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I am struggling to identify left wing comedy on the BBC

(29 Posts)
Whitewavemark2 Tue 01-Sept-20 07:30:13

Apparently the new Tory Director General is going to abolish it!

He is obviously being operated by Cummings.

Callistemon Fri 04-Sept-20 20:39:42

Loved Sybil, Whitewave
And Manuel

Greeneyedgirl Fri 04-Sept-20 20:10:09

It strikes me as censorship of the worst kind. How right wing is that?
I agree with those who say that comedy tends to parody the government of the day. There was certainly much piss taking of Tony Blair when LP were in power, and HIGNFY made Johnson a star.
Bring back Spitting Image I say.

Whitewavemark2 Fri 04-Sept-20 20:00:58

Callistemon

He parodied the Germans too, though Whitewave!

Well I suppose so, but he wasn’t the brightest spark in the box. Sybil had his number.

Callistemon Fri 04-Sept-20 19:54:52

He parodied the Germans too, though Whitewave!

Mamardoit Fri 04-Sept-20 19:30:11

The only comedy I can think of on the BBC is Have I Got News For You. I watched during lock down but I don't think I'll bother again.

BBC TV output makes me want to weep if I'm honest.

The Eurovision Song Contest is a bit of a laugh after a couple of glasses of wine.

NotSpaghetti Fri 04-Sept-20 18:03:18

I find the 6.30 slot on radio4 dire.
Can't really call it comedy.

Whitewavemark2 Fri 04-Sept-20 17:33:38

Callistemon

^Basil struck me as very right wing.^

That was the point, so it probably means it was left wing grin

Exactly!!

Callistemon Fri 04-Sept-20 17:29:13

X post, Doodledog (slow typing).

Luckygirl I agree

Callistemon Fri 04-Sept-20 17:25:22

Basil struck me as very right wing.

That was the point, so it probably means it was left wing grin

Luckygirl Fri 04-Sept-20 17:24:18

GrannyGravy13 - exactly. The media, and especially current affairs comedy shows, are part of the checks and balances in a democracy.

If the BEEB is going to finish up under the thumb of the government of the day we can kiss goodbye to democracy.

Doodledog Fri 04-Sept-20 17:23:50

Both Fawlty Towers and Till Death Us Do Part were laughing AT the right wing characters, not sympathising with them - that was the point of them.

AGAA4 Fri 04-Sept-20 17:20:57

Did anybody ever watch 'Till death us do part!'?

Whitewavemark2 Fri 04-Sept-20 17:15:12

Certainly not Fawlty Towers. Basil struck me as very right wing.

Callistemon Fri 04-Sept-20 17:04:22

Would I Lie to You?

The answer is never.

GrannyGravy13 Fri 04-Sept-20 16:19:44

I think the problem lies with the fact that comedy/comedians make jokes about the Government of the day, therefore at the moment it could be said that HIGNFY etc appear to be left leaning.

If we had a left wing Government the comedy would predominantly be right leaning.

Lucca Fri 04-Sept-20 16:13:39

eazybee

I would agree; not comedy any more, not remotely amusing.

Having listened to replays of Humphrey Lyttleton, Tim Brooke-Taylor, Nicholas Parsons et al delivering their various brands of inspired silliness in shows recently repeated on radio 4, it reinforced just how puerile the current 'comedy' shows are, with the exception of 'Dead Ringers'.

Agree. Caught one a few sundays ago while driving. Both of us weeping with laughter, so witty.

Ilovecheese Fri 04-Sept-20 16:10:01

Radio: The only one I find funny at the moment is "Cabin Pressure"
which is neither left nor right.

Is he talking about the programmes on at 6.30, I wonder, they seem to sneer at all politicians, with no bias either way.

T.V. I can only think of Have I got etc. as a political comedy, and there I agree with Galaxy, part of the establishment.

gulligranny Fri 04-Sept-20 16:00:32

Frankie Boyle. That is, if you actually believe he is a comedian.

Galaxy Tue 01-Sept-20 08:52:30

Have I got news has become part of the establishment, its not in the slightest 'threatening' or edgy to anyone in power. I am not even criticising it for that it's just what happens when you have been around for 30 years. Bloody hell HIGN is one of the reasons johnson is PM.

eazybee Tue 01-Sept-20 08:42:12

I would agree; not comedy any more, not remotely amusing.

Having listened to replays of Humphrey Lyttleton, Tim Brooke-Taylor, Nicholas Parsons et al delivering their various brands of inspired silliness in shows recently repeated on radio 4, it reinforced just how puerile the current 'comedy' shows are, with the exception of 'Dead Ringers'.

Whitewavemark2 Tue 01-Sept-20 08:11:01

I Got obvs.

Whitewavemark2 Tue 01-Sept-20 08:10:28

I suppose you could describe have Ingot news as left wing bias at the moment.

But of course when a Labour government is in power Have Ingot news is right wing bias?? and then the DG will have to reinstall it..

Whitewavemark2 Tue 01-Sept-20 08:05:14

Dads Army??

Galaxy Tue 01-Sept-20 08:03:10

What comedy is on the bbc at the moment, the only ones I can think of are mrs browns boys and have I got news for you, but am probably out of the loop.

LullyDully Tue 01-Sept-20 08:01:23

Will the alternative be right-wing comedy? The mind boggles.