Quote: Veronica Vestibule @ December 23 2010, 1:06 PM GMTThe world's greatest impressionists have always 'done' comedians.
And none were funnier than the great comedians they 'did', were they?
Exactly my point.
It's Paul Burling Page 3
Quote: Tim Walker @ December 23 2010, 3:23 PM GMTExactly my point.
To the extent that your point is that an impression of a top entertainer isn't as entertaining as watching that entertainer himself, I'd agree.
However, the public (at all levels of sophistication) have always loved skilful impressions of famous people even when the famous people are funnier and/or more entertaining than the impressions.
For me, impressionists are only slightly further up the food chain than "comedy jugglers".
I caught up with a further episode of The Impressions Show With Culshaw And Stephenson on my commute last night.
It made It's Paul Burling look positively f**king BAFTA-deserving by comparison.
Quote: Aaron @ December 24 2010, 11:01 AM GMTI caught up with a further episode of The Impressions Show With Culshaw And Stephenson on my commute last night.
It made It's Paul Burling look positively f**king BAFTA-deserving by comparison.
Absolutely correct.
Disagree.
Both of them are shit. Paul Burling was painful to watch.
Hmmm... It wasn't exactly "good" in the sense of how I know the word... But I agree with Aaron. If impressions do it for you, this was a damn sight better than whatever Culshaw's been doing lately.
But it certainly wasn't 'good'.
x
I do generally quite like Culshaw, but his present series really is inexcusably bad.
Generalising here, impressionists are seldom good comedians. It seems to me the reason they become mimics in the first place is to compensate for a lack of persona. But Paul Burling would not have approached a Saturday night theatre or holiday centre audience with such weak opening material. I didn't notice the name of any writer on the list to whom I would go to for great gags. Because of the nature of the show most of the stories were old news so the writers' prevailing thought must be 'could anyone else have come up with this line when the story was new?'
Incidentally, I've got a lot of time for Tim Walker's comments.
'to whom I would go to...'? My god, Dad, what've I done?
Quote: Buddy Sorrel @ December 29 2010, 5:47 AM GMTGeneralising here, impressionists are seldom good comedians.
Not sure this is true, Claude Monet was supposedly funny as feck.
Quote: Buddy Sorrel @ December 29 2010, 5:47 AM GMTIncidentally, I've got a lot of time for Tim Walker's comments.
At last some intelligence, taste and discretion around here! 
Quote: Tony Cowards @ December 29 2010, 1:12 PM GMTNot sure this is true, Claude Monet was supposedly funny as feck.
Just as well, 'cos he was a c**p painter.