Stewart Lee’s twenty-first century television output continues with a second series that perhaps wasn’t expected to see the light of day.
Maybe ‘light of day’ isn’t the right turn of phrase, considering Comedy Vehicle now goes out past 11pm on a Wednesday night, though I doubt either Lee or his fanbase have serious problems with that scheduling. If Lee’s work were competing with more mainstream comedic programming, up against the likes of Mock The Week or Have I Got News For You, then it’d be more open to public scrutiny, and there’s a large chunk of the potential audience out there who won’t get on too well with this stuff.
That’s not to say people are too stupid for Lee’s technique, though some undoubtedly are. Aside from those, there are people who get it but simply don’t get on with it. His patterns of repetition annoy a lot of folk, whilst his tendency to deconstruct his own act, while it’s actually in progress, will bug those who find the process a little too fussy. Comedy’s a very subjective thing, clearly, so it might be best that Comedy Vehicle’s not entirely buried, but slightly submerged in the listings.
Having said that, it’s a real shame that panel show mediocrity fills the mainstream hours whilst content like that in this first episode is somewhat less available. In the opener, there was a slightly different construction to the show from last series, with a central, pre-show interview with Armando Ianucci forming a contextual reference point (wherein Lee explained he only had four, maybe three jokes) and a brilliantly extravagant sketch finishing things off, all around a stand up routine that was, as usual, oblique, painfully clumsy and brilliantly messy. The repetition of the word ‘crisps’ shouldn’t be funny, and wouldn’t be in the hands of a lesser talent, but here it provided gold in a routine about Stewart Lee’s fictional grandfather, his attitude towards the Japanese people and his home/nest, made out of unlikely materials.
It was no surprise Arnold Brown was involved somewhere in the writing, and it was pleasing to see this distinguished old timer make a very small cameo. Also not a shocker was the listing of Chris Morris and Armando Iannucci in the scripting and writing credits.
With all this major talent and with the best opening episode of a comedy series this year, it would be mystifying as to why a show of this calibre has to be shown close to midnight in the middle of the week, if we didn’t all already understand the BBC’s problem when transmitting work like this. They’ve already created a prime-time that’s stuffed with rubbish. If Stewart Lee’s Comedy Vehicle showed up in the middle of all that ropey content, it’d stick out like a sore thumb. People would become frightened and incontinent – so it’s probably best to shove it where only those in the know will find it.
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter