# Greatest comedy team of all time? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 19, 2002, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-comedy-team-of-all-time/137475 "2002-11-19T05:55:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Cholo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/58f4c7/32.png) [@Cholo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cholo)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-comedy-team-of-all-time/137475/1 "2002-11-19T05:55:20Z")
I’ve always been partial to **Mel Brooks and Carl Reiner** because I don’t think it gets any better than their _“2000 Year Old Man”_ bits. However, I’m curious about your opinions. What other comedy teams rank right up there? ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-comedy-team-of-all-time/137475/2 "2002-11-19T06:00:31Z")
**Abbott and Costello** **The Smothers Brothers** ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-comedy-team-of-all-time/137475/3 "2002-11-19T06:12:54Z")
**The Marx Brothers** ---
**Author:** ![Enola\_Straight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dec6dc/32.png) [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-comedy-team-of-all-time/137475/4 "2002-11-19T06:36:50Z")
The Three Stooges! ---
**Author:** ![ElwoodCuse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/edb3f5/32.png) [@ElwoodCuse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElwoodCuse)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 6:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-comedy-team-of-all-time/137475/5 "2002-11-19T06:46:01Z")
This year’s Cincinnati Bengals. They’re a riot. ---
**Author:** ![t-keela](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a3d4f5/32.png) [@t-keela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/t-keela)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 6:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-comedy-team-of-all-time/137475/6 "2002-11-19T06:57:02Z")
That’s a pretty tough question to answer. Laurel and Hardy are sure to get a lot of votes. Jackie Gleason and Art Carney were pretty good too. Do they count? Cheech and Chong used to crack me up… ---
**Author:** ![Pythagras](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/45deac/32.png) [@Pythagras](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pythagras)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-comedy-team-of-all-time/137475/7 "2002-11-19T07:04:58Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ElwoodCuse \* > \*\*This year’s Cincinnati Bengals. They’re a riot. \*\* I’ll second that… ---
**Author:** ![JonScribe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3be4f8/32.png) [@JonScribe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JonScribe)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-comedy-team-of-all-time/137475/8 "2002-11-19T07:05:34Z")
Hard to come up with a favorite. Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara Bob and Ray Abbott and Costello Hope and Crosby (if only for the road pictures) Burns and Allen Monty Python (if you extend the definition to a troupe) But I’d have to vote for the Marx Bros. ---
**Author:** ![SolGrundy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbce88/32.png) [@SolGrundy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SolGrundy)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 7:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-comedy-team-of-all-time/137475/9 "2002-11-19T07:09:50Z")
It’s Bob and David! (Odenkirk and Cross, if you have to ask) ---
**Author:** ![Reuben](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/54ee81/32.png) [@Reuben](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reuben)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-comedy-team-of-all-time/137475/10 "2002-11-19T07:41:12Z")
Of all time? Laurel and Hardy. No question. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 8:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-comedy-team-of-all-time/137475/11 "2002-11-19T08:30:40Z")
Spade and Farley had their shining moments. They did some sub-par work _cough_Black Sheep_cough_ but I think they’d still be good for years to come if Chris Farley was still around. I’m not going to say that they were The Best of all Time™ but I don’t really care for very many older comedy routines so I’m not going to say Jerry Still and Annne Meara (for example) were either. If Monty Python counts maybe it would be them. Oh and I think Trey Parker and Matt Stone should at least get honorable mention. They’re extremely underappreciated. ---
**Author:** ![Lure](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ba8739/32.png) [@Lure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lure)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 9:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-comedy-team-of-all-time/137475/12 "2002-11-19T09:18:09Z")
**All Time?** Sounds like an echo but everything Groucho,Chico,and Harpo dreamed up (with assists by Perlman,among others) were hilarious.Even funny bits in their (socalled)turkey movies. 1-Marx Bros Others=Rowan and Martin pre Laugh In George and Gracie Nichols and May Gleason and Carney Cheech and Chong Bush and Cheney 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![The\_Clawman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47c2d/32.png) [@The\_Clawman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Clawman)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-comedy-team-of-all-time/137475/13 "2002-11-19T12:37:31Z")
Peter Cook and Dudley Moore had their moments. Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer - not for everyone, and a bit hit and miss, but I think that they have made me laugh harder than anyone else on occasion. ---
**Author:** ![S\_Puppy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@S\_Puppy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/S_Puppy)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-comedy-team-of-all-time/137475/14 "2002-11-19T13:53:49Z")
Muledeer and Moondog ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-comedy-team-of-all-time/137475/15 "2002-11-19T13:59:16Z")
Weber and Fields? Harrigan and Hart? ---
**Author:** ![postcards](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8e8cbc/32.png) [@postcards](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/postcards)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-comedy-team-of-all-time/137475/16 "2002-11-19T14:41:24Z")
Monteith and Rand. ---
**Author:** ![DaToad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@DaToad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DaToad)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-comedy-team-of-all-time/137475/17 "2002-11-19T14:51:47Z")
Pretty tough to pick a favorite, but I think Abbott and Costello and Gleason and Carney were tops. Here are some others that I didn’t see mentioned: Sid Caesar and Emogene Coca (I think Brooks and Reiner wrote for them) W.C. Fields and Mae West The Kingfish and Andy (from Amos and Andy) Same guy but two personalities, so would Edger Burgen and Charlie McCarthy count? ---
**Author:** ![GoldenGael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8edcca/32.png) [@GoldenGael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GoldenGael)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-comedy-team-of-all-time/137475/18 "2002-11-19T16:01:00Z")
I’m glad to see **Peter Cook** and **Dudley Moore** mentioned. Their comedy repesented just the right combination of looniness and intellect for me. It’s too bad they couldn’t stand each other. Really, neither did very successful (or even good) work since they broke up. ---
**Author:** ![roadrunner70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e19b73/32.png) [@roadrunner70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/roadrunner70)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-comedy-team-of-all-time/137475/19 "2002-11-19T16:05:57Z")
Wow…nobody’s mentioned Rod Hull and his emu yet? Sheesh… ---
**Author:** ![brianjedi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@brianjedi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brianjedi)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-comedy-team-of-all-time/137475/20 "2002-11-19T16:10:30Z")
To second an earlier mention: Pop a wheelie! It’s Bob and David! I also think that if we’re extending into troupes, then The Kids in the Hall are right up there. -brianjedi [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-comedy-team-of-all-time/137475.md?page=2)