DVD Review: The Original Comedians Live: 40th Anniversary Show
There'll be no prizes for guessing that this particular DVD release is unlikely to sit alongside Stewart Lee's new stand-up show, Carpet Remnant World, on any Christmas list. However, that's not to say that it is entirely a relic from the annals of comedy history - far from it.
This DVD proudly proclaims to be "40 years in the making", stemming as it does from the hit ITV stand-up comedy series The Comedians, which began in 1971 and didn't air its final episode until 1993. Almost an overnight hit with the viewing public, it made stars of the likes of Charlie Williams, Bernard Manning and Frank Carson, and survived long into the era of "alternative" comedy.
Recorded in 2011 during a hugely popular run at the Blackpool Grand Theatre (so successful, in fact, that it returned as a weekly event during the 2012 summer season), the show stars Roy Walker, Duggie Brown, Mick Miller and Stan Boardman, each performing a short but gag-heavy 15-20 minute set in front of the packed Grand house. Some parts of the show seem to work better than others - Walker for example, whilst a joy to watch, could do with a slightly quicker pace - but it's Stan Boardman who really excels and gets the audience roaring with laughter.
Let's address the politically correct elephant in the room: this DVD won't offend. No matter the reputation of this particular generation of comics, the routines presented on The Comedians were always cleansed for television, and whilst a couple of swear words have crept into this live performance, there's neither a "Paki" nor a "Nig-nog" to be heard. It also compares pretty favourably to any number of contemporary comics' routines for anything that could be branded sexist. There are a few jokes that utilise gender, but no gross stereotyping or extended mother-in-law routines.
What there are, however, are plenty of laughs in a not entirely family-friendly - but certainly not 'blue' - traditional northern working men's club style, with gags being reeled off in quick succession by a quad of seasoned pros who quite effortlessly prove that, more than 40 years after finding fame, they still have what it takes to make a packed house roar.
Arguably more interesting than the show itself is a half-hour documentary included on the DVD as an extra. Speaking to all four performers; Frank Carson; plus the creator and producer of The Comedians, Johnnie Hamp; and including previously unseen interview footage with late northern comedy legend Bernard Manning, the programme primarily covers the genesis and success of the original TV series. However, the comedians also discuss fame and their affection for contemporary comics, the comedy business, and address that ever-present issue of the racist and sexist nature of comedy material during the height of their fame, particularly in relation to Manning. Indeed, Manning himself recounts movingly his dedication to the audience, such that he performed full sets just minutes after being told that his wife had died, and again on the death of his father.
Running for a full half hour, the documentary is a genuinely fascinating insight into a side of comedy that is now all too often simply written off without any understanding of its context or subtleties.
An audio sample:
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