Little Britain

[hopalong]

Am I the only one who finds Little Britain a load of garbage?   I just cant find what's so funny about it.

[FP]

We agree on something hopalong!

[l_h_kings]

I feel so sorry for you both.

[ll_billym]

It is funny, trust me.

[bernardo]

I watched it once and found it totally unfunny.  Just in case I was in the wrong mood the first time, I watched it again and again found it totally unfunny.  I never watched it again.  I had the same reaction with the League of Gentlemen and The Office.

[FP]

I cannot stand League of Gentleman, but love The Office.  Dont feel sorry for me l h kings - I'm not missing out on anything in my opinion :o)

[Quizmonster]

It's a 'mixed bag' at best. I certainly don't believe it deserved to more or less sweep the board at some recent comedy awards thing. Unlike Bernardo, I found both 'LoG' and 'The Office' brilliant. I still annoy the heck out of my partner by whining: "Can I help you at all?" at her. Each to his own, I guess. It wouldn't do if we all laughed at the same things.

[THECORBYLOON]

I think "The Office" is brilliant and "Little Britain" was better without the laughter track. It could be worse mind, we could be discussing the merits of "My Hero" and "Last of the Summer Wine".......

[Dom Tuk]

Those who find Little Britain funny and swear by it will probably not find it funny in 10 years time. It is a repetition of a gag that makes it funny, the lines in itself are not funny. remember that chappie in the Mary Whitehouse experience who used to repeat a word...'Milky'.....is it funny anymore??. This type of comedy does not stand the test of time.

[cheyenne]

I agree with Quizmonster,its a mixed bag.I prefer the office.But having said that its better than Shameless which i find quite boring.As for my hero,what a load of garbage!!

[hopalong]

That is a first FP ;-)

[LeMarchand]

Neither can I - not a fan of "catchphrase comedy" or the bores who go around repeating the catchphrases at all.

[WaldoMcFroog]

"Those who find Little Britain funny and swear by it will probably not find it funny in 10 years time. It is a repetition of a gag that makes it funny, the lines in itself are not funny. remember that chappie in the Mary Whitehouse experience who used to repeat a word...'Milky'.....is it funny anymore??. This type of comedy does not stand the test of time."

This seems like a strange thing to say. Surely comedy doesn't have to pass an 'age test'? Comedy is in the eye of the beholder, surely? 

Personally, I still think that much of Mary Whitehouse is sidesplittingly hillarious, but there is indeed much that is dated. However, since the jokes which have dated were intended for a contemporary audience and not history students, where's the problem?

For what it's worth, I like LB. It is indeed based on repitition, but what's so wrong with that?

[smudge]

No-but-yeah-but-no! I don't find Little Britain funny.

[Elfin]

I think Little Britain and League of Gentlemen are both much funnier than The Office myself.

[Insane Wally]

I'm so glad Dom Tuk ain't the head of programming for UK Gold - He wouldn't show the likes of Dads Army or Monty Python, seeing as they are well over 10 years old & unlikely to be found funny. Stupid Boy!!!

[randomsugar]

Before watching it I thought lb would just be overated, but I think its hilarious. The only thing I dislike are the people who walk around day after day quoting lb, if I hear another person do an impression of vicky pollard or and and lou I will scream! lol

[l_h_kings]

yeah but yeah but, "yeah! I know"

[johngammon]

I do find Little Britain funny.  However, it does tend to rely on the repetition of situations and catchphrases, and needs to get on to new business if any other series are to be up to snuff. Monty Python, on the other hand, is deservedly feted because it did move on.  Also I've noticed that only one or two of the sketches in Little Britain have what the title seems to promise - satire about British life.  (For instance, the very clever sketch where the prime minister is being grilled about a ministerial resignation by journalists drawn from the likes of Whizzer and Chips) is a direct attack on newspaper values.)  Tom Baker's voiceovers are the most trenchant thing in Little Britain.

Publicists at TV companies must be the best in the business:  time and again, OK but not outstanding programmes can be whipped into near legendary status.  Why is Peep Show not regarded as a classic?  With due respect to Ricky Gervais, it's at least as good as The Office.  And why is Shameless, a pretty patronising attack on "white trash", get so much positive coverage?  It seems no more than a ripoff of Viz - a cartoon of the lower stratum of working class life for people who live in Islington etc. 

Comedy is in the eye of the beholder.  If you don't find it funny, it's not.  Personally, I'm more a lover of character comedy, rather than strings of jokes made palatable by good actors, so I prefer Frasier over Friends.  That's my opinion (though I would probably refuse to shag anyone who would have the opposite view).