BS: Educating an Italian in Brit Comedy!

Subject: RE: BS: Educating an Italian in Brit Comedy!
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 20 May 08 - 12:10 PM

Rowan - and I've just remembered it was Smack the Pony...

Kitty

PS I think the League of Gentlemen deserves a mention

Subject: RE: BS: Educating an Italian in Brit Comedy!
From: Grab
Date: 20 May 08 - 01:44 PM

By all means, LH - and I do when they're on, or at least change channels. :-)

Like Gurney, I can't hack "Some mothers do 'ave 'em" either.

Mr Bean works for me in small doses. The whole point of it is that it's a modern-day silent-film setup, or maybe more accurately a live-action cartoon. So there really is no attempt at portraying Mr Bean as a person because there doesn't need to be - he's no more supposed to be a real person than Mickey Mouse or Roadrunner.

And most of Red Dwarf works for me too. The point of Chris Barrie (Rimmer) in Red Dwarf is that he's a prat, sure, but he's not in any position of seniority which justifies his pretensions, nor will he ever be; unlike Brittas or Fawlty where we're expected to believe in the character having reached that position. He's not particularly a bully, he's just an idiot. If anything bores me on Red Dwarf, it's the endless Lister-is-a-slob jokes - thanks, we got the message by the second series.

Graham.

Subject: RE: BS: Educating an Italian in Brit Comedy!
From: GUEST,Neil D
Date: 20 May 08 - 03:56 PM

One of many things my brother and I disagreed on was Mr. Bean. He thought he was hysterical AND cerebral. I thought he was a Jacques Tati wannabe with a silly face. As a matter of fact the face he was born with was the only thing funny about Rowan Atkinson(Mr. Bean). His schtick was painful to watch IMO.
   Many Americans who have come to love Hugh Laurie as the incorrigible Dr. House may not be aware that he is British, let alone half of a long running comedy team ,Frye and Laurie, with partner Stephen Frye. Their "Jeeves and Wooster" series is worth watching both because they feature a well-tuned British comedy team in its prime and because they are based on the work of the classic British humorist, P.G. Wodehouse.

Subject: RE: BS: Educating an Italian in Brit Comedy!
From: Little Hawk
Date: 20 May 08 - 03:56 PM

I like a man who knows when to turn the damned telly off, Grab. ;-)

Subject: RE: BS: Educating an Italian in Brit Comedy!
From: irishenglish
Date: 20 May 08 - 03:59 PM

Neil D, excellent call on Jeeves and Wooster, however minor point, it is Stephen Fry, not Frye. The two of them had a at times, hillarious show called A Bit Of Fry and Laurie. Go to youtube and watch a clip called Kickin' Ass, it is real funny!

Subject: RE: BS: Educating an Italian in Brit Comedy!
From: GUEST,Chief Chaos
Date: 20 May 08 - 04:49 PM

I never could really enjoy Fawlty Towers. Although I love John Cleese, his Mr. Fawlty character always seemed to inflict needless problems intentionally upon himself. couple that with a "know-it-all" never wrong wife and abuse of Manuel (who never learned English/and Fawlty who never learned Spanish (or Portugese, I never could figure it out) and I'm turning the channel.

Subject: RE: BS: Educating an Italian in Brit Comedy!
From: irishenglish
Date: 20 May 08 - 05:02 PM

Manuel was supposed to be from Barcelona. To each their own, Fawlty for me is so funny its hard to watch, because I know what's coming! Half of comedy, any comedy, British or otherwise is about needless problems inflicted upon oneself. It's like every horror movie-Don't go in there, you say to yourself, you're gonna die. But they always do. For all Basil's faults, you say to yourself, geez, couldn't his wife give him a break, couldn't she answer the phone, or get off the phone for that matter! The pain of Basil is what made it so funny, again, I say in my opinion.

Subject: RE: BS: Educating an Italian in Brit Comedy!
From: Gurney
Date: 20 May 08 - 06:17 PM

Isn't it nice that we can disagree so vehemently about humour, and all be right.

The funniest part of Fawlty for me was when Manuel himself started to excuse his mishaps by explaining that he 'was from Barcelona!'
Funniest, saddest, most telling.

Subject: RE: BS: Educating an Italian in Brit Comedy!
From: Rowan
Date: 20 May 08 - 06:30 PM

Smack the pony was where I first encountered Gina Belman (think that's her name) as both performer and writer. She had similar responsibilities in Couples, which I thought did an excellent job of placing the stiletto, with humour, "just so!"

And I agree with Kitty about the League of Gentlemen. In fact, certain parts of NSW bureaucracy are referred to by the Ombudsman's office as "Royston Vasey".

And I haven't yet noticed any mention of Little Britain; perhaps I lost it among the acronyms that have been used and that I'd not seen before.

Cheers, Rowan

Subject: RE: BS: Educating an Italian in Brit Comedy!
From: GUEST,Chief Chaos
Date: 20 May 08 - 06:37 PM

I guess I find it a little funnier if I don't see it coming from 10 light years away.

I find Keeping Up Appearances tough to watch as well. I keep thinking they need a Chief Inspector Dreyfus type character who tries to kill her at every opportunity and fails. I know I want to strangle her half the time.

Subject: RE: BS: Educating an Italian in Brit Comedy!
From: Little Hawk
Date: 20 May 08 - 06:46 PM

She reminds me of my Grandmother! Yes, to have an Inspector Dreyfuss type of character trying endlessly to kill her, but failing, would be rather funny, particularly if she were completely oblivious to his deadly intentions. Her husband has reason for such behaviour, but he's too gentle and longsuffering a man to try to kill anyone.

Subject: RE: BS: Educating an Italian in Brit Comedy!
From: GUEST,Chief Chaos
Date: 20 May 08 - 06:59 PM

Maybe if he went 'round the bend and didn't even know he was doing it?

Subject: RE: BS: Educating an Italian in Brit Comedy!
From: Nickhere
Date: 20 May 08 - 07:07 PM

Thems all movies...!

Laura, get him to read a couple of Viz annuals. Viz comic is social satire at its biting best and funniest. It's bang up-to-date as well with all the national obsessions and media frenzies and is not afraid to pull any punches. I feel it's the UK equivalent of the Simpsons, though much ruder (since the Simpsons is aimed at kids as well, whereas Viz is on sale only to adults).

Subject: RE: BS: Educating an Italian in Brit Comedy!
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 21 May 08 - 03:28 AM

Ooooh - Well, if we are into reading a bit of Terry Pratchett would no go amiss:-)

Cheers

Dave

Subject: RE: BS: Educating an Italian in Brit Comedy!
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 21 May 08 - 05:03 PM

Terry Pratchett transcends boundaries, though, doesn't he? But if you want an example of British humour, the town twinning of Wincanton with Ankh-Morpork has a lot going for it!

Kitty

Subject: RE: BS: Educating an Italian in Brit Comedy!
From: Little Hawk
Date: 21 May 08 - 08:40 PM

I tried reading Terry Pratchett. Got bored.