Why do British standup comedians do shows like QI, Mock the Week, Would I Lie to You, and the like, when they could earn much more if they spent that time touring, or working on their own stuff? These aren’t minor comics either. A lot of them perform at the biggest theaters and arenas when they’re touring; they’re well past their club days.
Here in the US, the only times I’ve seen standup comics doing shows is when it’s their show (it’s based on their material, and they have a major role in it’s leadership/production). Some examples that spring to mind are: Seinfeld, Louie (Louis CK), Titus (Christopher Titus), and Standup Revolution (though that was more of a comic showcase hosted by Gabriel Iglesias rather than being based on his own material).
I was wondering why the comic panel format hasn’t made it to the US when it seems so popular* in the UK. Then I thought of all my favorite US comedians and couldn’t picture any of them doing something where they weren’t the star.
I think it would, though it’s pretty niche, being on the radio, being on NPR, and usually on Saturday mornings. Plus, it’s definitely a “smart kids” show. (Not that there’s anything wrong with that! )
Byron Allen (who was on Real People, decades ago) hosted a US comedy panel show, “Comics Unleashed.” It still runs in syndication (the Chicago CBS station runs it every weeknight at 12:35am, after James Corden’s show), but I didn’t realize, until I looked it up just now, that these are 10-year-old shows.
I think that it’s a show format that simply hasn’t ever taken off in the U.S.
Even better, some stars* show up on BBC radio shows (specifically Radio4) which I presume are not only not only not very well paid (but also in the case of Just a Minute - very challenging).
I guess they can fit a few of them in a day and still get to their “proper” gigs later?
For example - Graham Norton has his own Friday night chat show, but is still a regular on J.A.M.
I believe WWDT tapes on Thursday evenings. And as to why the UK comics do those shows, I assume part of the appeal is the publicity value. That is, people will be more willing to see a comic in a live show if they’re already familiar with them from a panel show. Similarly, I think anyone who gets a slot on one of the American late-night talk shows can command more from comedy clubs.
The regular comedians on panel shows in the UK are not generally the ones selling out big venues. Most of them are comedic actors or relatively new stand ups. The actors might be in between filming their sitcoms or not being employed. I guess the difference between the UK and the US is that UK series lengths are typically only 6 to 8 eps long whereas US series run to 18 or even 22 so perhaps the US equivalents don’t have the time in their schedules. For the new comics it’s a great way to get your name known. I have a good friend who’s a relatively new comedian. She’s become a regular on a couple of the BBC’s panel shows and it’s really helped her to establish herself, play bigger venues and to earn extra cash.
The UK is a small island and the arts scene is centralized around London. You can spend a day taping a panel show with plenty of time to get to your club date that night and to the set of your own TV show in the morning.
Yeah, this. Also, I LOVE watching these shows while cuddled up in a cozy bed late at night in a cozy little London hotel, when it’s foggy or raining outside. And when I get back to Brooklyn, I remember all those comic actors who were so funny and that I never would have heard of if I stayed at home. And I pay for things with their names on them.
If you’re genuinely funny, and quick, you’ll do well in an ensemble setting. The best performers on e.g. QI or Would I Lie To You know when to shut up or feed a line for the show’s benefit, not just their own.
The few times I’ve seen American stand-ups together, mainly on those very flavourless and half-baked roast shows, they’ve generally shown how thin their comedic abilities are, and have been unable to create any sort of collective dynamic. I’m sure Allan Davies’s or David Mitchell’s ego is as big as any American stand-up’s, but Knowing how to work being part of a team or panel is part of the expectation for comedy.
You don’t remember the Goodson-Todman game shows of the 50s and 60s? They were basically vehicles for witty people to make witty comments while solving a puzzle. There was always at least one person on the panel (Steve Allen, Henry Morgan, Nipsey Russell, etc.) who was a straight-up comic.
I expect the quiz shows raise their profile and put them in ppl’s living rooms, thus boosting their tour popularity. One helps power the other’s engine. I’ve heard some porno actresses work this way - they do the porno so they can charge headliner money and draw more crowds when they tour as a dancer, not simply for the money the porno pays. Not sure if that’s a horrible comparison, or a great one
Also, damned if they don’t seem to have a lot of fun - on the quiz shows.
Thanks Astronaut, and Chuck. I hadn’t considered the shortness of seasons and easier commute.
@Face I may have erred in mentioning other programs. I was mostly thinking of QI, which tends to have a different caliber of panelist, than, for example WILtY. I know at least two of the semi-regulars on QI have performed at the O2* (Jimmy Carr, Bill Bailey) and released multiple DVDs each. You’re right about them having fun, though. I think that may be part of why I enjoy them so much.
@Banksiaman That’s a good point. But we do have some comedians who know how to share the spotlight (e.g. Gabriel Iglesias, the guys from Blue Collar comedy tour).
@kunilou Sadly, I don’t. That was a bit before my time. It does sound exactly like the sort of thing I’d like to see done here in the US**.
*I know almost nothing about England, so I’m not sure how prestigious a venue it is, but it does look big (in dvd specials) and supposedly holds 40k people.
** I want an American show partly because we have longer seasons (6-8 episodes per year is NOT enough, d*mnit), but mostly so I can understand the cultural references. I miss half the jokes because I’ve never heard of Abu Hamza, Debbie McGee, or Rodney Bewes; don’t know any stereotypes about the west country, or northerners, and haven’t experienced the horrors of British Telecom or Virgin. Yes, I know about all those now, but only because I researched them after the fact. It sucks having to pause a video every few minutes to look up the premise of a joke.
Oh my, the innocent days of looking forward to a comedic panel show. I never want to see another one for the rest of my fuckin life! These things are cheap. There is literally one man to blame for our eventual saturation of them; Jimmy Mulville of Hat Trick Productions.
Does knowing the details of Rodney Bewes’ life and works significantly add to the humor of him being present at the death of Leonardo da Vinci? I watched that and thought “I don’t know who Rodney Bewes is, but I’ll bet that guy in the painting isn’t actually him” and I was still reasonably amused.
I think there must be comics/actors in the U.S. who could make a good panel for an American version of QI, but I’m not sure who they’d be. I do have the perfect host, though.Bonnie Hunt.
I discovered a lot of comedians through their appearances on panel shows. QI is where I discovered Jimmy Carr (which led me to 8 Out of 10 Cats where there are even more), and Dara O’Briain (which led me to Mock The Week, ditto), and David Mitchell (Peep Show, Would I Lie To You, etc).
The point is, each leads to more. Basically, year round there’s a new panel show to enjoy, be they game show related, or just a chat show, which in turn leads to opportunities for new young comedians like Aisling Bea, Sarah Millican*, or Josh Widdicombe to be stars, and all of them lead to stand-up success.
Here in Australia we have had a few shows that have had middling to good success, like Talking About Your Generation and Have You Been Paying Attention, and in the past we have had The Panel and Good News Week, and they do the same for gaining visibility for new comedic talent.
I am really looking forward to the new Big Fat Quiz, my annual New Year’s treat.
*Sarah Millican isn’t that young anymore, but she was once
Maybe they just like playing with their friends? Stand-up is a very solitary thing, but panel shows you get to play off each other, so it’s a different comic muscle being exercised.
It’s easy money. You show up in your street clothes, joke around with other comedians for a few hours, and go home. If there’s something we know about British performers, it’s that they never turn down a paying gig.
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