h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I think Billy Connolly would be the best stand up comedian I've ever seen. I enjoy watching good stand up comedy, and of all those I've seen he gives the best 'value'.

Every time I've gone to see him he's been booked for a 2 hour show and given at least 2 and a half, sometimes three and a half. He started with support acts, then by his last few shows he didn't need them. I never understood what act could support him anyway.

What makes him funny? The fact that he sees the things everyone else sees, but from just a slightly different viewpoint. He can take something simple, like a child's reaction to 'scenery' and make an entire 'set' out of it. He can be humble, he can be pompous (though always with that self critical edge). To me, his secret is the fact that he works with the crowd. He doesn't just get on and tell jokes, he changes his act depending on reaction.

Perhaps that's something the best comics do. I know Robin Williams did, and Whoopi Goldberg, two other comedians I enjoy immensely.

Others on my 'favourite' list are Jimoin, Lenny Henry and Rita Rudner.

Billy Connolly is undoubedly up there with the best of them, if not the best.

I read in his biography that there was one time that he went on stage for a show that was supposed to last for 2 hours. 3 1/2 hours later he found himself still up there rabbiting on. He told the audience that he'd always wanted to do a gig that finished on a different day from the one it started on, so after asking the audience whether they minded, he went on for another 45 minutes - total show time - 4 hours 15 minutes ... sheesh!

One of my major remaining ambitions is to see the Big Yin live.

Been there done that, and what is more have also had an hour long meeting and pressing of the flesh at a Pub outside Belfast a couple of years ago. Let me just tell you this, he is a nice and funny in real life as he appears on the stage, and the language does get toned down a bit in real life.

Me a group of mates where in this pub when he walks in and one of my mates is a really big big yin fan but wasn't sure it was him until I pointed out the trousers and shoes nad he was convinced that no one else it could be. So he left us for a while and little late was spotted siddling up to the big man. We all joined and it wasn't until a queue of autograph hunters started to break into our circle that we realised we had been talking nad sharing banter with the great man for over an hour.

WE left happy to have been in his precence and not prepared to ruin it by goiing back and joining the signing frenzy, he'd givern us something far more valuable than a signed beermat.

He's the funniest guy on the planet.

Nuff said.

Seeing him live is also one of my last remaining ambitions

Every time I have seen him on the tube or heard him on the radio, he has made an impression.

He said on US TV about the Bush/Gore election brouha:
"Well, if more people didn't vote than did, then that's a vote for neither. I mean, why can't the White House just remain vacant for four years? You know what happens when the government goes on holiday. Nothing! Imagine four years of that."

Not a direct quote, but what I remember.

I'm in awe of Billy Connolly. I really do think he's a genius. I remember sitting round the TV with my mum, dad and brother one Christmas. My parents are from Glasgow or thereabouts (me and my brother were born there but moved down south early on) and we were all sat watching a Big Yin video. He was talking about the Olympics and how it was only really mad posh aristocrats who did things like tobboganing and who thought it was a perfectly normal thing to do. He then turned the story on its head and said can you imagine an unemployed working class Glaswegian tobboganist going in to the Unemployment Office, responding to the Office girl's enquiry 'What's your occupation?' with the answer (in heavy Glaswegian accent) 'A tobboganist.'?

So off the social radar was this reply, and so dumbfounded were the Unemployment Workers, they eventually filled in his form for him and just shoved in the word 'tobacconist'. I have a lovely memory of me and my family all howling with laughter together at this and Billy Connolly in general. For that alone, he's a great favourite of mine. His social observations are brilliant.

Respect to DD for talking with him.

Sam.

I remember that sketch. I was in hysterics too.

Although my favourite has to be the one about talking to the tv during animal programs.

"Run ya B**t**ds! Run!"

Or the wee Romanian gymnast with the bunches and the fat po-faced judges marking her down because she moved her foot a tiny bit when landing after magnificent acrobatics in the air.

I loved the bit when he said that the National Anthem was too stuffy and it should be replaced with something a bit more catchy!

He suggested that it should be replaced with the theme tune from the Archers.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/archers/listen_now.shtml

Does anyone want to volunteer to do an entry on Billy Connolly?

*looks hard at the ground*

I always like his thing about swimming off barbados and seeing a shark

...or swimming of the coast of Aberdeen

I keep meaning to get on with such an entry.

I keep baulking, especially after reading his wife's book "Billy", because I keep thinking "how can I possibly reduce such a life and such a person to a decent entry?".

However, I'm still willing to have a go, if others want to share input