UK comedy, like the US has many different layers. And while you have stolen some of our best efforts over the years, "The Office" being the latest in a long line of sucesses balancing the dismal failure of others such as "Coupling" where you managed to take one of the funniest shows l had ever seen and transform it into the equivalent of a sunday morning church sermon, what has not changed are comedies based on News or Politics.
There has always been a link between those who do comedy and the biting way they deal with politics starting with Davis Frost and the great John Cleese on the show "That Was The Week That Was" which probably had the first US spin off that retained David Frost back in 1964, going through "Spitting Image" in the late 80's/early 90's, "Bremner, Bird and Fortune", the rather spiffy boys own club that is "Have I Got News For You" to what is now the school bad boy in "Mock The Week".
Hosted by Irish comedian Dara O'Briain the show has four main team members, Andy Parsons and Russell Howard on one team and Hugh Dennis and Frankie Boyle on the other with a guest comedian joining in on both sides, including the likes of US comedian Greg Proops and now "Daily Show" regular John Oliver making it six comedian ripping into the stories of the week both in the UK and overseas.
There are many different segments and bluegal from the website "Crooks And Liars" has already linked to one of the favourites, the "Worst thing to say..." segment, but this week was, for me, brilliant (here is the link sorry, but my pc skills are not up there with some of the others on this site).
The main reason was the comments from the two Scots Frankie Boyle and Fred MacAulay but aided by the others in the first segment "This Is The Answer What Is The Question?" where they tackle, with some brutality, the reaction to the al-Megrahi release, and then they delve into some of the inanity in US politics over the last two weeks.
Boyle is not very complimentary to his land of birth in this part, and like most people from their own country (unlike some Americans) does not hold back on the criticism. He starts by querying the idea of someone actually thinking of visiting Scotland in September "Who had a holiday booked to go to Scotland in September"? he asks with incredulity. "I wouldn't book a holiday to Scotland in September if l was going into hiding!! The only person who should be making that trip should be an academic doing a report on the exact moment when depression turns into violence!!"
It does downhill from there and a lot more biting. When the host O'Briain speaks about the website of the boycott offering Ireland as an alternative he does point out the fact that the two countries are not interchangeable, but the Irish have renamed their whiskey "Freedom Whiskey". This leads to Boyle saying "Like Ireland doesn't have any links to terrorism!!"
There's a bit more too-ing and fro-ing then Russell Howard remarkes in disbelief at the reason for al-Megrahi's release which was on "comassionate grounds" by pointing out that "The Glasgow kiss is the only one kiss that involves the forehead, it's freezing there and they make them wear skirts, and the last terrorist that was in Scotland was on fire and they STILL tried to beat him up!"
More chatter ensues then they go into healthcare, with the row on "Death Panels", the NHS and Stephen Hawking.
Not something for Palin fans in this bit. This time Russell Howard points out the stupidity of the republican arguement, expecially Palin's.
I'll let you watch the piece which is basically the first 10 minutes of the show. Some people will be offended by it but really they need to get some thicker skin, expecially as Boyle lays into Scotland more than any American could and does it better than most.
Just remember, at the moment right wing comedy consists of the failed Fox News "Half Hour News Hour" and Denis Miller.
Nothing is as bad as that!!