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8 Underrated Comedy Shows To Get Your Teeth Into
If you need some comedy in your life, here's a few underrated comedy gems whose DVDs you should invest in.
While the major channels continue to churn out sitcom after sitcom of insipid and dull programming, there is a haven for comedy fans out there, in the form of DVD boxsets of those little comedy wonders that flew somewhat under the radar. Some you may already be aware of, some you may have forgotten and some I may have imagined, but hopefully all are enjoyable.
Rock Profiles
What Matt Lucas and David Walliams did before Little Britain and that horrific airport thing. Featuring Jamie Theakston playing the straight-man interviewer there are two series of Lucas and Walliams imitating (by imitating I mean reimagining in a very surreal manner) various personalities from the world of pop music. Personal favourites include The Happy Mondays, Take That and two different sketches of George Michael.
Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace
Featuring the best and brightest of the turn of the century London comedy scene (Matt Berry, Richard Ayoade, Julian Barratt, Noel Fielding and even a brief cameo from Stephen Merchant) ‘Dark Place’ takes the form of a previously cancelled 80s hospital drama based on the books of the eponymous horror writer Garth Marenghi, that sees the actors playing actors playing characters. Sounds mental and it is mental but also equally as brilliant. It’s quote-tastic and the talking heads of the ‘actors’ that intersperse the programme are very special.
15 Storeys High
Possibly Sean Locks finest ever work. The show started off on Radio 4 show and focuses on the lives of Vince (Lock) and Errol (Benedict Wong) as they co-habit a flat in a tower block. Prototype Peep Show in terms of its setting but fizzes with misanthropy and a delightfully British take on life in general. Ran for two series with no real sign of a third it has been criminally missed by most. Best enjoyed with a can of ‘Blue Rat’.
Monkey Dust
An animated beauty darker than a black hole. The show deals in subjects such as divorce, suicide, paedophilia and murder through animated sketches, all nicely linked together to form coherent episodes. Various companies contributed to the show resulting in a nice mix of animation styles throughout. It ran for three series and picked up a few awards along the way too. May not be everyone’s cup of tea (especially the easily offended) but well worth a look if you like the darker side of humour.
An animated beauty darker than a black hole. The show deals in subjects such as divorce, suicide, paedophilia and murder.
Spaced
Some may not consider Spaced to be an undiscovered or underrated show, but having taken a straw poll amongst my work colleagues and friends very few had actually heard of the show in which Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Jessica Hynes and Edgar Wright made their collective and individual names. The focus of the show is on the relationship between Tim and Daisy pretending to be a couple in order to rent a flat with the two series paying homage in a brilliantly fan boy type way to cult film, TV and books with charming and hilarious results. Also features Mark Heap in spectacular form as Brian, their weird artist and neighbour. Your purchase of the DVDs will be worth it if only for the fight scene at the end of episode 5 of series 2 ‘Gone’.
Human Giant
With the multitude of ‘paint by numbers comedy’ the US produces it’s little wonder that genuinely funny shows sometimes get lost in the mire. Sketch comedy in the US also seems pretty limited to Saturday Night live, so Human Giant is a refreshing take on the format. Sketch comedy is notoriously hit and miss but in this instance the hit ratio is dangerously high. It does take a few episodes to get going but once they hit stride the show is brilliant.
The Smoking Room
One of a number of shows that owes a lot in its style to the Royle Family but stands up on its own where others don’t. Featuring an ensemble cast based around the somewhat central character of Robert Webb’s ‘Robin’ it travels very much down the line of ‘people sitting around just talking’, where the comedy is contained between the lines and in the subtle inferences made. Not necessarily laugh out loud funny, but still charming and full of wit.
Him and Her
Based around the early stages of the relationship of Becky (Sarah Solemani) and Steve (Russell Tovey), it is a refreshing twist on a well-trodden format. Anyone that’s ever been in any sort of relationship will find something here to identify with and point a finger at their partner and say, “that’s what we do!” Again a very charming show with its humour in its subtlety but with appeal to those who get the jokes and those who don’t as well. Scene stealer however is Joe Wilkinson as upstairs neighbour Dan.
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COMMENTS
How about Arrested Development as the most underrated? Excellent cast, a quality gag-rate of one about every 15 seconds and the most bonkers storylines... See it before they make a movie and fuck up their own legacy!
15 Storeys High is excellent but I love Sean Lock, he can do no wrong.
Eastbound and Down is absolutely hilarious!
@ Jim, arrested development has to be up there with the most underrated comedy gems ever. Series three was patchy at times but 1 and 2 are absolute classics. The great thing about it is that there are so many little references in early episodes that tell you what's going to happen next which you totally miss in the first couple of viewings, which means you can watch the series over and over and keep finding fresh humour in the stories, it's genius.
@Jim - Excellent call, Arrested Development is one of the funniest shows ever created. Dreading the movie tho... I'd add Jam to the list as well. Chris Morris at his darkest (and, by that I also mean his best) - it's not for the feint hearted or the easily offended but, so long as you don't mind the odd sketch about rape or dead babies, you'll be fine... Oh, and also, Armando Iannucci shows - the guy is a comedy genius, just ask Stewart Lee...
You HAVE to consider the best thing from the US too: It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Pure comedy genius.
Sanj - that has to me my favourite US sitcom of all time - every episode is simply awesome.
You totally missed Black Books from this list!
the life and times of tim is awesome
Monkey Dust is surreal and about 20 shades of awesome. If you are a sick puppy then look it up on YouTube. Personal favourites are Clive, Scottish Parents and the Paedofinder General.
15 Storeys High is the best in this list. Shame for missing off Trailer Park Boys, though.
"It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia" is hilarious. Best show since "Arrested Development."
Darkplace is one of the greatest series I've ever seen. Also agree with Monot, Trailer Park Boys is a gem.
I've another to add, the brilliant "Community" that just ended it's second season. It breaks all the fourth wall rules and has great meta jokes.
How about Pulling (BBC3) or Nathan Barley?
Darkplace is the best of a good bunch on that list! Gutted they never made more of that show! 6 episodes really wasn't enough and I still think it's Matt Berry and Richard Ayoade's best work!
Berry & Fulcher's Snuff Box. Both the best sitcom since Spaced & the best sketch show since Monty Python. Tremendous!
I agree with all the above (Community, Sunny, Pulling) but I cite the following: Nightingales (UK. Robert Lindsay and some security guards parody Skakespeare and get attacked by Werewolves) Dream on (U.S> Written by the Friends team but more subtle and absurd) Andy Richter Controls the Universe (Great, ridiculous sitcom)
Snuff Box is absolute quality, certainly more deserving of the list than Black Books or Arrested Development purely on the basis it is completly overlooked by the mainstream. Having said that Black Books and Spaced are the best two shows, but to my mind are highly rated so neither deserve to be on the list either.
Home Time - I thought it was genius, or was that just because, having lived in Coventry for a few years, the odd accents and familiar locations made this show funnier than it actually was?
No mention of The Armando Iannucci Shows - a masterclass of content and execution. Overlooked as it aired in mid-September 2001. Comedy does not get any better.
YES! Particularly 15 Storeys High (which I rank as one of the best comedies of all time), Darkplace and Monkey Dust. Those 3 are if not underrated at least under-seen. Also Spaced is (deservedly) not underrrated or underseen it is a modern classic and i think just about everybody knows it and has seen it (assuming they are under 35). I would also chuck in Cowards. A crime they didnt get to make more TV episodes. They are 4 insanely talented people and are making their own ripples in comedy but it is a shame they werent able to bring us another few series of cowards (at least there is a 2 series of the radio show)
Oh and definitely second The Armando Ianucci Shows, Jam and Snuff Box. Also for american stuff Community and Parks and Recreation (which is the best comedy on in the last few years apart from the thick of it imo) Loads more i would add but you do get into does that count as underrated (cause most of the ones that do are critically acclaimed just not particularly well known.
Really enjoyed the Take That episode of Rock Profile's particularly since it predicted the Take That reunion tv show in which they were all sat waiting around for Robbie Williams to show up. Arrested Development is a great shout, a tight night screwball farce is how I'd describe it. Also a big fan of the more naturalist fixed location comedies such as Him 'n' Her and The Smoking Room. I think the British do these better really well but then I can't say I've seen any other nation attempt comedy as subtle and nuanced as this. Human Remains (starring Julia Davis and Rob Brydon) and Marion and Geoff (also starring Brydon) would definitely be on my list. Both incredibly dark, full of pathos and quotable. 'Ignorance is bliss and that to me is the beauty of a coma'. Summer Heights High anyone? P.s. Not many of your colleagues had heard of Spaced and you work in the media? I think you're working for the wrong company :).
Not having Arrested Development in this list is like having a list about favorite nuts and not having Brazil nuts in it. And that's coming from the guy in the three thousand dollar suit. COME ON!
Can't fault the list Russ, all class but I'll raise you Nathan Barley... even more relevant today than it was in 2005. Oh... yeah... forgot about Time Trumpet an' all... and Cowards (thanks Gregg for reminding BC about that one.
Definitely miss Nightingales, Armando Iannucci's Friday Night (& Saturday Night) Armistice, Jaaaaaaaaaaaaam (the even sicker late night version of Jam)... also Still Game didn't get the recognition it deserved in England. Shame.
Excellent choises. To continue the theme of adding shows to the list, how about for example Bruiser, Big Train, Brass Eye and Argumental? I also second Nathan Barley and Cowards.
Oh, and Fist of Fun!
Thanks for all the comments guys and girls...didn't realise there would be so much interest! Looking back over the list i have clearly missed some gems (I hang my head in shame to have overlooked Arrested Devlopment, Eastbound and down, trailer park boys, Armando Iannuci et al) but could always do a list part 2 I guess? As for my work mates not knowing spaced, I work for an IT firm and do the writing thing on the side...not sure why i'm sticking up for them though.
You work for an IT firm and your colleagues don't know Spaced? I would have thought that Pegg and company's Star Wars themed humour would have gone down a treat amongst people employed to stare at computer screens all day.
@Hardcore Prawn! Mass generalisation about IT staff! I'm a systems engineer and I've never watched star wars, surely I'm not the only one?!
Agree with: AD, Eastbound & Down, Jam, Life & Times of Tim, Community, Snuff Box, Parks & Rec, Andy Richter CTU, Summer Heights High But what about: Louie, Party Down, Archer, Stella, Dr. Katz, Better Off Ted, Flight of the Conchords, Home Movies I'm from the US, so I don't know if these are "underrated" in the UK, but: Green Wing and Look Around You! (Also The Day Today, The State, Mr. Show, etc, which people might not know if they don't know SPACED!)
Nathan Barley...
I was in need of good comedies, and this is indeed a jewel of a find. Mcsmith has got it right, from Louie to Archer, from the state to Mr Show, american stand up comedians have brought a great touch to comedy. Anyone for Frisky Dingo? Adam Reed and Matt Thompson have made some brilliantly funny stuff since 2000. Bob's Burger's is a comedians cartoon if there ever was one. Delocated is a must see...It is a great time for comedy lovers indeed. Again, not sure about underrated, but my Canadian bretheren have scarcely heard of most of them.
LOL at people thinking Arrested Development should be on this list. It's universally lauded as one of the greatest comedy series of all time and there isn't a single comedy fan in the world that hasn't watched it. How does that qualify for underrated?
Justin - the fact that the second series got reduced to 18 episodes due to poor ratings and then it got cancelled half way through the third season, again because of poor ratings, suggests it is under-rated. Most of my mates have never even heard of it. Universally lauded? They're releasing 10 new episodes and a movie next year, and they'll bomb because the only people who'll watch it are fans of the original series.
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