Does Stewart Lee have a point about Avalon and Off The Kerb?

In an interview with The Independent, Stewart Lee (pictured) has shined a light on what he perceives to be a small, powerful band of comedy talent agencies who use their linked production companies to showcase their own acts and 'pocket a commission on their own payments'.

Although Lee doesn't name the companies directly, the Independent implies he is particularly referring to the two largest comedy management agencies - Avalon and Off The Kerb - who, between them, represent over 150 comedians.

Avalon Management, founded in 1989 by Jon Thoday and Richard Allen-Turner, represents comedians including Russell Howard, Russell Kane, Lee Mack, Al Murray, Chris Ramsey and Frank Skinner (full list). Its production arm, Avalon Television, makes TV and radio shows including Russell Howard's Good News, Live At The Electric, Not Going Out and the forthcoming BBC One panel show I Love My Country.

Off The Kerb, meanwhile, acts as the management company for TV stars including Michael McIntyre, Lee Evans, Jack Dee, Jonathan Ross, Alan Carr, Sean Lock, Jo Brand, Jon Richardson and Kevin Bridges. (full list).

OTK is indirectly linked to the TV production company Open Mike Productions, with Off The Kerb management personnel including founder Addison Cresswell acting as Executive Producers on the company's output. Open Mike Productions makes stand-up and entertainment shows including Alan Carr: Chatty Man, Live At The Apollo, Channel 4's Comedy Gala, Michael McIntyre's Comedy Roadshow and Stand Up For The Week.

Within the Independent article, Stewart Lee says, although not directly referring to the programmes named above: "All of those shows are peppered to a disproportionate extent with clients of the management company owned by the production company. You have a ridiculous situation where a client of the management company is interviewing another client of a management company on a programme made by the production company owned by the management company. Basically, advertising money and licence-payer money is being spent to increase the marketplace value of a tiny coterie of people."

Being more specific, he says: "After 'Sachsgate' there was a BBC directive about all this, but it has been forgotten and ignored. The lack of diversity in approach and opinion in stand-up on TV is because the gateway is controlled by two or three monopolies, who even produce their own 'alternative' or 'new talent' shows like Stand Up For The Week, giving the illusion of fulfilling a broadcaster's 'alternative' brief."

Lee suggests this arrangement means TV viewers are not getting to see a diverse selection of comedians, but instead the same type of comedian again and again. "It struck me that when you have a line-up of people in the big stand-up shows now they're all in these kind of suits, they look like a team of advertising executives or some kind of lawyers on a golfing weekend. They look like business-like professionals come to do a job of work."

As a study, British Comedy Guide decided to take a couple of shows produced by Avalon Television and Open Mike Productions and analyse who represents each of the acts that appeared in these shows.

Avalon - Live At The Electric (Series 1)

Hosted by Russell Kane (Avalon)

The list of regular performers:

Humphrey Ker (PBJ)
Joe Wilkinson (Avalon)
Nick Helm (Glorious Management)
Jigsaw (Avalon)
Totally Tom (PBJ)
Hari Kondabolu (Avalon)
WitTank (Avalon)
Two Episodes Of Mash (Avalon / United Artists)
Lady Garden (United Artists)

Avalon - Russell Howard's Good News (Series 7)

Hosted by Russell Howard (Avalon)

The guest stand-ups who appeared in the Extra broadcasts during Series 7:

Felicity Ward (Buxstock)
Glenn Wool (Avalon)
Daniel Sloss (MZA)
Mae Martin (John Noel)
Andrew Ryan (Lisa Thomas Management)
Marcel Lucont (Objective Talent)
Nathan Caton (Lisa Thomas Management)
Adam Bloom (Get Comedy)
Reggie Watts (Avalon)
Mark Smith (Avalon)
Francesca Martinez (Independent)

Open Mike Productions - Live At The Apollo (Series 8)

Dara O'Briain (Avalon)
Nina Conti (PBJ)
Danny Bhoy (Lisa Thomas Management)
Rhod Gilbert (Comedy Store Management)
Kerry Godliman (RBM)
Jon Richardson (Off The Kerb)
Kevin Bridges (Off The Kerb)
Sara Pascoe (Dawn Sedgwick Management)
Phill Jupitus (Off The Kerb)
Lee Nelson (Avalon)
Stewart Francis (United Agents)
Paul Chowdhry (Off The Kerb)
Omid Djalili (Scott Marshall Partners)
Reginald D Hunter (Mandy Ward Artist Management)
Julian Clary (Mandy Ward Artist Management)
Greg Davies (Avalon)
Hal Cruttenden (CKP)
Simon Evans (Off The Kerb)

Open Mike Productions - Alan Carr: Chatty Man (Series 9)

Hosted by Alan Carr (Off The Kerb)

Focusing on the Series 9 guests who are comedy stars...

Adam Hills (Off The Kerb)
Jack Whitehall (Hannah Chambers)
Paddy McGuinness (James Grant)
John Bishop (Lisa Thomas Management)
Rhod Gilbert (Comedy Store Management)
Kevin Bridges (Off The Kerb)
David Walliams (Troika Talent)
Michael McIntyre (Off The Kerb)
Keith Lemon (James Grant)
Jon Richardson (Off The Kerb)
Harry Hill (was Avalon, currently independent)
Miranda Hart (Troika Talent)
Jonathan Ross (Off The Kerb)
Jimmy Carr (Hannah Chambers)

The above study is far from a comprehensive look at all the output of the production companies, but with the lists featuring more than 20 different management agencies, we'd say the results are somewhat inconclusive. There are certain perhaps understandable patterns, with a notable number of Avalon acts appearing on Avalon shows, and Off The Kerb acts appearing on Open Mike shows, but not perhaps as overwhelming an amount as one may have guessed from Lee's comments.

Stewart Lee is due to film a third series of his BBC Two show Stewart Lee's Comedy Vehicle in December. He was speaking to The Independent to promote his new Comedy Central series The Alternative Comedy Experience, which starts on Tuesday.