Comedy Analysis: Wit and wordplay

Old Will was a master of wit and wordplay

“Did you hear about the guy whose whole left side was cut off? He's alright now.”

Wit and wordplay are two distinct types of humour which are closely related. Both require some intelligence on both the listener's and the speaker's part. Wordplay is also often considered to be a form of wit, although this is sometimes disputed.

Wit is generally seen as an intelligent form of humour, wherein an intelligent statement of remark is made for comic effect. This may be in a sarcastic form or as a put-down. As such, wit can be outright mean or cruel, yet is still funny.

Wordplay requires some knowledge of language. A word is often used in manner where it gets a new meaning, or the meaning is ambiguous. A well-known example of wordplay is:

“We'll have to rehearse that” said the undertaker as the coffin fell out of the car.

In this case the word 'rehearse' can mean practice, as the undertakers might have to practice handling a coffin without dropping it. I can also be interpreted to be re-hearse, as an undertaker's car would be a hearse, so putting the coffin back into the car, can be called 're-hearsing'. This is funny, since it's unclear which of the two meanings the undertaker is getting at.

Wit and wordplay have been around for hundreds of years. William Shakespeare was famous for both, as was Oscar Wilde. Today word play and wit are still prevalent both with comedians as with other people. Both are often used in advertising and branding. Also puns are increasingly popular, partly due to the rise of the Internet. Puns are also a form of wordplay after all.

With entire websites and Facebook pages dedicated to collecting the best wit and wordplay, this form of humour isn't going anywhere soon. Do a Google search for more, or keep an eye on this blog for more laughing matter!

Comedian Bio: Tina Fey

Tina Fey in 2014

With over 30 awards and in excess of 70 nominations, she has more awards than most series and films. She's an actress, writer and producer and has worked on critically acclaimed hit series Saturday Night Live and 30 Rock as well as several hit films.

Elizabeth Stamatina “Tina” Fey is truly one of the great comedic geniuses of our age. She started doing satire in high school and has been engaged in comedy ever since. She played in Chicago-based comedy collective Second City before being hired as a writer at Saturday Night Live. Although she struggled at first, she quickly found her way and soon had regular sketches air. After only 2 years as a writer she became head writer for the show.

Tina Fey as Liz Lemon in
30 Rock, 2007

After having worked as head writer for Saturday Night Live for several years, she conjured up a sitcom-like variety sketch show loosely based on her work with SNL. This became 30 rock, the wildly popular and critically acclaimed NBC hit show.

Besides her work on the small screen, she has also worked on a number of films. She wrote and starred in Mean Girls, which met critical acclaim and was a box office success. She also had a small acting part in Artie Lange's Beer League, which she did as a favour to the film's director, despite being seven months pregnant. The film was a complete flop and she reportedly received 1000 dollars for it, to pay for her membership of SAG (now SAG-AFTRA). More successful (and sometimes serious) roles she did were a burrito in Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theatres and Nadya in Muppets most Wanted.

With her resume and the amount of awards she won, her quick rise in the comedy world and the fact she's still young enough to keep on creating for years to come, we're eager to see what she'll bring us. Keep on the lookout for this youngest ever winner of the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor!

Comedy Series Review: The Office

The Office UK

This is one of the British sitcoms that was successfully adapted to the USA. Nowadays both the British and the American version are well-known and loved around the world. Not only the USA has received its own version, also Israel, Sweden, France, Germany, Chile and French Canada have their own versions. There are distinct differences and common factors between all of these. Here we will focus on the USA and British versions, as these are the best known and otherwise this post wouldn't end.

Both the English and American versions deal with a paper merchant, the British company is called Wernham Hogg, the American company is Dunder Mifflin. The British Wernham is lead by regional manager David Brent, Dunder is at first led by Michael Scott, but later by others including Deangelo Vickers, Robert California, Andy Bernhard and Dwight Schrute. The UK and American version share the same universe, this is not sure about the other series. The American show ran for the longest time, with 9 seasons totalling 201 episodes. The UK series ran for 14 episodes over 2 seasons and a two-parter Christmas special. Both the American and the UK series received several awards. The UK version won 2 golden globes and over 20 other awards, the American version only received 1 golden globe, but won more other awards (including 5 Primetime Emmys) and had nearly ten times as many nominations.

The Office US

Both series were highly critically acclaimed and received high ratings. Although the UK version faced cancellation after the first airing due to low ratings, it has since developed into one of the most successful BBC shows ever made and was sold to over 80 countries.

Both the American and British series followed a mockumentary format, which includes the characters sometimes directly addressing the documentary crew behind the camera. This achieves comic effect, since their requests to cut something from the episode are never honoured.

The Office in both versions is a highly appreciated show, both of which had an incredible impact on the world of humour and comedy. Both have generated many spoofs and have obviously inspired many other series. Both are great shows, go check them out if you haven't seen them yet.

Comedian Bio: Rowan Atkinson

Rowan Atkinson in 2009

Rowan Sebastian Atkinson, CBE, M.Sc. is one of the most famous British comedians of our time. His best known work is centred around the Mr. Bean character. This act is mainly focused on physical and somewhat childish humour. Mr. Bean doesn't talk much and mainly communicates by uttering sounds as well as using body language. Whenever he does speak it is usually in a mumbled, low-pitched voice. The character seems to be somewhat impaired in the sense that he doesn't seem to have outgrown childhood mentally. He does seem to appreciate art and in his first film is shown to work as a guard in an art museum. He consistently introduces himself as 'Bean' to others and until the film Mr. Bean on holiday his real name is never revealed. In the film however, his first name is shown to be 'Rowan', as is the actor's first name.

The humour in Mr. Bean comes from the character's ineptness at performing simple, day-to-day tasks. The episodes generally show him trying to go swimming, use a television set, drive a car, etcetera. His solutions to the problems, although creative and often absurd are often with total

Rowan Atkinson as Mr. Bean

disregard for others and for the norms in society. This usually results in hilarious situations where Mr. Bean himself is often a victim at first, but always comes out on top.

Besides Mr. Bean Atkinson has worked on several other wildly successful series, including Not the Nine o' Clock News, Blackadder and The Thin Blue Line.

Not the Nine o' Clock News was a comedy sketch show produced by BBC2. It was intended as a funny alternative to the Nine o' clock news on BBC1 which was a serious news show. It features comic coverage of news stories, parody songs, sketches and much more. It was hilarious and launched Rowan Atkinson's career.

Blackadder is discussed elsewhere on this blog, so I'll keep it short here. Blackadder is a comedy sitcom produced for the BBC. It consists of 4 series, each focusing on a different period in English history, starting in the Late Middle Ages and ending in the Great War (World War I). Each series has a member of the Blackadder lineage, who is accompanied by his servant Baldrick. There is also in every series at least one twit, in the first to series portrayed by Lord Percy, in the third season by Prince George of Wales and in the final series by Lt. The Hon. George Colthurst St Barleigh. It is a true masterpiece of British comedy and if you haven't seen it yet, you should go watch it NOW.

Rowan Atkinson in The Thin Blue Line

“I don't want to buy the Queen a present sir, she's an Antichrist”. The Thin Blue Line features marvellous quotes, absurd humour and over-the-top ridicule of British law enforcement. Full of innuendo, satire and wit, this is a thoroughly enjoyable sitcom, although it is not as fast-paced as Blackadder or indeed, most modern sitcoms. It did help boost Atkinson's career though and it did the same for Ben Elton, who earlier wrote Blackadder, and went on to work on his own show, The Ben Elton Show and he worked on musicals including Love Never Dies and We Will Rock You.

Besides his work on television, Atkinson has also worked on several films. He starred in Never say never again and he took on the role of Johnny English in Johnny English and Johnny English Reborn. Both film were not written by Atkinson and received mixed reviews. Both were box office successes though.

Rowan Atkinson has become one of the best-loved comedians of our time. He has been compared with the likes of John Cleese and he is often seen as the embodiment of contemporary British humour. He remains popular and humour has brought him great wealth and fame, although he is remarkably skilled at separating his private life from his fame. He is a force to be reckoned with and well worth the time viewing. 

Comedy Series Review: The Simpsons

The Simpsons on their signature couch

The longest running American prime-time, scripted television series, longest running American sitcom and longest running American animated series, the Simpsons have managed to captivate their audience for over 20 years. Over this impressive run time over 500 episodes have been aired, the series received a star on the Hollywood star of fame, countless awards, a 9/10 rating on IMDB and a solid world-wide fan-base.

At the start of the series it distanced itself from other series by producing strong, character-focused stories as well as a unique style of animation. It was clever, witty and in many ways a classic American sitcom, which utilised the possibilities animation offers over live-action.

Later in the series, many people agree it was around or just after season 9, the story shifted from character-based to more situational and focused on antics, rather than character. Many people and critics feel this has negatively impacted the shows quality. Sydney Morning Herald's reviewer Jim Schembri summed up most of the criticism in one quote:

"The central tragedy of The Simpsons is that it has gone from commanding attention to merely being attention seeking. It began by proving that cartoon characters don't have to be caricatures; they can be invested with real emotions. Now the show has in essence fermented into a limp parody of itself. Memorable story arcs have been sacrificed for the sake of celebrity walk-ons and punchline-hungry dialogue."

Matt Groening, the show's creator, in 2010

Matt Groening, the shows creator, doesn't agree. He has stated the show is still new, as good or better than it's ever been and there is no creative reason to quit. As the show is still being watched by over 7 million people per episode and even more people watch episodes on-line, there is still a strong backing from the fan-base.

In 2007 the Simpsons Movie premiered and became a huge success. The film focused on the family having to leave Springfield after Homer causes the Springfield lake to become so polluted the government decides to cover the town under a giant glass dome, and later to destroy the town. It made over $500,000,000, with only a $75,000,000 budget.

Although there is a lot to be said for the criticism, the Simpsons is still a very enjoyable show. It is no longer the sharp and witty series of the 90s but is has evolved into the funny animated comedy series it is today. Still worth a look, the Simpsons are entertaining for the whole family.

Comedy Analysis: Humour in ancient Rome

Ancient Rome was more than gladiators and soldiers

The Romans, although not as funny as the Greeks, certainly did have humour and comedy played a part in Roman culture. There is a distinct difference though: where the Greeks had jokes that were rather similar to today's jokes, Roman jokes were a lot different. A joke that was wildly praised in Roman times went as follows:

The scenario for the joke is the trial of Milo, accused of killing the infamous, wildly unpopular, controversial aristocrat Clodius.

Milo's defence lawyer (Cicero) was asked this question: What time did Clodius die?

Cicero answered: "Sero."

The punchline “Sero”  it a Latin word with two meanings. It can be either 'late' or 'too late'. In this scenario therefore, Cicero answered both that Clodius died late in the day, probably late afternoon or in the evening, but also that he should have gotten rid of long ago, as he died 'too late'. This was considered a hilarious joke in Roman times as it connected to a true story, supported many Roman's views on Clodius and had what was considered to be a strong punchline. Roman jokes were very different from ours and most people nowadays wouldn't enjoy Roman jokes. Some words were by themselves considered to be hilarious, like the word stomach. Nowadays most people wouldn't laugh when you just say stomach.

Roman comedy plays however were much like sitcoms today. Their plays intended to give a humorous image of the everyday life. Some situations were exaggerated, or absurd situations were introduced for humorous effect. Some recurring themes were the family’s father falling in love with the same woman as his adolescent son. Usually this woman was a prostitute which resulted in dealings with the brothel owner, who had no morals whatsoever. The family mother would become irate as soon as she found out about her husband’s love interest, resulting in him being dragged off stage by the wife. This was a form of entertainment most people nowadays would find humorous and it has aged much better than the normal stand-alone jokes.

Although Roman humour as a whole didn't age nearly as well as its Greek counterpart, they did make an admirable attempt and perhaps it's just due to our lack of understanding of the sophisticated Roman culture that we don't find it that amusing. Its still interesting to see though, that even in a humour-climate as different from ours as the Romans, there still are links and similarities. Maybe we will learn to appreciate the jokes as our society and culture matures, we'll see. 

Comedian Bio: Robin Williams

Robin Williams in 2011

Although this Oscar winner was not only a comedian, but also a serious actor, we can't in good consciousness leave him out of this blog. Therefore, we will now discuss Robin Williams, (not to be confused with Robbie Williams).

With over 50 awards won and even more nominations, Robin Williams undeniably has a strong track record. He has played in over 100 films and TV-series and has appeared on stage countless times. Some of his most notable works include Good Will Hunting, which is not a comedy, but it is a very good film, Aladdin, where he plays the hilarious Genie, and his most recent television series The Crazy Ones.

In The Crazy Ones, Williams played the advertising genius Simon Roberts. He runs a powerful advertising company together with his daughter Sydney. Sydney and Simon are opposites in nearly everything: where he is unpredictable and somewhat childlike, she is focused, organized and eager to make a name for herself. She is however often parenting her dad, which she resents to a certain level, but as her dad is as good as he is, she accepts it. The series is still in its first season and has already received its first award and a further two nominations. The pilot was the best viewed pilot in the season and rightly so.

In general Robin Williams was known for his skill at portraying an optimistic character with a lot of goofy humour, both visual and verbal. His work often involves a lot of improvisation, which results in hilarious material. His work is inspired by his idol Jonathan Winters, who was also known for his

Robin Williams in 1979

improvisational skills.

Besides his acting work Williams is known for his extensive contributions to charity. He started the Windfall fund together with his former wife and he has collaborated with Comic Relief on countless occasions. He has also donated to the rebuilding efforts in Canterbury after the devastating earthquake of 2010. Furthermore he has performed for US troops several times.

His recent death shocked the world. Everybody commented on it, from US President Barack Obama to the Prime Minister of the Netherlands, to everybody on the internet and in the media. His death also sparked several debates on suicide, its treatment and the media coverage of celebrity deaths. He was mourned worldwide, and is still missed by many.

Robin Williams was one of the few truly multi-talented actors of our age, who will certainly be remembered for years to come. A great loss to the world and comedy, he really deserves the acclaim he received.

Comedy Analysis: On-line comedy

Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog is a free to watch
comical webseries  

With the rise of the Internet and websites such as Blip.TV, Channel 101, Youtube.com, Escapist Magazine and Dailymotion.com, many people now have the possibility to upload and share their own work. Also because of the computer and the increasing availability of high-quality cameras and microphones as well as easy-to-use cheap (or free) editing software, many people are now able to upload their own hilarious work. This has helped create a thriving comedy subculture on the Internet.

Because (almost) everybody is now able to share their content, there are countless videos available where people show their comedic talents (or lack thereof) for the entertainment of the world. Parodies are among the most popular genre on the Internet. Television series, songs, films, other Internet celebrities, nothing and no-one is safe from the Internet comedians. Some great Internet comedians include Nerdcubed, The Key of Awesome, Epic Rap Battles of History, How it should have ended, Smosh, Channel Awesome and Thug Notes. The latter is not so much classic comedy; he provides summaries and reviews of famous literature in a true 'thug, gangsta-style' speaking in slang and appealing to a younger audience. His way of story telling and analysis is hilarious though.

Not only is the Internet a way to broadcast comedy, it is also a source of inspiration. On line comedians inspire others and as such the community keeps growing. But also the Internet itself is a source of comedy. There are more songs, sketches and mockumentaries about Twitter, Facebook and Myspace than there are stars in the sky,

Part of the success of on-line comedy is because the Internet is not only easily accessible, but comedians can even make money. On Youtube alone there are dozens of content creators who make upwards of 1 million dollars per year with their videos. Outside of Youtube there are even more, not all become millionaires but there are thousands of creators who make a living through creating and sharing content using the Internet.

To sum up, the Internet might be the greatest thing that ever happened to comedy and humour. People have more sources, more inspiration and can share and broadcast their work easier than ever before. Go try it, you might become the next on-line superstar!

Comedy Analysis: Non-verbal humour

Visual, non-verbal humour: the object is in an unexpected place

Non-verbal humour, also known as visual humour, is a form of humour and comedy that doesn't use dialogue, or uses minimum dialogue. This form of comedy was extremely popular during the days of the silent film. It is however, still very popular and can often be seen in series, films and even commercials.

Many visual humour depends on the comedian using his body as a tool. By doing funny or unexpected things with a body, hilarity can be achieved. A technique that's often used, is the use of clothing that doesn't fit well. Having clothes that are a size or two too large or too small help create a character for the comedian.

Objects, as well as humans and animals, can become funny by following one of more of the rules of visual comedy. These are:

1 – an object can become funny when it behaves in an unexpected way

2 – an object can become funny when it is in an unexpected place

3 – an object can become funny when it is the wrong size

An example of number 1 is an object that comes to life, or a human behaving like an animal (and vice versa). Number two can for instance be a car on the roof, a banana on the head or a horse in the kitchen presser. Number three can for instance be a giant sandwich, such as in the Young Ones, where a woman gets squashed under a sandwich the size of a couch. In this scene the non-verbal humour is made funnier by a verbal remark: Neil, the vegetarian hippie, who complains the sandwich isn't vegetarian with a complete deadpan expression.

Charlie Chaplin used non-verbal humour to great effect

The comedian can also combine 2 or 3 of these rules in order to achieve hilarious scenes. They should keep in mind though, that combining 2 or 3 rules, doesn't necessarily make something 2 or 3 times as funny. If done well however, a combination of the rules can result in absolute hilarity.

Animated comedy is able to push these rules to the extremes. In animation it is possible to have a double-decker bus do a somersault, have a cat grow to 500 feet in height or have objects appear or disappear at will.

A lot of visual comedy works with slapstick and violence. These forms of comedy are as old as comedy itself and, since they don't require much dialogue, they were immensely popular during the silent film era. They are these days still used in any medium you can think of. The reception of pain by the comedian can be made funny by using a deadpan face or by means of understatement or exaggeration.

 Visual humour can also be achieved through absurd situation. In general, the more absurd and astonishing a situation or object becomes, the funnier it can get. For instance a banana that bends away from the mouth when someone wants to eat it, is funny. A banana that bends away, leaps to the ground, grows 300 feet high and wreaks havoc is funnier, because it is absurder and it utilises rules 1 and 3 (and possibly 2, depending on its location).

In visual comedy there is one constant: somebody (usually the comedian) suffers. Therefore the visual comedian is a constant victim. He is however indestructible. He can take whatever the humour throws at him but will survive in the end. Humour never dies.

Comedy Analysis: Mockumentary

This is practically a mockumentary

Mockumentary is a portmanteau word from “to mock” and “documentary”. It is therefore a mocking documentary. Generally the mockumentary will follow fictional events and show them as in a documentary, thus creating a parody.

In a mockumentary some care if usually taken to create the atmosphere and 'feel' of a real documentary.  This means there is usually no laugh-track, a lot of (semi-) improvised lines and 'reconstructions'. All this helps to create a true documentary feel.

One of the most famous, recent examples of mockumentary film is Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan. This film presents itself as a documentary, but is in reality a spoof, with little informative value. Is is funny though.

Mockumentaries are closely linked to pseudo-documentaries, although they are not the same. The main difference being a mockumentary is always a parody and therefore always funny. A pseudo-

The Office is a mockumentary

documentary is not necessarily funny, although it can lead to laughable results. A prime example of this is Orson Welles' War of the Worlds which was aired on radio styled as a news bulletin. This was so realistically done, that people believed the world to be under alien attack and it caused massive outbreaks of panic. Although the intent of the broadcast wasn't comedy, the results were without a doubt hilarious.

Mockumentaries are becoming more common and more popular every day. With series like The Office crossing the Atlantic and finding success on both sides, Arrested Development is still popular, years after the original television broadcasts and Come Fly With Me was the most-watched British comedy of 2010 with over 10 million viewers every episode. For a 6 episode series, this is impressive. Mockumentaries are a refreshing way of looking at comedy and because they're not too common it would seem it's going to stay that way for a while.

Comedy Analysis: Medieval Humour

A Jester

The Dark Ages are called that for a reason, and people don't generally associate this era with comedy. However, the Middle Ages were more important to modern-day comedy than most people realise. This was the era when the meaning of the word comedy changed. Before it had been strictly limited to theatre with a happy ending, now it also started to encompass poetry and literature and later on more or less every type of art. This opened the door to the current state of comedy with humour in every medium.

The most famous form of medieval humour may well be the jesters. Employed mainly at the courts they provided entertainment in the form of songs, stories, jokes, acrobatics etcetera. They would also comment on the current state of affairs or contemporary events. Because of the nature of their acts, they can be considered the very first stand-up comedians.

Another strong influence on comedy was the Feast of Fools. This is one name given to a series of festivals organised by the church. On these festivals the lower clergy members were allowed to make fun of their superiors. This resulted in comedy plays, songs, poems etcetera being shown. Also burlesque likely originated here. This feast disappeared during the 15th century, as it was considered to be obscene and objectionable.

During the 12th and 13th century the Elegiac comedy arose. The Elegiac poems were written in a very upper-class form of Latin and the writers enjoyed showing off their skill in Latin. These poems were however always about low-profile, or unimportant subjects. The contrasting high Latin and low subjects result in hilarity.

Although the Middle Ages are not generally associated with humour but as shown, this is unjustified. The Middle Ages were more than just people being hung, drawn and quartered: they formed the start of an upwards development in culture and society as a whole, leading to where we are now. 

Comedian Bio: Leslie Nielsen

"Surely you can't be serious?" "I am serious. And don't call me Shirley."

Leslie Nielsen in Airplane!

This is possibly the most famous sentence Leslie Nielsen has ever spoken. Although he started as a 'serious' actor, comedy was what he always wanted to do. With the critically acclaimed Airplane! His dream came true. He played the dead serious Dr. Rumack who responded to the craziness around him in a completely deadpan manner. This resulted in hilarious situations, such as the quote above this post.

The success that came with Airplane! resulted in a television series being produced called Police Squad! starring Nielsen in the role of police sergeant Frank Drebin. The series was cancelled after only 6 episodes, not because it was bad, but it was before it's time. The viewer in the 1980s was unable to keep up with the fast pace and it's quick jokes. Simpsons creator Matt Groening has said Police Squad! would have been quite a hit had it been aired twenty years later. This point of view is shared by many others.

Leslie Nielsen in his final years

Police Squad! did however lead to the production of 3 Naked Gun films: Naked Gun: from the files of  Police Squad!, Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear, and Naked Gun 33⅓:The Final Insult. These were the highlight of Nielsen's career and these films are most often mentioned when he's remembered.

After the Naked Gun films, Nielsen has mainly attempted to find roles similar to Frank Drebin but has often proven unsuccessful. He has starred in many parody films such as Dracula:Dead and Loving It, and Scary Movie II and III. This was often with varying results. He has indicated he would think it 'wonderful' to do a fourth Naked Gun but he didn't think it would happen. He proved to be right.

With over 100 films and over 150 television series, countless awards including 2 Emmy awards and a star on both the Hollywood and Canada walks of fame, Nielsen leaves behind a strong legacy and a portfolio that will be enjoyed by generations to come. 

Comedian Bio: John Candy

John Candy in 1993

Canadian actor and comedian John Franklin Candy is one of the big names in comedy who left us way too early. When he died of a heart attack in his sleep at age 43 he had an impressive reputation and a bright future. But enough gloom, let us focus on the good parts.

Multiple Emmy award-winner John Candy was probably the best actor to play an annoying fat guy with a good heart. His most famous role is possibly that of Del Griffith in Planes Trains and Automobiles, where he plays a good-natured and well-spoken shower-curtain-ring-salesman who is forced to travel the country with Neal Page (Steve Martin) in order to get Neal home in time for Thanksgiving with his family. During the trip they encounter many hilarious situations and their polar opposite personalities ensure a lot of comic arguments and clashes. In the end though they form a bond and, upon learning Del doesn't actually have a family, Neal invites him to join the dinner with his family.

John Candy in Planes, Trains and Automobiles

John has however played in many other films, starting with the 1973 film Class of '44 up to Wagon's East and Canadian Bacon. Both those films were released posthumously and dedicated to him. Both films received poor reviews but as Roger Ebert stated, Candy's reputation had already been established and would survive the films. Some of the better films he starred in include The Blues
Brothers, Little Shop of Horrors and the parody classic Spaceballs.

Candy also had a successful stand-up career with the Toronto division of The Second City which led to a television production of the same name. His television career ran from 1972 to 1994 alongside his film career. Some of his work includes voice acting as well as several television films, which were mainly broadcast in Canada.

John Candy could have gone on to do greater things, but as it is he leaves us a strong collection of work which remains popular and his work is still enjoyed by people worldwide. A true legend of comedy and a hero in Canada.

Comedy Series Review: It ain't half hot mum

The Royal Artillery Concert Party

This is one of the classic war-comedies produced by the BBC. With 52 episodes broadcast between in 8 seasons between 1974 and 1981, it was the second British sitcom to be set in World War II, after Dad's Army. This series focuses on a Royal Artillery Concert Party, that travels through Asia to amuse the troups fighting the Japanese.

As is customary in the army, all members of the group have nicknames and generally only addressed by their nicknames. The group consists of: “Shut up”, “Lofty”, “Parky”, “"La-de-dah" or "Paderewski", “Atlas”, "Nobby", "Nosher", "Solly" and "Gloria". “Shut up” is the commander of the unit and the only 'real' soldier. The rest are draftees and don't want to be in the army, but are happy to not have a fighting position.

Sgt. Shut Up

Tudor Brynne 'Shut Up' Williams is the sergeant-major and day-to-day commander of the group. He has been a professional soldier most of his life and hates being assigned to work with the concert party. He is often seen shouting at the men in the manner of a drill sergeant and is usually working on schemes to get the group disbanded and assigned to front-line positions. His schemes are always thwarted by the men, often with the help of the officers, even though the officers aren't always aware of what they're doing.

Colonel Charles Arthur Digby St John Reynolds is the most senior officer in the concert group. He is a huge fan of the group's work and always enjoys the shows. He is a solicitor which in all probability makes him the highest-educated officer in the group. He is the stereotypical British officer with a stiff upper lip and proper appearance and behavior. He is generally good-natured and tries to keep his easy life behind the lines at all costs. He thinks his life as a soldier in Asia is very hard, although he spends most of his time in a well-ventilated office sipping gin and he indulges in luxury dining with the elite.

Captain Jonathan Tarquin 'Tippy' Ashwood is the second-in-command in the group, but is an absolute twit. He has about as much military bearing in him as a cucumber and he is a huge fan of the show, in particular the drag-acts. Due to his position of authority and his lack of wit he is often manipulated by others to achieve their own goals. He is also known to often unintentionally ruin other's plans and he is pretty much useless when it comes to solving problems. His catch-phrase is “It's a tricky one, sir” which is his standard answer anytime the Colonel asks him for his input.

Bombardier 'Solly' Solomons is a highly intelligent, Jewish, soldier who always plays the male lead and is the party's producer. His main goal is to stay away from the front and he remained successful in this right up to his going back to England after the second series.

Gunner (later Bombardier) 'Gloria' Beaumont is a very effeminate man and a huge coward. He considers himself an artist and feels he doesn't belong in the war. He has difficulty adapting to the heat, mosquitoes and violence that comes with army life in India.

Gunner 'Lofty' Harold Horace Herbert Willy Sugden is a tiny man, with an amazing tenor singing voice. Even 'Shut up' can't resist his voice when he's singing. He is although often ridiculed for his appearance, especially by the Sergeant-major and he is always picked as 'volunteer' for nasty or dangerous tasks.

Gunner 'Parky' Nigel Parkins is the youngest member and possibly major Williams' son. As a result he is Williams' favorite and is often complimented by him. Huge blunders such as destroying the officer's mess (instead of clearing up the mess) are easily forgiven. He has no exploitable talent for the actual show so he is appointed the company clerk. The other men like having him in the group, since they figure the Major would want to keep them all safe as long as his son is with them.

The show's title card for the first 2 seasons

Gunner 'Paderewski' 'La-De-Dah' Jonathan Graham is the pianist. He has a university degree in English literature and speaks in a very upper-class accent. His education and accent are reason for Shut up to constantly mock him. His intelligence is often relied on by others – including the Major – to get them out of sticky situations. His plans often fail however, leading him to utter his catch-phrase “oh well, bang goes that theory”.

Gunner 'Atlas' Mackintosh is the party's strongman. He is very masculine and a little short-tempered. He is however good at heart and copes with the situation to the best of his knowledge.

Gunner 'Nobby' Clark is not the smartest of the party and often makes funny but useless comments. He has a whistling act and can do a marvelous bird imitation.

Gunner 'Nosher' Evans has a paper tearing act, and eats a lot. He often talks with his mouth full, spraying food on whoever he's talking to.

This series is a classic for good reason. Making fun of the army is, especially in Britain, a sure recipe for success. The British soldiers interaction among themselves and with the native 'Wallahs' is hilarious. The series wasn't repeated too much on British television due to the controversy over Michael Bates, an Indian-born white actor playing one of the natives. The series was repeated in other countries though and has had several DVD releases which had the success they deserved. 

Comedy Analysis: Improvisational humour

Robin Williams was a master of improv

Although many comedy films and series are scripted, improvisational humour is an important genre of comedy. This can be either completely improvised, or improvised to an extent with some script to give guidance.

The oldest documented form of improvisational comedy is the Atellan farce in ancient Rome. It is known this form of improvisational theatre was invented in ancient Greece, although little is known about the Greek form of improv. The Roman version of this theatre involves actors spoofing the way of life of the poor classes, from an upper-class perspective. Often the act was full of vulgar and rude humour, as the upper classes viewed the common people as uncivilized and simple-minded.

Around the 16th to 18th century, the Commedia d'ell Arte took shape. Heavily inspired by the Atellan Farce, this was a form of improvisational theatre popular in Italy during this era. The full name of the art form is Commedia dell’arte all’improvviso, or “Comedy of the very creative ability of improvisation”. This name clarifies the improvisational element in the shows. The Commedia d'ell Arte featured a lot of character humour, often ridiculing stock characters, such as the old man, the soldier, the commoner etcetera. These shows were generally performed on the streets on temporary stages, free of charge. They were sometimes funded by the city the performance took place in and other funding resulted from passing the hat after a show.

Improv Everywhere

Today improv is a popular type of humour, used in television series (often with an audience) as well as films, where actors are sometimes allowed to improvise (part of) their lines. Also dedicated improv groups have been established. The most famous possibly being Improv Everywhere who have gained international fame through the Internet. They often perform in the streets in the form of 'flash-mobs' or spontaneous plays. Their actions are generally very lightly scripted in order to achieve a predetermined result.

On British television some of the BBC's most popular shows include improvisation to some extent. These include Mock the Week and Have I got news for you. Both these series generally feature a panel of comedians who improvise their work on the spot. This makes for hilarious television and no episode is the same. Another popular BBC series is Outnumbered where the actors (in particular the child actors) improvise their lines after a few instructions from the producers.

Improv is not only a powerful tool in humour, but is also applicable to normal everyday life. Several well-known comedians, including Tina Fey and Stephen Colbert, have described life as the most important improvisation of all, as it is the same as improv in comedy: there are no lines, you have no idea what's going to happen and the rules of society tend to keep us from our creative self. By letting go of the rules, people can achieve greatness.

So there you go, humour is not just for laughs, its principles can be applied to real life as well. Humour is useful!

Comedy Analysis: Humour in video games

Octodad: Dadliest Catch

Although humour is not a given in contemporary video games, there are certainly games out there that are full of humour, sometimes on purpose, sometimes unintentionally. In this post we will dive into humour in games.

Deadpool

Deadpool is a Marvel superhero who is known for the humorous comics. Now there is a game about him, it was inevitable there would be humour in there as well. Although some of the humour can be seen as childish, tacky and even slightly sexist, this game does tickle ones laughter bones and even if you don't like tacky humour, there is enough funny to be found in this beat 'em up.

Octodad: Dadliest Catch 

Octodad: Dadliest Catch is a game that was obviously made with comic intent. The protagonist is an octopus dressed in human clothes. Your challenges include putting on make-up, doing garden work, walking through hallways full of obstacles and putting a wedding ring on your bride's fingers. The humour is in that Octodad is incredibly hard to control. This results in limbs flying in every direction but the one you want him to go. Slapping people, crashing surrounding objects and hurting Octodad every step of the way. The slapstick in this game is sublime and when played in multi-player (where every player controls one or more separate limbs) adds to the hilarity.

Qwop

Qwop

Qwop is somewhat comparable with Octodad: Dadliest Catch albeit in a somewhat simpler form. It's a flash-based game which can be played for free on-line. The goal is to run 100 meters, whilst controlling all four limps separately with the Q,W,O and P buttons – hence the name. This too is nigh impossible.

Easter Eggs in Video Games

Many games, such as Borderlands and GTA feature funny 'Easter eggs'. These are little winks put in the game as a gift to the player. This can include characters from other franchises, links to a different world/universe, or (as is the case in GTA IV) a giant beating heart which can be found in a statue resembling the Statue of Liberty.

Claptrap is the comic relief in Borderlands and Borderlands 2

Humour in Boring Games 

Another form of humour used in video games is the type of humour that can be found in games like Papers Please and Cart Life. In both of these games you play someone who has a mind-numbingly boring job. Where most games let you become a race-car driver, criminal, police officer, soldier or something cool, these games let you play as a street vendor and an immigration officer respectively. This means you have to repeat the same action over and over again with increasing difficulty and seemingly little result. These games are hilarious through the apparent uselessness of your work.

Unintentional Humour 

Many games also feature unintentional humour. This can be in the form of glitches, bug and programming errors. This can result in floating objects, characters being able to walk through walls or fall through the floor, or make sporadic and funny movements. Youtube is full of videos highlighting brilliant glitches from famous games.

Video games are full of humour if you know where to look. There are far more games that feature excellent humour, some of them free, some paid, but all hilarious in their own way. Humour in gaming is on the rise again and we welcome it!