Ricky Gervais Says British Comedy is Terrible

That explains him going to America to make sh*tty comedies I guess...

amen ricky

British Comedy is really good, it's a shame to hear such thing from him!!
what about Little Britain and Katherine Tate Show?!! Britain might be lacking the quantity but defiantly not the quality!
I think he's just kissing the American audience ass!!

I willa agree we have had some sh*t over here in UK.
Our comedies used to be incredible (Blackadder, fawlty towers etc) but now it seems after Extras and Spaced we havent done a decent comedy in years (aside from Peep SHow). Our attempts in the past 2 years or so have been poor skecth shows (Horne and Corden, Mitchell and Webb Look etc)

sh*tty comedies like what, BrundleFly? He had a small part in Stardust, which was an awesome movie, and then those Night at the Museum flicks, but those were filled with stars anyway. The only movie he really made over here was Ghost Town. Solid, funny movie. 84% on the tomatometer. I'd say his career is pretty flawless right now. Cemetery Junction, Invention of Lying, Flanimals... high hopes for all of them.

He does know no one has done anything original in the last 5 years its all been the same sh*t.
plus theres lots of great british comedies
peep show, IT crowd, mitchell and webb and so on and so forth

Gervais and Merchant pretty much own comedy in the UK. Seriously though, the only thing funnier is Peep Show. That needs more recognition.

Finally, someone who knows of Peep Show. Funniest tv show I've ever seen. I really really wish they'd released the other series on dvd. All that's available is series 1.

We do have a wealth of comedies though like Black Books, Blackadder, Phoenix Nights, The Day Today, Alan Partridge, Mighty Boosh, Spaced, Peep Show, The Fast Show. Father Ted, IT Crowd, Monty Pythons Flying Circus, Only Fools and Horses, Fawlty Towers, Red Dwarf, The Young One's, The League of Gentlemen...etc.

I can see where he is coming from as we don't seem to have much in the way of fresh talent and new ideas at present.
I blame the networks for not taking the plunge on new shows. Most of the new BBC ones start at odd times on BBC3 as they are too afraid to take a risk.

I will add that Flight of the Conchords is the best thing i have seen in years so thanks HBO!

@screamonly
Little Britain and Katherine Tate were horrible near the end. They just turned into cash cows for the BBC and repeated the same old jokes and ruined all the respect they had earned once.

it crowd?

I wasn't too impressed at all with the IT Crowd. Love Flight of the Conchords, but most of what I've seen from the UK doesn't hold a candle to Peep Show. (and I'm a huge fan of Extras and The Office)

We really need an edit button. Just want to add that I'm well aware Conchords is not british.

i dont like much British comedy but The Inbetweeners is one of funniest things i've seen on TV. ever.

Wouldn't this be just the sort of dry sarcasm that the British think is hilarious?

'Is he having a laugh!'

Thanks for the US version of the Office. Which is better than yours.

So Gervais is trying to suck up to America to become president?

screamonly writes:
on July 1st, 2009 at 5:12:35 AM
British Comedy is really good, it's a shame to hear such thing from him!!
what about Little Britain and Katherine Tate Show?!! Britain might be lacking the quantity but defiantly not the quality!
I think he's just kissing the American audience ass!!

You should write a sitcom because I just laughed at your post. A LOT.

Ricky actually responded to this, and the title of the page here is 'Ricky says British Comedy is Terrible', which he doesnt in the actual quote used. Anyway, here's what he said in his blog:

"This was my face when I read that I'd "slammed all British comedy".

Well, I said that, at the moment, my favourite comedy is coming out of America, if that counts as "slamming".

Here are some things I like that are British at the moment...

TV Burp
Peep Show


Here are some things I have liked in the past...

Monty Python
Cook and Moore
Fawlty Towers
Ripping Yarns
Reginald Perrin
Rising Damp
Porridge
Blackadder
Fry and Laurie
Harry Enfield
The Day Today
Brass Eye
Father Ted
Big Train"

@screamonly - he may be kissing some American butt, but he's basically right. Brit. humor is not the genius it was that started it all. PaulReynolds above my post gives a great list of past Brit. comedy (don't forget Benny Hill everyone!). At least Ricky is being honest and upfront, and yes may even take some backlash for it back home. But the Brits are a scrappy bunch (remember... standing up to Hilter before the Allies got into the game?), and I like them. And let's not get too afraid to be so PC these days that one can't speak one's mind. His comments may actually re-start the comedy revolution over there and get their funny game face back on. I say Ricky, you da Man!

yup just like their food

Ricky Gervais Says British Comedy is Terrible....
bit rich that Ricky,pot calling kettle and all that.

Is he havin' a laugh?!

With the exceptions of a few shows, american TV is no better. We don't even need writers over here, it's all reality sh*t.

I'm english and i can't stand british comedy
is awful

if anything we owe the brits, their copying our comedies and dramas while we copy there "reality shows" everytime you see a new dance show or singing show it was already done in the UK

Just because of The Office, I'll let him get away with that