Gavin and Stacey, funny or not?

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I say not. They've just played a compilation of clips on TV and no one here laughed once.

Stuff I like, in no particular order - Faulty Towers, The IT crowd, Open all hours, Rising Damp, Black Books, Father Ted, Mrs Browns Boys, Red Dwarf, Allo Allo, Benidorm, Laurel and Hardy, Morecambe and Wise, The Goodies, Abbot and Costello, Sgt Bilko, Third Rock, The thin blue line, anything with Norman Wisdom in it, The worst week of my life and all of them in that series... and many many more.

I dunno though, some modern stuff that people rave about just leaves me cold. Was there one genuine laugh in The Office or Gavin and Stacey? I liked the odd bit in Fools and Horses and The Royal family but I have to say that much of it just left me with a feeling of embarrassment. I much preferred The green green grass.

So, much applauded modern stuff... is it really funny?
 
Some of it is - Fawlty Towers and Blackadder for me are the pinnacle, never really got the Royal family but Gavin & Stacey was hilarious, some really funny stuff in that and was a classic. Dangerous to bring it back but good to see.
 
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Rob Brydon provides the best bits in Gavin and Stacey. Can't stand Mrs Brown's Boys and have never really watched Father Ted as it just doesn't appeal to me. Only Fools is ok in small doses.
Royale Family also ok in parts but I find it a bit depressing at times.
 
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Rob Brydon provides the best bits in Gavin and Stacey. Can't stand Mrs Brown's Boys and have never really watched Father Ted as it just doesn't appeal to me. Only Fools is ok in small doses.
Royale Family also ok in parts but I find it a bit depressing at times.

I think some of the modern comedy stuff tries too hard to be pc and right on message and tend too much towards social commentary and drama rather than being funny as something like Rising Damp was funny. Some of the highly praised modern stuff IMO is often nearer East Enders than true comedy.
 
Good job we’re all different. I never found Morecambe and Wise remotely funny whereas lots did and still do.

I like G and S myself and have found it to have some insight and poignancy as well as comedy. Try as I might not to laugh at Mrs Brown's Boys, I usually do find it funny.

For me though the pinnacle of tv comedy is the 'League of Gentlemen' although I totally understand it’s not everyone’s cup of tea. The Inbetweeners was very funny and well observed too I thought.
 
Good job we’re all different.
Indeed! I never found Gavin and Stacey remotely funny but then I don't find 99% of British sit. coms funny, most of it seems to be the same jokes rehashed and just seems so obvious.

The first series of Green Wing (Channel 4 hospital sit com) was for me the funniest thing in a decade or more, before that Spaced. I'd agree about Black Adder and for their time Faulty Towers and Rising Damp. I enjoyed The Royal Family and Early Doors but didn't often find them laugh-out-loud funny.
 
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I'd swap the lot (except for Green Wing) for a box set of The Big Bang Theory

Ducks :):):)
 
Yes, I find it funny.
Also find only fools and royle family funny.
Funniest for me though is two and a half men.
 
Nope, not for me. I also detest Mrs Brown's boys, though I always hated Brendan O' Carroll, one of the least funny Irishmen I've ever seen 'trying' to act.

Love Father Ted, one of those ultimate re-watchables, like Faulty Towers or older episodes of the Simpsons [that's been crap the past decade or so]
 
I say not. They've just played a compilation of clips on TV and no one here laughed once.

Stuff I like, in no particular order - Faulty Towers, The IT crowd, Open all hours, Rising Damp, Black Books, Father Ted, Mrs Browns Boys, Red Dwarf, Allo Allo, Benidorm, Laurel and Hardy, Morecambe and Wise, The Goodies, Abbot and Costello, Sgt Bilko, Third Rock, The thin blue line, anything with Norman Wisdom in it, The worst week of my life and all of them in that series... and many many more.

I dunno though, some modern stuff that people rave about just leaves me cold. Was there one genuine laugh in The Office or Gavin and Stacey? I liked the odd bit in Fools and Horses and The Royal family but I have to say that much of it just left me with a feeling of embarrassment. I much preferred The green green grass.

So, much applauded modern stuff... is it really funny?

There were some classics in Gavin & Stacey but not all obvious.
In one episode Nessa was upstairs and asked to borrow some batteries. Eventually she borrowed 2 out of the remote. A little while later she came downstairs and said she didn't need them. Then went over to the sink and washed 2 fingers. :LOL:
 
I say not. They've just played a compilation of clips on TV and no one here laughed once.

Stuff I like, in no particular order - Faulty Towers, The IT crowd, Open all hours, Rising Damp, Black Books, Father Ted, Mrs Browns Boys, Red Dwarf, Allo Allo, Benidorm, Laurel and Hardy, Morecambe and Wise, The Goodies, Abbot and Costello, Sgt Bilko, Third Rock, The thin blue line, anything with Norman Wisdom in it, The worst week of my life and all of them in that series... and many many more.

I dunno though, some modern stuff that people rave about just leaves me cold. Was there one genuine laugh in The Office or Gavin and Stacey? I liked the odd bit in Fools and Horses and The Royal family but I have to say that much of it just left me with a feeling of embarrassment. I much preferred The green green grass.

So, much applauded modern stuff... is it really funny?

Strange isnt it? I agree with most of your list but green green grass and mrs browns boys i hated with a passion, couldn't understand why they were even made.
 
My tastes have changed a great deal over the years. Comedy shows no longer amuse me and are often just irritating. On the other hand drama series like Deutschland 86 often have black humour amongst the serious story lines and that can make me smile or even laugh out loud.
 
I say not. They've just played a compilation of clips on TV and no one here laughed once.

Stuff I like, in no particular order - Faulty Towers, The IT crowd, Open all hours, Rising Damp, Black Books, Father Ted, Mrs Browns Boys, Red Dwarf, Allo Allo, Benidorm, Laurel and Hardy, Morecambe and Wise, The Goodies, Abbot and Costello, Sgt Bilko, Third Rock, The thin blue line, anything with Norman Wisdom in it, The worst week of my life and all of them in that series... and many many more.

I dunno though, some modern stuff that people rave about just leaves me cold. Was there one genuine laugh in The Office or Gavin and Stacey? I liked the odd bit in Fools and Horses and The Royal family but I have to say that much of it just left me with a feeling of embarrassment. I much preferred The green green grass.

So, much applauded modern stuff... is it really funny?

Of those older show, I still find Fawlty Towers, Father Ted, Laurel & Hardy and Morcambe & Wise funny. The rest of them, I've never been much of a fan. Of the (relatively) newer shows you mention, I'd say The Office and The Royle Family are for me, probably two of the funniest sitcoms ever. I'd also say, all of the Ricky Gervais sitcoms have been brilliant, with After Life, his most recent being the best of the lot.
 
Nope, not for me. I also detest Mrs Brown's boys, though I always hated Brendan O' Carroll, one of the least funny Irishmen I've ever seen 'trying' to act.

I never really watched Mrs Browns boys as it just looked terrible in the trailers, but my wife likes it so I've ended up seeing most of them. and I've actually found some of it quite funny. The jokes are all ancient, you know the punchline before they've finished with the setup, but what it does have is great timing, old jokes told very well. That and the 4th wall breaking Mrs Brown does usually amuses me. I still doubt it would make a top 50 list of sitcoms for me though as it seems so old school it feels dated already.
 
I'd swap the lot (except for Green Wing) for a box set of The Big Bang Theory

Ducks :):):)

The Big Bang Theory is/was fantastic, so well written and produced, like a lot of the best US sitcoms are. Apart from Fawlty Towers in the original list, I'd put it above all of them. I was quite sad to see the final episode the other day.

Another US sitcom fave of mine is Modern Family.
 
I never really watched Mrs Browns boys as it just looked terrible in the trailers, but my wife likes it so I've ended up seeing most of them. and I've actually found some of it quite funny. The jokes are all ancient, you know the punchline before they've finished with the setup, but what it does have is great timing, old jokes told very well. That and the 4th wall breaking Mrs Brown does usually amuses me. I still doubt it would make a top 50 list of sitcoms for me though as it seems so old school it feels dated already.

My 15yr old daughter thinks it's hilarious, I have to leave the room when she puts it on or I become one of those cantankerous no-sense-of-humor critics.
 
My 15yr old daughter thinks it's hilarious, I have to leave the room when she puts it on or I become one of those cantankerous no-sense-of-humor critics.

She probably hasn't heard all of the jokes before.
 
She probably hasn't heard all of the jokes before.

That's precisely the case, I told her I couldn't stand him long before he did Mrs Brown, and her response was 'well, he's funny as a woman' - so , deaf ears and all that :D she'll learn in time
 
Much of what others above like leaves me cold, in fact Mumbles and I must have the complete opposite sense of humour.
Trying to think of things that do make me laugh, My Name Is Earl springs to mind as does Jack Dee and early Alan Partridge.
Joan Rivers and Ruby Wax had their moments too, afraid I like a bit of cruelty in my humour
Haven't seen it for years and might not have aged well, but there was a US comedy called Soap, loved that show.
 
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Much of what others above like leaves me cold, in fact Mumbles and I must have the complete opposite sense of humour.
Trying to think of things that do make me laugh, My Name Is Earl springs to mind as does Jack Dee and early Alan Partridge.
Joan Rivers and Ruby Wax had their moments too, afraid I like a bit of cruelty in my humour
Haven't seen it for years and might not have aged well, but there was a US comedy called Soap, loved that show.
I used to love Soap. First thing I remember seeing Billy Crystal in. The spinoff, Benson, was also good.
 
Much of what others above like leaves me cold, in fact Mumbles and I must have the complete opposite sense of humour.
Trying to think of things that do make me laugh, My Name Is Earl springs to mind as does Jack Dee and early Alan Partridge.
Joan Rivers and Ruby Wax had their moments too, afraid I like a bit of cruelty in my humour
Haven't seen it for years and might not have aged well, but there was a US comedy called Soap, loved that show.

Was growing up then, but we watched Soap and loved and Benson was great as the butler.
 
Much of what others above like leaves me cold, in fact Mumbles and I must have the complete opposite sense of humour.
Trying to think of things that do make me laugh, My Name Is Earl springs to mind as does Jack Dee and early Alan Partridge.
Joan Rivers and Ruby Wax had their moments too, afraid I like a bit of cruelty in my humour
Haven't seen it for years and might not have aged well, but there was a US comedy called Soap, loved that show.

I love My Name Is Earl, Jack Dee and all of Alan Partridge, as well as Joan Rivers and Ruby Wax, so we have some common ground. I think my all time favourite comedy show has to be Brass Eye, with The Day Today a close second.
 
I used to love Soap. First thing I remember seeing Billy Crystal in. The spinoff, Benson, was also good.
Was growing up then, but we watched Soap and loved and Benson was great as the butler.

Benson the butler was funny, very dry sense of humour, forgot about the spin off.
My favourite was Chuck and his dummy Bob, so many great characters to choose from though
 
I like Alan Partridge too, even watched the movie! you have to be a fan to even want to! :D

I think one of my favorite British sketch shows though was The Fast Show, I also loved The League of Gentlemen, now that was an acquired taste
 
I like Alan Partridge too, even watched the movie! you have to be a fan to even want to! :D

I think one of my favorite British sketch shows though was The Fast Show, I also loved The League of Gentlemen, now that was an acquired taste

I really enjoyed Alpha Papa, Coogan can do no wrong with me though, always been a fan.

Loved the Fast Show too. One of my favourite programs recently has been Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing. I've no interest in fishing, but I could watch Bob Mortimer and Paul Whitehouse sitting chatting and having a laugh all day.
 
Humour seems to be continuously evolving, and if you drop the connection for a while then you stop travelling with it: we've not had a TV since '81, and so comedy afterwards has passed us by. Now typical sitcom stuff makes me twitch and cringe if I have to endure it. Really wanted to like Red Dwarf, Black Adder, couldn't bear either. Curiously enough I've quite enjoyed some of Simon Pegg's stuff, and likewise Bill Bailey is really good.

FWIW I loathe and despise some older comedy stuff too - Laurel and Hardy is the stuff of raging nightmares and diseased hallucination.
 
Strange isnt it? I agree with most of your list but green green grass and mrs browns boys i hated with a passion, couldn't understand why they were even made.

I think Green green grass was very silly. I can imagine younger people today thinking it's total rubbish but I liked the silliness. It was much sillier than Fools and horses for me, too much attempt at drama in that for me to see it as a comedy.

I like some modern stuff but I do like the old silly classics too.
 
I love My Name Is Earl, Jack Dee and all of Alan Partridge, as well as Joan Rivers and Ruby Wax, so we have some common ground. I think my all time favourite comedy show has to be Brass Eye, with The Day Today a close second.

YES!

I keep thinking of buying a box set of that. I loved it! :D
 
I never really watched Mrs Browns boys as it just looked terrible in the trailers, but my wife likes it so I've ended up seeing most of them. and I've actually found some of it quite funny. The jokes are all ancient, you know the punchline before they've finished with the setup, but what it does have is great timing, old jokes told very well. That and the 4th wall breaking Mrs Brown does usually amuses me. I still doubt it would make a top 50 list of sitcoms for me though as it seems so old school it feels dated already.

I liked Miranda, she does that.
 
Some of it is - Fawlty Towers and Blackadder for me are the pinnacle, never really got the Royal family but Gavin & Stacey was hilarious, some really funny stuff in that and was a classic. Dangerous to bring it back but good to see.

Blackadder without question, and what about Dave Allen?
 
and what about Dave Allen?
He was brilliant in his day, whether or not he'd been seen as funny by a certain few these days remains to be seen though,
 
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