top ten comedy things of 2018

[rasta-spouse]

Bit late... but a light-hearted list of anything remotely comedy related. Not comprehensive, can't remember everything. Personally, I like lists like this because you always wonder if you missed something spiffing during the year.
 

10. Content Provider/Stath lets flats - Lee's off the boil but you've gotta list him for kudos. SLF was pretty consistant.
9. A League of their Own Xmas Special - Louise from Eternal's husband asks Romesh if he can cry from both eyes. It's shit for cunts but that was funny.
8. Darkness of Robins - why does he have two separate hours where he talks about women trying disguise toilet noises by running the bathroom tap?
7. Taskmaster - my eyes are circles - one of my loudest laughs of the year
6. Jon-Luc Roberts standup
5. Who is America Dr. Nira Cain-N'Degeocello does Arizona Mosque or interviews David Pyne
4. the pretentious film Zama when there's a serious meeting happening with an Alpaca LOOSE in the room
3. Nirvanna The Band The Show - just an unbelievable bejewelled trout in a sea of mediocrity - daring, weird and mysterious.
2. Spencer Jones short film
1. Big Night out, gooseberry in a suitcase with a honking noise

Other stuff: Jim Jeffries Mariah Carey story. Finnemore on Inside the Comedian (I hate his middle-class arse but this seemed like a masterclass, or I guess a masterarse). Brand's brief podcast run. Acaster mentioning the Whybird Stop on 8OTCDC.


Feel free to list anything that tickled your funny bone.

[chveik]

1. Andy Daly PPP S02 (highlights: the Dalton Wilcox and L. Ron Hubbard episodes)
2. The Venture Bros S07 (best TV series of the year too)
3. Nirvanna the Band the Show S02
4. James Acaster Repertoire
5. Hollywood Handbook (particularly Tom Scharpling's episodes)
6. Taskmaster S07
7. Corporate
8. On Cinema at the Cinema S10 + Oscar Special (fairly weak season, but still enjoyable)
9. It's Always Sunny S13
10. The Shivering Truth

[DrGreggles]

Can't put them in order, but here's 10:

-Acaster's rant on Taskmaster
-Tony Law's focus bell
-Barry Dodds' reaction to the lights going out at The Parapod LIVE!
-Gruff Rhys' photo of Paul McCartney
-Taylor Parkes' cultural appreciation of B.A. Cunterson
-John-Luke Roberts' various Facts About The Romans Spices
-David Edwards killing an old woman
-https://youtu.be/yU6WC4dpaHM?t=332
-Peter Beardsley's wife
-This:

[Small Man Big Horse]

Here's the top 10 tv and film lists I did for my site:

10) Barry – Hitman comedies have been done to death but Bill Hader's HBO series breathed new life in to the genre in this beautifully dry insight in to an assassin who wants to quit and become an actor, and the quietly devastating ending means the second season should be equally as good.

9) Vic and Bob's Big Night Out – Celebrating their twenty eighth year of being on tv together in the best possible way by bringing back an old show and making it better than ever, this is Vic and Bob at their best.

8) The Shivering Truth – Surreal, bizarre and full of moments which might psychologically scar you, it also contained some beautiful wordplay and imagery that will make you laugh every time you think about them.

7) Bojack Horseman – Possibly a little too bleak this year, what with Bojack strangling his co-star / lover in a drug fuelled rage, it was still filled with amazing ideas and extremely funny jokes and though not quite as lovable as usual it was still bloody good.

6) Kidding – Jim Carrey's comedy about a children's entertainer struggling with the death of his son was incredibly moving, but also full of moments that made me laugh hard, and in a lesser year for tv comedy this would have taken the top spot.

5) The Good Place – Michael Schur's show had been set in the afterlife previously but this year saw the gang return to Earth and yet still be constantly must see tv. All of the cast are on great form but special mention must go to D'Arcey Carden and the episode Janet(s) where she played six different characters seemingly effortlessly.

4) Crazy Ex-Girlfriend – The third season was fairly bleak (and essential viewing due to this) but the fourth sees Rebecca on the up and there's been some outstanding songs and hilarious moments in every episode.

3) Inside No.9 – I was blown away by the live episode, it was Shearsmith and Pemberton at their very best creating not only something that had lots of laughs but which was genuinely unsettling as well.

2) The Venture Bros. – Back after a two year break and the slightly disappointing season six, this was the show at it's absolute finest, not only resolving all of the issues with the previous season but then having an amazing seven episode run which ended with Hank's incredible fever dream. Who knows when it'll be back but if it's as good as this year's episodes it'll be worth the wait.

1) The Zen Diaries of Garry Shandling – A superb two part documentary which examines the great man's life through interviews with the people who loved him and a lifetime of personal journals, private letters, audio and video footage, this was touching and beautifully created, and easily the best thing Judd Apatow has ever done.

Almost made the list: Lots of stuff, including Taskmaster Series 7, Joe Pera Talks With You, The Tick, Corporate, Touretteshero: Me, My Mouth and I, Mike Judge's Tales From The Tourbus, It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia (certain episodes, at least), Bob's Burgers, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Atlanta, Harvey Birdman, Pls Like, Mom, and Forever.

Film Comedy:

10) Destination Wedding – Not particularly that special but Keanu Reeves and Winona Ryder have a certain amount of chemistry in this amiable rom-com.

9) Deadpool 2 – I guess this superhero flick is a comedy and it certainly has some fun moments, and because of the lack of alternatives it makes the list.

8) A Futile and Stupid Gesture – An extremely likeable biopic about the people behind National Lampoon, some of the portrayals may not be spot on but there's a lot to like here, even though the final half hour is rather gloomy.

7) Ideal Home – Steve Coogan and Paul Rudd are a couple on the verge of breaking up when they suddenly have to look after Coogan's grandson. The advertising for it was terrible but it is in fact a very funny film.

6) Eighth Grade – Bo Burnham's directorial debut this is rather (deliberately) cringeworthy at times and brings back the horrors of being a teenager, but it's also very funny and sweet in other places and definitely worth checking out.

5) Blackkklansman – Spike Lee returns to this form with this piece where a black man goes undercover in the KKK via a collection of phone calls. Often bleak but also full of laugh out loud moments.

4) Heavy Trip – Extremely lovable movie about a Heavy Metal band in Finland who are desperate to escape their tiny village. Almost the definition of a feel good movie.

3) The Breaker Upperers – A superb comedy about a platonic friendship between two women who run an agency specialising in breaking couples up.

2) Sorry To Bother You – The best satirical film of the year is filled with unusual delights and comes complete with a twist which has to be seen to be believed. And even then you might not.

1) Isle Of Dogs – Not quite as great as The Grand Budapest Hotel but this is Wes Anderson's second best film, which sees a bunch of dogs have adventures in a grim futuristic Japan and is full of deadpan humour, contains an amazing cast and is beautifully designed.

Almost Made The List: Um, very little really. I suppose Game Night had it's moments, The Favourite is supposed to be great but I've not been able to see it yet, and I hear Crazy Rich Asians is fun, but there really weren't many great comedy films released this year.

[Norton Canes]

The Bros doc

[thenoise]

Buckles' podcast, that's about it.

[St_Eddie]

I really do think that this moment specifically was the greatest thing that comedy had to offer in 2018.  That may sound like a backhanded compliment but it's not.  It's a wonderful slice of absurdist humour.  As usual, Vic and Bob make it look all so effortless and yet no-one else is able to do ridiculous sight gags as brilliantly well crafted as they do.

[non capisco]

The entire three hours of the Chart Music episode 'Soul Rail Replacement Service' a.k.a the first one with Bummerdog and Bollockdog in. Also featuring Taylor Parkes letting loose on the low hanging fruit that is Noel Edmonds' hair.

[Brundle-Fly]

The entire three hours of the Chart Music episode 'Soul Rail Replacement Service' a.k.a the first one with Bummerdog and Bollockdog in. Also featuring Taylor Parkes letting loose on the low hanging fruit that is Noel Edmonds' hair.

Yes. CMP all the way

&

Inside No9 Live,
Rule Of Three podcast,
The return of Curb Your Enthusiasm
Black KKKlansmen
The Second Coming of Krent Able
The Good Place
Stewart Lee Content Provider
I' Kunt autobiography
CaB.

[shh]

This Country Series 2 - Threatening Letters probably being the high point with a classic plot for them both (sexy letters + building site) which neatly come together. Top notch.

Taskmaster - first series I'd seen as I'd assumed it was Dave fodder for Daves, has no real right to be so funny. None of the rest quite lived up to this one (you quickly notice each contestant fits into a predefined type). Acaster and Rhod the true winners. Had me tracking down Acaster's netflix films and Greg on rhlstp.

LoG Live - Went up to Hull to see it, with some actual (non-cosplay) Vasey types in the audience.

...and while I was up there, the new Ayckbourn in Scarborough, Better Off Dead. A minor addition to the canon, but shows he's still interested in experimenting with form.

Pinter at the Pinter - Celebration being the funniest of the season (with Dyer & Freeman still to come...). 'He was also James Joyce's godmother....'; 'you don't have to be English to enjoy sex'. How many other nobel laureates can have you bent double in a public space in 2018 (too soon?).

Joe Dunthorne's The Adulterants. A sort of Peep Show esque dissection of a solipsistic middle-class manchild.

Tim Key's Late Night Poetry series 4 - mundane, rambling, awkward and low-key and actually I can't remember anything concrete about it, fairly sure I enjoyed it though.

[BritishHobo]

Steffan Alun's Romantic Comedy, which I saw in a cellar at Mach Fest and which pisses literally everything else away. Alun's got an earnest, enthusiastic energy that endears you straight away, and really pulls you in. He does wonders with daft shy awkwardness. More than that though, he's a truly gifted storyteller; every moment is really careful and thoughtful and properly funny. The end of the show took me from 'hmm, not sure about that' to genuinely breathless in one single line. Just like Time Capsule, it's a perfect gem of a show. Topper.

Ian Boldsworth's Patreon, which has been full of gems from throughout his career, as well as a really wide mix of podcasts with different guests.

The Brian Gittins and Friends podcast, which just goes from strength to strength. David Edwards is just the most incredible find.

Sorry to Bother You was something really, really special. I went into it expecting something a bit different but still fairly normal, and I was blown away. It feels trite to say, but I've not laughed or gasped that much in a cinema in years. The fact that a film like this got a showing - even a piddly, one-off Screen Unseen showing - at my local cinema is truly a great thing. A really rare, unique vision.

Nanette by Hannah Gadsby was a stunning stand-up special, and not just because of the incredible turn towards the end. I was feeling a bit weary of stand-up specials but this felt refreshing right from the off. She's the kind of talent that makes it seem completely effortless, despite clearly how much care and work has gone into honing it. I love her.

The latest series of Taskmaster. Not just for being a bit of a return to form - it felt like the show at its peak, like a perfect, fully-formed first series. To be able to do that this late in is fantastic. The dynamic between all the contestants and between them and Greg and Alex was something else. I'm not sure how they can top it.

Bojack Horseman, as ever. So few shows could get away with being as obnoxiously stupid but moving and thoughtful as this. The care given to such daft characters as Mr Peanut butter, Princess Carolyn and Todd is really staggering, and I love the way it's moved slowly into asking quite seriously whether there's a place for Bojack in the world. It's also packed with real genuine laugh-out-loud moments.

Pls Like series 2. Easy. Liam Williams tackling the darkness and strangeness of YouTube with more accuracy, and far funnier, than anyone else I've seen. Fuck I'm excited to see more from Liam.

John Mulaney and Nick Kroll at the Film Independent Spirit Awards. Brilliant, painfully good as ever, and navigating some touchy subjects with real ease. They're just so charming and so much fun. Andy Samberg's 'In Memoriam' tribute was lovely and stupid as well, made even better by John Mulaney's cheerful dancing and genuine laughter at the lyrics.

A funny dog I seen.

[Wayman C. McCreery]

In no particular order:

- James Acaster - Repertoire, Netflix (I feel privileged to have seen the original trilogy live, and now I'm just grateful that there's a permanent record of it)
- Stewart Lee - Content Provider, BBC (significantly better than the show I saw on the same tour 12 months earlier. Stew's best two hours since Milder Comedian)
- Tom Parry - Look at That over There (work-in-progress), Machynlleth (just fucking funny)
- Amusical, Machynlleth (I wasn't up for this at all but Jayde Adams's dicking about and Ed Gambles's Bat Out of Hell made for absolutely perfect late-night festival fun)
- Taskmaster series 7 (I really don't know how they can top this. Outrageous that a programme's seventh series is its very best)
- Michael Legge - Jerk the Musical, NextUp Comedy (one of those rare filmed shows that makes you feel like you're in the room. Turtle Canyon do a great job)
- Nick Helm - There Is Nothing You Can Do to Me That I Haven't Already Done to Myself, Machynlleth
- Lou Sanders - An Apology to All the Guys I've Touched (work-in-progress for Shame Pig), Machynlleth (and an honourable mention for What's That Lady Doing? on NextUp too)
- James Acaster - Cold Lasagne Hate Myself 1999, Machynlleth
- Derry Girls, Channel 4 (good script, phenomenal performances)

[hummingofevil]

I'll struggle to do 10.

1. Richard Gadd's guest comedian/texting bit in his Best Of show in Edinburgh. I nearly choked laughing.

2. Lucy Pearman's "Did You Order a Potato?" routine for taking the stupidest little idea and getting a good 10mins laugh out of it.

3. The specific point in Natalie Palamides' Nate when she and the audience realised that the audience member she had picked out and worked on whose semi-voluntary participation in the show was absolutely vital to the whole thing working didn't speak English.

4. Something from the final series of Big Brother.

5. The Downfall parody of Theresa May's Chequers summit meeting thing.

6. Watching increasing numbers of wrestling fans line up to pay Will Osprey £10 to slap them as hard as he could in Altrincham.

7. MC Grindah. I pretty much blasted through PJDN so its all a bit of a blur but one of my favourite comic creations in years.

8. Errm? Struggling now. That Darwin Awards clip of the fella who jumps head first into a bin and Darwin Awards Twitter generally.

9. The epilogue of The Death of WCW audio book where Bryan Alvarez lists genuine plots and ideas from Vince Russo era TNA. I listened to it last year for first time.

10. Limmy's Vines live.

There you go. I need to keep a laugh diary for 2019.

[Dusty Substance]

Norm MacDonald Has A Show - Nowhere near the comedic heights of NML but it has to make the top ten because it's Norm and he's possibly the funniest person in the world.

It's Always Sunny Season 13 - Magnificent as always. It's become my favourite U.S sitcom ever.

The Work Of Ian Boldsworth - SO glad I signed up to his Patreon. Daily content and lots of Dodds. I also still enjoy the FUBAR shows.

R U Talkin' R.E.M re: Me? - Adam Scott is a superb comedy talent, and he and other Scott work so well together. Great to have Todd Glass back for Stain'd Glass 2

The Best Show - As much as I miss the old angrier Tom, the Wurster calls are still good value, plus the occasional phone-in from Heidecker and Turkington.

Limmy On Twitter - Whether he's trolling Gammon with his Dr. Who opinions or doing the old "surprisingly down to Earth" obituaries, I can't think of anyone who makes me actually laugh out loud as much as he does with his Tweets.

Best Of Comedy Bang Bang - There's simply not enough time in the world to get through all the podcasts I want to hear but I always make a point of listening to the annual, end-of-year Best Ofs.

Brian Gittins Podcast - Not heard them all from 2018 but it's definitely one of the better British comedy podcasts.

..... I can't think of anything else right now. I'm sure I saw some good stand up in the first half of the year (Tony Law comes to mind, although that might have been the end of 2017).