The British - Funniest people on the Earth.

I love Britain, as my devilishly handsome avatar indicates. I love love the people there, as I find their brand of humour (notice the correct spelling) to be awesome! Do you like British humour?

Take this guy for instance.

http://www.jokeroo.com/videos/funny/sports-bet-winner.html


I nearly wet myself.

 

Love British humour. Your link sent WOT ballistic. But I let it rip, since I was on a Mac:-D
Cheers..

 

Even the people in the background were wetting themselves.

 

He sums up the Great Unwashed of Britain superbly!

 

Do I have to answer this question? :-D

Actually the one thing I had to do and am still doing to some degree when I got here was find my tv shows, Red Dwarf, Only Fools and Horses,, Blackadder,Fawlty Towers, Young Ones and many others.
Finding them in Canada was a bit of a task and still is for some of them.

It seems the US has much more in the way of UK tv than Canada does, most people here have no clue about any of the shows I mentioned above except Fawlty Towers.

I'm also trying to get some of the old "Carry On" films.

Not sure what it is, I love some North American shows/comedians but Brit stuff just seems so much less polished and raw which I think is what makes it funny, more concentration on "The Joke" rather than the effects.

Motc7... Look at Red Dwarf, the first 4 series were much funnier than the following, all awesome but the lack of budget in the first few years meant they HAD to rely soley on humor. Fawlty towers is another prime example, the walls frequently wobbled and props were cheap, but the quality of the humor is now ledgendary.

Not to mention we are the most sarcastic and silly nation on the planet :-D

Think of it like this, the Inuit have over 50 words for snow, most likely because they have so much of it and have to deal with it daily.

The British have over 200 words for "Idiot".

Say no more :-D

Edit: As for stand up comedians, I strongly recommend Lee Evans, the guy is off the chart, I've never seen anyone else so energetic. (He played the Pizza guy in There's Somthing about Mary but most Brits know him from stand up)

 

I usually think of Benny Hill when talking about British humor.

 

He was a legend.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_IBgk05iL3Y

 

I am currently embroiled in a heated debate at work with Worzel, a gadge who seems to be under the misguided impression that commercially made sitcoms of the last 40 years are superior to BBC comedies.
Dad's Army, Porridge, Not The 9o'clock News, Steptoe And Son, The Office, Extras, League Of Gentlemen, Monty Python, Rab C, It Ain't Half Hot Mum, the classics Ned mentioned, all BBC and the list goes on and on.
One or two brilliant shows have made it from 'the other side', Father Ted, Black Books, Phoenix Nights and Rising Damp are outstanding pieces of comedy, but his list contains lightweight 70s crap like Robin's Nest, Bless This House and Mind Your Language. I mean, it's like comparing the sun with a Mr Men night light.
The BBC may be an opiniated, unscrupulous, self serving bag of manky pus, but they know how to make comedy.

 

@hrlow2... Benny Hill was great but personally I always prefered the "Carry On" crew for classic slapstick comedy, Sid James and Keneth Williams etc.

@JOTS.... Couldn't agree more and the best part over the last 50 years of great BBC comedy.... not one of them had a single commercial break. I don't think any other TV station can claim that, it was worth the TV license. Don't know about now though, BBC1 still commercial free?

Edit: Oh Oh Oh, we forgot the Two Ronnies!!! WTH?, now if there were ever a comic genius it was Ronnie Barker, this man virtually invented the basis for half the jokes we have seen in the last 40 years.

Sweedish Made Simple.

L.O.

F.U.N.E.X?

S, V.F.X.

F U N E M?

9

:-D always loved that whole sketch.

 

Ok I had to go look some up, IMO niether of the Two Ronnies had fantastic delivery like Rowan Atkinson, niether of them had awesome physical comedy like John Cleese.... but the comedy itself... pure, 100% unadulterated comic genius.

So here's my mini tribute to Ronnie Corbet and Ronnie Barker, aka "The Two Ronnies"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucqFM3CtcNM&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcrs5Z7S-oM&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkWMcRlE1mQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OCbvCRkl_4U&feature=related

 

My contributions to the thread:

1. The Funniest Joke in the World. Only one of the best Monty Python sketches of all time.

2. A Warm Welcome. Rowan Atkinson welcoming you to Hell.

3. Elementary Dating (for Men). Another Atkinson classic.

4. Pope and Michaelangelo "What kangaroo?" (John Cleese is great. Absolutely great.)

5. A Small Rewrite. I've always suspected this was inspired by sketch number 4 on my list...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8gpjk_MaCGM&playnext_from=TL&videos=jH1Av3veXtU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rC6UrMTC73A

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pww9fnc-UUY&feature=channel

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4oKXagF3IE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwbB6B0cQs4

 

I once heard someone say that the British aim to be funny, and use vulgarity to accomplish that goal. US comedians look for excuses to be vulgar, and use humor to accomplish that goal.

*lifts a glass of scotch single malt in honor of the greatest jokes of all time, while somberly singing the very first ever Blackadder theme*

The sound of hoof beats 'cross the glade,
Good folk, lock up your son and daughter!
Beware the deadly flashing blade,
Unless you want to end up shorter!

Black Adder! Black Adder! He rides a pitch black steed.
Black Adder! Black Adder! He's very bad indeed.
​

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LoisXhmC7F0

 

Gotta agree with Mimsy on Monty Python - I love the Funniest joke sketch . . . followed closely by the dead parrot sketch (He's probably just pining for the fjords . . . ). LOL


My favorite sketch with Rowan Atkinson has to be one called "Fatal Beatings."

Hugh Laurie, along with Atkinson, are two of my favorite Brit funny folks, along with the whole Python team. I liked Benny Hill, but not as much as others here mentioned.

There you have my thoughts

 

I have always liked The Four Yorkshiremen as well...​

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xe1a1wHxTyo

Oh, and just because you said you like it ​

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4nPwztC-eU

 

Oops - forgot to add the links . . . :-o

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vuW6tQ0218


The Four Yorkshiremen is a riot, Mimsy!

 

Oh, dear. I got to disagree, Ned. This peurile drivel stopped being funny when I was ten. I mean, how many times can the same recycled joke be found funny? Sid James' lecherous laugh, Bernard Bresslaw saying, "Coooor!", Kenneth Williams' "Oooooooh, Matron!", Jim Dale running around like a hyperactive schoolboy, and all of them trying to get into Barbara Windsor's underpants.
Do me a lemon.

Yes, I still keep the BBC top echelon living in the lap of luxury by shelling out £150 a year just so I can have a TV in my house. Ridiculous, innit?

 

I was brought up on the 60's to early 80's British comedies as well. Ronnie Barker was definitely a comic genius and his death was sad loss.

I also remember a later Ronnie Barker series 'Open All Hours'.

Episode One (first nine and a half minutes):-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2K4WwihCXhU

And a serving of Porridge:-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OmtTCALbpkA&feature=related
I still watch The Young Ones and Red Dwarf and a few others occasionally. I think us English born are very good on the bizarre and black humour. Well we have a dark enough history, so ya gotta laugh, rigt?

 

:-D you just listed all the best qualities lol, nah I know what you mean, it's old and out dated, so is Benny Hill given they were basically the same type of humor. I'm just fond of the Carry On's because I grew up watching them, having said that I watched Carry On Agin Doctor a couple of weeks ago and my 17y/o son watched some of it with me. There were a few points where he laughed, you could have knocked me down with a feather.

@Phantom... Ahh yes, used to watch those a lot too, and lets not forget Clarence, my sister boght it for me on DVD a couple of years ago.

I also have to throw a mention for dear old Tommy Cooper, possibly the worst magician on the planet..... sometimes lol.... "Spoon jar jar spoon"

And lets not forget Britains very own miserable ol' git Alf Garnet ('til Death Us Do Part/ In Sickness and In Health")

Another fine stand up comedian is Jethro..... "She got a wathsp in her fanny" :-D

 

Don't pay it mate...just cancel your DD and send them a letter withdrawing their 'Implied Right of Access'...job done. Incidentally if/when you do cancel your DD you'll realise you pay 6 months upfront. PM me if you want more details.

 

For me my love of British comedies started when I was literally about 10 years old. I'm now 37.

I would watch Monty Python and also The Two Ronnies. Candles I don't remember seeing, but I watched it now and was laughing. LOL

Open All hours took me years to appreciate, but it is very very funny. Only Fools and horses my favorite episode is when Delboy paints their dead mother's grave stone with some luminous paint.

 

lol I have to say Only Fools and Horses is my fav of all time, I watch them frequently.

Some of my favorite lines from OFAH:

Unc albert "My dad ate that stuff all his life and lived 'til he was 83"

Del "You see, 83, thats a good age init"

Unc albert "Wer'nt for him Del, he died"

-----------

Boycee "Yes Marlene gave birth after only 8 months"

Rodeny "Yeah they say it's quicker by tube"

----------------

Unc Albert "I had a mate who died of a sexually related disease"

Del "Yeah? "

Unc Albert "Yeah, his girlfriends husband shot him"

--------------------

Trigger "I never knew my dad, he died a couple of years before I was born"

--------------------

Trigger "And that's what I've done. Maintained it for 20 years. This old brooms had 17 new heads and 14 new handles in its time."

----------------

And of course, Boycee's history lesson about the Trotter family " I went down to the library today & read some ancient manuscripts written by the elders of Peckham.... Did you know that 500 years ago, this was a green & peaceful area, The old Earl of Peckham had a castle where the kwik fit exhaust center now stands. Flaxon haired maidens used to dance around the village maypole of an evening.
Then, one fateful medieval day the Trotter clan arrived in a stolen zephyr.... Before you knew it, the flaxon haired maidens were up the spout... the old Earl had been flogged some hooky armour & someone nicked the maypole...
But 100 years AFTER that.. the black death arrived in England.... The people of Peckham thought they're luck had changed!"

---------

I just found out yesterday there is a new episode, sort of comming out this year called "Rock n Chips" , it's the story of Freddy the Frog (Rodneys biological father who sat on the detonator while robbing a post office), Nick Lyndhurst is playing Freddy!, nice to see him doing some more stuff.

It does sadden me though to think all these wonderful shows are no more and never will be, Blackadder is unlikely, OFAH just doesn't have the same feel anymore and David Jason is doing Frost anyway. Red Dwarf tried but I would love to see them finish the story rather than wait another 10 years for a couple of non consequential episodes, Falwty Towers obviously not happening and pretty much everyone else is dead

@motc7... I've noticed that many North Americans don't undertand a lot of British humor, I think it's because we use a LOT of "In jokes" and slang, my wife will often ask me why it was funny and it's a case of she simply will never get it because she does'nt know the person the joke is about or the event. Obviously you have no trouble lol

I have to say though, one of the most ingenious ideas of comedy has to be Mr.Bean (not the movies, they sucked) , this man took simple ideas and made everyone from the age of 2 - 100 and crossed all language barriers yet barely said a word.

 

Best ever sitcom, Red Dwarf. Best ever episode, Queeg. Best ever line: Hol, after Queeg suggests that Hol actually has a much lower IQ than Hol's own claim of 6,000.
"Six? Do me a lemon.....that's a poor IQ for a glass of water."

 

My favourite only fools and horses line is the one when they have just got back from buying duty free booze and he gives Rachel a necklace.

Del - "You know what they say Rachel diamonds are a girls best friend,,,,,but Zircon's good company."

:-D