Stewart Lee, speak in low tones to me

[RosieH]

I was moved to write this post having just watched his comedy vehicle, and then coincidentally seeing the very excellent clip SMG posted on the thread of all mentalness.

I find this man utterly hilarious - however I find a couple of things are disturbing me:

1) How does he look so ridiculously young? That baby face leads me to suspect tonight's Dorian Gray sketch was possibly autobiographical even despite his greying temples and few extra pounds.

2) Does anyone recall the episode of Black Books where Fran rather enjoys listening to the shipping forecast? I feel a little funny like that when he talks so sweet and low. I think for the sake of decency I should perhaps not watch anymore - I even pressed the red button afterwards.

Anyway, I implore all of you please to watch this programme, because the viewing figures were not as high as they should have been and I want more of him on our televisions, not less.

[SeanMacGabhann]

Bless you Rosie for spreading the word on this man. I have posted about him too many times before to start another thread - even if it is about his new TV series

But his 3 DVDs are gold...

I watched last week's episode and have taped tonight's so no spoilers please - everyone else.. to your iPlayers

[bon3yard]

Someone recommended the series after episode 1(which I watched last night on Iplayer before watching the 2nd on BBC2 last night). Superb satire and after witnessing the near death of comedy whilst enduring the execrable Horne & Corden for a full 45 seconds the other night a welcome tonic. No knob or homophobic gags just well observed stream of consciousness comedy magic. We also have Charlie Brookers Newswipe and the complete Wire(all 5 back to back from next monday)to look forward t. Cant wait, may even go a little way to restoring my faith in TV.

[annaj]

Oh, I knew there was something I was supposed to watch last night and I completely forgot.

On a tangental, but loosely related, subject Rosie and Sean, I spent most of yesterday evening trying to find tickets for this show on Wednesday only to see this morning that they've announced it all sold out. Booo!

[SeanMacGabhann]

oh that's a shame - Incey's nights are great. But it wasn't him you were going for was it?

[*Bob*]

Yeah.. great show. It's about time he got his own prog (since the Lee & Herring thing, which i wasn't mad about)

Be careful what you wish for with those healthy viewing figures though. Success on TV (leading inevitably to a sustained bout of PanelShowitis) can often spoil the fun.

[SeanMacGabhann]

I wouldn't worry about that - the first show pulled in 1 million viewers - half a million down on BBC2 for that timeslot on a Monday night

[SeanMacGabhann]

Fraaan? is that you Fran?

[*Bob*]

SeanMacGabhann Wrote:

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> I wouldn't worry about that - the first show

> pulled in 1 million viewers - half a million down

> on BBC2 for that timeslot on a Monday night

Nothing that a brightly-coloured suit, a fizzy drink commercial and an appearance on Never Mind Philll Jupitus can't fix.

[RosieH]

SeanMacGabhann Wrote:

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> >

> Fraaan? is that you Fran?

Ooh, I've come over all unnecessary

[RosieH]

SeanMacGabhann Wrote:

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> oh that's a shame - Incey's nights are great. But

> it wasn't him you were going for was it?

Anna you were going for the Goldacre!!! There's another fabulous one, although his recent posting of penile graffiti outside the Sun and Doves doesn't reach the giddy satirical heights of Mr Lee, it does encourage me to think that he frequents a local hostelry.

Lovely Ben

[Jamma]

Stewart Lee's programme is the best thing on telly by a mile. But it does feel a bit like Lee and Herring without the Herring at times. Especially since the actors in the skits are the ones that played Rod Hull, The Curious Orange etc.

I'm always put off Robin Ince's nights because of Robin Ince. Is it just me or is he incredibly lame? He seems to have cleverly worked out that the way to sustain his career is to hang around with people far smarter and funnier than himself - Lee, Long, Addison, Goldacre etc

[giggirl]

I've heard he's good but I have no telly. I'm going to see him on June 17th. I'm going with a friend who swears he's the best thing since sliced bread. Here...

http://www.ticketweb.co.uk/user?query=search&region=xxx&category=misc&search=stewart+lee

[beef]

Stood behind him in the queue at Forbidden Planet last year, he was reading a poor collection of Hellblazer rather than anything substantial, and anyone who buys their books at FP is a nob-ed.

I was hoping for a quality comedy programme, but this is five minutes of stand up padded out with drivel (ie the rapper thing, y'know, the thing about rappers, you know don't you, rappers, yeah, rappers, on the bannister, rappers, they slide along 'em, rappers, they do, they're called rappers etc.) Last night I didn't laugh once despite being ripped to the t's and wanting to find it funny. His act really misses Herrring's over eager schoolboy to his aloof indie schtick, and maybe an editor to tell him 'This isn't funny, go and rewrite it till it is'. I'd love to join the Stewart Lee bandwagon that all the reviewers seem to be on, but I'm going to sit on the sidelines and throw the rotten tomatoes till he starts being funny.

[*Bob*]

I normally turn off after a minute or two if I haven't laughed.

Forcing yourself to watch and entire comedy half hour without laughing is a bit.. perverse.

[HonaloochieB]

I'm inclining towards Beef's point of view on this, not about the comics obviously as I haven't a clue.

I think there is something there but he does need to be reined in and told to write a bit more funny stuff rather than the repitition which started to rankle after a while.

I admire anyone who has obviousy spent as much time with Bill Hicks material as Lee has but he doesn't have the (seeming) natural physicallity and economy that BH had.

I liked it well enough to try it again but probably won't be buying the DVD.

[bawdy-nan]

For me the rappers sequence was sublime. just switch over if you don't like it. the man is a god I'd marry in an instant.

[bon3yard]

Whats Bill Hicks got to do with owt??? You been on the cooking sherry again HB?

[*Bob*]

bon3yard Wrote:

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> Whats Bill Hicks got to do with owt???

Yeah.. you can't compare an underrated comedian with an overrated one. That's just not fair.

[buggie]

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> Oh, I knew there was something I was supposed to

> watch last night and I completely forgot.

>

> On a tangental, but loosely related, subject Rosie

> and Sean, I spent most of yesterday evening trying

> to find tickets for this show on Wednesday only to

> see this morning that they've announced it all

> sold out. Booo!

....come to latitude.... didn't see him but think he was there doing RI's book club last yr!!

[beef]

Charlie Brooker's Newswipe tonight, BBC4, 10.30, for an interesting, funny and thought provoking half hour.

Bawdy nan. I too have loved Stewart, but this series seems more like I've met up with him through Friends reunited after years apart, had one bad shag, gone back for another just to find that he was a bad shag first time. Still, he's a thousand million miles better than Horne and Corden.

[bon3yard]

Thanks for that *bob*...not sure which is which though. Maybe you as the forums great sage could enlighten me?

[SeanMacGabhann]

Ah the old ubderrated/overrated debate again.

I think *Bob* was filing Hicks as O and Lee as U - which is basically true. I love Hicks as much as the next man but it is painful to see how he has become the next Hendrix/Morrison/Cobain in the sense that an early death allows people to near-deify him without critque. So in that sense he is Overrated

Wheras Lee has to scrabble around, posting begging letters on his site to stay about water

[*Bob*]

Yeah, I don't mean like, Hicks is stoney-faced unfunny and, like, Lee is the funniest man alive, obviously. I like them both. I like all sorts - usually what I'm in the mood for; nothing with religious fervour, that's for sure.

But BH is like an old episode of Monty Python: great to quote and wank-on about knowledgeably after a few beers but.. sit down, watch it again and fall about laughing..? No.

There's also something slightly perturbing about a dead comedian who's attracted legions of uber-fans, 95% of whom are all MEN.. it's like some sort-of weird comedy-macho thing happening. Not that any of this is Bill's fault, of course.

[bon3yard]

Am with you on the Bill Hicks front, premature death always lends a glossy film to the dear departeds canon of work. He did leave behind a fairly flimsy body of work in terms of volume(selfish workshy bastard). Still scans well...though it palls with repeat viewing.

I've been listening to a lot of the comedy repeats on BBC7 recently and Hancocks Half Hour in particular still holds up as a genuinely funny sitcom. The Goon Show however I just dont get. Shrill & desperately unfunny.

So there.