Unconfirmed Comedy Inspirations

[magval]

I've been waiting til I had three of these before starting a thread but two of them have been rattling around in my head for years.

Do you ever see someone on something old and become convinced someone else has seen then and turned them into a sketch character, a voiceover performance, or something even more fleshed out?

I think this has been talked about before, but the Cribs' Ryan Jarman is so like Steve Coogan's Keanu Reeves (from Saxondale).

I know that Jarman was in the spotlight for a while after a memorable appearance on Buzzcocks and it wouldn't be a stretch to suggest Coogan, noted impressionist, took a Jarman, turned it up a little and put it in a show he was working on. It's a particularly sibilant, camp and musical Manchester accent.

Jarman: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8hS5PPTrCA
Keanu: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=imVngLpqEHU

Another Coogan one, but a deeper dive. Youtube recommended this clip of Elvis' old drummer DJ Fontana playing Hound Dog and the combination of accent and manner of speaking (and a little of the tiny-eyed expression and the way he purses his mouth, too) are very reminiscent of Alvin Holler from the Elvis Execution sketch. God knows where Coogan would have seen footage of him, but it's possible, right?

DJ Fontana: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X8v8E7H4OW0
Alvin Holler: https://youtu.be/2L4IrgZHvzk?t=61

Here's the main one, though - Futurama's Zapp Brannigan HAS to be based to some extent on Jack Cassidy's baddie from Murder by the Book, the first Columbo show. He looks like Zapp come to life, and sounds and even dresses like him at points throughout the episode. A cursory Google for combinations of 'Jack Cassidy', 'Futurama', 'Columbo' yields nothing, but it's a very memorable episode and performance, and I'm convinced it's at least a subconscious influence.

Jack Cassidy: https://youtu.be/1v-4l35OHQE?t=259

And some pictures.





Anyone else any of these?

[smudge1971]

Tim Canterbury seems to have a lot of Nigel Tufnel in his vocal mannerisms.

[Brundle-Fly]

Interesting thread idea. Zapp Brannigan is mainly based on Captain Kirk though, no?

My favorite has to be Ricky Gervais almost basing his entire comic persona on this acting performance by Bowie. That grin, the voice, the awkwardness, the shiftiness. He must have watched this video over and over again as a young man so maybe it's been osmosis.

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

[beanheadmcginty]

Doc Croc in Round The Bend is based on Basil Fawlty isn't he? That Cleese-style delivery and violence against subordinates.

[Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth]

I've long wondered if Peep Show was at all influenced by About a Boy. Hugh Grant's character is a bit like a proto Jeremy and there are bits in which the characters will say one thing, but think the opposite.

[magval]

Interesting thread idea. Zapp Brannigan is mainly based on Captain Kirk though, no?

My favorite has to be Ricky Gervais almost basing his entire comic persona on this acting performance by Bowie. That grin, the voice, the awkwardness, the shiftiness. He must have watched this video over and over again as a young man so maybe it's been osmosis.

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

Zapp is definitely mostly Kirk, yes, but the resemblance to that Columbo character is striking especially if you spend an hour with him watching that episode.

I've always thought Gervais was the spit of Bowie in his Seona Dancing days. Maybe he was trying to BECOME him.

[JesusAndYourBush]

Based on no evidence, I'm convinced that Harry Enfield probably heard this David Bowie song, impersonated one particular line he found amusing, and used it as inspiration for his "Only Me" character.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Ix2uvldEwU&t=1m39s

[Thomas]

I think this news report from 1985, about a moving statue in Cork, must've been the inspiration for the 'driving statue' sequence in Brass Eye:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZjM83wZmWw&ab_channel=osullivanjohn

The reporter even sounds like Morris at times. At the end he visits the statue maker, and dryly asks 'did the statue move while you were making it?', and the way he talks down the town at the beginning ('not in the tourists' guides') is very similar.

[gib]

That must be right, Thomas. I like how they gave the village a less stupid name than the real one.

[Thomas]

Ballinspittle's moving statue is also referenced in Father Ted. Linehan and Matthews must've enjoyed the story.[nb]These days, of course, you have to be careful of male statues dressing up as the Virgin Mary[/nb]

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

Unless that is just what happens once every 3 months in Ireland, I am pretty sure that is exactly what the Brass Eye sketch is based on.


_{But try telling that to these...}

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

https://youtu.be/kZjM83wZmWw?t=433

Fuck me
The combover on that cunt

[Cold Meat Platter]

I posted this in the #cancelled thread but this Oprah show bit has to be the inspiration for the Brass Eye sketch where Mark Heap immediately starts committing crimes after blacking up:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9RJ1dNMHVaY

Incredible for a number of reasons.

[Hand Solo]

I saw a post-stroke Kirk Douglas appear on Clive Anderson's All Talk show I think in the late-90s, and he was noticeably a bit away with the fairies and slurrey, and Vic Reeves came on for an interview after and I'm pretty sure he based Kinky John on his encounter with Douglas, possibly imitating his slurred speech to Bob afterwards and then developing it into a character.