“Oh for God’s sake, have a laugh!” – Margaret Wilson (1922-2014)

This was the type of psychological advice that our Mum would give us in the 60’s and 70s! When you’ve looked after 9 kids and fostered a couple more, time was of the essence so sitting down and workshopping our woes wasn’t much of a priority! Instead, it was “be grateful for what you’ve got and have a laugh!” I saw what Friday night comedies like Dave Allen and The Two Ronnies did for my Dad, a tortured WW2 veteran and that cemented my love for comedy and how profound an effect it can have. In the darkest of times it has always been those words (which are on our Mum’s gravestone) that have dragged me into the light.

To come up with only 27 comic influences on my life is tough, much like trying to pick a top 50 albums so I decided to go with those movies/TV shows/Artists that I’ve watched and listened to the most over the past 57 years. I understand there are a plethora I haven’t seen that have huge raps, such as Veep and The Larry Sanders Show, but one only has so much time on their hands. I hope there is something here that might spark some interest if you haven’t connected with it in the past.

Sincere apologies to:  The 3 Stooges, Billy Connolly, The Club, Fleabag, Extras, The Late Show, Woody Allen, F Troop, George Carlin, Aussie movies Malcolm and Death in Brunswick, The Two Ronnies, Gavin & Stacey, Hard Quiz, What we do in the Shadows, The Thick of It, Yes Prime Minister, The Four Lions, The Marx Brothers, Stewart Lee, Lead Balloon, The Mighty Boosh, The Simpsons, Miranda, Portlandia, Broad City, Absolutely Fabulous, Cheech and Chong’s Up in Smoke, The IT Crowd, Slapshot, Father Ted, Would I Lie to You?, Spaced, Flight of the Concords, Frontline, People Like Us, Man Down, Caddyshack, and Richard Pryor Live.

#27 – The Goodies (1970-1982)

The mere thought of the Goodies brings a smile to my face. It’s an instant flashback to a time of innocent joy as a kid in the 70’s, gathered in the playground with friends re-enacting what we saw on the previous night’s show. The Goodies, Tim Brooke-Taylor, Bill Oddie and Graham Garden met at Cambridge University and were close friends of the Monty Python crew. The premise of the show is based on the three of them being able to do anything, anytime, anywhere. Their adventures take them just about as far as their imagination and writing would go. Episodes such as Kung Fu Capers (Ecky Thump), Kitten Kong and Bunfight at the OK Tearooms are classics. The Goodies, like Looney Tunes, had that inexplicable ability to entertain kids and adults alike.

#26 The Young Ones (1982-1984)

In the early 80’s of post punk England and Australia, me and my friends were right in the thick of anti-establishment behaviour and driven by the exciting music of the time. The interesting paradox here was that we were all in the army, which was funny because had we been caught participating in some of those activities we would have been booted out on our ear! It meant for interesting times and the Young Ones was the type of anarchic, cutting edge show that reinforced our foibles. Watching the Young Ones each week was very much an event for us, and we would gather around at someone’s house with a few drinks and crack up at the antics of the 4 x main characters, Neil, Vyvyin, Mike and Rick. All live in a squalid pit of a house, sharing it with talking animals and objects whilst being visited by any number of reprobates and some great bands. Written mostly by Ben Elton at his creative peak, it was imaginative, aggressive and certainly a landmark in TV at the time.

#25 – The Other Guys (2010)

The first hour of this film is hilarious, particularly the repertoire between Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg. So good in fact that they ended up making a couple of films post this but were unable to re-capture the spontaneity of this NYC cop spoof. A couple of fantastic understated cameos from Eva Mendes and Michael Keaton help set the jokes up beautifully.

#24 – Peep Show (2003-2015)

Written and performed by David Mitchell and Robert Webb, this uniquely filmed sitcom features two dysfunctional friends in a small flat and a number of peculiar acquaintances who enter their shallow existence. The ensemble cast are highly amusing including Matt King as Super Hans and Oscar winner Olivia Colman as Sophie. Ultimately it’s the relationship between the unemployed musician and often drug affected Jez (Robert Webb) and the socially awkward loan manager Mark (David Mitchell) that carries this brilliant show of 9 series. The show is uniquely filmed with cameras being strapped on the actor’s heads and voice overs providing their internal thoughts.

#23 – Whose Line is it Anyway? (1998-2007, 2013-present)

The original US version of this improvisational show was hosted by Drew Carey and is now hosted by Aisha Tyler. The key to the show’s success is the sheer brilliance of the 3 x actors Wayne Brady, Ryan Stiles and Colin Mochrie. There is always a 4th guest accompanying these 3 through improvisational games that range from breathtaking to utter disbelief at the level of imagination and speed of thought. We have never sat through a 25 minute show and not doubled over in laughter. Currently still showing on ABC2.

 

#22 – Norman Gunston Show  (1975-1979)

Norman is the only fictional TV character to win the Gold Logie and to this day is immortalised in so many ways, perhaps no less than appearing on the steps of Parliament House in 1975 as the Australian Prime Minister Gough Whitlam was sacked by the Governor General. It’s difficult to describe Norman to this generation. I guess in terms of interview style, you could say he was the Ali G of the 1970’s?  Celebrities and politicians didn’t know where to look and Norman’s real persona, the national treasure Garry McDonald, was utterly fearless  in his access and questioning. Interviews with Warren Beatty, Mohammad Ali, Paul McCartney and Sally Struthers spring to mind immediately. This one with Frank Zappa is also a classic. My sister Pam has a Norman Gunston record with hilarious versions of Delilah, a salute to Abba and many others that I love listening to. As a kid in the 70’s it was all about Norman!

#21 –  Raising Arizona (1987)

Along with The Big Lebowski, this second feature from the Coen Brothers has a strong cult following. The story of a childless couple who steal a baby from a furniture magnate in America’s south and are subsequently hunted by a couple of lunatic ex-con bounty hunters takes you on a fantastical ride with plenty of rich southern accents, car chases and lashings of black humour. It’s without a doubt the best thing Nicholas Cage has done and that was due mostly to the brilliant support of Holly Hunter as his wife. John Goodman is excellent as always in the Coen Brothers films, but it’s William Forsythe as his half witted escaped convict partner who has the best lines.

#20 – Bull Durham (1988)

Along with Slapshot and The Club this is the funniest sports film I’ve seen. Its appeal is in the atmosphere of the baseball minor leagues where players are eking out a living playing 160 games a year in very average conditions unlike their counterparts in the major league who fly in private jets and stay in five star accommodation. The 3 x main characters all do a great job. Kevin Costner is a brooding veteran coming to the end of his career who lands a contract to play  in Durham, North Carolina and Susan Sarandon is the sexy local school teacher and baseball aficionado who takes one player a year as a boyfriend to “mentor” both on and off the field. The glue to the comic relief is Tim Robbins as the knuckle- headed pitcher hoping to make it to the big league. His performance is superb and worthy of watching alone. The supporting cast are terrific and the film feels very authentically “southern” and real.