How funny is Alexei Sayle?

[Retinend]

This came up in the Adam Buxton thread and I'm willing to put my hypothesis to an empirical test (poll): I reckon that if you didn't grow up with Alexei Sayle then you won't find his stuff funny. Over the years I've spoken to a few people of my generation (I'm 29) who re-discovered and appreciated The Young Ones on VHS/DVD, and we all seem to agree that the puppet stuff and the Alexei Sayle stuff is where it seems most dated.

If you like Alexei Sayle feel free to discuss his comedy legacy in positive terms - no Sayle-hatred intended.

I don't know how long The Young Ones and other Sayle-related shows were repeated on the telly so use your best judgement to decide whether or not you "grew up with" Alexei Sayle.

And here are some relevant Young Ones clips to jog your memory:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogHDw2q2e-Q
The Young Ones S01E01 - Alexei Sayle

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifjPV3__KiA
The Young Ones S01E02 - Alexei Sayle

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bISxE3yZae8
The Young Ones S01E03 - Alexei Sayle

[EOLAN]

While I have watched and enjoyed it; wouldn't class myself as a massive fan of the Young Ones. Enjoyed the Alexei Sayle shows as a child in the 90s though I think I probably found him a bit scary as well.

Thoroughly enjoying the latest scripted and rambling output of Sayle and his Lee podcast was one of my funniest podcasts of the year. My enjoyment of him may be heightened by a few percentage points as he stands out from all the Liberal centrist comedians dominating the mainstream media.

[poodlefaker]

I did grow up with him, but didn't like him when I was younger. Found him unfunny in the Young Ones and OTT and his stand-up and novelty singles. Liked him more when he calmed down a bit in Stuff etc. Love him in his current cuddly cycling socialist genial podcast guest/host mode.  Imaginary Sandwich Bar is the funniest thing on R4. More power to the rolypoly funnyman.

[Petey Pate]

I don't know how long The Young Ones and other Sayle-related shows were repeated on the telly so use your best judgement to decide whether or not you "grew up with" Alexei Sayle.

The Young Ones was definitely being shown on Paramount Comedy in the early to mid-2000s, which I how I first saw it. Don't recall any of Alexei's later sketch shows being repeated on it, though I could be wrong.

His podcast with Stewart Lee was one of the funniest recent things I've listened to. I like how Sayle is informed by genuine anger in a way that seems rare among British comedians.

[Pink Gregory]

Discovered the Young Ones when I was 16/17, I think I must have been watching some listicle programme about alternative comedy; then saw a few Comic Strip films (I LOVED Didn't You Kill My Brother?) and anything else has been from interviews or reading about him.  Never have seen Stuff.

I think I appreciate him a lot more since reading some of his books and catching up on Sandwich Bar.

[Buelligan]

The Young Ones was definitely being shown on Paramount Comedy in the early to mid-2000s, which I how I first saw it. Don't recall any of Alexei's later sketch shows being repeated on it, though I could be wrong.

His podcast with Stewart Lee was one of the funniest recent things I've listened to. I like how Sayle is informed by genuine anger in a way that seems rare among British comedians.

Yes, for me, the heady mixture of implied serious violence, rage perhaps, and unbalanced reality is always beautiful[nb]My Wrongs for example[/nb].  The fact that his pov seems to be so close to my own, only adds to the feeling of joy, pleasure in seeing you are not alone and others share your thoughts sometimes.

Alexei's traffic policeman in Supergrass and The Young Ones (Interesting[nb]Also features the outstanding tampon/mouse scene[/nb] episode) where he asks to come into the party to use the toilet.  Perfect moments. 

But it's humour, isn't it?  You only get it if you get it.  You can't learn it.  The darkness in Sayle is the darkness I love in Chris Morris.

[pigamus]

Sandwich Bar is brilliant

[Lisa Jesusandmarychain]

Unfunny Monty Python ripping- off cunt. Yeah, your parents were proper Soviet Russkie- sympathizing Commie cunts, and you don't like the Tories. We get it.

His Autobiographies are good, though.

[BeardFaceMan]

I did grow up with The Young Ones but it was more Stuff that made me a fan of his. I much prefer him when he's in silly mode so for me, Imaginary Sandwich Bar is infinitely better than his podcast.

[lankyguy95]

Didn't grow up with him, broadly speaking don't really share his politics either (although, as has been said, he is a very refreshing alternative to the incredibly bland, centre-left mainstream).

I think he's hilarious; one of the country's best comics of the last fifty years. It's actually his stand up that I love the most. I barely believe in the concept of 'genius' but he is funny, in that form especially, in a way that I struggle to pinpoint. The energy and the anger is obviously part of it but it's not exactly an explanation. There is a definite surreal element and that must be part of it too.

"We have something round our way called 'Community Policing'. What happens is this transit pulls up, all these coppers pile out, they pin you to the floor and try to tell you the fucking time!"

It's a slight disservice to write his material down on the page because he'd sell it like no one else, but I still think it's funny. And I think, despite being such a singular comic voice, there's a huge swathe of British comedy that you can easily trace back to him, whether he'd like to admit it or not.

[poodlefaker]

Found it interesting when he told Stewart Lee he'd been to hundreds (thousands was it?) of dinner parties and was surprised Lee didn't do them.

[Sebastian Cobb]

I only really saw him in The Young Ones and the odd clip I didn't really get.

I should really check out his other stuff really. I like him and am interested in what he has to say on his podcasts but dunno enough about his actual work to say it all goes over my head.

[DrGreggles]

Never have seen Stuff.

Treat yourself, man.
It's one of the greatest sketch shows I've ever seen.

[Lisa Jesusandmarychain]

Don't bother, man.
It's one of the most derivative sketch shows anyone's ever seen, and is probably the origin of Angus Deayton's delusions of being John Cleese. Still, it was good of him to give work to jobbing actors like that bloke who used to be on " Citizen Smith", and that feller who ended up in " Doctors".

FTFY.

[vainsharpdad]

I think he's the weakest part of 'The Young Ones' - but Stuff and its successors are great.

This is one of my favourite sketches of all time - mainly down to the fact that it might only exist to allow for the pay-off.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPcTvx4Gxl0

[famethrowa]

A few Alexei thoughts, I first saw him doing Ullo John Gotta New Motor, absolutely killed me, nutty and random and stupidly funny, driving upstairs on the bus with a plate, "ere that's a nice 3 piece suite", etc etc.... then his bits on the Young Ones, "symbol of free west!".

Stuff was great fun and then Bobby Chariot was a classic, "pills for me neeerves", "bloody sod ya then" and Blakey as his crap manager was inspired. From then on the funnies seemed to fade away? That's all I know.

Favourite bit is probably Alexei as an Oscar Wilde styled fop, telling a hooligan "better to have been conceived by a Miss, than to have been missconceived!" Love it.

[Endicott]

I don't know how long The Young Ones and other Sayle-related shows were repeated on the telly so use your best judgement to decide whether or not you "grew up with" Alexei Sayle.

I was 18 when I got into The Young Ones and also Alexei Sayle, which was in 1982, so I didn't 'grow up' with him. He's very funny, how's your theory standing up?

[Retinend]

I was 18 when I got into The Young Ones and also Alexei Sayle, which was in 1982, so I didn't 'grow up' with him. He's very funny, how's your theory standing up?

Not well, but I'm happy to be proven wrong.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPcTvx4Gxl0

I like this a lot, for example.

"God moving in mysterious ways" 👏

[Endicott]

For your theory to have any credence at all, you'd have to come up with a reason (I mean a reason that isn't 'he is very funny') why he was top compere at the Comedy Store in the early 80s where the audience were adults who'd never seen him before.

[phantom_power]

I watched the Young Ones when I was probably a bit too young to do so. I don't think I really got the Alexei bits. I hoovered up all that alternative comedy shit though, from Comic Strip to Saturday live and even stuff like Hello Mum and Three of a Kind that in hindsight was probably pretty shit and not that alternative. He was always one of the highlights of any of those other things he was on though, when I was a bit older, and Stuff and his other shows were great

[Jockice]

I did grow up with him, but didn't like him when I was younger. Found him unfunny in the Young Ones and OTT and his stand-up and novelty singles. Liked him more when he calmed down a bit in Stuff etc. Love him in his current cuddly cycling socialist genial podcast guest/host mode.  Imaginary Sandwich Bar is the funniest thing on R4. More power to the rolypoly funnyman.

My thoughts exactly!

[Dusty Substance]

He is/was a terrific comedy performer and Stuff is one of the most under-rated sketch shows ever but he comes across as a boring arrogant windbag on his podcast.

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

I think he comes across as charming and funny on his podcast, but maybe that's because I'm a boring, arrogant windbag.

[Buelligan]

I don't think it is.

[Panbaams]

Grew up with Alexei Sayle's Stuff and The All-New Alexei Sayle Show and loved them, and got into The Young Ones on VHS. Bailed on his sitcom Paris and Alexei Sayle's Merry-Go-Round after the first episodes of each, enjoyed his book of short stories Barcelona Plates and am enjoying the podcast.

There's been mention of him doing a podcast answering questions about The Young Ones. That would be fascinating, but in interviews in the past he's sounded like he might be becoming that show's Peter Hook.

Milton Springsteen New Town
Paul Daniels

[Havmannen]

I grew up watching things that I was definitely a bit young to watch. The Young Ones I'd watched because I had loved Rik in Bottom. The Young Ones, for me at the time of watching (I wasn't born when it originally aired), was spoiled by Alexei but as I grew up and rewatched he become one of my favourite bits. His delivery is a huge part of my liking of him. His delivery of "I thought not, that's why I pissed in ya garden" being a case in point.

I've always admired his mad trajectories and his casual ability to bring it back to the initial point (if he could be bothered). There's a real childish and almost stupid delivery to a lot of his stuff which slides in next to excellent satire. His short stories, novels and memoirs have all been read and enjoyed by me also.

He was actually the last person I saw live. I caught him in Manchester at the end of January 2020 and he delivered such brilliant lines as, "I received a letter addressed to 'The Occupier' the other week, so I sent it to Israel."

[JesusAndYourBush]

Yes, funny. I didn't see The Young Ones when it was first on, only seeing it when it was repeated a couple of years later.  By then I'd already seen Alexei Sayle in a bunch of other tv appearances.  I remember one where he sung something to the tune of 'Day Trip To Bangor' and when he used the word 'orgasm' in the lyrics my mum said he was a 'horrible man'.  Can anyone remember what show that was or even link to a clip, that's assuming it's not a false memory of several things combined!

[Ferris]

I think he's the weakest part of 'The Young Ones'

Mike is the weakest part of The Young Ones by some distance.

Part of what makes Alexei's stuff work for me (as noted by EOLAN and Buelligan among others) is the genuine anger, he's a bit scary and mad and it gives all his stuff an edge of genuine danger that elevates it.

Like a left wing Sadowitz, but with an identifiable ideology. That's a crap analogy, ignore.

[Rizla]

The 3 series of Renwick/Marshall penned "Stuff" is a work of near-genius. The title sequences alone are some of the greatest comedy of the era. Some of it's a bit like Monty Python, often deliberately knowingly.

The Mathews/Transphobic Cunt-penned "All New Alexei Sayle Show" is noticeably poorer in quality, with less of the political and more of the lolrandom, and the introduction of lazy arsed catchphrase-reliant stuff such as Bobby Chariot.

The Cunts-that-wrote-the-later-series-of-Black-Books-penned "Merry-Go-Round" is a regrettable case of diminishing returns, with the odd good sketch.

Yeah, the Young Ones is a bit crap isn't it. The Goon Show's started to show its age. "Dad's Army"'s a bit boring. Was Leonard Rossiter ever really "funny".

[Buelligan]

I grew up watching things that I was definitely a bit young to watch. The Young Ones I'd watched because I had loved Rik in Bottom. The Young Ones, for me at the time of watching (I wasn't born when it originally aired), was spoiled by Alexei but as I grew up and rewatched he become one of my favourite bits. His delivery is a huge part of my liking of him. His delivery of "I thought not, that's why I pissed in ya garden" being a case in point.

So very happy someone else admired that jewel.  My brother and I have used it, to each other, ever since. 

Totally agree about Mike btw Bueller.