Britain's best comedy...supposedly

[IBBoard]

Last night I watched a program on Channel 5 called something like "Britain's Best Comedy Moments" and it was an "as voted for by the public" show. Although some of them were quite good (and I'm going to have to find the script for the "Yes! Prime Minister" clip they had where they were in Saudi Arabia and pretending messages had come from different people as code words to send someone off to add alcohol to their drink) others were awful. The top 10 were:

10: Monty Python's Dead Parrot sketch
9: Peter Kay on Peter Kay Live with his examples of working class kids at a wedding (ok, but I think he's had some better bits - not Phoenix Nights though)
8: Morecambe and Wise making breakfast to music
7: Absolutely Fabulous - the bit where Patsy has set the kitchen on fire, the mum won't get out because she doesn't have any good clothes to wear and Patsy sits up in the kitchen all charred at the end
6: Frank Spencer (from Some Mother Do 'Ave 'Em) when he goes flying down the road on roller skates (good, especially considering the actor did it himself!)
5: Manuel from Fawlty Towers when he confuses the Major by practising his English behind the Moose's head
4: Brass Eye and the drug 'Cake' (where they fooled the celebs into thinking it was a real drug on the streets)
3: The Young Ones on University Challenge
2: Vikki Pollard from Little Britain

and, for who knows what reason, top of the list we have

1: The Office and that stupid dance

So, some good bits in the top 10, but the top two are a complete disappointment


[edit]Because I can't be bothered doing other things at the moment, I looked for the script - here are some snippets (Jim is Jim Hacker, the PM, Annie is his wife, Bernard is his Private Secretary and Sir Humphry is his Permanant Secretary)

Jim: Bernard, wanted in the communications room, a Mr John Walker.
Bernard: Johnnie Walker?
Jim: Yes from the Scotch Office ... Scottish Office.

Annie: Isn't there a message for me darling?
Jim: Yes of course there is, Bernard will get it for you if you give him your glass.

Jim: Ah Bernard, any messages in the communications room?
Bernard: Well there is one for Sir Humphrey, Minister. Yes the Soviet Embassy is on the line Sir Humphrey, a Mr Smirnoff.
Sir Humphrey: Sorry [leaves]
Jim: Are you sure there isn't one for me?
Bernard: Oh well there was a message from the British Embassy compound, a school, a delegation of Teachers.
Jim: Must go and greet the Teachers. Before the Bells goes ... bell goes.

Bernard: Minister can I have a private word with Sir Humphrey?
Jim: [drunk] You may speak freely.
Bernard: Oh, there was a message for you in the communications room, the Vat man, your 69 returns.
Jim: [looks confused]
Bernard: Vat 69.
Jim: Ah yes. [stumbles off]
Sir Humphrey: I am rapidly coming to the conclusion Bernard that the Minister has had almost as many urgent messages as he can take.

[MadMaffMan]

Yes! Minister and Yes! Prime Minister must rank as one of the best writen shows of all time. They were so sharp and well acted that they are a classic example of British comedy, its just a shame that there were so few episodes in a series. Mind you, you can have too much of a good thing......Friends for example. If i hear that damn title song once more i'll.........
Thank god, i was beginning to think i was the only one that didn't like The Office....so there are some other normal people out there after all.

[IBBoard]

Yep, that, Bo Selecta, Little Britain and a few select others are the types of show where the humour is just so terrible that I don't see how they do so well.

As for Yes! Prime Minister, the most worrying thing is how old it is and how so many of the things they talk about still apply! And they even had former MP Tony Benn talking about it and how that was how it used to really be and a friend of my g/f's family worked for the government in a similar position to Humphry (I think) and he wouldn't watch it because it was too close to the truth