British Comedy Greats (Hardcover)

But the delights of this book are soon consumed. This is not a comprehensive review of British comedy: you get a whole chapter on Stephen Fry, but Rowan Atkinson only gets covered by way of 'Blackadder'. 'The Office' merits its own chapter, but the series which greatly influenced it -- 'I'm Alan Partidge' and 'The Day Today' get nothing. What the compiler means by 'British Comedy' is really English comedy. Thus there is no mention of that fine Scottish series 'Absolutely' or even 'Rab C Nesbitt'. While most of the reviewers are clear that comedy comprises TV, radio and film, the guy who writes about 'The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy' is largely talking about the books, not the radio or TV series. (If this book was going to be a review of British comic writing, there are many, many other authors you would have to include.)

But there is much to enjoy here. However well you know the subject matter, it's always interesting to read someone else's opinion, or to glean a few new nuggets about how the series was put together. Some of the writers provide small extracts from the original comic material, but this potentially space-filling exercise is never done to excess.

I like this series of books -- I already owned the British Greats and British Sporting Greats volumes -- and it still has some way to go before it runs out of steam. But whereas the first instilled some genuine patriotic pride in the achievements of our nation around the time of the millennium, subsequent books are delving more into the 'Oh that's quite interesting' genre of coffee-table and toilet books.

An insight into the best British comedy of the past 100 years, “British Comedy Greats,” is a series of essays on classic British comedy. The choice of essay writers was indeed itself a stroke of genius. With Tony Booth discussing Alf Garnett and Till Death us do Part the man who played, Garnett’s, left-winged son-in-law. Booth sums up British humour in his description of what made us laugh about Warren Mitchell’s character, “He [Alf] knew his place in the social and economic order-leaving him, like Pooter, defential but acutely sensitive to humiliation. It is this humiliation that made his audience feel for him the same time they laughed.” As Brit’s we love to laugh at others downfalls at the same time we empathise with them.

There is a good array of comedy mediums discussed in the essays, Joseph Connolly’s description of the, Dandy and Bean’s effect on children of all ages, “the brilliance of D.C.Thomson’s attitude to it’s comic lies in never too demonstrably rocking the boat … but subtly and constantly evolving in a way that doesn’t frighten the punters.” Which leads to Connelly’s comparison of how the comics have become more Politically Correct to come into line with today’s society, “Dad … with ritually and grim-faced dole out of slippering in the final frame is no more.”

Each essay in, “British Comedy Greats,” has a very distinctive individual voice. Unlike, “The Pythons Autobiography by The Pythons,” edited by Alison Seiff. Seiff’s editing created singularity, whereas “British Comedy Greats,” editors, Merullo and Wenborn, allow the individual voices, of each writer to appear.
None more so than, Fergus Fleming’s, account of The Goon’s. “In the mid 1950’s Britain was in trouble. Crackling over the radio waves came news that the, “constable” outside Number 10 Downing Street, had been struck on the head with a hand basin,” typical bizarre “Goon” humour. Fleming’s in depth description of the origin and emergence of, Milligan and Secombe, in India and later the find of soul mates Sellers and Bentine, is first rate. Fleming explains the impact of The Goon’s, “The Goon show transformed comedy. It also transformed the life of it’s members.” In fact Fleming revels his extreme admiration and love for The Goon’s, in the essay, that if, Milligan was a live to read it, he’d probably call Fleming a “Grovelling little b#####d.”

The essay’s compliment the whole range of British comedies, and covers the age spectrum to the full. Ranging from the legendary, Charles (Charlie) Chaplin, to the modern satirical, spoof, docu-soap The Office. From stand up comic, Billy Connelly, to sketch comedy of Morecambe and wise.

The symbol of British comedy is of course “The Carry On’s,” Rowan Pelling’s portrayal of the timeless classic films is fantastic. Describing the key to Carry On comedy as, “appeal to the sort of people who like school boy humour, lewd innuendo, sexual stereotyping, bad puns and leering men that say “Phwoooooar”,” a very British sense of humour. Pelling allows you to relive the magic that is a “Carry On” as he discusses the phenomenon you begin to visualise Sid James laughing, and Kenneth Williams’s catchphrase “Oh I say.” And the ever presence of Hattie Jacques, with the scantily clothed Barbara Windsor. As Pelling discusses the lack of impact that Carry On Columbus had, you do feel that comedy will never be quite like that again, but there’s always re-runs.

For me this was an amazing trip back to comedy, sitting watching the endless re-runs of the classics, such as Monty Pythons Flying Circus, and the Sunday afternoon clips of What a Carry On. Also, the soon to be timeless classics waiting for years of repeats, from the latter part of the 20th century early 21st.
The choice of essay writers is what gives the book it’s edge, brining every character from British comedy come alive, reminding us what we forgotten about comedy and bringing favourite moments back to our imagination.
The only problem with “British Comedy Greats,” is where are the essays on Men Behaving Badly, or Eddie Izzard, and the fantastically funny Jack Dee? Perhaps if we all had our favourite comedies in the book it would be too big and heavy to carry. All that aside, “British Comedy Greats” is a brilliant tribute to the comedians and comedy writers of this country, as Del Boy would say “Lubberly Jubberly.”

Some of the essays are superb. Barry Cryer's anecdotes about Tommy Cooper sum up the essence of the man. Others are not so good. Roy Hattersley's essay on Yes Minister tells you more about Roy Hattersley than about Jim Hacker and Sir Humphrey Appleby.

The biggest disappointment for me is that nowhere in this book is there any mention of the most prolific British writer of TV comedy, Roy Clarke. He's the man who single handedly has written all the 235 episodes of Last of the Summer Wine (the longest running sitcom in the world and still going strong) 44 episodes of Keeping Up Appearances, 26 episodes of Open All Hours, as well as such less well known sitcoms as Rosie (27 episodes), Potter (20 episodes), The Magnificent Evans (6 episodes) and several others. Roy Clarke's humour may not be to everyone's taste, especially younger viewers who seem to find fun in violence, humiliation, swearing and lavatorial functions, but he still has many fans who like his sense of humour.

Even so, I can still recommend this book. Almost every essay has a photograph of the comedian or actors. Many are in colour. If you like reading about the giants of British comedy, buy this book and enjoy many happy hours of reminiscence.