I really don't see what is so appealing to some people about over-the-top swearing. I can understand performers wanting to do that to shock their audience but, in the end, when all they can do is that they're not very good performers, are they?

'

QueenofKnerds : ' I can't think of any really memorable shows. Swearing... I think only Billy Connelly and Dylan Moran can get it right but with anyone else it's a total failure.

Yeh, that goes for the whole shock factor, too.  There's an interview with John Cleese where he says the most important advice he ever got re: comedy was not to use shock to create humour too often coz once the audience gets used to being shocked, it stops being shocked and you really have nowhere to go.  That's why a 'bloody' in ISIRTA is funnier than a 'f***' in Little Britain.

So sorry to double post, but it's about midnight in the UK so there's nobody to cut in for me.

I posted the download link for Comedy Controller in the Bill thread, if anyone wants it. That the one that says "Well nobody else was gonna start it," if you're unsure.

Now "let's all talk about how cute Graeme is..."

'

ek : ' ' QueenofKnerds : ' The general decline of comedy is a real worry to me. I could go on for hours... but I'll try not to. I actually watched proper TV the other day and didn't laugh once at what was called the years' best Australian sketch show, or something like that. Is that 'The Wedge'? That's an okay-ish show to me, but it doesn't impact as much, if you get what I mean.... Some modern Australian comedies that seem pretty exciting to me are 'Thank God You're Here' & 'The Chaser's War On Everything'. Maybe comedy isn't as good as it once was (I can't really say though considering my age) because it isn't emphasised or considered as much. Many T.V. channels care about ratings and the most popular shows are ones like 'C.S.I.' or 'Big Brother', etc. I don't believe they are really comedies, although they are mildly humorous in parts! Anyway, sorry - this is meant to be a forum about Graeme!

I reckon if they want to get good ratings on comedy stuff... put on The Goodies!! It's that simple, people!

It was the Wedge, I think. I did give a sympathy giggle when the guy said he didn't get Ocean's Eleven coz he hadn't seen the first ten, but that's all.

I'm currently uploading Bill's Comedy Controller bit, but just as a warning it's HUGE. It's been going for ten minutes and it's only on 5% done. As soon as it's done I'll put on Bill's thread, just to get some more action going on over there. Can't have Bill being neglected!

Now "let's all talk about how cute Graeme is..."

'

QueenofKnerds : ' The general decline of comedy is a real worry to me. I could go on for hours... but I'll try not to. I actually watched proper TV the other day and didn't laugh once at what was called the years' best Australian sketch show, or something like that.

Is that 'The Wedge'? That's an okay-ish show to me, but it doesn't impact as much, if you get what I mean.... Some modern Australian comedies that seem pretty exciting to me are 'Thank God You're Here' & 'The Chaser's War On Everything'. Maybe comedy isn't as good as it once was (I can't really say though considering my age) because it isn't emphasised or considered as much. Many T.V. channels care about ratings and the most popular shows are ones like 'C.S.I.' or 'Big Brother', etc. I don't believe they are really comedies, although they are mildly humorous in parts! Anyway, sorry - this is meant to be a forum about Graeme! 

I could go on for hours about the decline of comedy too. There are only very few 'quality' programmes out there today - and I don't think anything that has come out of Australia in the past ten years is really 'quality' - shoot me down if you wish.

I think a lot of comedians nowadays underestimate their audience, and tend to write for the lowest common denominator. And that's just a load of poo. For a show that I wrote for once, there were a couple of people in the cast that were concerned that a little bit of the stuff I had written would not be understood by some people - I don't think things have to be understood by everybody; there's a beauty in making a joke that some people will get and others won't. Anyway... the majority sucks. Not everybody on the planet is an ignoramus. I leave you with a quote from Mr Wise himself: "We were never trying to copy The Goons, but what happens is that you learn what your sense of humour is – you find things funny, then you work out how they work. That joke works because it’s misdirecting the audience in that way and so you learn how to copy the way that joke works."

PS) QueenofKnerds, it would be awesome if you could please put up the Comedy Controller stuff!

'

pruneonthemoon : ' Absolutely, this is the only place I'm allowed to go bonkers! I was telling my friends a few months ago how psyched I was that I was finally getting series 5 of The Goodies, and that I was really looking forward to it because Graeme goes fantastically evil in Bunfight. Of course my friends said, "Fess up, how old is he?" because I've got this sort of reputation of not watching anything really recent. So I had to admit that he... wasn't quite 63, and they all looked at me like I was from Neptune or something. Poor, uneducated souls. They don't know what they're missing out on. That just means more fun for me! I couldn't agree more, Queenie. I really get a kick out of watching stuff like the Goodies and Spike. I don't know what happened to a lot of comedy programmes...it's like these days you have to swear heaps to get a cheap laugh. It makes me want to cry.

The general decline of comedy is a real worry to me. I could go on for hours... but I'll try not to. I actually watched proper TV the other day and didn't laugh once at what was called the years' best Australian sketch show, or something like that.

In fact, looking back it seems sketch comedy sort of died with Graham Chapman, didn't it? Or at least I can't think of any really memorable shows.

Swearing... I think only Billy Connelly and Dylan Moran can get it right but with anyone else it's a total failure.

And radio? There's no screen to look at so very few people are interested in radio comedy. Even for ISIHAC, I'm not getting up at half past five in the morning.

I have recently succeeded in getting my parents interested in ISIHAC. Everyone agrees Graeme's an absolute God at One Song to the Tune of Another. (Dunno if I've already said this here, but if I have, there it is again. So good I said it twice!)

Bill did a big three hour thing on the evolution of radio comedy on BBC7 the other week, which I thought was pretty interesting. I'd be happy to upload it for anyone who wants a listen.

Absolutely, this is the only place I'm allowed to go bonkers! I was telling my friends a few months ago how psyched I was that I was finally getting series 5 of The Goodies, and that I was really looking forward to it because Graeme goes fantastically evil in Bunfight. Of course my friends said, "Fess up, how old is he?" because I've got this sort of reputation of not watching anything really recent. So I had to admit that he... wasn't quite 63, and they all looked at me like I was from Neptune or something. Poor, uneducated souls. They don't know what they're missing out on. That just means more fun for me!

I couldn't agree more, Queenie. I really get a kick out of watching stuff like the Goodies and Spike. I don't know what happened to a lot of comedy programmes...it's like these days you have to swear heaps to get a cheap laugh. It makes me want to cry. 

'

pruneonthemoon : ' lisa: Speaking of cold water... I don't want to spoil the fun, but I think I need to put my admin hat on and ask that people try not to go too overboard with their posts, since minors do visit the site. Don't worry about us, Lis'. At least I'm not the only person on this site who's gone completely bonkers! Before I joined, I wondered if there was anyone quite like me.  (no offence intended.)

Absolutely, this is the only place I'm allowed to go bonkers! I was telling my friends a few months ago how psyched I was that I was finally getting series 5 of The Goodies, and that I was really looking forward to it because Graeme goes fantastically evil in Bunfight. Of course my friends said, "Fess up, how old is he?" because I've got this sort of reputation of not watching anything really recent. So I had to admit that he... wasn't quite 63, and they all looked at me like I was from Neptune or something.

Poor, uneducated souls. They don't know what they're missing out on. That just means more fun for me!

Anyway that's enough about me and my frustration with my friends. Back to Graeme.

lisa: Speaking of cold water... I don't want to spoil the fun, but I think I need to put my admin hat on and ask that people try not to go too overboard with their posts, since minors do visit the site.

Don't worry about us, Lis'. At least I'm not the only person on this site who's gone completely bonkers! Before I joined, I wondered if there was anyone quite like me.  (no offence intended.)