April, 2013 Laura Foster

1. BRITISH COMEDY
An introduction to humour in British TV

2. WHAT IS COMEDY?
Is humour the same in every country?
What makes people laugh in your country?

3. VOCABULARY
 Irony, Sarcasm(n)  A sketch (n)
 A Comedian (n, masc)  Dry (adj)
 A Comedienne (n, fem)  A panel (n)
 An innuendo (n)  Conventional (adj)
 A gag, a joke (n)  Alternative (adj)
 A punch line  Observational (adj)

4. MEDIA
Television
Radio
Written forms
Comic strips, poems, stories

5. COMIC STRIP

6. FORMATS
Stand up
Situational Comedy
Game show/Panel Show
Sketch show

7. THEMES
 Innuendo  British Class system
 Satire  Race and regional stereotypes
 Absurd  Sarcasm
 Macabre  Parodies of stereotypes
 Surreal and chaotic  Eccentric people
 Humour in everyday life  Pranks and practical jokes
 Social awkwardness

8. GENRES
Slapstick Satire
Surreal Parody
Class Macabre/Black/Dark
Political Panel Show
Alternative

9. HISTORY
 The Music Hall
 The War
 Women
 Radio
 Television
 The Heyday of British Comedy…… the 70s.

10. STAND UP

11. THE SITCOM

12. THE SKETCH SHOW

13. THE GAME/PANEL SHOW

14. MONTY PYTHON
 Politics
 Slapstick, Surreal
 Sketch

15. THE TWO RONNIES
 Play on words,Class
 Conventional
 Sketch

16. FRENCH/SAUNDERS
 Parody
 Satire
 Sketch

17. ALAN PARTRIDGE
 Social awkwardness
 Surreal
 Sitcom

18. BILLY CONNOLLY
 Everyday life
 Observational
 Stand up

19. MR BEAN
 Eccentric
 Slapstick
 Sitcom

20. BLACKADDER
 Class
 Historic
 Play on words
 Sitcom

21. H AV E I G O T N E W S F O R YO U ?
 Religion
 Satire
 Panel Show

22. THE FAST SHOW
 Observational, everyday humour
 Eccentric person
 Sketch

23. THE OFFICE
 Social awkwardness
 Black comedy
 Sitcom

24. WHO’S LINE IS IT ANYWAY?
 Social awkwardness
 Slapstick, surreal
 Panel Show

25. BIG TRAIN
 Everyday life, Play on words
 Observational, surreal
 Sketch

26. THANK YOU FOR
LISTENING!
You can find all these clips in a playlist on Youtube….
Search for “EF Manchester British Comedy Lecture

27. WATCH AGAIN…
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLme6v_
sQkdGe9IJekVoa9ajYHkV9rtOi4