Top 10 Stand-Ups

Watched the 2nd half of this last night. Not sure if I agree with a lot of the placings. Here's the Top 10 anyway.

1 Billy Connolly
2 Peter Kay
3 Eddie Izzard
4 Richard Pryor
5 Harry Hill
6 Bill Hicks
7 Bill Bailey
8 Victoria Wood
9 Chris Rock
10 Ross Noble

Not sure what Peter Kay's doing at No.2 Angry . Everytime I see him being interviewed he jumps to a bit of material from his stand up shows rather than creating anything of the top of his head. Somewhere between 20-30, but not No.2

And Harry Hill at 5 for god's sake Angry . 105 yes, but not No. 5

And it's nice to see Ross Noble there. A very funny man

Should have mentioned it was the Top 100 standups on Channel 4 last night

Oh bum, I miss it and as yet no repeat listed.

I quite like Harry Hill but I have a video of one of his stand-up show where frankly he dies on his arse, how they thought it worthy a video release I’ll never know.

peter kay? peter f*cking kay, at number two, i was under the impression that you had to be good at stand-up to be the second best stand up, and in my opinion chris rock is in the top 5, richard pryor top two, i agrre with most of them apart from peter f**king kay, harry hill should swap with ross noble aswell. im also struggling with, dave spikey, jim davidson and how low lee evans and tommy cooper came.

http://www.channel4.com/entertainment/tv/microsites/C/comedy_standups/results/results.html

here is the list of top 100.

Agree with the Lee Evans and Tommy Cooper bit Lewis.

Ross Noble just rambles until he stumbles onto something funny. He is a funny person, but not great.

Peter Kay should be in the top 10.

Harry Hill is marmite. I personally do like him.

The list was very questionable though. I'm sick of Billy being no.1, as much as I like him.

Harry Hill deserves his spot, much funnier than people like Ross Noble (who I don't mind and have seen live) but I mean monkey whimsy is not exactly hard to do is it? And Harry Hill like marmite, surely he's one of the most loved comedians with mainstream comedy fans, hardcore comedy fans and comedians within the industry at the moment anyway. Like someone on that show said last night, you've got to be quite depressed if you don't like Harry Hill.

Peter Kay didn't deserve number two, and Hicks should have been at number one with Pryor second. I am glad that Stewart Lee made the top 50 though.

Also can't believe how low people like Tommy Cooper and George Carlin were.

It was a very strange list indeed. But here's a stranger one, these are the people who would NOT make my list because, I don't like them or don't know them, yes I am bored...

99 - Patrick Kielty
95 - Lee Mack
94 - Ardal O'hanlon
90 - Joe Pasquale
89 - George Burns
88 - Ronnie Corbett
86 - Bob Newhart
84 - Demetri Martin
82 - Barry Humphries
81 - Freddie Starr
80 - Andy Kaufman
78 - Mitch Hedburg
77 - Chic Murray
76 - Arthur Smith
74 - Dave Allen
70 - Jethro
68 - Lee Hurst
67 - Mike Reid
65 - Rhona Cameron
62 - George Carlin
61 - Phil Jupitus
57 - Julian Clary
56 - Roseanne
54 - Emo Phillips
51 - Lenny Henry
50 - Bob Hope
48 - Ken Dodd
47 - Jackie Mason
46 - Rob Newman
45 - Paul O'Grady
44 - Robin Williams
40 - Sean Hughes
38 - Andrew Dice Clay
37 - Jim Davidson
35 - Denis Leary
33 - Chubby Brown
32 - Steven Wright
30 - Lenny Bruce
29 - Bernard Manning
28 - Joan Rivers
27 - Daniel Kitson
21 - Ben Elton
20 - Jasper Carrott
18 - Alexei Sayle
14 - Woody Allen
8 - Victoria Wood
6 - Bill Hicks

Bill Hicks - I wanted to see this guy for so long, he never seems to do any live shows anymore :P. But I was so disappointed when I did see him, I wasn't laughing, his audience wasn't laughing and I didn't learn anything I didn't already know. I'm sure he did a lot of good stuff and opened a lot of peoples eyes, but he could've mixed it with some funny material, like Mark Thomas does.

Bob Newhart - Brilliant
Jackie Mason - Awsome
Steven Wright - makes me pee myself
Dennis Leary - Why do all his acting jobs have a short section where he does some material in the same style as his stand up

37 - Jim Davidson. that's an insult to the number 37.

Leevil are you f**king crazy, some of those you've mentioned that WOULDN'T be on your list are absolute legends and/or hilarious.

99 - Patrick Kielty (I agree he's shit)
95 - Lee Mack (He's alright)
94 - Ardal O'hanlon (Meh, doesn't bother me)
90 - Joe Pasquale (Shit I agree)
89 - George Burns (Haven't heard much of him, but hes meant to be good)
88 - Ronnie Corbett (legend, prefer his sketch work but still)
86 - Bob Newhart (not really up to date with his work)
84 - Demetri Martin (I agree with you here)
82 - Barry Humphries (I agree with you here)
81 - Freddie Starr (Agree)
80 - Andy Kaufman (Very good, haven't seen much of his stuff though)
78 - Mitch Hedburg (Very good)
77 - Chic Murray (Not heard enough to form an opinion)
76 - Arthur Smith (Meh)
74 - Dave Allen (Very good)
70 - Jethro (Shit)
68 - Lee Hurst (Shit)
67 - Mike Reid (Shit)
65 - Rhona Cameron (Shit)
62 - George Carlin (Brilliant, one of the best on the list and deserved to be ranked higher)
61 - Phil Jupitus (Shit)
57 - Julian Clary (Absolutely shit)
56 - Roseanne (Not bad)
54 - Emo Phillips (Shit)
51 - Lenny Henry (Hmm, likable guy but yeah I agree doesnt deserve to be on the list)
50 - Bob Hope (Well he didnt write his own stuff but still a good entertainer)
48 - Ken Dodd (Brilliant, deserves his spot)
47 - Jackie Mason (Meh)
46 - Rob Newman (Brilliant, deserves his spot)
45 - Paul O'Grady (Hmm, alright, does deserve to be on the list)
44 - Robin Williams (Use to be a good stand up, made shit movies, Flubber anyone?)
40 - Sean Hughes (Shit)
38 - Andrew Dice Clay (Massively shit)
37 - Jim Davidson (Utter twat and shit)
35 - Denis Leary (Stole from Hicks, but probably still deserves to be on the list somewhere)
33 - Chubby Brown (Absolutely shit)
32 - Steven Wright (Deserves to be on the list)
30 - Lenny Bruce (Definitely deserves to be on the list)
29 - Bernard Manning (C**t, doesn't deserve the air he breathes)
28 - Joan Rivers (Meh, probably deserves to be on the list somewhere)
27 - Daniel Kitson (Absolutely amazing, brilliant stand up, seen him live, well deserves his spot)
21 - Ben Elton (Deserves his spot, he did used to be very good, then he did all them bad things..yeah yeah we know)
20 - Jasper Carrott (Definitely deserves his spot)
18 - Alexei Sayle (Definitely deserves his spot)
14 - Woody Allen (Absolutely 100% positively deserves his spot)
8 - Victoria Wood (Once again really deserves her spot, very good comic)
6 - Bill Hicks (Should have been number 1, incredible comic and political philosopher)

Quote: Leevil @ March 19, 2007, 3:46 PM

Bill Hicks - I wanted to see this guy for so long, he never seems to do any live shows anymore :P. But I was so disappointed when I did see him, I wasn't laughing, his audience wasn't laughing and I didn't learn anything I didn't already know. I'm sure he did a lot of good stuff and opened a lot of peoples eyes, but he could've mixed it with some funny material, like Mark Thomas does.

yeah i was the same. I bought a Hicks' dvd having heard great things from people whose taste is similar to mine. but, it didn't even raise a smile. Love some of his stuff though - like him pulling out a cigarette, he asks a guy in the front row how much he smokes. A pack and a half a day, the man answers. Hicks snorts: "You little puss -- I go through two lighters a day."

Martin - i love your critique of that list - succinct and to the point! Maybe I'll give Hicks another go. As intelligent, important and rightly revered as he was, the show I saw just didn't make me laugh.

Martin, most of the ones you didn't agree with me on are the ones I don't know or not seen enough of to form a proper opinion.

Okay fair enough, I just thought it was a bit harsh saying they shouldn't be included just because you haven't heard of them.

Quote: Martin Holmes @ March 19, 2007, 6:07 PM

Okay fair enough, I just thought it was a bit harsh saying they shouldn't be included just because you haven't heard of them.

Why would i included people I haven't heard of in MY list? lol.

Some of them are better in other areas as well, but this is a stand up list and i was judging them on that.

I would like to see a lot I haven't seen, but it's really hard to find any recordings, it took me ages to find a Bill Hicks tape.