Rolling UK Comedy Thread - "Ricky Don't Lose Larry David's Number

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Probably the weakest lineup of recent years. I found Sam Campbell funny at first but got sick of him fairly quickly. Susan Wokoma is likable enough. Don't mind Clary, but he's not exactly hilarious.

chap, Tuesday, 28 November 2023 09:33 (eleven months ago) link

i found lucy beaumont's act pretty funny and well suited to the show, clary had a few good moments but he was, unsurprisingly perhaps, too aloof.

organ doner (ledge), Tuesday, 28 November 2023 09:42 (eleven months ago) link

yeah it's a weak season

Daniel_Rf, Tuesday, 28 November 2023 09:56 (eleven months ago) link

one month passes...

qi xl last night. the alex edelman guy, i think i saw him doing 15 minutes at a josie long black heart gig a while ago, like 5 years easily, talking trash about Neil Armstrong. something obviously stuck with me that i remember that.

we didn't talk about Lenny on Christmas taskmaster. brave choice, really, given his age and his circumstance but i don't think there was ever going to be any other winner.

and great to see all the winners again, and kyell, in the third champion of champions.

also been watching Significant Other on itv. comedy drama = no jokes. but ok.

koogs, Saturday, 27 January 2024 14:15 (nine months ago) link

Christmas (New Year) Taskmaster was great, and Kojey Radical really should get a promotion to the main series.

ailsa, Saturday, 27 January 2024 14:24 (nine months ago) link

He was very funny. NY Taskmaster for me was very much him, Deborah, and Lenny. The other two were also there.

trishyb, Saturday, 27 January 2024 15:04 (nine months ago) link

Haha, I genuinely had to look it up to remember who the other two were, and it was only on about a fortnight ago

ailsa, Saturday, 27 January 2024 15:11 (nine months ago) link

They seemed to be more focused on not making tits of themselves than on winning, which is not how you play Taskmaster.

trishyb, Saturday, 27 January 2024 15:21 (nine months ago) link

Yeah Kojey was great, seems like a lovely bloke as well.

chap, Sunday, 28 January 2024 19:40 (nine months ago) link

Steve Pemberton and Nick Mohammed are the only two of the new contestants I particularly know, both of whom I can imagine being good (better Pemberton than Shearsmith anyway). John Robbins rings a vague bell, could just be his generic name though.

chap, Sunday, 28 January 2024 19:44 (nine months ago) link

I only know him from his radio show with Ellis James. Seems nice enough but not sure if he's funny or not. Big fan of prog and post rock, but also a Queen uber-fan to a worrying degree. Apparently infamy comes from both him and Sara Pascoe doing shows about their breakup and her getting the panel show career despite his winning the awards.

The other two are best known as writers I think?

Hello I'm shitty gatsworth (aldo), Sunday, 28 January 2024 20:32 (nine months ago) link

Sophie Willan wrote Alma's Not Normal which is the epitome of critically acclaimed though I don't know anyone who has actually watched it. Joanne McNally does a podcast with Vogue Williams. I've got reasonable faith in the Taskmaster casting team that they'll be fine.

ailsa, Sunday, 28 January 2024 20:39 (nine months ago) link

i saw and enjoyed Alma

koogs, Sunday, 28 January 2024 20:47 (nine months ago) link

is Outsiders the second thing to make the jump from Dave to proper tv? (after Taskmaster). didn't watch series 1 when it when it was on dave so good to catch up. Jessica Knappett (born "1983/84" according to wikipedia) has grown on me, quoting wilfred owen etc.

koogs, Thursday, 8 February 2024 17:26 (nine months ago) link

("Greg Davies Live – Firing Cheeseballs at a Dog" was apparently a (one-off) Dave original, as seen recently on ch4)

koogs, Thursday, 8 February 2024 17:36 (nine months ago) link

Big crush on Jessica Knappett, she was great on Taskmaster too.

Daniel_Rf, Thursday, 8 February 2024 20:08 (nine months ago) link

she was a massive factor in the very enjoyable/chucklesome CH4 Drifters before Taskmaster.

mark e, Thursday, 8 February 2024 20:57 (nine months ago) link

two weeks pass...

outsiders, and maybe taskmaster before it, makes me think i don't ever want to cross ed gamble.

Alma's Not Normal gets a repeat from monday (ahead of her taskmaster appearance)

koogs, Wednesday, 28 February 2024 09:01 (eight months ago) link

I don't entirely like Ed Gamble but this may be because he went to the private school in the area where I grew up and all those kids were dicks

impostor syndrome to the (expletive) max (stevie), Wednesday, 28 February 2024 09:09 (eight months ago) link

i enjoy ed gamble on taskmaster because he gets really intense about the tasks. his recent meltdown on a champion of champions task was pretty funny.
i don't know if i'd want to be best friends with him but listening to the off menu podcast helped humanize him for me somewhat.

na (NA), Wednesday, 28 February 2024 14:15 (eight months ago) link

two weeks pass...

If you're not allergic to podcasts Adam Buxton's chat with Jessica Knappett is very charming and quite revealing in how much she views Drifters as a kind of lost opportunity (while still being proud of it).

First ep of that Noel Fiedling show was very meh, wish there was more cool popcult about highwaymen aside from the song "Highwayman" by the band the Highwaymen.

Daniel_Rf, Monday, 18 March 2024 10:33 (seven months ago) link

tim key’s “poetry programme” is back (not actually a poetry programme)

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m001xdnb

Humanitarian Pause (Tracer Hand), Monday, 25 March 2024 12:20 (seven months ago) link

E2 of this season is genuinely brilliant imo.. the kind of thing you can only do with audio

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/b03pn5pl

Humanitarian Pause (Tracer Hand), Saturday, 30 March 2024 13:02 (seven months ago) link

Mandy is back. it is nonsense, but it's also short.

was struck by the scope of the first episode, it felt expensive, but probably wasn't

and the second episode was worth watching for the reveal at the end

koogs, Saturday, 30 March 2024 13:23 (seven months ago) link

I really like Mandy, I like that it's short enough to just be as daft as it wants

kinder, Saturday, 30 March 2024 17:23 (seven months ago) link

as an aside, Whitstable Pearl is a crime thing on Drama starring comedian Kerry Godliman and is quite poor, but i like her and she just about saves it (3 seasons according to imdb, i guess Drama is behind)

New Taskmaster is also ok. needs to bed in a bit more, i think. still surprises me we don't have a dedicated taskmaster thread.

koogs, Monday, 1 April 2024 20:12 (seven months ago) link

Surely this is the dedicated Taskmaster thread.

Still not finished the previous season, which is more due to our 9yo currently cycling through all previous seasons (and us not then wanting to watch more Taskmaster after she goes to bed) than any comment on the series. Watched the penultimate one over the weekend and it was hilarious. Also, after watching his sublime appearance on WILTY recently, am ready to shave my eyebrows and join Sam Campbell's cult. Watched his special Companion over the weekend, and he is so very funny. Not necessarily consistent enough for an hour, but had us laughing constantly.

Two eps into the new series, not screaming classic lineup so far

chap, Friday, 5 April 2024 23:13 (seven months ago) link

As individuals they all seem ok, but it's not exactly up there with the best line-ups, though looking back there have only been a couple of straight-up gold and a couple of clunkers so perhaps I rose-tint this a bit, every series has had some gold in it (I think perhaps the Lou Sanders series was the worst with little redemption even though most of the participants are absolutely fine in their own right)

I don't think I've ever seen Steve Pemberton be himself before, but he's my instant favourite, he just seems naturally amusing.

ailsa, Friday, 5 April 2024 23:35 (seven months ago) link

He does too many* dad jokes.

*There can never be too many dad jokes

Overtoun House windows (aldo), Friday, 5 April 2024 23:38 (seven months ago) link

Just having an instant dad joke for everything is good in my book.

ailsa, Friday, 5 April 2024 23:43 (seven months ago) link

Maybe he gets a better edit than some people who try and land jokes at every opportunity and end up surrounded by tumbleweed before the odd one actually raises a giggle. I like him. He doesn't seem like he's trying too hard.

Obvs John Robins was wearing a HMHB t-shirt on this week's show, so he gets a free pass.

ailsa, Friday, 5 April 2024 23:45 (seven months ago) link

I love Taskmaster, it’s my favorite TV show, but as an American I often don’t know who most of the contestants are so all of my conceptions of them come just from Taskmaster. I agree this batch seems weak, though I’ve only seen the first ep. It feels odd that in season 17 they still get contestants who don’t seem to understand the show and what makes an entertaining guest.

My favorites are the genuine weirdos. Sam Campbell and Lucy Beaumont were both incredible last series and now they have a podcast together. Susan Wokoma was delightful too.

na (NA), Friday, 5 April 2024 23:59 (seven months ago) link

I don't think I've ever seen Steve Pemberton be himself before, but he's my instant favourite, he just seems naturally amusing.

I like him a fair bit in his other endeavours, but in this he's a bit Dara O'Brien style 'I'm probably going to win' smug for me.

Nick is very likeable, but hardly hilarious.

chap, Saturday, 6 April 2024 00:21 (seven months ago) link

Lucy Beaumont absolutely does my head in. I can't fathom how someone can be that ditzy and yet get herself together enough to fashion a career out of her ditziness. Career weirdos just baffle me (see also Sam Campbell and Mike Wozniak, for example).

Absolutely *loved* Susan Wokoma, up there with Katy Wix in terms of people I only knew through acting roles before Taskmaster and now absolutely adore.

ailsa, Saturday, 6 April 2024 00:26 (seven months ago) link

And yeah, my previous encounters with Nick have been in his magician persona on Catsdown, and acting roles which don't count. Based on the former I thought I'd hate him, but he's ok. Amiable and silly are good Taskmaster traits, but the series needs someone to root for, and I can't summon much enthusiasm for any of them.

ailsa, Saturday, 6 April 2024 00:29 (seven months ago) link

i just find it odd that Steve P isn't sat in the traditional old man seat.

and the fact i can't remember the woman's name two episodes in probably doesn't bode well.

koogs, Saturday, 6 April 2024 05:37 (seven months ago) link

Lucy Beaumont absolutely does my head in. I can't fathom how someone can be that ditzy and yet get herself together enough to fashion a career out of her ditziness

it's an act, right?

ledge, Saturday, 6 April 2024 06:40 (seven months ago) link

if it is an act it's brilliant. if it isn't, you're right it's mystifying.

ledge, Saturday, 6 April 2024 06:42 (seven months ago) link

For me it's Joanne McNally this year, for absolute comedy snob reasons. She's just not for me. I don't rate her one bit.

I absolutely love John Robins (fellow Queen enthusiast that he is), and his attempts to stick a chopping board to a whiteboard really made us laugh this week. Otherwise it's all a bit meh so far. I love Nick's vampire costume, though.

Jamali was a terrible contestant, I remember, but that must have been a stressful season to be on. Total social distancing, whole country on edge, etc. But yeah, it's not a show to try to maintain your cool persona on. If being in control is your thing, you should not answer the call.

trishyb, Saturday, 6 April 2024 09:27 (seven months ago) link

i just find it odd that Steve P isn't sat in the traditional old man seat.

They sit in alphabetical order of first names, always have. They must have forgotten to get younger people with names later in the alphabet.

ailsa, Saturday, 6 April 2024 09:32 (seven months ago) link

Joanne would probably be a laugh to hang out with, but hardly a comic genius.

chap, Saturday, 6 April 2024 09:43 (seven months ago) link

> They sit in alphabetical order of first names, always have.

mind blown.

i kinda wish they'd have some of the Dave-era people back onto the bigger budget show

koogs, Saturday, 6 April 2024 10:15 (seven months ago) link

5, 7 and 9 are the best series imo. Don't think 8 was that bad either.

Daniel_Rf, Saturday, 6 April 2024 11:32 (seven months ago) link

I’ve seen Sam Campbell live and his energy is off the charts nuts

Humanitarian Pause (Tracer Hand), Saturday, 13 April 2024 01:50 (six months ago) link

This is amazing
https://bsky.app/profile/blueno.se/post/3kqgtq5hlir2f

Big Bong Theory (stevie), Friday, 19 April 2024 09:08 (six months ago) link

I watched this last night and noticed we were getting a lot of low angled shots showing the puddles but didn't twig that they'd edited out Nick Mohammed's reflection. I wonder if there's much more of that kind of thing they've included that hasn't been picked up on yet? (I know about them having the contestants sit in alphabetical order each series)

soref, Friday, 19 April 2024 09:35 (six months ago) link

Ooh, I didn't notice about the puddle reflections, that's a nice trick. I'm sure there are loads of wee Easter eggs in the linking shots. It took me about three series to work out that Alex was holding up the number of fingers of the episode part in the inserts cutting to and from ads.

ailsa, Friday, 19 April 2024 10:44 (six months ago) link

It was also kind of mindblowing for reasons I couldn't quite fathom that the age-split of teams has Nick on the old person team. So I looked them all up and it's because there's ten years between the four younger ones then another ten years up to Steve.

Sophie youngest by four years, Jon and Joanne about the same age, then Nick about five years older than them but still ten years younger than Steve.

ailsa, Friday, 19 April 2024 10:49 (six months ago) link

do they always split the teams by age? I always assumed it was mostly about scheduling and who was available to film stuff at the same time.

soref, Friday, 19 April 2024 10:54 (six months ago) link


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