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Where would we be without humour?

(40 Posts)
Cossy Thu 16-Jul-26 11:22:10

Where would we be without humour?

In a very unfunny place!

We all have different ideas though about what’s humour and what isn’t, so would love to hear yours?

I’ll kick off,

I enjoy some stand up, eg Michael McIntyre, Peter Kay, John Bishop and quite a lot more.

I enjoy political satire such as HIGNFY and Mock the Week.

I loved Victoria Wood’s style of comedy and also when she worked with Julie Walter’s and I like the silliness of French and Saunders. Back in the day I saw Victoria Wood live, and French and Saunders live, both shows highly amusing. I also saw Jack Dee live, his dour-faced humour had us all in stitches.

Dinner Ladies still makes me laugh, as does Only Fools and Horses and Fawlty Towers.

Quite like other sit-coms too, including some of the much older ones like The Good Life.

Actually, many things can make me laugh!

What makes you laugh?

grin wink

sassenach512 Thu 16-Jul-26 11:30:00

Ken Dodd made my jaw ache I was laughing so much and we were there till 12.30am!
It's the daft and absurd that makes me laugh.
Julie Walters doing the 'Two Soups' sketch and the 'Acorn Antiques' show were hilarious too

crazyH Thu 16-Jul-26 11:42:50

Ken Dodd - I only have to see him and I laugh.
The Two Ronnies (never found Morecambe and Wise very funny)
Victoria Wood

madeleine45 Thu 16-Jul-26 11:45:55

As a teenager loved the Goons, and would listen to the repeats , as I would have been laughing so much , that I would miss some bits. Life moved on and loved Monty Python stuff and of course the great Ronnie Barker , from hearing him on the radio in the Navy Lark , onto the frost report with the three " I am upper class , middle class etc with John Cleese and Ronnie Corbet. Then on to all the other lovely sit coms Open All Hours, Porridge etc etc. His witty writing of wonderful silly songs and the great "four candles" sketch - which joins with "two soups" of course.

Then as I wrote about somewhere else, the wonderful "Yes Minister" and "Yes Prime Minister" which I think are as funny today and as accurate as they were with the great cast, with Paul Eddington as the PM, Nigel Hawthorne as the crafty civil service and a very innocent Bernard played by Derek Foulds. Of course with the death of Penelope Keith we are reminded of the Good Life and her wonderfully terrible Margo. I think I go back to many of these old ones as they are funny without necessarily swearing or particularly picking on a specific person, but are often witty and if they bring a smile to a miserable day great. On a frustrating day, they are great to cheer one up.

MollyNew Thu 16-Jul-26 11:48:21

We seem to have a similar sense of humour Cossy.

I also like Monty Python - Life of Brian is one of my favourite films, so many hilarious sketches.

The news has been so depressing recently, I've started watching Frasier again, I know most of the episodes inside out but sometimes that's why I watch.

I have also been to see Stewart Lee a couple of times. Very political and sweary sometimes but he knows how to hold an audience in the palm of his hand.

JamesandJon33 Thu 16-Jul-26 11:55:46

Dave Allen, Peter Kay, Sarah Millican, sometimes.

Cossy Thu 16-Jul-26 11:58:59

I love to watch the re-runs. I could happily watch an entire series again and then again.

Thank you (all) for reminding me of Monty Python, how could I possibly have forgotten this is beyond me!

Life of Brian (he’s not the messiah, he’s a very naughty boy!)

The ministry of silly walks, the dead parrot sketch, the Spanish Inquisition, I’m a Lumberjack.

Thank you grin

nanna8 Thu 16-Jul-26 12:01:12

Humour died in the last century. None of the modern comedies amuse me one little bit.

Graphite Thu 16-Jul-26 12:30:52

All of those, Cossy.

I would add ISIHAC, Sarah Millican’s observational comedy, Joe Lycett (his letters of complaint crack me up), Miles Jupp, Paul Whitehouse and Bob Mortimer fishing (and Bob on WILTY), Richard Ayoade, Henning Wehn. I miss Sean Lock.

Someone I find very funny, although not a dedicated comedian, is Hugh Grant especially on Graham Norton’s show. Some great clips on YT with Meryl Streep and Emma Thompson.

Cossy Thu 16-Jul-26 12:33:34

nanna8

Humour died in the last century. None of the modern comedies amuse me one little bit.

Humour is so personal, it may be that “modern” comedy doesn’t meet your criteria of what’s funny?

MollyNew Thu 16-Jul-26 12:38:01

How could I forget Bob Mortimer on WILTY! I took his novel, The Satsuma Complex, on holiday last year and it was very funny, I could hear his voice in every line.

Cossy Thu 16-Jul-26 12:39:21

Graphite

All of those, Cossy.

I would add ISIHAC, Sarah Millican’s observational comedy, Joe Lycett (his letters of complaint crack me up), Miles Jupp, Paul Whitehouse and Bob Mortimer fishing (and Bob on WILTY), Richard Ayoade, Henning Wehn. I miss Sean Lock.

Someone I find very funny, although not a dedicated comedian, is Hugh Grant especially on Graham Norton’s show. Some great clips on YT with Meryl Streep and Emma Thompson.

I loved Sean Lock, d you recall his version of “The Tiger who came to tea”
(The Tiger who had a pint”)

DH and I re-watched it on u-tube and laughed and laughed!!!

eddiecat78 Thu 16-Jul-26 12:55:15

Victoria Wood and Bill Bailey - both very clever as well as being funny. Have seen them both live and come away with my face aching.
And going back a long time Joyce Grenfell ("George, don't do that")

HelterSkelter1 Thu 16-Jul-26 12:56:49

Still love Frasier and Cheers. Cracking american humour.
Loved Ab Fab at the time and laughed along with DD1 and DD2 which made it even more fun.
Laughed with DH at the Two Ronnies and with DM and DF at Morecombe and Wise.
Its good to share the laughter.

Magenta8 Thu 16-Jul-26 13:13:22

I generally prefer British humour to American humour but the film "The Odd Couple" with Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau is a masterclass in comedy acting.

I find quite a few of the recent stand ups funny but there seem to be so many of them. Some of them only seem to appear on celebrity quiz and game shows.

I miss the old sketch shows like "Not the Nine O'Clock News" and "Little Britain." I never "got" Morecambe and Wise, Jim Davidson or Miranda Hart.

Basgetti Thu 16-Jul-26 13:14:13

Round the Horne. How they got away with it, I’ve no idea.

MissAdventure Thu 16-Jul-26 13:17:41

Golden girls, Billy Connolly, Harry Enfield, Still Game, Carry On Films (and Kenneth Williams)
Bottom, Life Of Brian, The two Ronnies, Hale and Pace, Alas Smith and Jones.
Sean Locke, Who's Line is it Anyway....
So many!'

MissAdventure Thu 16-Jul-26 13:18:49

Victoria Wood, of course!

MissAdventure Thu 16-Jul-26 13:25:40

Les Dawson.

Llamedos13 Thu 16-Jul-26 13:27:20

Father Ted never fails to make me laugh out loud no matter how many times I watch the same episodes on repeat.

MissAdventure Thu 16-Jul-26 13:28:03

Yes, me too.

AGAA4 Thu 16-Jul-26 13:34:21

I laugh at most mentioned above. Love Wallace and Gromit too.

MissAdventure Thu 16-Jul-26 13:39:49

Karen Dunbar; I'd never heard of her until my ex showed me some of her comedy.

Fartooold Thu 16-Jul-26 13:44:35

For me HIGNFY, Monty Python and Fawlty Towers oh dear aren’t I old!
I do like Alan Carr.

JaneJudge Thu 16-Jul-26 13:51:05

Newman and Baddiel, Ed Byrne, Dara O'Brien, Jack Dee x2, Russel Kane x2, Tom Davies, Dave Gorman, John Cooper Clarke, Jason Manford, Harry Hill...I've definitely seen more but my brain isn't functioning properly

We had planned to see Harry Hill with two of our boys but one had to drop out so the one boy brought his partner. She has never seen Harry Hill at all (!!) anyway...she was completely gobsmacked throughout the complete performance as we laugh like drains. She split up with him not soon after blush I think she thought we were all barking

I tell you who is good, someone called Jeff Innocent. He supported Jason Manford and he was SO funny.

I also love Father Ted smile I love fools and horses though and some of the other cancelled stuff. Like Gavin and Stacey, Mum, Friday Night dinner, gosh there really is too much to list.