He needs to defend nothing . .

[the ghost of guitarplayer]

Great, BF. That's just the ticket. Will she come "prepared" like that when you send her.

Is that true for everyone? You - and the other UK posters here - may expect more from comedians just like you do musicians. Don't you have comedians there, though, that were inventive or funny for a few years and stay around milking the same jokes because like a bad restaurant in a good location people go back to because they know what they will get and don't have to really think? And you find yourself asking why is he still on tv in the UK?

I get how a guy that isn't anything much special back home goes to another country and gets put on a pedestal somewhere else.

A lot of people don't search out new comedians and music. Actually most don't. I would put money on that being a universal fact. Gervais is a fresh face in the U.S., so what you are so bored with now is new over here. I get the feeling in a year or so, I will be saying I can't believe I thought this guy was funny. But for now, he was a breath of fresh air at that awards ceremony.

It's probably because comedians have a short-life span and it's generally considered more of a young man/woman's game (with a few exceptions), very similar to musicians. Round these parts they do the comedy circuit, get accolades at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, maybe take their show onto radio and then it's made as a TV show where the normal rule is considered that all-time classic comedy shows shouldn't have anymore than three series. Then they might do something else, or move into some area of TV completely different. Few milk it. That would have probably happened to Gervais if he hadn't tried to crack America.

Then the next lot come along to go through the same motions.

For UK audiences, Ricky Gervais was David Brent. I don't know if this video shows up in the US, I'm not much a fan of these two, but James Corden (the fat one) does Ricky Gervais down to a tee. That's how he is to us now.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ue6fmsnZM78[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5wCqYyN-vI&feature=related[/youtube]

[withahip]

Great, BF. That's just the ticket. Will she come "prepared" like that when you send her.

It's probably because comedians have a short-life span and it's generally considered more of a young man/woman's game (with a few exceptions), very similar to musicians. Round these parts they do the comedy circuit, get accolades at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, maybe take their show onto radio and then it's made as a TV show where the normal rule is considered that all-time classic comedy shows shouldn't have anymore than three series. Then they might do something else, or move into some area of TV completely different. Few milk it. That would have probably happened to Gervais if he hadn't tried to crack America.

Then the next lot come along to go through the same motions.

If a tv show becomes a hit the actors negotiate a contract that has them sitting pretty with reruns and we don't have to see them again. We have been lucky on that regards with "comedic" actors" Ray Ramano, The Friends people and Seinfeld.

The problem is, the shows milk it for close to a decade. And then we have cable stations devoted to 24 reruns of the show. And the shows that get the reruns aren't all-time classic comedy. It is the crap. See previously mentioned shows.

Most people don't know Mr. Show and it blows the syndicated shows out of the water.

[withahip]

God, you people are something else.
You ask a question about culture and comedy and you get it otherwise.
Still, some good jokes though. Nice entertainment beats being bored at work, sitting here reading some of the responses.
Sheesh. I'll think twice b4 posting a thought or a question regarding a question just trying to be friendly. Damn!
I am watching reruns so maybe I'll end up brain dead, all of you won't have to worry about me posting questions (trying to make friends here) again. Damn though!

[the ghost of guitarplayer]

That's my concern that's how Black Francis will send her. I trust it will follow this path... hang on didn't I just type that in the other thread, or I am getting deja vu here?

[the ghost of guitarplayer]

If a tv show becomes a hit the actors negotiate a contract that has them sitting pretty with reruns and we don't have to see them again. We have been lucky on that regards with "comedic" actors" Ray Ramano, The Friends people and Seinfeld.

The problem is, the shows milk it for close to a decade. And then we have cable stations devoted to 24 reruns of the show. And the shows that get the reruns aren't all-time classic comedy. It is the crap. See previously mentioned shows.

Most people don't know Mr. Show and it blows the syndicated shows out of the water.

Yeah, we get re-runs... sometimes, mostly on a digital channel that you have to pay for. Stuff like Fawlty Towers, alot of the 70s stuff though. Dad's Army seems to be on permanently.

I don't think anyone has milked it though probably since Steptoe and Son in the 60s/70s. Not hilarious humour, but cultish nonetheless. After almost a decade of shows, they ended up milking it by touring round Australia (where it was particularly popular) doing the same Steptoe and Son gags until one of them carked it (Sanford and Son was based on the series). There's a kind of fondness for that kind of stuff here now. The BBC did a TV play a few years back about them with the actooor Jason Isaacs playing one of them, which was great.

[withahip]

I guess I pretty much contradicted myself with not having to see those actors again. Re-reading that post, I see they become ubiquitous.

[Mr. Brian]

God, you people are something else.
You ask a question about culture and comedy and you get it otherwise.
Still, some good jokes though. Nice entertainment beats being bored at work, sitting here reading some of the responses.
Sheesh. I'll think twice b4 posting a thought or a question regarding a question just trying to be friendly. Damn!
I am watching reruns so maybe I'll end up brain dead, all of you won't have to worry about me posting questions (trying to make friends here) again. Damn though!

"I think it's great we live in a town where you can ask questions. Because without questions, we'd just have answers, and an answer without a question is a statement."
- Mayor West

[Mr. Brian]

My Avalanche is the porcupine records second edition purchased through the website back in the Ivan days. Isn't there one before it?

The first release was the Gimme Music label release in 2000. That was the one that was released when Ivan was doing the website. It came in a jewel case. The Gimme Music label that released it online only did a poor job with the online ordering and the ordering process kept crashing and not many people were able to complete the ordering. That's what caused it to be self-released in that cardboard sleeve by the band few years later in 2003 with the two versions of Baseball Bill. That's the one you have.

[the ghost of guitarplayer]

Yeah, I have the original Gimme Music release. Can't recall any problems when I ordered it online back then - amazing to think that was ten years ago - Gimme Music was ahead of it's time, but people weren't ready back then to order music online, probably not much helped by their artist portfolio though - I was going to sell it after one copy did well on e-bay, but a later one didn't sell at all so I haven't bothered. I'd happily sell it though if it could fetch £100.

[Mr. Brian]

Yeah, I have the original Gimme Music release. Can't recall any problems when I ordered it online back then - amazing to think that was ten years ago - Gimme Music was ahead of it's time, but people weren't ready back then to order music online, probably not much helped by their artist portfolio though - I was going to sell it after one copy did well on e-bay, but a later one didn't sell at all so I haven't bothered. I'd happily sell it though if it could fetch £100.

I've seen the original sell for $100+ on eBay. I think you have to do it when the timing is right, like when they start touring again.

[fat cherry]

trouble with gervais is, as ghostie pointed out, he's known for two great series but otherwise he's a bit one dimensonal. Plus his stand up/talk show personality is too close to brent to be funny any more. He cant have an interview without mentioning, in a supposedly comedic fashion, how many baftas he's had. The stuff at the globes you put up is mildly amusing but you can see why some people got upset when youre invited to a celebration of film/telly and you slag the industry off. Plus, jokes about, i guess, is tom cruise gay, not that original. My daughter got his latest stand up dvd for christmas and its crap. He even does the 'how many baftas' routine in that, and says the word 'cunt' alot and does a long and not very funny routine about fat people. Having said that the film 'cemetary junction' he wrote with merchant is quite good, and he's modest enough to have a limited role in it. Merchant does some mildly amusing bank ads over here at the moment too.