Stewart Lee divides comedy fans; his control of an audience is masterly, though he rarely tells conventional jokes and has no physical skills to speak of apart from stoutly leaning on his mic stand and occasionally capering up and down. I find him screamingly funny; plenty don’t, accusing him of smugness and a wilful disdain for the punters. “I’m up here like a god and you’re down there in the dark like pigs in an Essex ditch,” he informs the “cackling sycophants” of Southend-on-Sea in Stewart Lee: Content Provider (Saturday, BBC2, 10.45pm). They love it.
Filmed on one of the last nights of his latest tour, he actually does begin with a (foul) political joke, but soon settles into familiar routines of analysing levels of audience enthusiasm, decrying his rivals (the set is littered with their DVDs) and pontificating on the nature of comedy: a good line “ends on or near a hard consonant”, he maintains, and there’s a lengthy analysis of the comic value of the phrase, “soon-to-be-deported eastern European workers”.
His recent BBC2 series — axed, as he bitterly informs the audience — featured segments in which Chris Morris sternly pointed out Lee’s manifold personal and professional deficiencies. Here his interlocutor is graphic novel genius Alan Moore, to whom Lee confesses, “It’s not something that I feel is good enough to broadcast.”
Those who enjoy “pretentious, meta-textual, self-aware shit” will disagree, and for everyone else, there’s always Michael McIntyre.
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle