British humour

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British humour is a somewhat general term applied to certain comedic motifs that are often prevalent in comedic acts originating in the United Kingdom and its current or former colonies. Comedy acts and television programmes typical of British humour include Monty Python, Benny Hill, and Keeping Up Appearances to name a few that have become quite popular outside of the United Kingdom. At times, however, such humour can seem puzzling to non-British speakers of English (for example, references to British slang terms or people who are not internationally known), while certain Commonwealth nations (such as Australia, Canada and South Africa) tend to find it more familiar. Many UK comedy TV shows typical of British humour have been internationally popular, and have been a strong avenue for the export and representation of British culture to an international audience.

Themes

Some themes (with examples) that underpinned late twentieth-century British humour were:

Smut and innuendo

Smut and innuendo with sexual and scatological themes, typified by:

• the seaside postcards of Donald McGill
• the humour of Benny Hill, Julian Clary and many others
• the series of Carry On films
• The Two Ronnies, comedy show starring Ronnie Corbett and Ronnie Barker
• Alas Smith and Jones, sketch show starring Mel Smith and Griff Rhys Jones
• Hale and Pace, sketch show starring Gareth Hale and Norman Pace
• the comic magazine Viz (though it has often used surreal humour, satire and black comedy as well)
• the Nudge Nudge sketch
• Bottom with much slapstick, but also heavy use of sexual innuendos.
• The Dangerous Brothers
• Bernard Manning, Roy Chubby Brown, Jim Davidson and other bawdy comedians.

Disrespect to members of the establishment

Disrespect to members of the establishment and authority, typified by:

• Beyond the Fringe, stage revue from the 1960s
• That Was The Week That Was (TW3), late night TV satire
• The Comic Strip Presents..., a series of short satirical films
• Private Eye, satirical magazine
• Not the Nine O'Clock News, satirical sketch show, notable for launching the careers of Rowan Atkinson, Griff Rhys Jones, and Mel Smith
• Yes Minister, political sitcom
• Spitting Image, TV puppet comedy lampooning the famous and powerful
• Brass Eye, a controversial alternative prime-time show
• Discworld, a series of fantasy books written by Terry Pratchett, heavy with irony criticizing various aspects of society
• Have I Got News for You, a satirical panel game

The absurd

Green Wing (2004-2007), a sitcom set in a hospital, but featuring nothing medical. Used experimental filming, surreal jokes and strong female leads.

The absurd and the surreal, typified by:

• The Goon Show, a surreal radio show
• Spike Milligan's Q, a sketch show and a direct inspiration for Monty Python
• Monty Python, a comedy troupe, noted for performing sketches with no conclusions
• Green Wing, an experimental sitcom that utilizes surrealism, sped-up/slowed-down camera work, and ethereal, dream-like sequences.
• Big Train, a sketch show with absurd situations performed in a realistic, deadpan style.
• Shooting Stars, a panel game with seemingly no rules
• I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue, a radio panel game with bizarre games, notably Mornington Crescent and One Song to the Tune of Another
• The Smell of Reeves and Mortimer, a variety show of sketches and songs in the surrealist genre of comedy
• Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band, a musical group playing songs inspired by the music of the 1920s and comic rock songs
• The Mighty Boosh, a comic fantasy containing non-sequiturs and pop-culture references
• "Bus Driver's Prayer"
• The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, in radio, book, tv series and film
• The Armando Iannucci Shows, a comedy sketch show utilizing surrealism
• Bedazzled, a movie remake of the legend of Faust by Peter Cook and Dudley Moore

The Macabre

Black humour, in which topics and events that are usually treated seriously are treated in a humorous or satirical manner, typified by:

• The League of Gentlemen, a cult comedy revolving around the bizarre inhabitants of fictional town Royston Vasey
• Jam, an unsettling TV sketch comedy with an ambient music soundtrack
• Nighty Night, a TV series about a sociopathic arch-manipulator who takes advantage of the people around her
• Garth Marenghi's Darkplace, a horror comedy revolving around the supernatural, and is set in a hospital in the 1980s
• "Murder Most Horrid", a TV series in which Dawn French plays murderers and victims.
• "Snuff Box", a sketch show about a hangman (Matt Berry) and his assistant (Rich Fulcher), who make jokes or light-hearted conversation while hanging men.
• Death at a Funeral, a 2007 black comedy film.
• Kind Hearts and Coronets, a film about a man murdering his way to a hereditary position, starring Alec Guinness in numerous rôles.

The manic

• Vic Reeves Big Night Out
• Bottom
• The Young Ones, a 1980s British sitcom about four students living together, which uses Cliff Richard's song 'The Young Ones' as its theme tune.

The humour inherent in everyday life

The Office (2001-2003) is mainly based on mundane office life. This is one of the most successful British comedies, being exported to several countries.

The humour, not necessarily apparent to the participants, inherent in everyday life, as seen in:

• Only Fools and Horses
• Hancock's Half Hour
• Till Death Us Do Part
• Steptoe and Son
• Human Remains
• I'm Alan Partridge
• The Office
• The Royle Family
• Peep Show
• The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin
• One Foot In The Grave
• Monkey Dust
• The IT Crowd
• The Giles cartoons
• Goodness Gracious Me and The Kumars at No 42, TV programme featuring an Indian family, starring Sanjeev Bhaskar and Meera Syal
• Come Dine With Me, reality cookery programme where eccentric cooks and their guests are often mocked by narrator Dave Lamb

The 'war' between parents/teachers and children

The 'war' between parents/teachers and their children, typified by:

• The Beano and The Dandy, comics of publisher D C Thomson
• Just William, books by Richmal Crompton
• Molesworth books by Geoffrey Willans and illustrated by Ronald Searle
• St Trinian's books and films also originated by Ronald Searle
• Kevin the Teenager and Perry in Harry Enfield and Chums
• My Family, British TV Series
• Outnumbered,British TV Series

The British class system

The British class system, especially pompous or dim-witted members of the upper/middle classes or embarrassingly blatant social climbers, typified by:

• Jeeves and Wooster, books by P. G. Wodehouse (later played by Fry and Laurie)
• Dad's Army, comedy TV series
• Mr. Bean, comedy TV series, Movie
• Fawlty Towers, comedy TV series
• Keeping Up Appearances, comedy TV series
• You Rang, M'Lord?, comedy TV series
• Absolutely Fabulous, comedy TV series
• To the Manor Born, comedy TV series
• Blackadder, comedy TV series
• The New Statesman, political comedy TV series
• Yes Minister, political comedy TV series
• Red Dwarf, science fiction comedy TV series and novels
• Are You Being Served, department store comedy TV series

The lovable rogue

Blackadder (1983-1989), a sitcom set in several periods of British history. The title character is an antihero, being rude and mean to almost everyone, particularly his servant Baldrick.

The lovable rogue, often from the impoverished working class, trying to 'beat the system' and better himself, typified by:

• The Andy Capp cartoon strip created by Reginald Smythe
• The Likely Lads
• Steptoe and Son
• Rising Damp
• Open All Hours
• Only Fools and Horses comedy TV series (1981-2003) starring David Jason as Del Trotter
• Flashman books
• Norman Wisdom
• Porridge
• Blackadder, comedy TV series
• Red Dwarf, science fiction comedy TV series and novels

The embarrassment of social ineptitude

The embarrassment of social ineptitude, typified by:

• Mr. Bean, comedy TV series starring Rowan Atkinson
• The Office comedy TV series starring Ricky Gervais
• Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em, comedy TV series starring Michael Crawford
• Alan Partridge comedy TV series starring Steve Coogan
• Count Arthur Strong radio show
• Extras
• One Foot In The Grave comedy TV series, 1990 to 2000
• Peep Show

Making fun of foreigners

Making fun of foreigners, sometimes bordering on xenophobia, is especially common in television sitcoms and films of the 1970s, typified by:

• Love Thy Neighbour, TV programme that Bill Bryson once referred to as 'My Neighbour's a Darkie'
• Mind Your Language, TV programme set in a language school in London
• Till Death Us Do Part, TV sitcom which mocked its own main character, Alf Garnett, for his racism
• 'Allo 'Allo!, British TV comedy series about a French village occupied by Germans during the Second World War
• Fawlty Towers, TV comedy programme featuring heavily stereotyped characters from the United Kingdom, Spain, France, Ireland, the United States, and Germany. See also farce
• Bernard Manning's stand up routines, which were often racist, sexist and homophobic.

Bullying and harsh sarcasm

Harsh sarcasm and bullying, though with the bully usually coming off worse than the victim - typified by:

• Blackadder, comedy TV series
• The Young Ones, comedy TV series
• The New Statesman, satirising a domineering Conservative Member of Parliament
• The Thick of It, satirising the spin culture prevalent in Tony Blair's heyday
• Never Mind the Buzzcocks, satirical music based panel show
• Mock The Week, satirical news based panel show

Parodies of stereotypes

Making fun of British stereotypes, typified by:

• Beyond the Fringe
• That Was the Week That Was (TW3), late night TV satire
• Little Britain
• The Fast Show
• The Young Ones
• Harry Enfield's Television Programme
• Catherine Tate in her sketch show, The Catherine Tate Show
• French and Saunders
• The Day Today
• Brass Eye
• Citizen Smith parodied the disaffected left-wing anarchist
• Mind Your Language, late 1970s sitcom
• Goodness Gracious Me
• Monkey Dust

Tolerance of, and affection for, the eccentric

Tolerance of, and affection for, the eccentric, especially when allied to inventiveness

• Heath Robinson cartoons
• Professor Branestawm books
• Wallace and Gromit animations
• The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin, situation comedy starring Leonard Rossiter
• Morecambe and Wise, comedy show starring Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise
• Last of the Summer Wine, the longest running TV comedy series in the world. (Started 1973)
• A Bit of Fry and Laurie, sketch show written by and starring Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie, noted for its eccentric and inventive use of language
• QI or Quite Interesting, a panel game where points are given for being quite interesting and points are taken away for being incorrect in an obvious way.

See also

• British comedy and British sitcoms (which blend elements of all of these in varying weaves)
• Comic Relief and Red Nose Day
• History of the British comic
• Understatement
• Irony
• American humour
• Canadian humour
• Jewish humour
• Comedy
• An Englishman, an Irishman and a Scotsman

References

• Sutton, David. A chorus of raspberries: British film comedy 1929-1939. Exeter: University of Exeter Press, (2000) ISBN 0-85989-603-X

External links

• History of English Humour, Vol. 1, by Alfred Guy Kingan L'Estrange, 1878 at Project Gutenberg
• History of English Humour, Vol. 2, by Alfred Guy Kingan L'Estrange, 1878 at Project Gutenberg