Quote: Matthew Stott @ July 17 2008, 3:47 PM BSTI don't think Ive ever seen or heard of Nightingales; good/funny?
Both good and funny, and the DVD is well worth getting, although it's not quite the classic Michael Jacob makes out in his blog.
Surreal comedies? Page 2
Quote: Matthew Stott @ July 17 2008, 1:44 PM BSTSpike Milligan was before Python; and I'm pretty sure his Q sketch show first aired before the first Python series too. I'm sure I read one of them saying that when they were developing Python, Q came on tv and they realised Milligan had beaten them to the punch.
Am I alone in thinking that Spike Milligan wasn't really all that funny? I've heard comedy people audibly gasp when I've said that but the guy has never made laugh.
He's one of those people you're SUPPOSED to like if you know anything at all about comedy, a bit like Peter Cook. But I always laughed at Dudley Moore more.
Maybe I just have no taste.
I have a cd of Chris Morris interviewing Peter Cook just before he died and it's hysterically funny. It's called "Why Bother".
But like I say, I never rated Peter Cook as much as I perhaps ought to have done.
Quote: Perry Nium @ July 17 2008, 4:31 PM BSTI have a cd of Chris Morris interviewing Peter Cook just before he died and it's hysterically funny. It's called "Why Bother".
But like I say, I never rated Peter Cook as much as I perhaps ought to have done.
Well, I love Cook, but theres no 'ought to' in comedy really, I dont think. Its very subjective so you cant really make yourself laugh. I will contradict what Ive just said though and tell you how wrong you are-Cooks genius! 
Quote: Perry Nium @ July 17 2008, 4:26 PM BSTAm I alone in thinking that Spike Milligan wasn't really all that funny? I've heard comedy people audibly gasp when I've said that but the guy has never made laugh.
He's one of those people you're SUPPOSED to like if you know anything at all about comedy, a bit like Peter Cook. But I always laughed at Dudley Moore more.
Maybe I just have no taste.
He wasvery mixed, more so than Python, his books and interviews are hsyterical.
But much of Q felt a bit lazy, and self indulgent.
But like most geniuses he was erratic Peter Cook made whole sitcoms, and films that stunk. He then did much of his best work winding up some poor sod on tlak radio, and swearing with his short arsed mate whilst drunk in a recording studio.
If you judge Milligan at his weakest he's pretty lame, at his best he is sublime.
Quote: Perry Nium @ July 17 2008, 4:31 PM BSTI have a cd of Chris Morris interviewing Peter Cook just before he died and it's hysterically funny. It's called "Why Bother".
Did he die just afterwards then?
Quote: john lucas 101 @ July 17 2008, 1:49 PM BSTOne of my favourites was the sketch show Absolutely, on Channel 4 in late '80's and early '90's. Surreal, very silly and it holds up better than the majority of the tv Python.
Absolutely has apparently all come out in a box set. I'm still saving up!
Quote: sootyj @ July 17 2008, 2:29 PM BSTYes but Q was old fashioned racist, and Benny Hill pervy.
Do you mean by old fashioned racist that it's only sunsequently been accused of being racist?
And was Benny Hill pervy? Only if you're a right-on Elton follower.
Both were very funny for their time - Miligan especially because he'd more often than not crack up laughing in the middle of a sketch.
Quote: Perry Nium @ July 17 2008, 4:26 PM BSTAm I alone in thinking that Spike Milligan wasn't really all that funny? I've heard comedy people audibly gasp when I've said that but the guy has never made laugh.
He's one of those people you're SUPPOSED to like if you know anything at all about comedy, a bit like Peter Cook. But I always laughed at Dudley Moore more.
Maybe I just have no taste.
I've never liked Spike Milligan either.
But it might stem from seeing him do racist stuff in old clips on the telly when I was really young, not necessarily getting the 'joke' (if there was one) and from then on, subconsciously thinking he was a c**t.
I do like Peter Cook though.
Quote: zooo @ July 17 2008, 8:46 PM BSTBut it might stem from seeing him do racist stuff in old clips on the telly when I was really young, not necessarily getting the 'joke' (if there was one) and from then on, subconsciously thinking he was a c**t.
But was it racist though? I really don't think so.
I was 5.
He was blacking up and doing a silly accent.
I wasn't exactly understanding subtleties.
Quote: chipolata @ July 17 2008, 2:49 PM BSTTrue, his shows aren't repeated on British TV nowadays
Quote: zooo @ July 17 2008, 10:07 PM BSTI was 5.
He was blacking up and doing a silly accent.
I wasn't exactly understanding subtleties.
I wasn't even aware of racism until, err, I was about 10. Poor zooo, her innocence stolen. 
Yeah! Bloody Spike Milligan.
If it hadn't been him it would have been an issue led episode of Grange Hill. Probably would have been a lot cleverer and funnier though...
Quote: zooo @ July 17 2008, 11:05 PM BSTYeah! Bloody Spike Milligan.
If it hadn't been him it would have been an issue led episode of Grange Hill. Probably would have been a lot cleverer and funnier though...
Haha! See, I always watched those programmes, but never picked up any messages or anything from it. I had no concept of race until year 5 I believe it was, when a boy in my class accused me of calling him a Paki. I'd never heard the word before.
Re Cook and Milligan, I agree. I've never understood why they're held so highly.
Re Q, that was beaten by The Complete And Utter History Of Britain, At Last The 1948 Show, and Do Not Adjust Your Set - all from the Python crew, and all pretty surreal at times.
Do Not Adjust Your Set was great and on at a time for kids before the birth of Monty Python.
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And was Benny Hill pervy? Only if you're a right-on Elton follower.
Both were very funny for their time - Miligan especially because he'd more often than not crack up laughing in the middle of a sketch.
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Old men ripping womens clothes off and chasing them? Hilarious.
It annoys that people ignore the early funny stuff, and go on about the later much lamer stuff, when he seemed to ahve lost interest himself.
And Spike put on foreign accents, blacked up, made jokes about foreigners runing the country, and generally was a bit of a racist, unfunny shit.
Curry and Chips is generally considered one of the least funny, and msot racist sitcoms ever.
Spike was a talented comic, with no restriant who pissed most of his talent up the wall. It's why every one talks about him, but never repeats his shows.
His WW2 autobiographies were great though.
Quote: sootyj @ July 18 2008, 12:30 AM BSTHis WW2 autobiographies were great though.
And they weren't racist?