I would pick out:
Grant and Naylor (Spitting Image, Red Dwarf)
Clement and Le Frenais (Porridge, Likely Lads)
David Nobbs (Fall And Rise of Reginald Perrin)
Greatest comedy writer Page 2
Why when people mention I'm Alan Partridge or The Day Today do they only give writing credits to Steve Coogan (for IAP) and Chris Morris (for TDT), when Armando Iannucci, Patrick Marber, Rebecca Front and especially Peter Baynham (who always gets overlooked) wrote a lot of the material too. And also Lee & Herring who wrote a lot of the show when it was On The Hour on the radio, they shaped the premise for the show basically but then wasn't used in The Day Today due to problems about writing credit and also falling out with Marber.
Anyway with that said...favourite comedy writers:
Lee & Herring
Two Ronnies
Python Boys
Armando Iannucci (pre Time Trumpet)
Peter Baynham
Chris Morris
Steve Coogan (pre Saxondale)
Larry David
Jerry Seinfeld
Did the Two Ronnies write their own material then? I've been wondering about that lately. A lot of acts from back then didn't seem to.
peter baynham seem s to be linked with writing alot of popular comedies...the day today, partridge, big train, brasseye.
and of the late 90's Caroline aherne and craig cash for the royle family.
Off the top of my head :
Graham Linehan
Chris Morris
Steve Coogan
Peter Cook
Noel Fielding and Julian Barret
Galton And Simpson
Vic and Bob
Armando Ianucci
Grant naylor
Larry David and Seinfled
Simon Pegg
Gervais and Merchant
Armando Ianucci. Great writer and producer.
Having met the man I quite agree - and a bloody nice bloke too.
For me it has to be Richard Curtis. I liked Not The Nine O'Clock News when it first went out, loved all of Blackadder. Adored The Tall Guy. Four Weddings, in my view, is a classic, still makes me laugh. So, imagine how pissed off I was to discover the same bloke wrote at least a part of all of these. Then when he went on to do Notting Hill, contribute to Bridget Jones and produce Love Actually, I really began to hate him. Obviously there's no forgiving him for Bean and the Vicar of Dibley - probably unfair but hey. All this and trying to feed the poor souls our Government promised to help but acidentally spent all the money on an illegal war......
Ooops, luckily am too tipsy to stay on the soap box for long.
Richard Curtis. There, I've said it.
Quote: zooo @ December 17, 2006, 2:35 PMDid the Two Ronnies write their own material then? I've been wondering about that lately. A lot of acts from back then didn't seem to.
Not sure if they did. The 'Fork Handles' sketch was sent in by a member of the public but I don't know if that was the norm or the exception?
Ronnie Barker wrote sketches under a pseudonym, Gerald Wiley. I think fork handles might have been one of his, but not sure - though it fits his love of wordplay.
Ronnie Corbett didn't, but he undoubtedly brought a lot of his experience to the party.
Among those who wrote for the 2Rs were John Sullivan (Sid and George in the pub) and David Renwick (Mastermind - and my favourite Ronnies sketch).
I know humour is subjective so it's only my opinion when I think something is or isn't funny...but when you see lists of great comedy writers from The Two Ronnies to Peter Cook to Chris Morris to Armando Iannucci and then suddenly you see Julian Barret and Noel Fielding..who have never wrote a 'joke' in their lives or anything that makes any sort sense and rely on pure whimsy it kind of makes me a little bit sad..haha
I forgot about Larry David if we are including writers from across the pond.
For me, it would have to be Victoria Wood.
I'd also have a vote for John Cleese & Connie Booth and Richard Curtis.
Quote: Martin Holmes @ December 17, 2006, 10:51 PMI know humour is subjective so it's only my opinion when I think something is or isn't funny...but when you see lists of great comedy writers from The Two Ronnies to Peter Cook to Chris Morris to Armando Iannucci and then suddenly you see Julian Barret and Noel Fielding..who have never wrote a 'joke' in their lives or anything that makes any sort sense and rely on pure whimsy it kind of makes me a little bit sad..haha
The Mighty Boosh is one of the most imaginative and funny shows of the last few years, and those two wrote it. With words. thats why theyre in my list. Because they write truly great and distinctive comedy. Not all comedy is gags, though iif you look at this show you will find straight silly jokes amongst the oddness.
Is it imaginative though? Just because its wierd and has an Ape in it, does that really make it imaginative or does it mean it just relys on whimsy because they cant write any real plotlines and clever jokes. Is it also imaginative to try and do 'Vic & Bob' but without the comedic talent.
The League Of Gentlemen was imaginative, it could also be dark and wierd yet it had great plots and very funny gags...and didn't just use the word 'monkey' in a strange context to get a laugh.