I thought the episode "Patriotism" was one the best subversive satirical routine I have ever heard.
I agree, less gags but very well written and structured and it hit it's mark.
Stewart Lee's Comedy Vehicle Series 4 Page 3
Weird, I didn't care for the cat poo at all, but last night I was falling from my chair with mirth. It's ostensibly the same thing, but one fo them was too hilarious for me to finish a biscuit for about 15 minutes. 
Sorry, but the last couple of episodes have been painful to watch.
The poppadom bit was hilarious, particularly the final line.
It was rather frustrating, though, that the whole episode morphed into an extension of the Rob Liddle/Curious Food Arrangement bit though. I didn't see what it had to do with the episode's initial point.
Yeah, he never did get to the point, the soup, the jelly, the paste etc took hold...that was quite funny, the little tug at his sleeve etc, but it felt like it ended abruptly, maybe the style lends itself better to a live show than a half hour edited TV.
I found episode 5 was a lot funnier when I watched it a second time.
The poppadom punchline has been used before though. I can't remember who it was, but it definitely rang a distant bell.
Oh shit...
Tonight's show was tremendous
if I was a stand up comedian watching that tonight, I'd be like "I should just quit, everything I do can only be total shite in comparison to this..."
Quote: lofthouse @ 7th April 2016, 10:31 PM BSTOh shit...
Tonight's show was tremendous
if I was a stand up comedian watching that tonight, I'd be like "I should just quit, everything I do can only be total shite in comparison to this..."
100% with you on that.
Spellbindingly brilliant.
Stewart Lee transcends stand-up. Nobody else does.
Do you realise in this series, he has exploited (in the nicest way) his intimacy with his die-hard fans?
The 'flavours of Jam' bit is a call back to much earlier work (remember the 'flavours of cheese' bit?). And his Grandad eating crisps during the war.
Only us true fans will get these, and he knows it.
"I don't like new people coming, but what can you do? You can't stop people coming."
There was a fabulous shot of a couple in the audience; the bloke was pissing himself and his girlfriend looked like she was at a quantum physics lecture, and had failed o-level science. I creased up at that.
The word 'genius' is over-used (how can a f**king snooker player be a genius?!), but it applies to Stewart Lee.
Very funny end to the series!
I thought that was glorious. Yes, we've seen it before (that episode was essentially 100% PEar + breakdowsn passim + end of Series 3), but that's not important to me: all of John lee Hooker's records and asll of Haydn's symphonies are essentially the same, it doesn't make them less than wonderful.
Course, Stew would probably like it if I described it as "always different, always the same". 
Was Josh Widdicombe in the audience on episode 6?
Quote: jhmagic1 @ 10th April 2016, 11:55 AM BSTWas Josh Widdicombe in the audience on episode 6?
His laugh certainly was.
Quote: gappy @ 9th April 2016, 10:26 AM BSTI thought that was glorious. Yes, we've seen it before (that episode was essentially 100% PEar + breakdowsn passim + end of Series 3), but that's not important to me: all of John lee Hooker's records and asll of Haydn's symphonies are essentially the same, it doesn't make them less than wonderful.
Course, Stew would probably like it if I described it as "always different, always the same".
The only problem with the music analogy is that comedy traditionally relies very much on surprise to work, whereas music relies on familiarity.
I had a true Stewart Lee moment in my act tonight. When I got the Grandad puppet out they cheered. I pointed out that they hadn't cheered ME when I came on, and do they know how it feels to be pushed into second place by a minor character. I had a moment of angst-ridden self doubt and confusion, which they totally bought into, knowing, but suspending disbelief that I was behind it all anyway.
Not something Lee would use (puppets), but exactly the flavour of wrong-footing the audience.
Very satisfying.
Stewart Lee wouldn't use puppets? You've clearly not heard the wanking Richard Herring off with a century old puppet story then.