Could it be possible to mix intelligent comedy with slapstick?

I'm thinking Jack Dee crossed with Lee Evans...

IMO, no. Slapstick by its very nature is silly.

'Intelligent' humour and silly don't really go well together!

Quote: Sharon Whats her name @ May 27 2011, 10:22 PM BST

Could it be possible to mix intelligent comedy with slapstick?

I'm thinking Jack Dee crossed with Lee Evans...

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Not to put Jack Dee's comedy down at all, but I wouldn't have described it as all that "intelligent". What exactly are you getting at? Comedy that is wordy and observational rather than light and farcical?

Quote: Aaron @ May 28 2011, 12:35 AM BST

Not to put Jack Dee's comedy down at all, but I wouldn't have described it as all that "intelligent". What exactly are you getting at? Comedy that is wordy and observational rather than light and farcical?

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Okay then, how about Stewart Lee? ... And to be honest I don't know what I'm getting at. I just thought it'd be an interesting concept ...

Reminds me of Alan Attack.

Like the Cook Report but with a more slapstick approach

I think so... I've seen plenty:

"Bottom" - is violently slapstick a low but is actually parodying the genre and is full of existential angst.
Come to think of it, "The Young Ones" and "Filthy, Rich and Catflap" are often quite political and satirical amidst the physical chaos and toilet humour.

"Absolutley Fabulous" is a sharp satire of consumerism and media with liberal doses of drunken falling about, people in silly outfits and the main character finding new ways to plummet down her stairs.

"The New Statesman" was a savage political satire - but also quite replete with low jokes and extreme slapstick violene. "Believe Nothing" followed in its footsteps.

"Arrested Development" is incredible clever in its plotting, satire, references and sharp dialogue - but still has plenty of drunken falling about, slapstick violence and toilet humour.

To name a few...

I think physical comedy can be intelligent at times. I really like Rowan Atkinson's "Pink Tights and Plenty of Props," but not sure if that could be called slapstick. Isn't slapstick usually violence in some form? I guess the Father Ted episode "Kicking Bishop Brennan up the Arse" was a bit slapstick.

I wonder if people are less comfortable today seeing slapstick in the flesh. It seems more confined to animated comedy like South Park, etc.

Monty Python? The only show I know that could blend long indulgent sketches about the Treaty of Westphalia with Michael Palin being smacked around the head with a ruddy great fish.

Not a great deal of slap stick in Python really?

Is there?

A fair bit, the Gumbys, Silly Walks etc. It's not exactly a clown pedalling around in a tiny car throwing buckets of water over people but it is there.

It can and has been mixed very well, yes. I'd say Python too. But the best example I can think of must be The Marx Brothers. You may call much of their verbal material just silly, but it was clever silly, and many lines are still quoted today. So, The Marx Bros. Defo.

And of course Woody Allen, who wouldn't have been Woody Allen without the Marx Bros.

Quote: lofthouse @ May 27 2011, 11:56 PM BST

'Intelligent' humour and silly don't really go well together!

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Hmm, you sure? Python, Marx Bros., Pete and Dud, Two Ronnies, Spike Milligan, Not the 9 O'Clock News, Blackadder?

Paul Merton's show?

Is Python intelligent? Why?

It's ludicrous, insane, nonsensical craziness.

Is it 'intelligent' just because they were all Oxford student types?

Some of the conceptual jokes were brilliant and intelligent.

Have you come here for an argument?