This 'one-liner' comedy is pretty damn good (in small doses).
Vine & Jones are my favourites exponents of the style, with Jones just shading it as I'm currently enjoying his R4 Extra show.
Who do you prefer?
Tim Vine or Milton Jones?
I know of Tim Vine but have not seen him or heard his jokes. I saw Milton Jones on TV the other night and while the jokes were funny, I wondered why there was not more 'padding' to his routine, or is that what his thing is? Just one liner after one liner? It didn't really seem enough...but he seems popular, so what do I know? 
This is a hard one. I've seen them both perform live. Vine is much more rapid fire, but Jones is more surreal and his jokes have a bit more depth. If you hard to push me I'd probably go with Vine.
MJ for me
But didn't he pretty much copy his act off Steven Wright?
Quote: lofthouse @ May 8 2011, 5:30 PM BSTMJ for me
But didn't he pretty much copy his act off Steven Wright?
No, Steven Wright is much drier, as can be seen by this example:
Milton did a gag on Dave's One Night Stand last week 'I tell you what is a dangerous sea to swim in.......hepatitis C'.
Good gag, but then I heard him last night do the same line on a R4 Extra repeat from 1998.
I like Milton, he's a bit more odd and a bit more technical, Vine however is a good laugh with his machine gun joke style, only trouble is one arrives before you laugh at the last. I've listened to all the Miltons "House Of Milton Jones" radio progs and the jokes show up in his stand up all the time, but that's the nature of comedy.
Yeah, fair point.
I mean, how many more times is Russell Brand gonna roll out the 'Heroin is so more-ish' or 'Henry the Hoover' gags?
I've heard the "Granddad was an armed robber, he died recently...." gag a few times and it always makes me laugh. It's sort of like hearing a loved music track, it evokes a smile as it starts and you sort of relax into it.
Why does one particularly need to choose between the two? I don't ever remember Meryl Streep standing on a freezing railway platform being asked which of her two gag specialist funnymen she wishes to keep.
Stewart Francis does some fine one liners.
Quote: Matthew Stott @ May 8 2011, 8:44 PM BSTStewart Francis does some fine one liners.
"Ooh! I could crush a grape!"... yep, that was a good one. 
Oh, you mean the Canadian one...? Dunno, never seen him.
"Ooh! I could crush a grape!"
Quote: Tim Walker @ May 8 2011, 8:42 PM BSTWhy does one particularly need to choose between the two? I don't ever remember Meryl Streep standing on a freezing railway platform being asked which of her two gag specialist funnymen she wishes to keep.
It is just fun to think about. Who is the most skilled? Who is the better deliverer of the punchline? Etc.
Quote: TopBanana @ May 8 2011, 9:05 PM BSTIt is just fun to think about.
"Fun" seems to be something of a preoccupation with you, TopBanana. Just remember that many of us visit the BCG specifically to avoid "fun" of any kind. 
Quote: TopBanana @ May 8 2011, 9:05 PM BSTWho is the most skilled? Who is the better deliverer of the punch
Oasis on both counts 