Bill Bailey-Never Mind the Buzzcocks, QI, Black Books, Stand up. Semi-beard, bald. Younger.
Griff Rhys-Jones: Not the Night O'clock News, Smith and Jones, Bookworm, Restoration. Sometimes sports full beard, full head of hair. Older.
Vocally they might be similar.
Russell Howard - He clearly doesn't know too much about how to structure a joke, evident from one of his jokes that contains way too much build-up and is likely something that happened in real life. (9gag.com/gag/adNXQwd)
I don't know what shows less skill, stealing that from real life or making that sort of thing up.
His show Good News takes no skill to write either.
Sarah Millican - I like her as a panellist, but her stand-up is repetitive.
Jack Whitehall - I can't remember ever laughing at anything he's said, and I've heard one person call him the funniest person alive.
Lee Nelson - Hate is too strong a word for my feelings towards him, but he obviously thinks words like "telly box" are funny, but really they're just annoying.
Quote: behminztur @ October 30 2013, 9:53 AM GMTJack Whitehall - I can't remember ever laughing at anything he's said,
That.
Quote: behminztur @ October 30 2013, 9:53 AM GMTand I've heard one person call him the funniest person alive.
In a world without comedians JW might be the funniest person alive. Otherwise...naaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!
I can do the non Jimmy Carr people on this thread.
Started off lukewarm on Jo Brand and have disliked her the more she has settled into being a certain kind of Establishment. In many ways, Alan Davies is the male equivalent. I don't get Michael McIntyre and find his rock star events offputting. To my mind, Jack Whitehall is very uncharming. Stephen Fry isn't someone I hate exactly but I don't think he is a national treasure and he's everywhere, like Terry Wogan used to be.
Shappi Khorsandi is a definite no. Sorry - I really don't like Frankie Boyle and am not keen on David Baddiel. Peter Kay is alright but I've heard bad things about him as a person. Sue Perkins can be very sharp but she can also be quite irritating. To my mind, Mel is a bit of a nonentity. With the best will in the world, Phill Jupitus is not a favourite, nor are Jonathan Ross and Jenny Eclair, and I don't like Simon Amstell one little bit. I also really can't bear Ben Elton, Jeremy "is he supposed to be a comedian?" Clarkson and Jim Davidson.
Ones I can take in small doses include Mark Thomas, Gina Yashere, Gruff Rhys Jones, Frank Skinner, Ricky Gervais, Eddie Izzard, Punt and Dennis, Dave Gorman, French and Saunders, Sanjeev Bhaskar, Meera Syal, Hugh Laurie, Billy Connolly, Omid Djalili, Al Murray, Arthur Smith, Clive Anderson and Julian Clary. The comedian who I have changed my mind about most is Alan Carr who I didn't like initially but he's now growing on me a little. A member of the public on the radio said he's a pleasant bloke. Generally, I am minded against Russell Brand but he has his moments. To be frank, I find him totally impossible to assess.
To balance things up a bit - I assume we are discussing the living - I do like the following, to varying degrees: Jack Dee, Bill Bailey, Lee Evans, Jeremy Hardy, Sandi Toksvig, Barry Cryer, Tom Wrigglesworth, Steve Delaney, Milton Jones, Pam Ayres, Ken Dodd, Stephen K Amos, Sacha Baron Cohen, Mark Steel, Paul Merton, Marcus Brigstocke, Graham Norton, Lenny Henry, Graham Fellows, Ross Noble, Jasper Carrott, Harry Hill, Rowan Atkinson, David Mitchell, Andy Hamilton, Sheila Hancock, Ian Hislop, Vic Reeves, Bob Mortimer, Dom Joly, Ronnnie Corbett, Paul Whitehouse, Harry Enfield, Victoria Wood, Julie Walters, Steve Coogan, Gregor Fisher, Johnny Vegas, Jon Culshaw, Rory Bremner, John Bird, John Fortune, Christopher Douglas, Tony Hawks and Mitch Benn. But I don't like the mad money the BBC are paying Graham Norton.
Desperately trying to get a feel for your sense of humour Horseradish - that's quite a selection!
I don't know how you can put Hugh Laurie above Stephen Fry, though - that's madness, I tell you! Although, the Mystery song from the first episode of Fry and Laurie is definitely among my favourite comedy songs. I don't really think of Fry and Laurie as comedians anymore - oddly - more as public figures. But ABOFL was excellent.
Quote: Dolly Dagger @ January 27 2010, 9:14 PM GMTI really like Justin Lee Collins. I think he's rather funny, is good at presenting the shows he does and comes across as a very nice person.
Dolly, you monster! 
Quote: sglen @ October 30 2013, 3:40 PM GMTDesperately trying to get a feel for your sense of humour Horseradish - that's quite a selection!
I don't know how you can put Hugh Laurie above Stephen Fry, though - that's madness, I tell you! Although, the Mystery song from the first episode of Fry and Laurie is definitely among my favourite comedy songs. I don't really think of Fry and Laurie as comedians anymore - oddly - more as public figures. But ABOFL was excellent.
That's a very fair comment. When I read it again, I thought much the same.
You've set me a challenge here and I hope to learn something. 
Think I'm a comedy traditionalist mainly. I'm for sitcom more than stand-up. There's a leaning - not exclusive - towards what could be called working class or lower middle class humour. But I can't take on board much of the old right wing stuff - the Jim Davidsons etc. Still, unlike some, I wouldn't run hysterically from the room over it. Actually, it can be ok where the person is delivering it with knowing irony. It then is mainly anarchy. It can also show that an individual is so "not discriminatory" they can do it with some confidence.
The second strand is more about clever word play and it can be quite political. Funnily enough, I've always slightly preferred that kind of thing from people who are not easily identifiable with any political leaning. I guess the Alan Corens and their modern day equivalents. By contrast, those who parade arty liberal left credentials make me cringe and I don't like things to get too pc. I like non-political wordplay better anyway. And I think quiet whimsy can be indicative of real skill if there isn't too much of the old blarney about it.
The third strand is totally crackers to the point of riotous but never in a destructive way. And the fourth which is closely linked as it's also cartoony is very childish, bright and happy, though not principally about bodily functions. When the latter are a feature, and it is mostly better when it is "nudge nudge wink wink", the comedy has to be from an over-the-top clownish figure rather than someone who looks like they have learnt to be a comedian. I just don't think it works well in a contrived sort of comedian or similar types who'd sit easily in a boardroom. Nor does big money in comedy for me. I don't expect laughs from bankers.
Quote: sootyj @ October 30 2013, 6:25 PM GMThttp://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1028813/Hitler-comedian-The-Nazi-leaders-bodyguard-reveals-different-dictator.html
......and of course I did come round to sootyj after quite a tricky beginning.
Others can decide which strand, category etc.....! 
Russell Brand is interesting and very articulate, acute and intelligently sharp BUT yes, how does a person, like him, who literally regurgitates EVERY English word in the dictionary, be considered funny?
I've watched a few of his shows and much as I'd like to say that I have a wide grasp of English despite being non-English, I have trouble trying to find the time to catch his jokes.
Some of it is easy to catch but most just sound like some background ambient noise.
Oh and I god-frigging HATE Karl Pilkington? Da hell? How is he considered funny?
Couldn't stand An Idiot Abroad. So NOT registering on the laugh-O-metre. Sorrrrrrreeee! *roll eyes*
Ivor Dembina.
Nasty, sanctimonious little turd who when not cheerleading for Hamas bores on about haggling with sex workers or his very unappealing tastes in fetish sex.
Epicly sullen and ugly photo here, http://www.theguardian.com/stage/2010/mar/25/ivor-dembina-review
with the inevitable Al Grauniad positive review.
John Bishop.
Quote: Scartledge @ 15th January 2014, 12:31 AM GMTJohn Bishop.
That.
Quote: Marissa @ 15th January 2014, 12:07 AM GMTIvor Dembina.
Nasty, sanctimonious little turd who when not cheerleading for Hamas bores on about haggling with sex workers or his very unappealing tastes in fetish sex.
Epicly sullen and ugly photo here, http://www.theguardian.com/stage/2010/mar/25/ivor-dembina-review
with the inevitable Al Grauniad positive review.
I've never heard Ivor do a fetish gag, you sure you're not thinking of another comic.
Miranda Hart. Not hate exactly but I don't find her stuff funny at all. I know she's popular, just not with me! Do think she's been pretty good in 'Call the Midwife' however.