My all-time favourite would be 'Seinfeld'. Although it ended a few years ago after a long and successful run, I still enjoy the re-runs on cable. The chemistry between Jerry, Elaine, George and Kramer were sizzling and near perfection. I cannot stop laughing cause they are a bunch of self-centered, wicked, unlucky and wacky people. Recently, one of the creators, Larry David, did a new series called 'Curb Your Enthusiasm', the humour and content was nearly as good as 'Seinfeld', but lacked the charismatic group.
Anyway, since 'Seinfeld', there had been many pretenders to the throne. I have seen a fair bit of them and would like to share them with you, if you have the same acute taste in comedy as me...
1. Little Britain
Talking about British humour (not Mr Bean). You may be forgiven if you assumed that all people from the UK are black-hearted after seeing this successful series. It is so good, witty script, wicked humour and jokes, that you will be laughing along all of the time except when they pulled out a Brit slang or two. There are only 2 main men in this series. Within the 1 hour episode, there are mini storylines that do not relate to each other. It is kinda like the 'Benny Hill Show' except there are more dialogues and wit compared to Hill's infamous slapstick. These 2 guys in Little Britain, portray a dozen colourful characters each. There is the 'cripple' man on the wheelchair and his very patient friend who tries his best to keep his sanity and accede to the crazy demands and eccentric temper of his 'less fortunate' friend. There is the very gay guy in a small village, always proclaiming that he is the only gay and that people always ostracize him, however, when other gay people turn up in his village, he tries desperately to chase them away. There is also a gay PA of the prime minister who constantly fights for affection and attention of his boss. Did I mentioned that these 2 comedians do not blink an eye about cross-dressing to get into character? Of course it always have the very funny effect cause both of them are big-sized and quite hairy... Kudos to Matt Lucas & David Walliams. Art Central showed it for a while and I don't think they show it now because there isn't a huge following...Singaporeans prefer watching things like Desperate Housewives, Prison Break and Lost. Well, life is serious enough without adding on to it on tv. It's high time we have a following for comedies
2. Will & Grace
I have seen it a few times, most of it during my stay overseas. It is an American comedy and the 4 leads spend lots of time together like in 'Seinfeld'. However, there is a twist in this story. Like 'Seinfeld' where Jerry & Elaine used to date each other and later became friends, Will & Grace was nearly married to each other, only for Will to come out that he is gay. After splitting up for a long time, they bumped into each other and sort of become roommates. Then they have 2 friends, Jack, who is a more flamboyant gay and an alcoholic rich socialite, Karen, who works as Grace's assistant to pass time. This plot has a lot of mention on sex and gay jokes. Will & Grace are often described as non-sexual life partners. Oh yeah and alot of bitchin... although it has ended its run, it is worth the price in DVDs. The jokes and humour come thick & fast, typical American comedy. I think the best part is that since Jack is very flamboyant, it breaks all previous taboos about gay jokes. Although many tv series has some sexual connotations, this one is no-holds-barred. Alot of the shows were done 'live' with audiences, no chance for NGs and you can really see the actors enjoying themselves. The chemistry between them is good and I highly recommend it as a must see.
From left: Jack, Grace, Will and Karen
Sean Hayes, Debra Messing, Eric McCormack and Megan Mullally.
3. Saturday Nite Live (SNL)
This is the godfather of 'live' stand up comedy like Dave Chapelle. It produced alot of comedians turned movie star. Bill Murray, Chevy Chase, Jim Carrey, Adam Sandler, Owen Wilson, Will Ferrell, Ben Stiller, Vince Vaugh and recently Tina Fey.
This show dates back to 1975 and is still running. CNBC ran it for a while but maybe due to the poor ratings (CNBC is on cable) it discontinued. However, you should never discount its value in humour.
It is broadcast 'Live' from NYC, and in front of many audiences. Every week you will see different celebrities hosting the show and also taking part in the banter and slapstick jokes in each episode. Each of them will kick off the show with a 3 minute monologue, sometimes making fun of themselves. Previous hosts include, Britney Spears, Paris Hilton, Will Ferrell, Ashton Kutcher, Colin Ferrell, Jude Law, Robert De Niro, Natalie Portman just to name a few.
The show consists many skits, character-playing, sometimes depicting real life politicians, especially George Bush and his merry men of the white house. You know the show ain't Republican for sure. They make fun of everyone and poke fun at everything. Wicked with a capital W
Although there is a guest host each week, the show has a regular cast of comedians who are damn good at what they do. As the show has been a launch pad to stardom, you can see that the quality of the comedians are best of the best.
Some skits are so popular, they get a long running series week after week. 'Celebrity Jeopardy' was one. 'Bear City' was another, 'Weekend Update' was also another.
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While I would love to banter on about my list of must-see comedies, it would be better if you go on to discover or see an episode to feel how I feel. As they say, a picture speaks a thousand words.
Just some more comedies from my list.
Coupling (UK), South Park, Curb your Enthusiasm, The Office (UK), Extras, 2 and 1/2 men, Just Shoot me, The Drew Carrey Show, Whose Line is it Anyway?
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