My vote for worst British comedy that I've seen would have to be The League of Gentlemen. I watched the whole series including the special and only laughed once or twice. In my opinion the whole point of comedy is to make you laugh, and League just didn't do that for me.

For worst American comedy it would be very difficult to narrow it down. We've produced a lot of crap over here. The remake of Coupling was absolutely horrid though, one of the worst American sitcoms. I love the BBC original but the NBC version was truly awful.

Quote: FracturedMirror @ December 30 2012, 6:50 PM GMT

In my opinion the whole point of comedy is to make you laugh, and League just didn't do that for me.

View original

Swiss Tony would say something like "Comedy is like making love to a beautiful woman:it's no laughing matter but you're satisfied in the end". But I can see what you mean.

I have a different opinion. Many of my favourite comedy shows or films doesn't make me laugh out loud all the time, but I re-watch them again and again because they make me feel good or I discover new things I missed the first time. But there lots of things that make me laugh out loud (the film "Hangover" for example), but I wouldn't want to watch them again. Guilty pleasures that please me for the moment but nothing to remember.

After You've Gone.

Quote: FracturedMirror @ December 30 2012, 6:50 PM GMT

My vote for worst British comedy that I've seen would have to be The League of Gentlemen.

View original

An excellent example of how we all see comedy differently and how it is impossible to write something that appeals to everyone.

The first ever episode of League is up there with one of my favourite comedy shows of all time. There is just so much crammed into the c. 28 minutes. From the moment you hear the female voiceover reading out the lines from a letter, only for it to pan out for us to discover it's actually a nosey passenger reading over Benjamin's shoulder, it's a complete joy to watch, as are the other episodes in series one.

I love all three series of League of Gents.

I can certainly see how it could be not to someone's taste. But to call it the worst ever comedy does rather beggar belief!

Still, each to their own and all that.

See, I'd see League of Gents as being one of the funniest and most original shows of the past couple of decades on either side of the Atlantic...

Just goes to show

And now I live in Hadfield where it was shot. Re-watching it these days is like viewing a documentary.

Quote: enigmatic @ January 5 2013, 8:34 PM GMT

See, I'd see League of Gents as being one of the funniest and most original shows of the past couple of decades on either side of the Atlantic...

View original

It is definitely very original, and very well done production-wise. The makeup was great in the show, convincingly making three guys into so many different characters. But it just didn't click with me as being very funny. Part of it may have been my mood at the time, so I may give it another shot later.

Haven't quite trawled through the several pages around this discussion so I may be repeating some opinions. (Or maybe not)

Despite involving two of my favourite comic actors, I never found Open All Hours funny. I love the set-up, and it's an absolute dream duo of a line-up, but it just didn't make me laugh. The stutter isn't/wasn't funny by Ronnie Barker. It doesn't offend me, it just seems too much of an easy/cheap action to gain a laugh from the audience.

Was Last Of The Summer Wine just made for old people? I think I used to find it funny during the Compo years, and I liked the wheeler dealer old biddy in the antiques shop. Thora Hird delivered her lines marvelously. So, there was a time when those aforementioned actors were involved, that the show provided me with some laughs. This is only an honourable mention as it is one of those shows I don't laugh a lot at anymore, but have full respect for it. There are many worse comedies than this.

It's funny how your taste can change over the years with a sitcom. When I was sprog, I found that The Brittas Empire was brilliant. It is utterly dog shit now. Especially if I find myself flicking over on GOLD, to see them airing an episode. The whole concept of the show is actually depressing.

I gave The Mighty Boosh a go - didn't find it funny. I found that they were trying too hard in that. But, I am obviously in the minority since it was a popular show.

Can't even remember the name of the comedy, but the series with Nicholas Lyndhurst was in a few years back. Bloody woeful.

Quote: Tommy Griff @ January 13 2013, 4:23 PM GMT

Can't even remember the name of the comedy, but the series with Nicholas Lyndhurst was in a few years back. Bloody woeful.

View original

After You've Gone?

That's it!

I have to say that Friends has to be the worst for me. it's nostalgia that I watch it for now but I don't find it funny any more. It was amazing when I first watched it, I remember me and my family every Friday night buying a takeaway and watching Friends, me getting fatter by the week. Don't worry I've lost some of it now . Anyway my point is it's been repeated so many times that I and most of the people I know have memorised the entire script of Friends making it unfunny and the worst comedy ever.

And yet you still watch it. You're just over-familiar with it and numb to the surprise element of comedy.

Quote: Aaron @ January 27 2013, 1:34 PM GMT

And yet you still watch it. You're just over-familiar with it and numb to the surprise element of comedy.

View original

^ Completely true, that's what I was trying to get at. But it is still what I would call the worst comedy. Either that or The Cleveland Show, they should have done it with Quagmire.

Things like Trigger Happy TV. Maybe innovative in the beginning, such formats become repetitive and a sad excuse for cheap production values. And innocent bystanders get involved and offended. Rubbish!