Have you noticed the 'jobs for the boys' in the extreme on BBC2. There are a sequence of panel shows that include the same people. A gang of Stephen Fry, Alan Davies, Rob Brydon and their friends being oh so intellectual and packing their wallets out.

He's had a decent 'acting' career too - another mystery.

Bit harsh lumping Rob Brydon in with the Stephen Fry lovies network. Worked his way up from Radio wales and doing stand-up I think. Davies is undoubtedly shit at everything except curly hair.

He is decent at biting tramps noses too

I can only imagine Alan Davies' dad is some high up exec at the Beeb for him to make such a career out of no talent.

Agree with toulouser about Rob Brydon, very funny fella who started in musicals and Radio Wales. Rather see more of him on BBC than Michael Mcintyre.

Rob Brydon is a really talented bloke like him a lot.

That thing Coogan and Brydon did.."The Trip"? Utterly brilliant!

I like Rob Brydon, David Mitchell is sometimes part of that mob as well and although he can come across very arsey I like him and love Peep Show.

Was that the tying were they basically having a bit of food and a drink just chatting and doing impressions? Only seen a bit of it spoke to a few people who said it's brilliant need to watch it all.

Sorry chaps and chapesses, but I think Mr Fry is very intellectual and talented. I find him open to his emotions, in quite a few of his documentaries where he has cast a light on his own demons. Honesty about drugs, homosexuality, OCD, jail etc.

Not a fan of Alan Davis or Johnathon Creek! However he does play the foil really well in QI.

Rob Brydon is a very talented actor/comedian/impressionist. Only remember one flop of his I've seen, and I can't remember the name! It was that bad.

FYI Mr I, the Beeb did and may still have quota's on female's on panel shows. FYI Sandi Toksvig is taking over from Mr Fry on QI.

Mr I, You also missed out the Smug intellectual David Mitchell and his ever so elegant Poker playing wife! They are hardly on telly/radio? Hold on now I appear to be on your side.

As for the point I was going to make, Quiz shows are no longer about winners and losers, just about the entertainment. A Question of sport and Have I got news for you et al, no longer keep count of which Captain wins the series. Also as for comedians, its all about whose popular and has a new tour coming up.

Sandi Toksvig is about as funny as a poke in the eye same as Jo Brand and Victoria Wood.

That's the one, well worth a good look. You do need to watch em all to get the gist.

Anti Womanist!!!!

Couldnt agree more. One of the best programmes ever made.......both series.

Brydon and Coogan are utterly brilliant.

and Gina Yashere and Sarah Millican.

I do sort of agree with you 2 anti womanists, but I do find Sarah Millican occasionally funny. As an anti anti womanist I do find Katerine Ryan funny. Although slightly disturbing, maybe I find her attractive, yet knowing if we shared a bed when I awoke she would be laid next to me staring, and staring at me. Then she'd either ask for sex or a Full English breakfast. Either way I feel If I got it wrong somehow, then I would definitely lose part of my anatomy. Is that just me?

Her comedy is very repetitive and all she does is say vile things about the fact she is a woman. Similar grounds on why I don't like Lenny Henry, he just focuses on the fact he is black.

Yeah I agree and Jo Brand either being fat or husband jokes

Miranda. About as funny as a steamroller running over a baby.

I think Mr Mac you have hit the nail on the head with the word repetitive! In the old days comedians would tour, and when on tv seem current. Nowadays with all the panel shows they have to regurgitate some of their current stage routine, or try to be spontanious, which some aren't! Add to that mobile phone's, DVD sales etc, and no longer can a comedian have a script for a year or so!

Fair points about Rob Brydon and yes, 'the trip' was excellent.
Yes Stephen Fry is clever but the rest are twats.

My main point is that they are all the current 'in crowd' with the BBC. They always seem to have someone who they are wetting themselves over. A couplle of years they were plugging 'the crap and very unmighty boosh'. Then it was Michael McIntyre, now it seems to be the Stephen Fry mob.

BBC is tragic these days.

Can't do drama series as well as HBO, can't afford proper sports coverage despite the licence fee so they push minority sports that hardly anybody pays to go and see, happiest in their little bubble of quiz shows or everyone sat on sofas talking trivia.

I very rarely watch BBC, probably only for MOTD. Last series I watched on BBC was Car Share which I thought was superb.

Same. MOTD and the Andrew Marr Show - like a bit of Sunday morning politics but then have to turn it off quick before the inter-faiths god(s) squad start wittering.

Even Andrew Marr has gone all lovey and arty.

I think Stephen Fry is great, Alun Davies plays the fool well but I wouldn't want to see.him live, Sarah Millican is loads better doing stand up than on the telly, and Victoria Coren has been my dream woman for many years.

By the way, anyone else noticed the proliferation of them sending out a presenter and a cameraman to do never ending home buying/improvement/buy to let programs. Cheap telly at its cheapest.

There is not many funny people on tv anymore that tw@t who comes on stage in a suit whose name evades me and just goes hmmmmmmm hmmmmmmm all the time and people think he is great is not funny one bit !

Also that big ugly lass miranda is shite shite shite ! Another unfunny fooker Lee howard how he gets his own tv show !

On the other hand Steve Coogan is a genius I've been watching his mid morning matters recently he is brilliant

Really? Happy Valley was better than anything I've ever seen on HBO. Off the top of my head the night manager and wolf hall were both superb too.

Think you mean Russell Howard? Desperately unfunny.

The one who gets my goat is the Scouse multi-millionaire with big teeth who pretends he's still a teacher.

What he said. Happy Valley v anything on Netflix, no contest. The only thing that comes close is the Sopranos.

The only two comedians I would happily pay money to see live are Ross Noble and Bill Bailey, both part time Stephen Fry gang members and both genuinely funny. One bloke I've not seen on the box for ages is Peter Kay's mate Dave Spikey, seen him live a couple of times, absolutely hilarious.

John Bishop for 3 reasons.
1) He's funny.
2) He does a lot for Charidee.
3) Just as he became famous he cancelled a gig at the Town Hall (cos he got paid shitloads for a bigger tour/tv work). Give him his dues, he apologised (not his fault he became famous) and in between gigs/tv work he did a night at the Town Hall. Fair Play
D) He's funny.

Johnny Vegas is a character, not sure how clever the guy really is but he's quite witty and happy to be the butt of his own jokes.

My personal favourite is Sean Lock. As for quick wit, Dara O'Briain is as fast as I've seen.

Chip

Phil Jupitus is definateley on the BBC Gravy Train. When not on TV panel shows he is on radio panel shows. And when not on those he appears on music tv/ radio shows (does seem to know about music). Is he still a captain on never mind the buzzcocks? Is it still going? Stopped watching that when that young curly haired unfunny so and so started presenting.

Saw Ross Noble last year, he was really good. Our lass got us Bill Bailey tickets for July, but I'd already booked to do a.trade show that day. Gutted.

Jonny Vegas is another one who isn't half as good on the telly as live. Haven't been to see him for many years, but he was (maybe still is) incredibly sharp.

What does Phil Jupitus put down on forms in the occupation part because he is not a comedian !

He is just a annoying twat at least johnny vegas you can laugh at but him he doesn't do anything I can't or won't watch anything with him in it

Millican,Noble ,Ant and Dec..enough said.

I've seen Ross Noble a couple of times and he's been very funny both times, I've just booked tickets to see him again in September at the Billingham Forum

TV Comedy started going down the nick when they decided it was OK for comedians to say "fuck", so a whole swathe of them started using "fucking" as punctuation.
It's only funny when used as a precision F-strike.

The irony is that most of those now monopolising the comedy scene were heralding themselves as the new face of comedy a long time ago. Trouble is they've been there that long they've become the establishment they once mocked. All rather incestuous as they flit from show to show and sit like dams holding back the next wave of new talent.

I like most of Victoria Wood's stuff(Acorn Antiques was hilarious), but too many women stand-up types go straight for the fanny/menopause/time-of-the-month triumvirate. Hylda Baker, however, was a genius!

I always found Victoria Wood good at playing Victoria Wood.

I saw the guy who played Father Sloan in the Father Ted episode "Entertaining Father Sloan". It was at Gosforth Civic Hall in front of about 20 people. He had a rambling distracted style the burst with odd moments of surreal humour.
People often ask me, "what's it like to have sex with a Bishop?"
I always reply, "I don't know, he was only a Priest when he had me"
etc.

For the record I have only had sex with women of the female persuasion!

Never Mind the Buzzcocks has now been cancelled, but Simon Amstell made it one of the best shows on the BBC when he presented it.

Agree with the above, Simon Amstell was superb on Buzzcocks and I stopped watching when they started getting random guest presenters. Wasn't too keen when that Boosh fella replaced Baily.

It's Father Stone

HTH

Not sure if he's still depping as vocalist for the late, great Ian Dury with the Blockheads?

A few years back I made an enquiry for the them for a festival and it was an extra £2.5k to have the celebrity lard arse along 'singing.' Booked a different band.

Concurring with those in favour of simon amstell, i thought he was brilliant on never mind the buzzcocks, n the show pretty much died when he left.

Not sure what he does now.