Pun merchants

[Bigfella]

I quite like to listen to Milton Jones and Tim Vine, who both do a lot of puns and plays on words.  They hardly ever seem to get mentioned in here, maybe most folk just prefer observational stand-up.  Vine even gets me enjoying his banter with audience members, some other comedians are blissfully unaware of being crap at it.

[BeardFaceMan]

I like a lot of different kinds of comedy but the kind of family friendly comedy that Tim Vine does usually makes my shit itch. Strange then that he's probably in my top 5 stand ups of all time, I think he's great. Not sure what it is about him that's appealing, I've tried other acts who mostly do those kinds of one liners or puns and they don't quite work for me. I can take them in small doses but a full set usually feels like a drag, it's never been that way with Vine though, maybe because he breaks up the puns with songs and audience stuff?

[Dusty Substance]

Gary Delaney is a terrific stand up whose material consists of a whole load of puns. He's also one of the best punners on Twitter: https://twitter.com/GaryDelaney

[Johnny Foreigner]

YOU like to listen to Tim Vine, I like to listen to Tim Vine, WE ALL like to listen to Tim Vine!

[DrGreggles]

Tim Vine is fantastic.
Not just the gags, but the silly songs and enthusiastic delivery.

I've only seen a few comedians create genuine hysteria in a room, but Tim Vine is the only one I've seen do it more than once.

[Johnny Foreigner]

As for Milton Jones, I think he has his good moments, but is mostly just acting 'whacky'.

I believe Tim Vine is a practising Catholic and Milton is one of them born-again types; I wonder whether having religious convictions prevents comedians from ever being insulting or controversial, prompting them to make family-friendly, apolitical comedy instead. If that is the case, Tim Vine more than makes up for it with his punning talent.

[Thosworth]

Frank Skinner praised a comedy duo who do prop comedy puns on song lyrics. I looked them up and was decently amused, and then immediately forgot their name.



Not the best post ever made, I now realise.

[dissolute ocelot]

As for Milton Jones, I think he has his good moments, but is mostly just acting 'whacky'.

I like some of Milton Jones's radio shows which involved him having different adventures each week, because the wackiness and silly jokes are slightly focused by a story line, and it proceeds with a lot of energy for half an hour and then you can have a rest (in contrast to most Radio 4 comedy, which is somewhat less energetic than Gardeners' Question Time). And possibly because I don't have to look at him on the radio. I've seen bits of his stand-up which didn't really appeal, and seemed as you say more wackiness and having crazy hair, than actual jokes.

[Johnny Foreigner]

This thread made me listen again to an old Tim Vine episode last night, which was recorded in a church in North Berwick in 2017.

- Here's the organist, and he is called Tim as well! But we don't want to be too informal, so I'll call him Mr Aswell.

Yeah, it's funny and harmless. The Scottish Seabird Centre got some free advertising; there was a story about the history of Musselburgh, there were silly ditties about seagulls and references to church singing, some football stuff which I didn't understand, something about selling mince pies.

- You clearly have political ambitions; in fact, you're a PM already. You're a pie man.

It's good entertainment if you want some relaxing, undemanding laughs.

[Johnny Foreigner]

I like some of Milton Jones's radio shows which involved him having different adventures each week, because the wackiness and silly jokes are slightly focused by a story line, and it proceeds with a lot of energy for half an hour and then you can have a rest (in contrast to most Radio 4 comedy, which is somewhat less energetic than Gardeners' Question Time). And possibly because I don't have to look at him on the radio. I've seen bits of his stand-up which didn't really appeal, and seemed as you say more wackiness and having crazy hair, than actual jokes.

I agree.

[koeman]

Frank Skinner praised a comedy duo who do prop comedy puns on song lyrics. I looked them up and was decently amused, and then immediately forgot their name.



Not the best post ever made, I now realise.

The Raymond and Mr Timpkins Revue?

[Thosworth]

The Raymond and Mr Timpkins Revue?

Yes!