Time's up...

There are more than a few comedians, who now appear to be outstaying their welcome. Its not that they are not funny, but some have a bit of a one trick pony air to them. I find their same old shtick gets tiresome. Here are a few which I think fall into this category.
Joe Wilkinson-I'm a weirdo
Richard Ayoade-I'm a geek/deadpan
Sara Pascoe-I'm so neurotic
James Acaster-I'm so out there
Jo Brand-I'm bored and feminist
Nish Kumar-I'm not Romesh (again and again etc.)
Katherine Ryan-Hey I'm like just like so like pop like culture like.zzzzzzzzzz

Quote: paulted @ 14th October 2021, 8:14 PM

There are more than a few comedians, who now appear to be outstaying their welcome. Its not that they are not funny, but some have a bit of a one trick pony air to them. I find their same old shtick gets tiresome. Here are a few which I think fall into this category.
Joe Wilkinson-I'm a weirdo
Richard Ayoade-I'm a geek/deadpan
Sara Pascoe-I'm so neurotic
James Acaster-I'm so out there
Jo Brand-I'm bored and feminist
Nish Kumar-I'm not Romesh (again and again etc.)
Katherine Ryan-Hey I'm like just like so like pop like culture like.zzzzzzzzzz

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I feel the same way sometimes, and would add Jon Richardson to your list. I like Richardson, and most of these other comedians, but it doesn't help when these same people appear on all the same panel shows which are just slight variations of similar ideas... Cats does Countdown, Would I Lie To You, Taskmaster, Argumental, Outsiders, etc. etc... we keep getting the same people in rotation doing the same shtick.

I posted in another thread recently about the new series Question Team, where comedians are invited on to ask questions to the other guests about a topic of their choice. I wasn't particularly impressed with the programme, but thought I'd check out who'll be on the next episode - and, it's Katherine Ryan doing questions on social media...

All acts have their own schtick to some extent, and even more so parts of their act that they excel at and/or producers cast them to deliver. It's largely down to how in tune you are with that in the first place as to how quickly or not you may find their act tiresome.

What I would point out is it's perhaps a particularly unfair criticism right now as there's been little of, well, anything, in the last 20 months for comics to work with, either in inspiring new and original material, or in the performance opportunities to develop it.

In the days of music hall and variety, acts could survive on a one trick pony for pretty much their entire career, whether it be hitting one's head with a tray while singing "Mule Train" or doing an Egyptian sand dance. Audiences only ever saw it on the odd occasion that the show hit town. And then not necessarily the same audience.

With television, perform it once, the whole world sees it and it's old hat and audiences want something new.

Yes but, and I know you will agree, there are timeless comedy classics that I will never tire of watching, such as Wilson Keppel & Betty (see below) or, (and we all have our favourites of course) someone like Ken Dodd, who I went to see live some years back when he was doing his visit to every theatre in the UK, and although it was a compilation of the same act(s) I'd seen for years on'telly, I had an evening of unbridled laughter.

Thanks for that, Herc! I'd only seen the Toast of London version. Completely mad!

Quote: beaky @ 15th October 2021, 8:42 AM

Thanks for that, Herc! I'd only seen the Toast of London version. Completely mad!

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I had too. We record The Footage Detectives on Talking Pictures TV and an older episode interviewed one of the many Bettys. I love that programme - Mike Read's beautiful dyed barnet is a wonder to behold and Noel Cronin's inability to read an autocue is warmly amusing.

As for all of the comedy acts, I do rather agree with you. I used to be such a huge comedy fan and I've become bored with it all now - maybe it's me getting older, but I am sick of the woke crap. I don't bother with panel shows and haven't even watched that relatively recent Steve Coogan show yet becauase it looks too worthy.