The Best Comedies of 2006

[eluc55]

I know we’ve already got a Review of the Year thread, but I thought this was different enough â€" and useful enough â€" to warrant a separate thread.

Basically it’s a chance to expose the comedy that you’ve enjoyed in 2006, if for no other reason than to encourage others to try them as well. They don’t have to be brilliant (the chance would be a fine thing), and of course, they can be new series of existing shows. So what, if anything, would you recommend.
Anyway, I’ll start us off.

Down The Line with Gary Bellamy -  Probably the best British comedy of last year. A great cast, including Paul whithouse and Charlie Higson, and a great premise (fake radio phone-in) . Well worth a listen. Is a second series still on the cards?

Consolevania â€" The latest series has varied between average and brilliant (2.4 being the absolute peak), but it’s never anything if not exciting. For a start, it’s obvious they love their subject matter (computer games), but just as importantly, they know how to write a good sketch, a funny line and seem happy to burn every bridge they cross. Thank fuck for consolevania.

Charlie Brooker’s Screenwipe â€"  Okay, it’s not exactly taking risks, but it’s had some good moments over the last year, and in the desert something something water.

Harry Hill's TV Burp - Again, a show which sets out with a simple premise and makes good with it. After all, the targets are hardly groundbreaking, but the material and delivery is ample compensation.

[Jemble Fred]

Couldn't get into Consolevania, didn't like Screenwipe. But otherwise aye.

Wonder Showzen wasn't 2006, was it? In which case, aside from the likes of QI and ISIHAC, I'm stumped for nominations.

[Garam]

Series 2 of Wonder Showzen was this year, and it was by far the highlight of the year for me, even if it did take a few months for me to start liking it. Highlights being the Middle America episode, the Co-operation episode and the Clarence Special Report episode, which was bizarrely soothing and life-affirming.

[Melth]

O! News - Serafinowicz and co. were really at the top of their game with this one. Nothing else matched it this year.

[Jemble Fred]

Series 2 of Wonder Showzen was this year, and it was by far the highlight of the year for me, even if it did take a few months for me to start liking it. Highlights being the Middle America episode, the Co-operation episode and the Clarence Special Report episode, which was bizarrely soothing and life-affirming.

So how many episodes are there (hang on, I'll just stop being alazy bastard and search)? I've got a disc without about 12 or so on, including those episodes you mentioned, and the Kid's Show pilot. I was hoping there was lots out there still to see, but perhaps not.

I fucking hate Clarence. It's just Friday Night Project style fucking-with-the-public. Bearable once, but always fast forwarded after that.

[Howj Begg]

.Ricky Gervais Meets....Garry Shandling - a revolutionary new concept, the comedy of embarrassment. Funny at the time and in hindsight. Exploring the taboos that polite society won't let you get away with.

[rupert pupkin]

The Thick Of It. Quite enjoyed TV Burp and Screenwipe, too.

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

Am I the only one who finds Harry Hill utterly utterly unremarkable? The idea that he's been responsible for 'one of the best comedy shows of the year' depresses me into a malaise.

[Jemble Fred]

Am I the only one who finds Harry Hill utterly utterly unremarkable?

If only you were, but there are bound to be others lurking around somewhere. The only real problem with Hill is that his work's so good, and seemingly so rare nowadays, that expectations just get higher and higher, to his potential detriment.

[Ja'moke]

TV Burp, Peep Show, Trailer Park Boys and The Thick Of It.

[Chris Chopping]

Was series 2 of The Mighty Boosh this year?

It's been fairly slim pickings really. Peep show 3, The Thick of It, bits of Extras.

TV Burp is great but as I don't even bother checking the ITV schedules most of the time I always miss it. I find Screenwipe very funny too but it's depressing that the funniest shows on this past year have been all about ripping apart the rest of the crap out there.

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

I mean...I'm not against Hill at all, I find TV Burp entertaining and it's quite good. I can't see anything outstanding about it though. Each episode is stuffed with moments where you think, "ah- so-and-so would've done that much better" or he's missed an opportunity at something hilarious in favour of a cheap gag. Pleasant, but not worthy of a special mention really. The bread rolls, rather than the Soup du Jour.

[AC]

Borat of course for me. Was Peep Show's latest series 2006? Can't really think of anything else.

[TotalNightmare]

Things WOT i liked this year, comedy wise!

TV Burp

The IT Crowd (bits of it)

Count Arthur Strong

ISIRTA

Just A Minute

South Park

Family Guy

Down The Line

...

that is all.

[Ben Ordinary]

The following have provided toplol in these oh so lolless days: TV Burp, Wonder Showzen, Not Going Out, Down The Line, The IT Crowd, My Name Is Earl, 30 Rock, Lynchland: The Liam Lynch Podcast, Paul Dullson's YouTube filth, Count Arthur Strong's Radio Show!, Clerks 2, a third of "Straight Outta Lynwood" and Irk The Purists.

But most of all the Australian radio series / podcast Get This! with Tony Martin and Ed Kavalee. Just the most consistantly brilliant series of the year. And daily too!

[Oh, and in case anyone else doesnt say - Peep Show 3 was 2005 as was Boosh series 2. And Down The Line series 2 is due very soon I believe.]

[wheatgod]

Harry Hill's TV Burp
The IT Crowd
South Park
Down The Line

Also worth a mention is American Dad, which started mediocre but has come on leaps and bounds this year.

[Chris Chopping]

Is this Down The Line thing on Listen Again? I've never heard of it.

[Jemble Fred]

There'll be one episode on the R4 website right now, yeah. I was nonplussed when it first came round, but listened to one of the 6.30 repeats with a mate and we were reduced to genuine hysterics. I'm always too dozy to enjoy the 11PM slot.

[Saul]

In no particular order: QI, That Mitchell and Webb Look, Revolting People, The News Quiz, My Name Is Earl,  Just A Minute, The IT Crowd,  Down The Line, Chain Reaction, Armando Iannucci's Charm Offensive.

I've never liked anything that I've seen Harry Hill do, didn't like his Radio 4 show, don't like TV Burp, although to be fair I've never seen his old Channel 4 show.

[Chris Chopping]

Oh shit! I forgot about That Mitchell and Webb look despite enjoying it quite a lot at the time. And Speaking of David Mitchell I enjoyed The Best of The Worst too. He may be omnipresent but when he's good he's very, very good.

Was series 2 of The Smoking Room this year? I loved the episode with the anti-smoking lecture. Oh and I enjoyed Rob Brydon's Annually retentive. This thread is cheering me up by reminding me there has been a couple of good things on. What a shame none of them have been in prime time channel four slots.

[trotsky assortment]

O! News - Serafinowicz and co. were really at the top of their game with this one. Nothing else matched it this year.

The John Lennon invents the iPod feature is still making me laugh.  I hope this appears as a DVD extra on a Serifinowicz release in the future.

[klaatu!]

O! News - Serafinowicz and co. were really at the top of their game with this one. Nothing else matched it this year.

The John Lennon invents the iPod feature is still making me laugh.  I hope this appears as a DVD extra on a Serifinowicz release in the future.

An interesting tidbit on wikipedia:

He is currently filming a new comedy series, "The Peter Serafinowicz Show", for BBC2.

Can anyone confirm this? Google comes up with nothing.

[Bean Is A Carrot]

But most of all the Australian radio series / podcast Get This! with Tony Martin and Ed Kavalee. Just the most consistantly brilliant series of the year. And daily too!

Quite.

And All The Way From Over There, was great fun too.

[Duckula]

Arrested Development surely? Not as good as the first 2 seasons but still miles above the competition.

[AC]

Oh South Park and O! News too, I enjoyed.

[Chris Chopping]

I've just been watching all the Ken Korda stuff on Youtube and I'm not sure what shows most of it is from, I know some is exclusive to youtube, but it is bloody funny.

So more Adam and Joe on the Telly in 2007 would be most welcome.

[naniwaelegy]

Arrested Development - laughed myself silly at the "I hate you you never listen to me" speech by George Michael.

The Boondocks. (Adult Swim)- Loved Uncle Ruckus laying his hands on people and the
MLK show.

Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip- bit overdone at times but always enjoyable.

Wonder Showzen - even the Horse Apples episode.
South Park - esp the World of Warcraft.

And a special mention for Trapped in the Closet which left me breathless.

And from the UK.
The Thick of It, Charm Offensive, Adam and Joe on Xfm (with the music thankfully edited out),  the BNP sketch in Time Trumpet and other things that have been forgotten.

[bloodycheekymonkey]

Boosh and Trailer Park Boys for me.

Trailer Park Boys is my current love, watch it over and over, got all of um....I love it when you discover something 6 series in.  Got them all now....pure heaven.

[Saul]

Arrested Development surely? Not as good as the first 2 seasons but still miles above the competition.

I would've put that on my list but I thought I had finished in 2005. I know it wasn't broadcast on BBC2 until 2006, but I've only just learned that it didn't finish on Fox until february of 2006, so add that to the top of my list.

[MuteBanana]

And Speaking of David Mitchell I enjoyed The Best of The Worst too. He may be omnipresent but when he's good he's very, very good.

As far as I'm concerned the final episode of the series with Paddy McGuinness and Liza Tarbuck was the funniest episode of anything this year.