When Younger I used to watch a Series called, surprisingly enough, The Comedians. It was a Showcase some of the Biggest Names in Comedy around at the time. Similar Formats are, particularly for New Talent, are becoming Regulars on Later - Night TV. Over the Years I have Watched a lot of Stand - Ups & I came to the Conclusion that there are no Conclusion. Even People that once had me in Hysterics barely raise a titter.

So now I come to most difficult bit, who, out of all those I've seen do I include? The only Definite I had in mind was Lenny Henry (see below). He has been my Favourite from quite some time.

So I then thought about who else? I looked for similar examples, I enjoy Humour a lot myself & this Balances with, or is because of (for those budding Psychologists out there ;-) the Serious side of my Personality.

So I thought some... ...then some more...

...& even more!

In the end I came up with Ben Elton & Mark Thomas. Ben was at the forefront of the Alternative Comedy Scene. Mark, because he covers a lot of the same ground that I cover in my Environmental & Ethical Pages.

Steve Coogan came in a close Fourth, nearly displacing Ben Elton. Steve still has a lot to offer & is by no means finished. It may well be that he will replace Ben at some point, although not alternative Steve has that quality in his Characters that I've not seen since the days of Dick Emery & may in time surpass them. Alan Partridge & Paul Calfe are Classic Characters by any definition.

So here we go. I will own up & say that I have Rewritten, Reorganized & gone through a number of Comedy Personalities before deciding on these 3, it may well change again before I'm done...

From then on he has done various other Shows, including his own Series & Characters &, Most Importantly, Comic Relief, whose Red Nose Days I have been a Regular Donator to (I will mention more about this in my Environmental & Ethical Pages - still under construction at present, DEC 00, if you wish to know more go to the Comic Relief Web Site).

Other Series include, Three Of A Kind (with Tracey Ullman), Chef & various other Solo Vehicles. He has, like quite a number of Comedians, Comic Actors, etc. gone on to Star in a Drama, Hope & Glory, not my cup of tea at all I'm afraid.

I once had a conversation with someone of African Background who once Criticized Lenny for being too English, i.e. playing to a White Audience & Ignoring the Black one. I can see, retrospectively, what was meant, at the time, I hope that the Person concerned has moderated their view slightly.

I did see Lenny Live at some Club or another & must say he was as excellent as he was on TV. it was early on so he was doing most of the Characters

Ben's Saturday / Friday Night Live bits were a must of the Era. I am not sure, even today, that his comments on Margaret Thatcher showed everyone just how she was, or added to the Myth (I think Spitting Image did much the same - Chris Barrie was a regular Voice on that Show, for more on him see Red Dwarf)

In his earlier days Ben was the Biggest Name on the Alternative Comedy Circuit. His relentless Monologues followed a central theme with multiple branches sprouting out in different directions made, somewhat reminiscent of Ronnie Corbett's Chair Routine, only with much more clout.

Now he is probably still one of the Biggest Names in Comedy though more now for his Writing. I find his Own Shows have lost their edge a bit. Needless to say, Ben has been involved with some of the Best known Comedy Shows of recent Times. These include the Excellent Young Ones, Blackadder Series' & the not quite as good The Thin Blue Line (both Starring Rowan Atkinson, see Here for a bit more on him).

He seems to have tamed a bit over the verging on the point of becoming part of  the Establishment he once Ridiculed - if not a member - I suppose we all sell out at some Time or another. 20 years & would never have thought that I would doing what I'm doing now - The Family, The Job, etc.

When you see his Shows you may see some similarities between his approach & that of Ali G, although Mark's has definitely more of a Serious Message, & predates it some. He has Organized Stunts & Protests covering subjects like Animal Rights, Human Rights & the Arms Trade. With the Latter Mark set up a PR (Public Relations) Stall at an Arms Fair & had some very Unsavoury People totally convinced it was a genuine article.

Some of his Interviews have elicited some interesting revelations about how, in some cases at least,  reasonably Intelligent Leaders & Rulers (Military or otherwise) can make the Torture & Victimization of their own People sound ridiculous. By adapting what they've said & getting them to play along so that what they say becomes amusingly surreal. The weird bit is that they obviously think they're being rational.

This doesn't sound as effective (or frightening) in writing as it does when Watched. Mark offers the Facts & Figures of these Leaders to the Audience to really put the Perspective. It shows these Dictators, Despots, etc. for what they are - primarily Human Beings who have far too much Power over others!

I will be putting my own slant on some of the Topics that Mark Thomas covers in my own Environment & Ethical Pages.

This is the end of my Comedy Pages, for now. All that's left for me to say is...

...KEEP ON SMILING