Stress-inducing comedy

[zomgmouse]

IMDB is a user created listing site.  Somebody would have added that entry way back when the film version was first mooted and nobody has bothered to remove it since.  It doesn't mean that the film's still on the cards.

Oh I know. But one can dream...

[Yussef Dent]

The On Cinema Oscar Special where everyone is slowly becoming overcome by carbon monoxide poisoning from Gregg leaving the car engine running in the studio had a feeling of "this is actually how they're going to end this all?" Very macabre as it was such a slow burning thing, but absolutely brilliant.

[The Mollusk]

They're still all sat on my hard drive. I'll be a big brave boy and give them another look.

You're long overdue this revelation! ;D

[Jerzy Bondov]

The Out-of-Towners (Jack Lemmon one) and Clockwise (John Cleese one) stress me right the fuck out. It feels like I'm running late for something myself, which I hate.

[The Mollusk]

Does Ren & Stimpy count? The climax of "Ren's Brain" is horrific, I don't think I can watch it without getting bug-eyed and holding my breath trying to endure the blistering tension.

[Obligatory "fuck John K" sentiment here]

[kngen]

While I love Scorsese's After Hours, and think it's brilliantly funny in all the right places, I'm pretty sure it's the source of my recurring dreams/nightmares where I'm trying to get home but something (or someone) is always managing to fuck it up for me.

[shagatha crustie]

Reminded by the LOG deaths thread of the Sexplorationists' demise in series 3. 'JULIET BRAVO! JULIET BRAVO!' Nightmare-inducing.

[Johnboy]

Couldn't stay with Motherland, everyone just seemed to be horrible to each other.

[Elderly Sumo Prophecy]

With shows like Jam or Monkey Dust that dwell a lot on human tragedy for humour, I often wonder how I'd react to them if one of those tragedies had befallen me (the baby coffin in Jam or the suicidal dad in Monkey Dust, for example).

You might think that an affected person would be incredibly upset by them, with it bringing back awful memories, but I actually think it might be quite cathartic, encouraging you to laugh at tragedy and move on.

Actually, I wonder how many complaints those types of shows get, versus people applauding them for doing the above?

[Sebastian Cobb]

I really liked monkey dust despite my dad once making up an elaborate series of excuses to hide the fact he'd been trying to fill the bath with cum.

[Leej88]

Monkey Dust was dark I watched it on BBC3 a show of its time.

[Jake Thingray]

Monkey Dust was dark I watched it on BBC3 a show of its time.

"Mitchell and Webb do good impressions."

[zomgmouse]

Rewatched what bits of Monkey Dust I'd seen plus finished what I hadn't recently and I reckon the bits that are dated are impressively minimal. Most of it still holds up and is incredibly funny.

[Elderly Sumo Prophecy]

I never done it. I only said I done it so they'd take me bellend out of the chili sauce.

[Fambo Number Mive]

The angry cafe owner in Man Down. Although the way Dan's dad treats him is quite stressful to watch as well.

[Leej88]

They said on Buzzcocks Greg Davies looked like Rik Mayall's bloated corpse not as funny now Rik is dead. Probably why he was cast as his Dad.

[canadagoose]

The only episode of One Foot in the Grave that I found stressful was the one with the tortoise, which I can't stand because I love tortoises. I also found quite a bit of the League of Gentlemen hard-going (Pop, URGGGHHHH) but I'd still say I like it.

I remember finding that stupid prank show on Channel 4 in the mid-to-late-2000s (not Trigger Happy TV) really cringe-inducing, because of the amount of embarrassment I felt for the people being pranked.

[Fambo Number Mive]

Balls of Steel?

[canadagoose]

Balls of Steel?

That's the one! That bloody programme...

[Leej88]

Nighty Night is very stressful to watch with how Julia's character acts and speaks to people.

[Blue Jam]

I also found quite a bit of the League of Gentlemen hard-going (Pop, URGGGHHHH) but I'd still say I like it.

I loved The League Of Gentlemen at the time it first aired. Tried to re-watch the first episode a few years back and just found it relentlessly unpleasant. I lasted until the Mr Chinnery sketch- let's just say my feelings about dogs are similar to yours about tortoises. That's probably the one comedy sketch I wish I could unsee. I don't know if I've become more soppy and sensitive with age or if I was just plain wrong to have liked the series at the time. I'm not keen on Inside No. 9 at all so maybe it's a bit of both.

[Leej88]

Pops is an awful character was so glad when they killed him off.

[Ferris]

Balls of Steel?

No the GP gave me some cream and all better now.

[zomgmouse]

Nighty Night is very stressful to watch with how Julia's character acts and speaks to people.

Oh yes this reminds me of Human Remains, the frustrating characterisation in that can be shockingly stressful

[Phoenix Lazarus]

Balls of Steel?

Militant Black Guy was funny-and remember Tom Cruise getting a spraying from a water pistol?  He wasn't a very good sport!

[Dusty Substance]

I gave up on Outnumbered after about the fourth episode of season one, mostly as it just wasn't my cup of comedic tea but partly because the scenes of getting the kids ready to go to school was too stressful. The chaos, the mess, the noise - All too stressful for me and a perfect reminder for why I never, ever want kids of my own.

[Shit Good Nose]

I gave up on Outnumbered after about the fourth episode of season one, mostly as it just wasn't my cup of comedic tea but partly because the scenes of getting the kids ready to go to school was too stressful. The chaos, the mess, the noise - All too stressful for me and a perfect reminder for why I never, ever want kids of my own.

Sort-of on that note, I had to bail quite early on in Tully as it was way too close to the bone and brought back a lot of memories from Mrs Nose's pregnancy, the actual birth of little Nose (which to this day remains the single most traumatic thing I've ever experienced) and the subsequent three and a half years of physical and mental exhaustion.  It's VERY rare that I don't see a film through to the end, even if I'm absolutely hating it, but Tully just poked that weak spot something rotten.

[Blue Jam]

I had a bit of that with Mortimer and Whitehouse: Gone Fishing of all things. The episode where Bob describes being taken home from school early one day and getting home to see a police car parked outside his house. My dad didn't die in a car crash but it was all a bit too relatable, I had to leave the room for a bit.

I also had a bit of that with Undone. Delightful little show but the whole "What if my dad hadn't died young? Would we get on?" aspect was tough going at times.

[Steven88]

Not stressful but more upsetting The Royle Family - The Queen of Sheba ends me every fucking time. The rest of the episode isn't up to scratch compared to the first two series but the scenes with Nana are brilliantly done.

[Satchmo Distel]

Steptoe and Son has a wider subtext to me about all families that are prisons. The claustrophobia  of it, and the self-hate for your inability to grow and succeed. Anyone in that position must have found the show unbearable.

Diff'rent Strokes - why is this teenager with stunted growth playing a kid? And the way that social conscience issues were tacked on when you just wanted a comedy. Sentimentality in sitcoms generally is stressful.