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How funny is Alexei Sayle?

Started by Retinend, March 03, 2021, 11:02:10 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

Is Alexei Sayle funny to you?

Yes (and I grew up with him)
76 (50.7%)
Yes (and I didn't grow up with him)
55 (36.7%)
No (and I grew up with him)
10 (6.7%)
No (and I didn't grow up with him)
9 (6%)

Total Members Voted: 150

Ptolemy Ptarmigan


Rolf Lundgren

I've always thought whatever he turned up in was enhanced by his presence. His sketch show and Merry-Go-Round were both great, Bobby Chariot especially, and often think about his "why don't we split the bill" bit where he moans about only having a parsnip and glass of Lucozade.

easytarget

Quote from: pigamus on March 03, 2021, 12:16:51 PM
Sandwich Bar is brilliant
I *think* this is brilliant even if you're unfamiliar with the rest of his work.
But I can't know that because I'm 43 and I like the rest of his work.
So - those in doubt can do a test with this show.

zomgmouse

didn't grow up with him, find him brilliant. the anarchy and unapologetic weirdness tickles my boxes

Chedney Honks

I like him and always did. I like his energy, madness, anger, but don't necessarily find him funny. Very engaging and entertaining, though.


thenoise

Quote from: DrGreggles on March 03, 2021, 08:39:54 PM
Mike's a great character with great lines. I just didn't appreciate* them when I was 7 because the other 3 are more cartoonlike and appealed more.


*understand

The studio audience of the time agrees with the 7 year old you. Possibly because a lot of them were Comedy Store regulars and primed to laugh at every facial expression Rik/Ade/Nige made, relegating Mike to the role of straight man. But that isn't how he is written, or acted.

paruses

Sorry for skipping to the end of this but is Sandwich Bar available anywhere? I couldn't see it on Sounds or Fourble.

My answer -don't think you have to have grown up with him to find him funny but I can see how the sketch stuff is a bit dated. I think he's very funny as a stand-up, in interviews, and in his writing. Grew up with his sketch shows - lots of discussion and repetition of them at school on a Friday morning but they were hit and miss for me for some reason. I was too young to appreciate him on The Young Ones. Have just started his first autobiography and love it - only "problem" is that I read it in his voice which makes it slow going - but more enjoyable.

He's also responsible for me knowing Boyle's Law for the Expansion of Gases.

The first time I saw him was in spring or summer of 1982 on OTT, the Tizwas spin-off hosted by Chris Tarrant and Lenny Henry.  He was doing some routine about a pop-up toaster where bread goes in white then emerges black.  I was only thirteen so didn't fully get it but I got the impression it was themed around racism and racial toleration.

steveh

Nobody ever seems to mention his earlier co-writer David Stafford, who with him did the Great Bus Journeys of the World in Time Out, Alexei Sayle and the Fish People for Capital Radio back when they did comedy, several of the records and Didn't You Kill My Brother, which is my favourite of the Comic Strip films.

Always wondered how much of the writing could be attributed to each of them and why they didn't continue working together.

The Dexy's parody Pop Up Toaster is great: "Obviously you can't solve the world's racial problems by singing along with a simplistic lyric contained in a song. Oh no, you've got to do the dance as well".

JesusAndYourBush

He released a live album called Cak! which I bought from a bargain bin a few years later.  I found it very funny at the time, although I don't know if I'd find it as funny now.  There's footage from the same live show (or one very similar) on one of the BBC Xmas tapes.  They must've filmed one of his shows then realised they couldn't use any of it because it's all to rude.

Quote from: Phoenix Lazarus on March 04, 2021, 09:23:06 AM
The first time I saw him was in spring or summer of 1982 on OTT, the Tizwas spin-off hosted by Chris Tarrant and Lenny Henry

That's probably where I first saw him, although if he'd made any guest appearances on other people's shows around that time I maybe saw some of those as well.

Retinend

Quote from: Endicott on March 03, 2021, 01:10:16 PM
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.

I only just understood your implication here: yeah I phrased things badly by saying "growing up with". My theory wasn't that his humour is childish, but rather that his humour was of his time - this being based on my viewing of The Young Ones.

However my poll proves me wrong, and I'm happy I made the thread since it's motivated me to give his œuvre a proper try:  "Alexei Sayle's Stuff" in particular.

DVDs of either series are currently being sold in the 75-100 pound range second-hand, so if anyone knows where I can otherwise watch it, please PM 🙏


Cold Meat Platter

i just pm'd a link to a playlist on exactly that.

Havmannen

Quote from: Retinend on March 04, 2021, 02:50:43 PM
DVDs of either series are currently being sold in the 75-100 pound range second-hand, so if anyone knows where I can otherwise watch it, please PM 🙏

Are they? Bloody hell, I've got them all somewhere. I've PMed you a link to a wealth of Sayle stuff I have on Google Drive.

DrGreggles

Quote from: Havmannen on March 04, 2021, 04:45:08 PM
Are they? Bloody hell, I've got them all somewhere. I've PMed you a link to a wealth of Sayle stuff I have on Google Drive.

Ooh, can I have that too please?

Cold Meat Platter

If it's not too much trouble I'd love a link to that as well.


Endicott

Quote from: Retinend on March 04, 2021, 02:50:43 PM
I only just understood your implication here: yeah I phrased things badly by saying "growing up with". My theory wasn't that his humour is childish, but rather that his humour was of his time - this being based on my viewing of The Young Ones.

Well not quite, and maybe this is splitting hairs, but I didn't think you were saying either of the things you mention here. My assumption about what you meant by 'growing up' was that you were saying that as a viewer, a child is less discerning and and also likely to keep an affinity for a subject as they grow up, rather than to come to see it more critically. Whereas someone who came to it later on in life would be more critical.

Hence my use of the compere example.

So, it's interesting to see that I didn't really understand what you meant at all.

Quote
However my poll proves me wrong, and I'm happy I made the thread since it's motivated me to give his œuvre a proper try:  "Alexei Sayle's Stuff" in particular.

I hope you like it.


Havmannen

#78
Here's that link for those asking: ...

If anyone has any missing pieces that I don't please feel free to share. I think I lost some bits when trying to back up a dying hard drive.

BlodwynPig

Just brilliant - doesn't elicit a laugh from the audience it's so subtle.

https://youtu.be/7aglun7Xrgw?t=331

BlodwynPig

I'd forgotten about the brilliant "Drunk in Time" too. Peak Agutter

mippy

Was way too young for Stuff, but I did see Merry Go Round when it aired, and the Dead Or Alive sketch has stuck in my head since 1998.

Drygate

I was a child in the 80s and I think I remember him having a show on TV where a child said "Who's that fat bastard any way?" in the credits.

I assume one of my parents thought he was funny as it was on TV but I don't remember laughing.

That's about the extent of my growing up with him.

I don't find him funny now by the way, at least not based on his current podcast and recent guest spots.



petril

Quote from: Drygate on March 05, 2021, 12:55:51 PM
I was a child in the 80s and I think I remember him having a show on TV where a child said "Who's that fat bastard any way?" in the credits.

yeah, series 2 of Stuff had that. every series had different titles that ended with someone asking that

wherearethespoons

#84
Quote from: Havmannen on March 04, 2021, 06:56:48 PM
Here's that link for those asking: ...
If anyone has any missing pieces that I don't please feel free to share. I think I lost some bits when trying to back up a dying hard drive.

Crikey. I think I got banned for this. Is that right? I can't login with it and I received no email about it. If that is the reason why isn't the post deleted? I've been on this forum in various guises for years and not had anything like this happen. What's going on?

Jockice

Quote from: petrilTanaka on March 05, 2021, 03:05:01 PM
yeah, series 2 of Stuff had that. every series had different titles that ended with someone asking that

Possibly my favourite opening sequence to anything ever. Even though he's not particularly fat.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHa_SQB8NB0

Gurke and Hare

Quote from: Jockice on March 05, 2021, 03:31:04 PM
Possibly my favourite opening sequence to anything ever. Even though he's not particularly fat.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHa_SQB8NB0

The full version of the sketch at the start of the first episode in that series is great.

My Stuff series 3 DVD hasn't worked for ages, so this thread has given me the impetus to order a second hand copy off Amazon, for a relative bargain £28.32.

"We apologise that due to technical difficulties, the show will continue in Leslie Crowther only."

DrGreggles

Quote from: Gurke and Hare on March 05, 2021, 04:28:22 PM
The full version of the sketch at the start of the first episode in that series is great.

"Hi, I'm Dick Van Dyke. Hope you are too."

Gurke and Hare

He's got a new series of plays starting on Radio 4 next week.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000syms

Gurke and Hare

I think I've posted this on here before, but I love this game show parody, the attention to detail in the host's little Ted Rogers style hand gesture is wonderful.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDh0wv02U80&ab_channel=ruudmuststay