Best "modern" television physical comedians?

From an Australian viewpoint, you can’t go past Lano & Woodly (Now split up, sadly) and the great Shaun Micallef.

Teá Leone was a great physical comedienne in the early seasons of the Naked Truth.

Another person who has heard of The Dead Milkmen? I may happily pass away at this point!

Matthew Brock(Andy Dick) began every show of NewsRadio with a fall. He was also knocked around fairly regularly throughout the series. Dave, Bill and Joe also got knocked around every now and then. Especially Joe, Catherine was always smacking him.

The best, bar none, John Cleese. :smiley: A very funny man.

I can still watch Fawlty Towers, decades after it was made, having seen them countless times, and I’ll still laugh my ass off. “Don’t mention the war!” :smiley:

If you’re going back as far as the 60’s, you could also then include Robin Williams, he did get his start on Mork & Mindy after all.

Signing Off
Nanoo nanoo
:stuck_out_tongue:

Ellen DeGeneres, a few years ago, was the spiritual successor to Lucy.

Totally with you - one of the finest shows ever, and John Cleese was simply amazing.

Fran Drescher did a lot of physical comedy in the show, but rarely got credit for it (nothing outshines that voice). I remember one episode where Mr. Sheffield was trying to take off a shirt she had on that was too tight. She was flopping around and going crazy with it, Her abilithy to do physical comedy reminded me of Lucille Ball in several episodes.

I came in here to post Lano and Woodley. Micallef is also excellent, but physical comedy isn’t what’s best about him in my opinion.

David Hyde Pierce. Remember that silent opening scene on the Fraiser that started out with him ironing his suit and ended up with the fire?

Mork & Mindy ran from 1978 to 1982.

I remember that - LOL! Or reacting to the fishmongers at the Seattle outdoor market, tossing halibut around him. Or trying to go incognito outside a gay bar, picking up a newspaper from the rack and holding it up to cover his face, then realizing what he was looking at, reacting with alarm and hurling it away - all without a word. I about busted a gut.

Just about the entire cast of Friends had the chance to do physical comedy now and then. I remember them all being pretty good at it, but Matthew Perry (when handcuffed to the dominatrix’s filing cabinet, or reacting to Joey’s impromptu carpentry and drilling, for instance) was particularly memorable.

The whole Monty Python cast was great, but if I had to choose one, it’d be John Cleese. The Ministry of Silly Walks alone will ensure his comic immortality.

Steve Martin had a series of TV specials, in addition to his SNL appearances, and proved himself a master of physical comedy - his silent (except for the music) dance with Gilda Radner is a classic: by turns winsome, manic, graceful, and clumsy - but hilarious throughout.

I also respect Matthew Perry’s physical comedy prowess.

It can be overlooked on Seinfeld because Kramer was the big man for it, but Jason Alexander was very funny physically. . .running around, flapping his arms, burying his head in his hands. . .he was always right on the edge of taking it over the top.

Well, since he got his start on TV, and since he’s the greatest physical comedian since movies added sound, IMHO: Tom Hanks. He did do some funny bits on Bosum Buddies, not that I recall it very well. But, you can still picture him catching those oranges in the sack at the beginning.

Has anybody mentioned the cast from SCTV? Many good physical comedians, including Martin Short.

Gilda Radner. How could I have forgotten her? That skit when she wasa little girl in her bedroom, just throwing herself against the walls!

I miss her.

You all forgot Bob Denver! “Gilligan, drop those coconuts!”

And the “unnamed little old bald guy” from Benny Hill was a genius.