Good work, Sim.
I wasnât aware of the genius of Monty Python before 
The Holy Grail ainât a patch on Life of Brian
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Well, that cheered me up and made my laugh on a Wednesday morning!
Far to much good stuff to post from Life of Brian, so the montarge worked well.
An interesting watch that. Again Iâm struck by how Lee is so human, so normal outside of his act. His act is, well, an act.
Bletch anecdote #3241.
I once met Alexi Sayle in a radio studio many years ago. In a previous life, I was a company spokesman for a computer software company and I was asked to do a radio interview for a German publication. I learned a powerful lesson that day about context and misquoting, but thatâs another story.
Anyway, I was interviewed in a tiny booth in Broadcasting House (I think!) and when I came out Sayle was sitting on a chair waiting to use the booth after me. I looked at him and did a double-take and he saw me realising who he was and smiled warmly. I went to say âHi, oh itâs you, I really liked you inâŚâ but then I realised that I never really âgotâ his work, so just smiled warmly back at him.
I admired his creativity, but I think he was always too slap-stick for me.
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My fave moment from that top Blackadder was when Tom Baker started drinking his own wee BEFORE the water ran out.
Originally posted by @saintbletch
An interesting watch that. Again Iâm struck by how Lee is so human, so normal outside of his act. His act is, well, an act.
Bletch anecdote #3241.
I once met Alexi Sayle in a radio studio many years ago. In a previous life, I was a company spokesman for a computer software company and I was asked to do a radio interview for a German publication. I learned a powerful lesson that day about context and misquoting, but thatâs another story.
Anyway, I was interviewed in a tiny booth in Broadcasting House (I think!) and when I came out Sayle was sitting on a chair waiting to use the booth after me. I looked at him and did a double-take and he saw me realising who he was and smiled warmly. I went to say âHi, oh itâs you, I really liked you inâŚâ but then I realised that I never really âgotâ his work, so just smiled warmly back at him.
I admired his creativity, but I think he was always too slap-stick for me.
When I first watched the Young Ones, Sayleâs bits seemed like the worst part of them. However, I quickly came to love them as much, if not more than a lot of the main script stuff. His monologue in Boring still cracks me up now.
Weird that you mention the slapstick angle. While that was certainly true of Mayall and Edmondson, who pretty much spent their careers together doing the same gags and effectively playing the same characters, as a big Sayle fan, I donât get the criticism as applied to him.
He may well have been a monster in his compere mode, but his later work can be best described as intellectual silliness, often yanking in his politics. He helped a shitload of careers post-Comedy Store as well.
Angus Deayton, Felicity Montagu, Mark Williams, Arabella Weir and others were all regular performers in Alexei Sayleâs Stuff. That show would be the best measure of the man as a creative, I reckon.
I like a lot of what the Pythons did and their place in the pantheon of comedy greats is well deserved.
I always have a slight niggle that a lot of their ground work was done by the brilliant Spike Milligan - and acknowledged by them - see any of his âQâ series.
Always a great scene stealer - keep an eye out for him in The Life Of Brian.
Iâve mentioned this loads, and am a big fan. Down The Line has actually been on YouTube for a bit. The first ever episode was broadcast as a bonafide new chat show on Radio 4, despite being a spoof featuring most of the people from the Fast Show.
Superficial comparisons with Partridge are inevitable. Gary Bellamy is a bit more likeable than AP, but heâs just as hapless. The comedy itself is a bit less poncy, much nearer the knuckle. Where Knowing Me, Knowing You is largely Alan Partridge interacting with establishment eccentrics, Down The Line is more about your common bigot or idiot, phoning up to have a moan.
I think itâs brilliant; probably the best thing that Paul Whitehouse has been in, full stop. The late great Felix Dexter is also a huge part of this show. Check it out.
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Iâve been watching the first series of Harry and Paul. While theyâre definitely not unregarded, I do think that theyâre massively underrated. People will only have a proper appreciation for them once theyâre no longer doing their thing.
I remember Johnny Vegas being pissed up at the comedy awards ranting about how Paul Whitehouseâs comedy wasnât like some of the unnamed contemporaries of modern times. It didnât make victims of people. It was about watching and listening.
Of all the things that got me riled about portrayals of Liverpool, Harry Enfieldâs Scousers wasnât one of them. Yes, Liverpudlian stereotypes were hugely played up, but theyâre hardly alone in being figures of fun. Theyâve taken the piss out of most people in this country over the years, so much so that their sketch stuff could be some bizarro comedy alt-history of the UK. And it would be ridiculous, overblown and probably offensive.
But it wouldnât be far offâŚ
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I couldnât get beyond one minute into Walliamsâ latest escapade - did it get funny at any point?
Last thing I watched of his would have been Little Britain series 2, and not even all of that.
Farewell Andrew Sachs.
You were great as Manuel.
Sad that you didnât outlive Russell Brand.
I read it in a book.
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My favourite moment was when Manuel was explaining to Basil how heâd given Sybil the impression that her husband was upstairs with a girl in a room.
She go crazy! he shrugged innocently.
Is not rat. Is 'amster!