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

I think the late great Frankie Howerd was the best comedian ever. Ken Dodd is excellent, a joke and a laugh every 8 seconds. As someone else mentioned he can hold an audience for hours. I've seen Frankie Howerd, Jim Davidson, twice, and Max Bygraves can do a good standup show. We saw Jethro live, in November and he is just brilliant!

My most favourite comedy shows are 'One foot in the Grave', 'Dads Army', 'Birds of a feather', and 'Keeping up appearances' is hilarious!

Most of todays young comedians just leave me cold. They don't seem to be FUNNY!!!

Pinkie

Comedy is subjective, and people will like/loathe different comedians. But I've got to take issue with the idea that "most" young comedians simply aren't funny.

They're all so different! Noel James, Ross Noble, Daniel Kitson, Justin Moorhouse, Natalie Haynes, Toby Foster, Chris Lynam, Roger Monkhouse. At least one of those is an intelligent satirist and one of them sticks fireworks up his naked rectum then lights them.

Sean Meo, Rich Hall, Rob Heeney, Boothby Graffoe, Gavin Webster, Silky, Karen Bayley, Jay Sodogar, James Cook, Dominic Woodward, Toby Hadoke, Mark Rough, Susan Murray, Jason John Whitehead, Alan Carr, John Bishop, or even yours truly.

Have you seen any of these people, or others like them, before making such sweeping generalisations?

In support of Geoff's comments, I've seen some of the best comedy of my life in the past year. Comedy is going from strength to strength IMHO.

Absolutely agree, Peter Cook was/is a GOD of Brit Comedy. And at a time when it was at it's most dire, the only place to go was the Radio.
Cook, Milligan and Sellers stuff was the only relief from the Music Hall twaddle that was being churned out like slurry by the Mr Chumbley-Warners of the BBC.
Handcock and Cooper were a sign that there was more to our sense of humour than Botty/Pansy/Mother-In-Law/Look at the Black Man drivel that was the National Diet (Shudder to recall the stuff that used to passed off as Funny) that is so full of worm we can't go there.

Today, we can not honestly say that we know much of the contemporary scene, and as to the Stuff from over the pond. The Murphy's Smiths and Rocks are NOT Funny, they're SAD. Carson must be turning in his Urn as Only Arnie is funnier.
The Third Rock Crew truly stand out in a Sea of Formulaeicicicic PAP, whilst back here the only stuff that makes us laugh is Mrs Thatcher when she gets out of her box to Wax Lyrical at us, or the Press Obsession with Posh and Becks.
To be fare though, The Two Johns and Bremner amuse, The Lizzard, The Yin and Lenny are lightweights against Peter Cook and Spike just keeps on getting better, whilst Doddy is ever popular with the Tax Man.

How could we have let Frankie slip by, we endorse what you say and rank him very highly, (he moved us on many an occasion to tears).
He was one of the very few good thing to come off the boards.

We relish Up Pompei............

Did you catch the "An Audience with......." series he and Doddy were sublime.

Pete n Dud were really great, and I've said elsewhere what a stand-up master Doddy is. And as for the magnificent Mr Howerd, well...

I'm not knocking the older comics in any way; they're great. But it's just as bad to say that "The Young 'uns aren't funny" as it is to say "The Old 'uns aren't funny." That's what my earlier post was about.