Television Unfunny comedians

Sara Pascoe. I genuinely think Frankie Boyle is one of the best, smartest comedians to come out of the UK, and yet for some reason he decided to bring her along for the ride on his panel show. It just made the whole thing unwatchable.

Also Richard Herring I find a bit cringey. I like RHLSTP though purely for the guests he gets, but whenever he interjects it’s usually with something unfunny.

He is much funnier in his own stand up shows than he is on the podcast, it is one of the reasons I don't listen to it.
 
If we're talking just stand-up comedy; Stephen Merchant. Great writer, and funny in the setting of a podcast, but his stand up is difficult to watch.

Russell Howard isn't funny in any setting.

Can't stand Alan Carr either.
 
I don’t get Seinfeld, at all.

I try. Every time someone posts a clip of Seinfeld I’ll watch it and smile along instinctively with the canned laughter like I’ve been conditioned to do… but after a few minutes I have an empty feeling where I realise what I’m doing and how pathetic it is.

I was raised on stuff like The Day Today, Partridge, Julia Davis etc and I generally have a more dry / dark sense of humour than most people I know. Maybe this factors in somehow.

Is Curb Your Enthusiasm similar to Seinfeld? I’ve always been put off trying it because people who like Seinfeld recommend it to me.
I didn’t like Seinfeld first time around. But on a rewatch I started to see what all the fuss was about. I think you really need to know the characters to get the jokes. Or at least to appreciate the jokes to the extent people do.
As for curb your enthusiasm. I really struggled to get into it at first. I didn’t bother with it until last year. Watched all seasons back to back. And it’s some the funniest tv I’ve ever seen. Like lose my ability to control my laughter, tears streaming out of my eyes funny.
Maybe acquired taste should be attributed to these shows as I did find them both hard to get into. But once I was in I was all the way in. Especially curb. It’s gold standard comedy for me.
 
Kevin Hart is completely unfunny and half his jokes are about him being very short.
 
Sexism
Any female comedian.

And I don't even care who's offended. They are just plainly not funny.
 
Agree on Rosie Jones, McIntyre, and Sarah Millican surely only gets away with it because she has an accent. Add Rhod Gilbert for the same reason.

Not having Gervais, Animals and Politics are genius shows. Down hill from there though.
 
I find most comedians unfunny tbf. All feels way too forced.
 
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This prick.

I didn't type his name because most people who aren't from Ireland will be fortunate enough never to have heard of him.

If you do come across him, steer clear. He somehow has both less talent and more self confidence than James Corden.


Was going to post this cnut.

Along with Andrew Maxwell and that utter twat Ed Byrne.
 
The Office was genius, but christ he's insufferable.

I wasnt really a fan of The Office (UK), I preferred the US version.
Ive watched a few of Gervais’ films, yet to change my mind on him. Hes just the shouty-loudly-laughing-British-guy
 
Was going to post this cnut.

Along with Andrew Maxwell and that utter twat Ed Byrne.

I feel like Irish comedians are either amazing or horrific. We have very few middle of the road comedians. The horrific also outnumber the amazing by a ratio of 400,000:1

This is controversial, and I'm fully aware that it is me being weird, rather than any reflection on some of these hugely successful names. But I generally don't find many US comedians funny. People go mad for people like Dave Chappelle, Bill Burr, Drew Carey, Bo Burnham, Eddie Murphy and a load more I can't think of right now, but I just don't get it. Even guys like Seinfeld, Chris Rock and Louis CK, where I can appreciate what they have achieved in comedy - I rarely find their stand up very funny.

I quite like Rich Hall and Reginald D. Hunter, but I think that's because I've enjoyed them most in a format we're used to watching comedians in here. Although I did see Hunter in Edinburgh a few years back and he was brilliant.
 
Jo Brand is also unfunny now

I say now because for a while I did find her funny when I was younger but then you realise every joke is the same. Even her "witty" responses are about her being fat and hating her husband
I think she was funny for a while. It’s a long time ago though.
 
Jo Brand is definitely a good shout. Oh I'm fat, oh cake, oh men are terrible. Zzzz
 
I quite like Rich Hall and Reginald D. Hunter, but I think that's because I've enjoyed them most in a format we're used to watching comedians in here. Although I did see Hunter in Edinburgh a few years back and he was brilliant.

Looked up his wikipedia page to remind myself of who he is as it's been years since I've seen any of those panel type shows. One of the few bits of information on there is that Clarke Carlisle called him a racist. :lol:
 
Being an old git who watches very little TV these days, I’ve only come across about a third of the names on here. All of them completely unfunny.

Let’s not drown in a swamp of negativity though. Who in the opinion of the Caf’s trendy young things are the comedians of today who actually are funny?
 
I've never known a stand up comic who has always remained funny. They all become stale after the initial period. Newer comics are mindful of this and doing stuff a lot more sporadically and also quitting at the right time. Always better to leave people wanting for more than being dragged off the stage and 99.9% end up as the latter.
 
Being an old git who watches very little TV these days, I’ve only come across about a third of the names on here. All of them completely unfunny.

Let’s not drown in a swamp of negativity though. Who in the opinion of the Caf’s trendy young things are the comedians of today who actually are funny?

James Acaster is decent
 
Agree all those mentioned, that I've heard of, are unfunny, except maybe Lee Mack, who whilst not necessarily being likeable can be funny.

How about Ranganathan, who doesn't even try to be funny but seems to be in everything nonetheless.
 
Being an old git who watches very little TV these days, I’ve only come across about a third of the names on here. All of them completely unfunny.

Let’s not drown in a swamp of negativity though. Who in the opinion of the Caf’s trendy young things are the comedians of today who actually are funny?

Sean Lock (RIP) was very good and generally liked by everyone. Very sad that he passed away
 
I feel like Irish comedians are either amazing or horrific. We have very few middle of the road comedians. The horrific also outnumber the amazing by a ratio of 400,000:1

This is controversial, and I'm fully aware that it is me being weird, rather than any reflection on some of these hugely successful names. But I generally don't find many US comedians funny. People go mad for people like Dave Chappelle, Bill Burr, Drew Carey, Bo Burnham, Eddie Murphy and a load more I can't think of right now, but I just don't get it. Even guys like Seinfeld, Chris Rock and Louis CK, where I can appreciate what they have achieved in comedy - I rarely find their stand up very funny.

I quite like Rich Hall and Reginald D. Hunter, but I think that's because I've enjoyed them most in a format we're used to watching comedians in here. Although I did see Hunter in Edinburgh a few years back and he was brilliant.

I'd agree about US comedians. Could take them or leave them, don't find many of them funnt at all. Burr's Philly rant is famous for being hilarious, it's not, he's just spouting shite for 10 minutes.

Hunter is funny enough, he's good on the panel shows. I heard him tell a story about a gig he did in Dublin. Afterward he was talking to some people outside and one of them told him he was a funny cnut. He said he was totally confused as never knew that word could be used as a compliment until he came to Ireland.

Neil Delamare is awful and apparently a top notch gobshite along with it. I know someone who met him while setting up a gig and experienced him first hand. Said he was like a diva.

Personally I like Dylan Moran. Dermot Morgan was incredibly funny, some of his stand up stuff is on YouTube, his impressions are quality. Colin Murphy was good on some of those panel shows and the Bliazzard of Odd (I think it was that). I honestly can't think of many more.
 
I didn’t like Seinfeld first time around. But on a rewatch I started to see what all the fuss was about. I think you really need to know the characters to get the jokes. Or at least to appreciate the jokes to the extent people do.
As for curb your enthusiasm. I really struggled to get into it at first. I didn’t bother with it until last year. Watched all seasons back to back. And it’s some the funniest tv I’ve ever seen. Like lose my ability to control my laughter, tears streaming out of my eyes funny.
Maybe acquired taste should be attributed to these shows as I did find them both hard to get into. But once I was in I was all the way in. Especially curb. It’s gold standard comedy for me.

What British comedy would you compare Curb Your Enthusiasm to?

As in the type of comedy, not necessarily the thematic direction within the show.
 
I'd agree about US comedians. Could take them or leave them, don't find many of them funnt at all. Burr's Philly rant is famous for being hilarious, it's not, he's just spouting shite for 10 minutes.

Hunter is funny enough, he's good on the panel shows. I heard him tell a story about a gig he did in Dublin. Afterward he was talking to some people outside and one of them told him he was a funny cnut. He said he was totally confused as never knew that word could be used as a compliment until he came to Ireland.

Neil Delamare is awful and apparently a top notch gobshite along with it. I know someone who met him while setting up a gig and experienced him first hand. Said he was like a diva.

Personally I like Dylan Moran. Dermot Morgan was incredibly funny, some of his stand up stuff is on YouTube, his impressions are quality. Colin Murphy was good on some of those panel shows and the Bliazzard of Odd (I think it was that). I honestly can't think of many more.

Dylan Moran is a genius. Probably our greatest stand-up comedian ever. Tommy Tiernan was brilliant for a brief spell but has faded hard in recent years.

Current comedians I like are Bob Mortimer, James Acaster, Bill Bailey, Jim Jeffries, Kevin Bridges, Greg Davies, Rhod Gilbert, Miles Jupp, Aisling Bea and Eddie Izzard.
 
Jon Richardson hasn't been mentioned yet.
One joke about being anal, and one about lacking confidence, continually rehashed. The level of narcissism required to make every joke about one's self.....
He is better than the mannequin he married though.
 
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This prick.

I didn't type his name because most people who aren't from Ireland will be fortunate enough never to have heard of him.

If you do come across him, steer clear. He somehow has both less talent and more self confidence than James Corden.

Genuinely thought this was Steve McManaman.
 
James Acaster is decent
Yeah, his Repertoir specials are some of the best comedy shows of recent years. I did not think I'd become such a fan after seeing his early TV appearances, but give him a blank canvas of a stage and an hour and he thrives on it.
 
Sean Lock (RIP) was very good and generally liked by everyone. Very sad that he passed away
Yes I agree.

Years ago I was an avid listener to Radio 4 comedy, and particularly loved 15 Minutes of Misery and its successor. It was only when I read his obituary that I discovered it was him who had starred in it.
 
Dylan Moran is a genius. Probably our greatest stand-up comedian ever. Tommy Tiernan was brilliant for a brief spell but has faded hard in recent years.

Current comedians I like are Bob Mortimer, James Acaster, Bill Bailey, Jim Jeffries, Kevin Bridges, Greg Davies, Rhod Gilbert, Miles Jupp, Aisling Bea and Eddie Izzard.

Tommy was funny, then he just started shouting fcuk a lot. I used to like Jack Dee as well. He's got less miserable and somehow less funny along with it.

James Acaster does a spotify podcast called Off the menu with Ed Gamble. It's the biggest pile of shit I've listened to for a long while, granted I only listened to one with Corey Taylor and they spent most of it talking about his bowel movements.
 
Yeah, his Repertoir specials are some of the best comedy shows of recent years. I did not think I'd become such a fan after seeing his early TV appearances, but give him a blank canvas of a stage and an hour and he thrives on it.

Same. Avoided his stand up for ages, just because I thought he was a bit ordinary on panel shows. Now I'm a huge fan.

Repertoire is fantastic. And his most recent special, Cold Lasagne Hate Myself 1999 is also excellent. Annoyingly you can only watch it on Vimeo though.
 
What British comedy would you compare Curb Your Enthusiasm to?

As in the type of comedy, not necessarily the thematic direction within the show.

Id probably put curb in the same box as Alan partridge, extras and peep show. I havent seen it, but I’ve heard multiple people say ‘lead balloon‘ is like a british version of curb.
 
Rob Riggle. Really can’t stand him. Being loud is not the same as being funny.
 
I'd agree about US comedians. Could take them or leave them, don't find many of them funnt at all. Burr's Philly rant is famous for being hilarious, it's not, he's just spouting shite for 10 minutes.

Hunter is funny enough, he's good on the panel shows. I heard him tell a story about a gig he did in Dublin. Afterward he was talking to some people outside and one of them told him he was a funny cnut. He said he was totally confused as never knew that word could be used as a compliment until he came to Ireland.

Neil Delamare is awful and apparently a top notch gobshite along with it. I know someone who met him while setting up a gig and experienced him first hand. Said he was like a diva.

Personally I like Dylan Moran. Dermot Morgan was incredibly funny, some of his stand up stuff is on YouTube, his impressions are quality. Colin Murphy was good on some of those panel shows and the Bliazzard of Odd (I think it was that). I honestly can't think of many more.

Dylan Moran is super. A reluctant national treasure. Supposedly not the warmest dude in real life but that’s to be expected given his act is probably just his amazing use of language and the twisting of the mundane. He’s like the grumpy alcoholic lecturer that everyone loves but he hates everything.

I never got Tommy Tiernan. Just a lot of shouting. Maybe his earlier stuff was good. I saw him one night. It was grand. He sold out like 10 nights in row in a huge place. Way more successful than his talent warrants.