MetaFilter posts tagged with UK and humor

Eulogy for a pretty swell guy

Rhaomi — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 16:41:39 -0800

Young Edd Gould always enjoyed drawing comics of himself and his friends. Growing up in the internet age, his doodles evolved into Flash animations of increasing complexity, and in time Edd and pals Tom Ridgewell and Matt Hargreaves teamed up to produce an "Eddsworld" series of online webtoons and comics. At first crude and halting, the group's "eddisodes" progressed from surreal shorts and one-shots into full-fledged productions that pushed the boundaries of amateur web animation, with expressive characters, full soundtracks, complex effects, and a fast-paced, off-kilter sense of humor: MovieMakers - Spares - WTFuture - Rock Bottom - Hammer & Fail (2). At its height, the college co-op was producing shorts for Mitchell & Webb and the UN Climate Change Conference, fielding offers from Paramount and Cartoon Network, and racking up millions of hits on YouTube. Work slowed, however, when Gould was diagnosed with leukemia -- a relatively survivable form, though, and Gould carried on working gamely through his hospital stays. So it came as a shock last week when Matt and Tom announced that Edd had passed away, prompting an outpouring of grief and gratitude from all the fans he'd entertained and inspired in his short 23 years.

Everything's made up, and the points don't matter

Rhaomi — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 17:00:00 -0800

Years after its final broadcast, the award-winning, pond-hopping, cult comedy hit Whose Line is it Anyway? is returning to television! Sort of! Tonight in just a few minutes, Drew Carey's Improv-A-Ganza (promo, sample segment) makes its debut on GSN, reuniting Carey with popular "Whosers" Ryan Stiles, Colin Mochrie, Greg Proops, Brad Sherwood, Wayne Brady, and many more. Though the show will air every weekday, you don't have to wait around for new episodes to get your improv fix -- in spite of the lack of DVD box sets, there's a veritable treasure trove of past content available free from multiple online sources, including the complete run of the American Whose Line on both YouTube and fansite WatchWLIIA along with every episode of the original UK run from Channel4's official YouTube channel and their streaming video site 4oD. Too much content? Look inside for selections of the show's most hilarious moments as sampled from the show's burgeoning TVTropes entry. See also: Fan guide - American episode guide (UK version) - List of game types Notable Guest Stars Richard Simmons - Stephen Colbert - Robin Williams - Whoopi Goldberg - David Hasselhoff - Lassie - Stephen Fry (2) - Eddie Izzard Other highlights: Improbable Mission - Drew's tape recorder - Ryan's accident - Censorship fail Greatest Hits: Horror (puntastic) and Greatest Hits: A... Tern? Compilations: Scenes from a Hat, Props, and more Greatest Hits!

Video Chronology of The History of British TV Comedy

Foci for Analysis — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 01:38:57 -0800

For the past 50 years, The British have made some of the funniest Comedy TV Shows. Come inside for A Video Chronology of The History of British TV Comedy. [Hover over the Wikipedia links for show descriptions. Noteworthy shows highlighted with star (*). All links are double-checked but BBC seems to be on the war path, resulting in removed clips.] 1950s Hancock's Half Hour (1954-1961): Crown Vs Sid James | Assorted sketches 1960s * Steptoe and Son (1962-1974): Upstairs, Downstairs, Upstairs, Downstairs | And So To Bed That Was The Week That Was (1962-1963): Intro | Desmond Leslie Punches Bernard Levin * Not Only But Also (1965-1971): John Lennon | Best of compilation | Father and Roger (better version) | North Circular | Superthunderstingcar Till Death Us Do Part (1965-1975): 1972 Christmas special | Else & Rita are very drunk | Christmas Dinner | Alf gets in a pub fight The Likely Lads (1964-1966): [no clips found] Dad's Army (1968-1977): If The Cap Fits | Menace From The Deep | Don't tell him Pike (and other sketches) Morecambe and Wise (1968-1983): The Original Morecambe and Wise | The Breakfast Sketch | In bed | Several sketches | Eric and the Bee On the Buses (1969-1973): An episode from 1969 | Christmas Duty episode * Monty Python's Flying Circus (1969-1974): Season Two Intro | Dead Parrot Sketch | Spam | Frontiers in Medicine | Argument Clinic | Silly walk | Self-Defense Against Fresh Fruit | How Not To Be Seen | The Funniest Joke In The World * (Spike Milligan's) Q (1969-1982): The Lord's Prayer Epilogue | The Fresh Fruit Song | Kilt Chimes | Sandwich * The Benny Hill Show (1969-1989): Hospital | The Life of Maurice Dribble | 1978 episode | The Lover | Casanova 1970s The Two Ronnies (1971-1987): Fork handles | Squash match | Crossed Lines | Opticians | Swedish Made Simple/FUNEX Are You Being Served? (1972-1985): No Sale episode | A Change is as Good as a Rest | By Appointment episode * Love Thy Neighbour (1972-1976): Getting the bedroom suite Last of the Summer Wine (1973-): First Contact | 30 years of Last of the summer wine Porridge (1973-1977): Illegal Game Night | What's a Rilk? | Gentleman Prisoner | Stealing Pineapple Chunks Rising Damp (1974-1978): Things that Go Bump in the Night | A Body Like Mine | Come On in the Water's Lovely * It Ain't Half Hot Mum (1974-1981): The Curse of The Sadhu | The Road To Bannu | Lofty's Little Friend | My Lovely Boy * Fawlty Towers (1975-1979): The Germans | Basil Snaps | Too Much Butter | I Speak English | How to manage your staff The Good Life (1975-1978): from The Green Door episode | Margo V Jerry | Margo loses it! * The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin (1976-1979): Title Sequence | Grot | Weekend Safari Trip | Ravioli | Forces of anarchy Open All Hours (1976 and 1985): [no clips found] George and Mildred (1976-1979): All Work and No Pay | House for Sale | You Must Have Showers To the Manor Born (1979-1981): Raising Money | After The Funeral | Watch The 2007 Christmas Special Episode * Not the Nine O'Clock News (1979-1982): Gerald the Gorilla | Darts | Barry Manilow | The Judge | General Synod's Life of Christ | Songs Of Praise | Bathroom Plan 1980s * Yes Minister and Yes, Prime Minister (1980-1988): How's the Environment? | The Empty Hospital | Complete Confidence | Planes, Trains and Boats | A Clear Conscience | Former PM's Memoirs | Who Reads the Papers Hi-de-Hi! (1980-1988): Bad Acting? Only Fools and Horses (1981-2003): Time On Our Hands episode | May the Force Be With You * 'Allo 'Allo! (1982-1992): The Season One Pilot | Dance Of Hitler Youth | The Nicked Knockwurst episode The Young Ones (1982-1984): Neil's Letter | Exploding Kettle | Entrance | Teetering Crockery * Blackadder (1983-1989): Lord Flashheart | Amy and Amiability | MacBeth | Flashheart Redux | The Cavalier Years Special | General Hospital | Private Baldrick singing Spitting Image (1984-1996): Never Met a Nice South African | Madness sing Our House spoof | Every Bomb You Drop | Princess Di sings Morrissey Chance in a Million (1984-1986): [no clips found]

Too much of a good thing

0bvious — Wed, 25 Jan 2006 06:18:07 -0800

The ashes of the recently deceased contains high amounts of nutrient rich phosphates, just perfect for sprucing up that garden of yours. On the iconic peaks of Scotland though Mountaineers have decided that enough is enough.

A House full of insults: an informal look at the history of parliamentary put-downs

nthdegx — Sun, 11 Dec 2005 01:00:31 -0800

A House full of insults is an informal look at the history of parliamentary put-downs and their inconsistent consequences in Britain's House of Commons.

Ape Up or Flip Out!

whatnot — Mon, 28 Mar 2005 07:07:05 -0800

The Happy Poster Project : because Nothing is Unpossible.

Quite a three pipe metafilter post.

nthdegx — Wed, 23 Jun 2004 03:11:20 -0800

Sherlock Holmes: the quotations; the pipes; the author (the public house named after him - the worst in Scotland, judging by the comments); the top ten lists; the vulcan; the city; the monographs; the magazine; the marvelous stories, of course; and more.

The world of double entendre

rolo — Fri, 27 Feb 2004 09:07:28 -0800

The recent post that revived the rude ‘Rainbow’ kids show sketch reminded me of the our (that is, British) obsession with comic double entendre - the ability to accept the filthiest things as long as there is a parallel innocuous interpretation. I think it is something to do our love for wordplay and subtext, our innate hypocrisy and the belief that sex is, in fact, rather naughty. Perhaps the prime example are the Julian and Sandy sketches that ran on the BBC Radio show ‘Beyond Our Ken’ from 1964-69. Over Sunday lunch, millions (there was ONLY the BBC in those days) listened to two very camp characters saying outrageous things in Polari (underground gay slang). A much earlier prime example is the great dirty joke (it’s the one in blue at the bottom of the page) that got comedian Max Miller (died in 1963) banned from the BBC for 5 years. A more recent case of innuendo is, of course, Mrs. Slocombe’s pussy. Of course the double entendre can also be unintentional.

Dark Weaver of dreams

seanyboy — Fri, 30 Jan 2004 02:09:50 -0800

Garth Marenghi is a sculptor of nightmares, is the only person you'll ever meet who has written more books than he has read. Now you can see the return of his Cult '80s TV show. If you only get to see one TV series from the UK this year, and if you dare, then vist the Dark Place.

Mae hen wlad fy nhadau yn an nwyl i mi, John

nthdegx — Fri, 05 Dec 2003 07:18:15 -0800

The BBC is asking visitors of its news site to vote from a shortlist of the ten most embarrassing political moments. Visitors can watch a short film [real media] which shows all ten nominated moments (forgive the home-video moments style background muzak). There's some variety here: Tony Blair and Neil Kinnock in moments exhibiting a baffling degree of misguidedness, George W Bush and Kenneth Clarke in tight spots (figuratively and literally), while Charles Kennedy and John Prescott probably coming out of their situations looking better than they did beforehand. For me the most cringe-inducing clip is that of John Redwood, the then newly appointed Secretary of State for Wales, attempting to mime the Welsh national anthem. Genuinely difficult to watch.

Inland Review letter

feelinglistless — Fri, 28 Nov 2003 13:27:53 -0800

Apparently genuine reply to a letter sent to the Inland Revenue. "I must take issue with your description of our last as a "begging letter". It might perhaps more properly be referred to as a "tax demand". This is how we, at the Inland Revenue have always, for reasons of accuracy, traditionally referred to such documents." [via Orbyn, via Cal]

Hilary Clinton parody by Craig Brown

Carlos Quevedo — Wed, 11 Jun 2003 08:10:25 -0800

Hilary Rodham Clinton Lets It All In: I couldn’t speak. I could hardly breathe. I was gulping for air. I couldn’t take it any more. There was only one thing left to do. I took it out of my mouth and bundled it back in his pants. A parody by Craig Brown, the man who dared follow in Auberon Waugh's steps, from Private Eye.

Comedian Rowan Atkinson is understandably nervous about his career

feelinglistless — Wed, 17 Oct 2001 14:50:53 -0800

Comedian Rowan Atkinson is understandably nervous about his career in the light of proposed laws in the UK to outlaw insightment to religious bigotry. Having built his career from playing comedy vicars and priests you can imagine him wondering if all his old material is suddenly worthless. Downing Street has sought to re-assure as usual but you can see why he'd be filled with uncertainty. As he points out in a situation were personal opinion is involved, how would one tell if one was breaking the law. For example, some stand up comedy may be fine, but how about movies? Where does 'The Life of Brian' stand? Or 'Dogma' for that matter...

Is American TV funnier than British TV?

skallas — Sat, 25 Aug 2001 17:20:42 -0800

Is American TV funnier than British TV? Who watches both? I really don't know but describing American comedies as "machine-tooled one-liners" is pretty damn accurate. (via boingboing.net)

Britain welcomes the 43rd President.

holgate — Thu, 14 Dec 2000 17:20:07 -0800

Britain welcomes the 43rd President. (Cheers to Matt for scanner duties.)