can have 100 friends and no one can say no to being my friend." - The clip of young Michael Scott in series two of the US Office is one of the most upsetting (fictional) things I've seen in a long time.

Also, it's possible that I'm overreacting because I saw it very recently, but the last episode of The Larry Sanders Show had any number of sad moments to pick from. Brian and Mary-Lou talking about their future job prospects and the closing scene with Artie, Larry and Hank stand out in my mind, though. And that final monologue.

[vrailaine]

Despite being a big tough man, the final episode of Marion and Geoff always reduces me to tears.

I really liked the ending of series one alright.

getting series 2 and human remains after christmas, yay

[biggytitbo]

All the OFITG ones mentioned, plus the ending of the episode where Margret's Mother dies. The ending of the 'Who wants to be a millionaire' episode of Only Fools and Horses.

[wherearethespoons]

All the OFITG ones mentioned, plus the ending of the episode where Margret's Mother dies.

That was so well executed that was.  Great stuff.

[neveragain]

Love Soup series 2, the moment when you first find out about Gil actually shocked me.  I had to pause the DVD for a moment to take it in.

It's been ages since I saw the second series of Soup. What happened re: Gil? Wikipedia doesn't help, surprisingly.

I do love the 'Do it for her' one as well, even though Homer hardly turns up for work these days (what with all his crazy crap). As for my example, I'll pick something from The Royle Family - which I've recently discovered is bloody brilliant, for a number of reasons I won't go into just now - but I winnit pick the obvious Nana-dying scene of Xmas last. If you haven't watched that scene though, do look it up on Youtube as it is fucking perfectly performed by all, especially Sue Johnston, whose tears alongside the line 'Look after her, God'.. gah, it's monumentally heartbreaking, that scene. And a great choice of music too in Scarlet Ribbons, sang by Sinead O'Connor. But it leaves the family home and so ruins the entire ethos of the series, so...
My choice is a very quick moment during the wedding episode of the first series. It goes something like...

Jim: ...so if you're going for a night out and you think you'll be back... eleven thirty, tell her you won't be back til twelve! Then she'll think you've come home early to see her.
Dave: Oh, that's pretty good, that, Jim, ta.
Jim: Yeah, me dad taught me that, just a little trick, to keep them sweet.
Dave: Cheers. I'll deffo use that.
Jim: Well, y'know, it's up there for thinking, down there for dancing, innit... (Pause) You.. will look after her, won't ya?
Dave:... Yeah, Jim. Course I will.

Tis always a pleasure to see the human side to Jim, even though he's a destestable lazy twat, and there's no better example of Ricky's (though it may not appear so otherwise) subtle acting than in that brief exchange.

[Little Hoover]

Agreed with the "Do It For Her" thing from the simpson's, probably the first time I got over myself and allowed myself to get emotional over a work of fiction.

[eluc55]

If we have to pick one from OFITG surely it has to be the curtains opening to reveal that the man's wife who "went upstairs and just.... died" has in fact hung herself and is hanging out side the window. I saw that one recently and found myself physically shaken. Had to stop the DVD it came as such a shock. Quite unpleasant really.

[wherearethespoons]

It's even worse because of how Ronnie and Mildred (the suicide woman) are seen and treated throughout the episodes leading up to that.  Poor Ronnie's reaction, his upset face.  It contrasts so well with the image on the toilet seat.

[Eight Taiwanese Teenagers]

Uncle Phil accidentally rapes Will during a power-cut (NSFW!!!)