A comedy snob's guide...

I have a rather arch sense of humour and often find that sitcoms/comedy shows that have others leave me cold, while I laugh at things that have some people mystified. I usually like things that are quite clever, ironic, a little dark and bitter, sophisticated and have either subtlety or surrealism and self-conscious ridiculousness.
I do, fortunately, have friends who share this taste, but have been called 'high-brow' and snobbish by others for my indiffererence to some more popular material. In the interest of meeting folks of a similar taste, what are some comedies that others think are particularly sophisticated, ironic, clever, unusual, 'high-brow' or cater for a boutique taste?

Anything by Chris Morris.

Stewart Lee, of course.

In particular - I'm thinking about British Sitcoms, but also Australian and US Sitcoms.

The Book Group, there's at least one episode that's meaningless if you don't know about Cervanteze.

Also Peep Show the jokes on Jezzer's ignorance v Mark's geekiness only work if you get the references.

Black Books to a certain extent.

And some episodes of Frasier have some pretty sophisticated psycho-analytic humour (albeit the characterisation and plotting is so good it's funny anyway).

I don't think there are any sitcoms that are that intelligent that only the intelligentsia can get the jokes. I mean we're talking TV, the medium of the masses.

Oh and of course Yes Minister.

My parents visited refuesniks in Russia who were fascinated by English democracy and used videos of YM pretty much as a teaching aid.

Oh and The Young Ones touched on some fairly heavy ideas of existentialism.

And farting.

I don't mean that the jokes have to be 'ungettable' so to speak. May the humour just is not slapstick and punchline-jokes and puns et cetera. Perhaps things that deal with big ideas or are a little too sharp or bitter for most peoples' tastes.

You have to be really smart to understand the underlying tone of The Chuckle Brothers. If you really knew what they were referencing with their catchphrase "To me, to you" it would blow your socks off.

Such intelligent writing. I really am in awe of those two mustached geniuses. Which everyone much get the importance of the 'taches, right?

Rigsby - is there anyone more snobbish?

Quote: ToddB @ February 21 2011, 1:32 PM GMT

I don't mean that the jokes have to be 'ungettable' so to speak. May the humour just is not slapstick and punchline-jokes and puns et cetera. Perhaps things that deal with big ideas or are a little too sharp or bitter for most peoples' tastes.

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Have you tried On the Buses? Maybe you could give some examples of what you do like, because at the moment I am mystified.

He likes anything that's by or has a tenuous link to Jennifer Saunders.

Quote: ToddB @ February 21 2011, 1:32 PM GMT

I don't mean that the jokes have to be 'ungettable' so to speak. May the humour just is not slapstick and punchline-jokes and puns et cetera. Perhaps things that deal with big ideas or are a little too sharp or bitter for most peoples' tastes.

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I'm not sure slapstick and gag-heavy comedy is the norm now. In fact you could argue that sitcom has moved away from that, so that those kind of shows really stand out now (Miranda etc). In fact you could argue that we've lost the knack of making broad populist sitcoms and spend far too much time making navel-gazing sitcoms that appeal to an increasingly narrow slice of viewers.

Check out "Bottom", you'll love it mate.

I love a bit of "bottom" me.