Show Me The Funny

[23 Daves]

So... is it just me or is there absolutely no thread for stand-up comedy's answer to "The Apprentice" on here yet?  It seems like a bit of a hole in the forum to me.

First observations from last night's show: None of the comedians actually seem that great (irrespective of what any of the judges are saying) although all have apparently been working their way around the circuit for eighteen months or more.  However, the show perhaps gives a skewed impression in two respects - firstly, each comedian has to come up with five minutes of fresh material for each show, and is given only a couple of days to do so.  Some acts who are more spontaneous in the construction of their shows will probably thrive on this element, but others who write more considered shows are inevitably going to struggle.  I'm not too sure how I feel about this aspect. 

Also, the acts are given a very specific audience each time.  Last night's was an all-female audience, next week's will be an audience of soldiers.

The show does actually have a potential strength in that we should be able to watch audience dynamics and learn a bit about what works with each crowd as well as watch some average comics either bombing or being lapped up by a crowd hungry for entertainment.  One of last night's less appreciated acts immediately began to flounder because he was a Londoner being immensely patronising to a Liverpool audience, although after all his years of gigging around the country you would have hoped he'd have learnt by now that as a Londoner, you do not base your routine on slagging a non-London audience off in their own city or town unless  you actually want to bomb.  It's one of the great unspoken rules. 

The show's main drawback is obvious - were these really the best up-and-coming comedians they could find?  Maybe as the show progresses we'll get to see a bit more of their acts, but the 'highlights' were utterly pedestrian.   

[small_world]

Yeah, I caught a bit of the show last night, and I was surprised that there wasn't a thread on it in here.
Similar thoughts really, the comedians didn't seem much good[nb]And, like I say, I' only caught a bi of the show last night, so I didn't see where the acts came from or any of their history.[/nb]. Fair enough it's tough to come up with a new, albeit short, act in a few days and for such a specific audience. But they didn't even really seem to have any stage presence.

For this forum the specific audience thing is an interesting aspect, I'd imagine, and for the general public it's part of the show's USP. But that combined with the 'new material' rule does look like it will limit how good this thing could actually be.

[23 Daves]

For this forum the specific audience thing is an interesting aspect, I'd imagine, and for the general public it's part of the show's USP. But that combined with the 'new material' rule does look like it will limit how good this thing could actually be.

The combination of both aspects certainly limits the odds of them coming up with anyone who is genuinely great at what they do - the odds seem very strong that the actual winner will be a bland, run-of-the-mill comic whose act works reasonably well for all audiences and can string a few observations together quickly on demand.  The winner, in short, will be a hack.

Talking of which, I couldn't help but notice last night that a lot of the comedians seemed like frustrated newspaper and magazine column writers.  The observations didn't really seem like they belonged in stand-up shows, more in vaguely witty, Sunday supplement columns - I didn't feel as if there was a single gag in the programme I couldn't have cobbled together myself, which is never a good sign. 

[scarecrow]

I just watched this knowing that I would loathe it, but was surprised to find it strangely compelling- probably because you never get to see comedians being received so poorly on TV. It felt a bit like being at a new act showcase, but without having to pay a £2 entry fee.

The format is ridiculous- how is the task's winning team decided?

In fact, what was the task? Why did the E Murphy impersonator get away with stealing that hairdresser's joke word for word? That seemed included as some sort of insight into how jokes can come from anywhere in life, yet it was really just straight up theft!

The real problem with the show, as you suggest, is that no-one on it seems good enough. I like the fact that it takes comedy seriously enough to chastise the bottom two, but, in contrast, others are going to have undeserved praise heaped upon them.

[23 Daves]

I just watched this knowing that I would loathe it, but was surprised to find it strangely compelling- probably because you never get to see comedians being received so poorly on TV. It felt a bit like being at a new act showcase, but without having to pay a £2 entry fee.

Better than that, you also get to see their failure being analysed by the panel of judges.   

The real problem with the show, as you suggest, is that no-one on it seems good enough. I like the fact that it takes comedy seriously enough to chastise the bottom two, but, in contrast, others are going to have undeserved praise heaped upon them.

It will be interesting to see how the show develops over time.  I'm assuming that by the time we get to the final five or six it will actually get less forgiving of the best acts.  There will always have to be a bottom two, and the ones who are seen to be cutting it now may not escape criticism later in the series.  Also, I can only assume that they'll be given time to create longer sets so we can have a better peek at what they're actually capable of across more than five minutes. 

The problem with the show is I can see that I'm forever going to be stamping my feet in frustration and saying "Oh, for Christ's sake, I could string together a set as good as that!  Does this mean I could earn a living from stand-up?"  And the answer is obviously no, because unlike these people, the strength of feeling just isn't there. Oh, and also... they're really not the best untelevised stand-ups out there, are they?  That's a bit of a stumbling block too.  I have friends who do stand-up who are far better than this lot, but having said that, I'm sure most of us on here do. 

[Artemis]

Saw about half of it, didn't pique my interest, so I switched off.

Sorry.

I'm certainly not going to put myself through something I think is crap just for the sake of having an opinion on it.

[Pseudopath]

In fact, what was the task? Why did the E Murphy impersonator get away with stealing that hairdresser's joke word for word? That seemed included as some sort of insight into how jokes can come from anywhere in life, yet it was really just straight up theft!

I remember countless people telling me the "People from the Wirral pick their noses with a knife and fork. People from Birkenhead just use a spoon" joke during my four years studying at Liverpool, so it's obviously part of Liverpudlian folklore. The depressing thing was how big a laugh he got for it, when everyone in the room probably knew the joke since childhood.

[Neville Chamberlain]

I was most disappointed that Spanish/Welsh chap was voted off. I'd pay good money to watch him (then probably demand my money back at the end of the show)!

[confettiinmyhair]

It's pretty much 'Last Comic Standing' rebranded for the UK.

I wonder how comedians who sign up for these shows are viewed by their peers?

[Icehaven]

I think they need to rename this Talk About The Possibly Not Funny, I've been watching this for nearly 25 minutes and have yet to see a second of any standup comedy. They're just riding around in tanks and occasionally talking about how nervous they are. Do they actually show them doing any comedy? Or are the acts so bad they're keeping them to a bare minimum?
But here's Bob Mortimer, so they're showing a few clips from Big Night Out. I'm imagining that's going to be the highlight of the show.
God I hate Alan Davies. Why am I watching this? I'd stop but it's become a point of principle now, I have to see if there is actually going to be any standup.
Cut to commercial just as the first one was about to walk on stage. Show now 30 mins in through with no comedy at all. Even the X factor has had a few karaoke monkeys on by the time it's halfway through.

[Pseudopath]

I've been watching this for nearly 25 minutes and have yet to see a second of any standup comedy, or comedy of any kind. They're just riding around in tanks and occasionally talking about how nervous they are. Do they actually show them doing any comedy?

They have to 'write their material' first (read: nick a load of jokes from taxi drivers and hairdressers).

My favourite contestant is Prince, who invariably runs out of material within 5 seconds and resorts to god-awful impersonations of audience members who happen to have regional accents. Should be interesting to see how it goes down with squaddies.

[Icehaven]

Now they're showing a bit of some of the acts, but it's edited so appallingly that you can't really get any idea of what they're like or how it's going down, they just have the voiceover telling you. I do find it quite nice the way most of the other contestants seem genuinely pleased when whoever is performing gets a big laugh or applause. Less than 15 minutes of actual comedy in an hour long programme is daft though.

[Borboski]

I like it, that Prince Apti (?) guy was a train crash, I don't think he had any self awareness at all.  The clip they showed of his routine where he started talking about a guy knocking on his door asking for someone called Maria.  As they pointed out, there wasn't anything funny about it.  It was just something that happened. 

When they explained it to him; he looked a bit confused, and said "Well that actually happened to me.  And when it happened I thought it was fucking hilarious" - which actually made them all laugh!

Loved it that after being bollocked for doing accents he came out and did the exact same thing...

[Aploplectic]

I'm quite enjoying this, but it is certainly true that we should be seeing more of the acts.  Hopefully, as the weeks go by and there are fewer contestants, we will get more of the comedy.  I do think it is interesting to see the different approaches being taken to the same situation/ same audience.

Also, although I don't really like his stuff, Jason Manford seems like a decent host for this.  He appears to be quite supportive of the contestants and it is fun to see him backstage during the acts, wincing and shaking his head as they mess things up.

[Famous Mortimer]

The thing with Last Comic Standing in the USA is a good two-thirds of every episode would be people on stage, telling jokes (well, the most recent season, anyway).  This sounds shocking. Oh, and the trailer had a word spelled wrong in it, which made the show look half-arsed before it had even started.

[Wet Blanket]

I think the flaw in the concept (and it's the same flaw as the other TV talent shows) is that the 'best' up-and-coming stand-ups wouldn't need to go on it, because they'll already be making names for themselves on the circuit. Those that are left are more likely to be hacks and wannabe clebs eager for a bit of TV exposure.

Remember that ITV programme that looked like it was made for about tuppence ha'penny in which Marcus Brigstocke passed judgement on aspiring comedians? The contestants on that seemed more genuinely scuzzy, and were sometimes more genuinely awful too.

I like the idea of a programme where established comedians rate up-and-comers and offer advice. A better programme would be a sort of documentary[nb]You know, like Gordon's Kitchen Nightmares[/nb] in which big names actively mentor newish stand-ups, following them to gigs and advising them on their performance, but obviously they need to shoe-horn in the talent show paraphernalia so that it fits the 'prime-time' slot conventions.

[thenoise]

A few of the full routines are on ITV player - sadly only a couple of them.  I'd have rather watched them then caught the last 10 mins of the programme.

I watched the Welsh bloke's, they even edited two jokes together, sort of, completely changed the flow of it to make him look better than he was.

I would like to have watched Prince Abdi's.  Fascinating watching him fail so badly, even after getting a couple of laughs in the first few seconds.  And the audience waiting for the punchline in his story about someone knocking on the wrong door, he just giggled weakly.

Primary School next week, so no cheap sweary sex gags (plenty of cheap poo and wee gags though)

[actwithoutwords]

Just watched the first two episodes and it's actually quite watchable in a shit tv way. It's only a show about comedy in the most tangential and superficial sense. But otherwise it's reasonably entertaining viewing. I don't think any comedian worth their salt would have gone on it. If people are looking for up and coming stand ups with actual potential, they're going to come out of this: http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/comedy/new-comedy-award-2011/ rather than Show Me the Funny. It does possibly demonstrate that the BBC have missed a trick by not making a TV show out of the new comedy award though. Both channels are trying to capitalise on the boom in stand up comedy, and some kind of half-way house between the two approaches could actually be quite good. Will be interesting to see if the BBC stick with the new comedy award again after its five year 'rest'.

[evil_lafayette]

A few of the full routines are on ITV player - sadly only a couple of them.  I'd have rather watched them then caught the last 10 mins of the programme.

I watched the Welsh bloke's, they even edited two jokes together, sort of, completely changed the flow of it to make him look better than he was.

I would like to have watched Prince Abdi's.  Fascinating watching him fail so badly, even after getting a couple of laughs in the first few seconds.  And the audience waiting for the punchline in his story about someone knocking on the wrong door, he just giggled weakly.

Primary School next week, so no cheap sweary sex gags (plenty of cheap poo and wee gags though)

There's a couple of videos on youtube of Prince Abdi. They're certainly better (how could they not be) in terms of his delivery at least. However, they're only about 2 mins long each and even within that he quickly starts to lose his way and throw out little giggles all over the place. His lack of self awareness is hugely worrying.

[Jake Thingray]

I remember Kate Copstick as an amiable participant in children's television, now she seems to have turned into Marjorie Proops.

And if you'd have told me, twenty years ago, that one day Bob Mortimer would be on a show that placed him on the same footing as Tarby....dear oh bloody dear. (And as commented in the thread about the sketches for Fosters', there's something very strange about this new sibilant way of speaking he has.)

[23 Daves]

I missed last week's show because I was away on holiday in Amsterdam - don't feel sorry for me, will you?  I think I got more laughs out of the sight of some distant clouds and buildings there than most of the comedians seemed to give me this on the programme this week.

Was it me, or were all of them awful?  The overgrown child comedian managed to connect with them, but seemingly by doing a hyperactive routine.  Some seemed utterly freaked at the idea of performing in front of children (which did cause some sympathy to come from me, as I wouldn't know what to do in such a set of circumstances either). 

I can't see a clear winner out of this lot, although the reactions to the scenarios they find themselves in have seemed interesting.  Nothing odder and more thin-skinned than a bunch of comedians.  The one who got booted off this week reminded me of Tony Kenner with his end response.  "I'm not as shit as you say, right?!"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h2hiFBBluzs

[evil_lafayette]

aside from the fact none of them are actually funny, i'm surprised at how hard they find it to pitch their shows to specific audiences. Of all of them i'd have thought tonights would have been the easiest. Granted, the kids are at an awkward age but fucking hell, they've all been that age - just remember what you found funny and try and hit that level. Barely any of them got stuck into teachers/parents and either patronised them to death or just threw other material at them that had no relevance to them at all.

[23 Daves]

aside from the fact none of them are actually funny, i'm surprised at how hard they find it to pitch their shows to specific audiences. Of all of them i'd have thought tonights would have been the easiest. Granted, the kids are at an awkward age but fucking hell, they've all been that age - just remember what you found funny and try and hit that level. Barely any of them got stuck into teachers/parents and either patronised them to death or just threw other material at them that had no relevance to them at all.

The trouble is, the stuff I tended to find funny between the ages 12-14 would get a comedian into enormous trouble if he or she repeated them on a school stage.  Kids that age absolutely love filth - or at least, most of the boys do. 

[Icehaven]

I thought it a little odd that that woman judge's main criticism of the hyper Geordie who did OK, and the one they kicked off, (and of most of them in general really) was that they were the similar each week, that they'd only seen one side of them, or words to that effect. Don't successful (and otherwise I suppose) standups generally tend to have a fairly distinctive personal style which they stick to, and while they might tweak their material depending on the audience, they have the same approach and don't usually change their delivery dramatically? If she meant the material was very similar, or just similarly weak, then she didn't articulate that very well, as she seemed to be criticising them for doing something that is a pretty standard approach. She seems to be implying they should be Sarah Millican for all-female audience, Peter Kaye for the squaddies, and, err, someone that teenagers like (Noel Fielding?) (Christ I feel old) for the teenagers, and so on. Rudi's argument that kids just aren't his audience was perfectly reasonable, and part of the reason why this whole programme is a bit silly.   

[23 Daves]

Rudi's argument that kids just aren't his audience was perfectly reasonable, and part of the reason why this whole programme is a bit silly.   

I sympathised with him, actually - one of the judges (I can't remember who) suggested that if he was going to go down, he should have gone down flaming with a caretaker dragging him off stage for making inappropriate comments.  You could see that he didn't want to risk doing something like that for fear of getting the boot, and was stuck between a rock and a hard place. 

Whilst comics might find themselves in front of predominantly female audiences or even testosterone fuelled male audiences, very few are going to see out their careers entertaining children.  The only ones I can think of who did are Paul and Barry Chuckle, who were supposed to be professional comedians but got plucked by the BBC to do kids TV instead, and Trevor and Simon.  That's not enough of a tally to make it an essential part of this contest. 

[Icehaven]

Whilst comics might find themselves in front of predominantly female audiences or even testosterone fuelled male audiences, very few are going to see out their careers entertaining children.  The only ones I can think of who did are Paul and Barry Chuckle, who were supposed to be professional comedians but got plucked by the BBC to do kids TV instead, and Trevor and Simon.  That's not enough of a tally to make it an essential part of this contest.

Yep, there are kid's comedy festivals, and most of the comics are mainly exclusively kid's comedians (there are exceptions though). It's a particular knack to get kids to laugh, and probably a rare gift to make an exclusively teenage audience laugh en masse (without just going for obscenity). Maybe they just ran out of ideas for types of audiences.

[Theremin]

The whole 'comics in front of specific types of audiences' setup sounds suspiciously similar to a show that Stewart Lee had in prodiction but got cancelled.

[scarecrow]

It's already been done by ITV, I think. I remember a series which kicked off with Frank Skinner playing to a crowd of fantasy role-players after experiencing their lifestyle, or something.

[Colonel Clink]

The trouble is, the stuff I tended to find funny between the ages 12-14 would get a comedian into enormous trouble if he or she repeated them on a school stage.  Kids that age absolutely love filth - or at least, most of the boys do.

I think if it was me I would've alluded heavily to filth/swearing without actually using any inapropriate words

[Aploplectic]

I sympathised with [Rudi], actually...

I didn't sympathise with him at all.  He sounded a bit ridiculous continually saying "it's not my audience" while the others just got on with it.  It was going to be an unusual experience for all the contestants- that's the entire point of the series.  They knew when they signed up that they would be playing to specific groups of people, so it was clear that tailoring your act to the situation was part of the challenge - to then complain about it for the whole show then walk off mid-performance is a pretty big admission of failure.