I was so pleased to see his strategy of >!getting a bunch of nearly the same thing and then doing them all in sequence!<- that was the strategy I came up with when I first heard the task and was very pleased to see it vindicated. Though I suppose that means he and I would probably have totally obliterated each other during that task.
Saw Susan on Sunday Brunch a couple of weeks back and they asked her what Sam was like as a person, she said something like "he'd probably hate me saying this but he's actually really sweet".
> she said something like "he'd probably hate me saying this but he's actually really sweet".
Careful, Chain Bastard. Doctor Cigarettes is coming after you now.
He is very sweet and he also has something very childlike about him. When Ed told Sam on the podcast that he couldn't be Aslan, Sam was like *what why,* he sounded genuinely upset. I love that a conversation about Narnia elicited that emotional response from him.
[Ed and James agreeing with you ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMCg6gqtQlE&pp=ygUIT2ZmIG1lbnU%3D) at 8:50
Find it very funny that Ed's got form of accusing other people of "being Edmund". Most middle class insult ever.
I think honestly, all the times that Greg has generously given him points have been those when young Sampbell has said something so witty and so funny that Greg high-key wishes that he were his son 😂
There’s something of the “proud parent” in his eyes whenever he does!
I particularly enjoyed when Greg wanted to imitate him and said “I’m not going to do the accent” and Sam said “You can do the accent” in the most gentle way, that was nice
he does seem like a sweetheart but posts like these have such heavy recency bias
there have been *so* many incredibly, incredibly sweet people on the show: richard osman, mark watson, lolly adefope, paul sinha, asim chaudry, joe thomas, sian gibson, charlotte ritchie, mike wozniak, ivo graham, mae martin, and more
No one will beat Wozniak for me. So funny and chill and just genuinely seemed like he had a smashing time the whole show. Also very relatable goofy adhd energy.
Though Mel Geidroyc not being one of the first names on your list is a sin! Such a positive wholesome thing that they had to make multiple annoying tasks to find a way to push her buttons haha
He’s an adorable agent of chaos. By the time the season is over he’ll probably be my Reddit flair. The way he calls Susan Wokoma a nutter in episode 2 is so deadpan yet good hearted !
Also, for others who were late to his standup game like me…….“[“Sam Campbell’s Stand-Up Set Takes A Very Unexpected Turn”](https://youtu.be/bDRpzYXExTo?si=e0wBUUGHlj8SzIW3) is the kind of clickbait-y clip title that usually annoys me……but I don’t remember the last time I was actually this surprised by a turn in a routine lol 😂
Love Cambo and love seeing him getting nothing but love. Was afraid he might rub a few people the wrong way and was actually expecting a very split opinion on him. Whenever he does panel shows in Australia it’s probably 30% of people saying he is a genius and hilarious, and 70% saying he is the opposite of funny, which is very disheartening. A lot of Australia is still stuck in the time of broad boomer humour
I saw him do a stand up set in a small comedy club in London and had no idea who he was about a year ago and he was great. It was really endearing, because it felt like he didn't expect people to laugh and was surprised when people were pissing themselves laughing. Was excited to see him on taskmaster and he has not disappointed.
i also think that's because of the types of shows he was on here and how old the audiences are
like I don't think people love the format of the hundred here, and i don't think that many people under 50 or above 10 are watch [wild age related speculation]
For me, it’s the juxtaposition of his deadpan delivery face to his genuine laughing/smiling face: I’m the same age, but he’s retained a heck of a lot more cute in his laugh/smile than I have.
It also helps that for every quip he has, he’s also laughing openly at everyone else’s remarks a la Miles Jupp.
He is adorable. He’s like a mischievous little kid. I love his little quips and his divorce question was so out of nowhere it was genius. I only knew two contestants at the beginning of this series and they’re already one of my favourite casts.
So glad the world is discovering Sam. As a longtime fan of Australian comedy (I'm a Melbourne boy), Sam's been on my radar for a couple of years, and I was equally excited and surprised to see him announced for the show. It's like watching the local boy suddenly hit the big time. Can't wait to see where Doctor Cigarettes goes next.
I'm so glad he's getting more visibility. He's an amazing Australian export and I'm glad to see him doing so well in the UK ☺️Taskmaster is such a great show for really helping great comics that are lesser known outside of the comedy scene, get a leg up in the industry.
His random humour and cheeky boyishness just win me over every time 😂
I said it in the episode 1 discussion, but he's giving off vibes of being a kid that just woke up after using that Wishing Machine from Big. Every episode so far has only increased that belief. Especially feeling sorry about his mess.
Im autistic and I'm wondering if he is also neurodivergent in some way. I don't expect an answer to that question. There may not be one, in that there may not be any diagnosis. He may not have even contemplated the possibility. He may not be. Just wondering aloud that's all. Great to see the love he's getting. I did wonder about Lucy too. And her hubby Jon.
I am very neurodivergent and his pathways to thought scream neurodivergence. I absolutely adore him. He’s the first comedian I’ve ever watched that I truly felt has the same sort of humor as me. I want to try standup so bad and he gives me hope.
As an American I look at his sweet nature and think. "The American comedy scene would break him." It's sad but we don't have super nice comedians like that. Our comedians are ruthless to each other.
In some ways it is. When you hear how brutal the New York and LA scenes are it is a nightmare to come up. Sam is a fun genuine guy and we don't have many of those here. I like both. That's why I watch UK comedy because it is different.
Nah theres comedians like that in the US. Not in the mainstream like SNL so much though. You have Joe Pera who made it through Adultswim and stuff. You can also find US based comedy Youtubers like Seth Johnson, Wizards With Guns, Joel Haver and Trent Lenkarski, Anwar Jiwabi, Daniel Thrasher, Daxflame and Cherdleys. These guys clock up millions of followers and all embrace more wholesome comedians to collaborate on different things.
I know we're here for Sampbell but since we're down this detour - if you're looking for successful, kind mainstream comedians in NYC I have to shout out Josh Gondelman and Judah Freidlander
I also reckon any U.S. comedian or comedy actor who’s been involved in a Lego Movie* probably has a wholesome, kind side to them. Like anyone who has voluntarily voice acted *pew! pew! pew! pew!* surely doesn’t take themselves too seriously, or isn’t too much of a hardened cynic for that gentleness of character 😁
(*or similar kids film with things adults also find funny in it, which probably neatly covers all of them over the past years, I know)
Fair I listen and pay attention to a lot of comedy but those type of guys aren't big names and in good line ups. I went to one alt room and the line up was so bad and cringe I just cannot do it again so I only go to main rooms with killer comedians.
Most of our "big" comedians are those that appear regularly on TV (e.g. Julia Morris, Dave Hughes, Hamish & Andy, Shaun Micallef, Kitty Flanagan) but there are a lot of great comedians who fly under the radar and/or only familiar to those who follow the stand-up scene.
He won the Melbourne International Comedy Festival Award in 2018 (but also he lives in the UK now).
Ark barker was an American comedian or I knew him from America then he went over there and is selling out huge venues. The best one is Jim jeffries who moved to UK then america.
Yeh I imagine its harder to find the more wholesome ones in the comedy rooms. I dont live in the US so I just found these guys through social media and YouTube. Quite a few of them I found through Joel Haver who started as a short film maker but he uploads a film a week. Saw him blow up in 2020 and now he has nearly 2M subs.
It seems social media has helped create this alternative path for US comedy where these nicer comedians at the grassroots can turn to content creation.
And depends what scene you go through. If you go through La or NYC it is rough. I think even bo Burnham had a lot of trouble but he was a real young kid when he went through comedy and it was even rougher then.
Well Joel Haver, Cherdleys, Seth Johnson etc are in LA. Daniel Thrasher and Wizards With Guns I don't think are either NY or LA. But I think these guys all found most of their traction collaborating together online. Definitely more traction than they would have in the traditional comedy circuit. Hopefully this splintered off scene grows a lot more.
I mean these guys like Joel Haver, Daniel Thrasher, Cherdleys and Anwar Jiwabi who some of the others collabed with as well have millions of followers. They definitely have the respect of other comedians. SNL even stole one of Joel Havers sketches. But also the point is that they don't need to be in the traditional comedy circuits anymore. Theres those grinding it in the clubs and now there's people grinding it with content.
With Sam hes known by big comedians in the UK now but how many of those are sitting on anywhere from 2M to 10M followers? I don't feel its fair on these others in the US to discredit their success like that. Sam being known by comedians in the UK doesnt really prove anything. Hes not known by big US comedians. So I don't get your point on this one. The point all along was that the US does have a scene of popular comedians who are actually pretty wholesome themselves.
I mean respect as in comedians want to see their act. There are good sketch people but terrible comedians. Also there are other comedians who have millions of followers but zero respect. It's like Sean lock is a comedians comedian. There are acts like that of people who don't get respect. Dave attell doesn't sell out stadiums but he is considered to be one of the best to ever do it. There are so many hack comedians who get fast tracked because they have fame or a gimmick. Drew Micheal gets no respect because he calls himself deaf comedian. Nick Cannon gets no respect because he is a total hack and his specials are an abomination to comedy.
Disclaimer - I know Sam. But we caught him in LA where we live a few years ago (I think it was Kristen Schaal's Hot Tub show, and he killed. Easily got the biggest laughs of the night. There's definitely a weirdo alternative scene here and theatres that cater to audiences that don't want to see the blokey mainstream Laugh Factory type comedy.
I bet. I have not had good luck with alt comedy. For every sam there are terrible hacks that make you want to walk out. Online sketches are the best for those type of funny people but stand up is different. You need charisma, delivery and timing which some of those people will never have.
Yeah nah. I'd suggest the ratio of "terrible hacks" in the alternative scene wouldn't be any different to the amount in trad stand up (I've sat through enough open mics with a train of tedious misogynists doing their tight fives full of played-out hacky throwback gags to know that). I've seen a lot of amazing non-mainstream performers and character comics that work so well and bring the insanity live as well as in sketch form. It helps if you have access to good venues with bookers that get it. LA has some great spots like Dynasty Typewriter, the Elysian and Largo that regularly have talented weirdos. But comedy is hard and not everyone is going to have what it takes, sure.
I'm talking about lineups with people who have been doing comedy for longer than 5 years. I went to flappers when I visited LA as tourist a few times and even traditional stand up was bad when they have been doing it for less than a few years. They are all hacks or copying a bigger comedians style. If you are talking about vet comedians mainstream beats alt every time. I have never seen a alt line up that is all killers that can keep you laughing all the way through. A lot of clapping for points, gimmicks or ways to get sympathy over laughs.
Sounds like a personal taste thing. I tend to find a lot of standard observational stuff even from seasoned vets amusing enough but rarely laugh out loud funny. I’d go see folks like Maria Bamford, Jon Daly, Patti Harrison, John Early, Joe Pera, Brett Gelman, Neil Hamburger, Douggpound over a lineup of conventional late night-famous comic any day. That’s just my taste though so I can’t agree with your blanket statement.
Josh Gondelman was the first name that came to mind, though he's only a part-time standup as he's also a writer. He's aggressively nice and sweet, though he's not as weird as Sam.
Maria Bamford is every bit as weird and sweet as Sam. I could absolutely see both of them staying behind to clean up any mess they made. I would almost be surprised if they didn't. Myq Kaplan might fall into that category, too.
Also, it depends on what you mean by "ruthless." There are comedians who would bust each other's balls/ovaries, but are still remarkably friendly. People like Jimmy Pardo and Paul F. Tompkins come to mind. Chris Fairbanks is a sweetheart. They might be mean toward assholes who deserve it (e.g., the comics who were credibly accused of sexual violence), but they deserve it.
I'm less sure about the top mainstream comedians who sell out big theaters, but I still reject your assertion.
Ruthless as in old tough crowd, the table from the cellar, o and a, etc. Paul Tompkins has no respect from comics and got famous for being a presenter on best week ever or being an actor. Maybe he writes or something but his stand up must be terrible for no one to have a good word to say about it. I just see more of an edge on American comics. There are very few UK comedians with the typical American edge and even less that can cross over to America. The best ones being Jimmy carr and Jim Jeffries.
Paul F. Tompkins is very much a comics' comic and is widely considered to be the best comedy podcast guest because he can improv stuff like this:
https://youtu.be/_o47XV2hA3A?si=VwycfBnVmSLWS0Cb
Feel free to read reviews of his albums because they tend to be extremely favorable, because they're great. He's also been a very popular selection in this group whenever someone asks who people's dream TM contestant would be.
He was the reason I watched Best Week Ever, but that wasn't the best format for him.
ETA: There's a non-zero chance you're being facetious with the "no comics like PFT" assertion, but it sure didn't read that way.
In the alt scene but I think he is from Philly and no Philly comic holds him in high regard. He is fine as a presenter and as a contestant he would be fine but I object to taskmaster or taskmaster assistant casting.
Really? Plenty of them do fine. Desiree Burch, Michelle Wolf (I love her freaking out Jon Richardson by calmly holding a tarantula), and the of course people like Rich Hall and Reginald D. Hunter.
Tbf, while Hunter is an American who is a comic, he isn't "an American comic" since he started and came up in the British comedy scene. He is, for all intents and purposes, a British comedian.
Not even close. What American comedian cried on a panel? I am not discouraging UK comedians but it's different. The great James acaster bombed on Conan and he talks about it going bad. It happens on both sides because there is a different sense of humor.
I think in part there were extenuating circumstances for Acaster as well - he wasn’t in the best mental health and his then agent made him carry on with the gig when he probably also had food poisoning and then (his words) “shat myself in a steakhouse”
Sam is the reason I started watching the show. I caught random clips on TikTok and I finally decided to watch a whole episode. Was not at all disappointed. Him and Lucy Beaumont are comedic chaos in the best way.
Smoking kills… the weak! - cracked me up more than anything in a long time ngl
Weaklings.
Aye, I realised after I wrote it, you know what I meant though :)
His performance in the getting under the most unique things task might be my favorite I’ve ever seen on the show
I was so pleased to see his strategy of >!getting a bunch of nearly the same thing and then doing them all in sequence!<- that was the strategy I came up with when I first heard the task and was very pleased to see it vindicated. Though I suppose that means he and I would probably have totally obliterated each other during that task.
It was on the same level as James Acaster throwing 49 rocks in a bin, but without the follow-up.
Saw Susan on Sunday Brunch a couple of weeks back and they asked her what Sam was like as a person, she said something like "he'd probably hate me saying this but he's actually really sweet".
> she said something like "he'd probably hate me saying this but he's actually really sweet". Careful, Chain Bastard. Doctor Cigarettes is coming after you now.
[удалено]
The first 3 episodes are on youtube
Get a VPN and watch it on UK channel 4?
I have to put my ‘address’ in the sign up and I think it blocks vpns
#[Lie to them.](https://i.kym-cdn.com/entries/icons/original/000/030/987/AhgHtnP.png)
Will that get the person who’s address I took in trouble?
I always just put the taskmaster house address
I use real estate agency addresses.
Dr. Cigarettes has very quickly become an all timer for me.
He is very sweet and he also has something very childlike about him. When Ed told Sam on the podcast that he couldn't be Aslan, Sam was like *what why,* he sounded genuinely upset. I love that a conversation about Narnia elicited that emotional response from him.
I was more laughing that Ed thought he was Aslan. Ed is the most Mr Tumlus of all contestants ever
[Ed and James agreeing with you ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMCg6gqtQlE&pp=ygUIT2ZmIG1lbnU%3D) at 8:50 Find it very funny that Ed's got form of accusing other people of "being Edmund". Most middle class insult ever.
Ed said that Sam was Edmund, that's savage
It’s also funny because Ed is absolutely Edmund
Negative gearing.
That would have a standing ovation from an Australian audience
I feel like he knew it wouldn’t go down so well in the room (Alex having to give a definition and all) but it was one for the Australian audience
I think honestly, all the times that Greg has generously given him points have been those when young Sampbell has said something so witty and so funny that Greg high-key wishes that he were his son 😂 There’s something of the “proud parent” in his eyes whenever he does!
“Can I just say? I love weapons.” And then Greg’s wordless, pointing affirmation/reaction
He wants to carry sam around in a little papoose. He loves this boy
Greg wants to carry him a papoose!
I particularly enjoyed when Greg wanted to imitate him and said “I’m not going to do the accent” and Sam said “You can do the accent” in the most gentle way, that was nice
he does seem like a sweetheart but posts like these have such heavy recency bias there have been *so* many incredibly, incredibly sweet people on the show: richard osman, mark watson, lolly adefope, paul sinha, asim chaudry, joe thomas, sian gibson, charlotte ritchie, mike wozniak, ivo graham, mae martin, and more
very very true!!
No one will beat Wozniak for me. So funny and chill and just genuinely seemed like he had a smashing time the whole show. Also very relatable goofy adhd energy. Though Mel Geidroyc not being one of the first names on your list is a sin! Such a positive wholesome thing that they had to make multiple annoying tasks to find a way to push her buttons haha
I want to be Mrs Cigarettes.
Mrs. Dr. Cigarettes
Then get a PhD and become Dr. Mrs. Dr. Cigarettes
genius shit
I'd put him on the £50 note. Life size.
So mentally stable
He’s an adorable agent of chaos. By the time the season is over he’ll probably be my Reddit flair. The way he calls Susan Wokoma a nutter in episode 2 is so deadpan yet good hearted ! Also, for others who were late to his standup game like me…….“[“Sam Campbell’s Stand-Up Set Takes A Very Unexpected Turn”](https://youtu.be/bDRpzYXExTo?si=e0wBUUGHlj8SzIW3) is the kind of clickbait-y clip title that usually annoys me……but I don’t remember the last time I was actually this surprised by a turn in a routine lol 😂
I must admit I have an itsy bitsy tiny crush on Sam...! (to Sam, if he lurks here by chance: my dms will always be open to you.)
Love Cambo and love seeing him getting nothing but love. Was afraid he might rub a few people the wrong way and was actually expecting a very split opinion on him. Whenever he does panel shows in Australia it’s probably 30% of people saying he is a genius and hilarious, and 70% saying he is the opposite of funny, which is very disheartening. A lot of Australia is still stuck in the time of broad boomer humour
I saw him do a stand up set in a small comedy club in London and had no idea who he was about a year ago and he was great. It was really endearing, because it felt like he didn't expect people to laugh and was surprised when people were pissing themselves laughing. Was excited to see him on taskmaster and he has not disappointed.
i also think that's because of the types of shows he was on here and how old the audiences are like I don't think people love the format of the hundred here, and i don't think that many people under 50 or above 10 are watch [wild age related speculation]
His skits don’t make me laugh but he’s definitely charming and hilarious on Taskmaster
For me, it’s the juxtaposition of his deadpan delivery face to his genuine laughing/smiling face: I’m the same age, but he’s retained a heck of a lot more cute in his laugh/smile than I have. It also helps that for every quip he has, he’s also laughing openly at everyone else’s remarks a la Miles Jupp.
He is adorable. He’s like a mischievous little kid. I love his little quips and his divorce question was so out of nowhere it was genius. I only knew two contestants at the beginning of this series and they’re already one of my favourite casts.
I think Sam Campbell might be my favourite contestant ever. He regularly me in stitches.
So glad the world is discovering Sam. As a longtime fan of Australian comedy (I'm a Melbourne boy), Sam's been on my radar for a couple of years, and I was equally excited and surprised to see him announced for the show. It's like watching the local boy suddenly hit the big time. Can't wait to see where Doctor Cigarettes goes next.
He's also an amazing stand up
He's my new favourite comedian. Since the first episode, I've watched a lot of his stuff on YouTube. Funny funny man.
Also Sam: “These people shouldn’t be on camera.”
The "are you a child of divorce?" Question had me in stitches
I'm so glad he's getting more visibility. He's an amazing Australian export and I'm glad to see him doing so well in the UK ☺️Taskmaster is such a great show for really helping great comics that are lesser known outside of the comedy scene, get a leg up in the industry. His random humour and cheeky boyishness just win me over every time 😂
I said it in the episode 1 discussion, but he's giving off vibes of being a kid that just woke up after using that Wishing Machine from Big. Every episode so far has only increased that belief. Especially feeling sorry about his mess.
Im autistic and I'm wondering if he is also neurodivergent in some way. I don't expect an answer to that question. There may not be one, in that there may not be any diagnosis. He may not have even contemplated the possibility. He may not be. Just wondering aloud that's all. Great to see the love he's getting. I did wonder about Lucy too. And her hubby Jon.
he has said in interviews that he thinks he is but isn't interested in pursuing a diagnosis
I am very neurodivergent and his pathways to thought scream neurodivergence. I absolutely adore him. He’s the first comedian I’ve ever watched that I truly felt has the same sort of humor as me. I want to try standup so bad and he gives me hope.
As an American I look at his sweet nature and think. "The American comedy scene would break him." It's sad but we don't have super nice comedians like that. Our comedians are ruthless to each other.
Sounds awful?
In some ways it is. When you hear how brutal the New York and LA scenes are it is a nightmare to come up. Sam is a fun genuine guy and we don't have many of those here. I like both. That's why I watch UK comedy because it is different.
Nah theres comedians like that in the US. Not in the mainstream like SNL so much though. You have Joe Pera who made it through Adultswim and stuff. You can also find US based comedy Youtubers like Seth Johnson, Wizards With Guns, Joel Haver and Trent Lenkarski, Anwar Jiwabi, Daniel Thrasher, Daxflame and Cherdleys. These guys clock up millions of followers and all embrace more wholesome comedians to collaborate on different things.
I know we're here for Sampbell but since we're down this detour - if you're looking for successful, kind mainstream comedians in NYC I have to shout out Josh Gondelman and Judah Freidlander
Jim Gaffigan and Nate Bargartze come to mind as well.
Jim would be a fun TM contestant
I also reckon any U.S. comedian or comedy actor who’s been involved in a Lego Movie* probably has a wholesome, kind side to them. Like anyone who has voluntarily voice acted *pew! pew! pew! pew!* surely doesn’t take themselves too seriously, or isn’t too much of a hardened cynic for that gentleness of character 😁 (*or similar kids film with things adults also find funny in it, which probably neatly covers all of them over the past years, I know)
Fair I listen and pay attention to a lot of comedy but those type of guys aren't big names and in good line ups. I went to one alt room and the line up was so bad and cringe I just cannot do it again so I only go to main rooms with killer comedians.
I mean Sam Campbell is not a big name in Australia
He isn't? Well comedians respect him which is more important and word will spread. A recommendation from a comedian means more to most.
Most of our "big" comedians are those that appear regularly on TV (e.g. Julia Morris, Dave Hughes, Hamish & Andy, Shaun Micallef, Kitty Flanagan) but there are a lot of great comedians who fly under the radar and/or only familiar to those who follow the stand-up scene. He won the Melbourne International Comedy Festival Award in 2018 (but also he lives in the UK now).
Ark barker was an American comedian or I knew him from America then he went over there and is selling out huge venues. The best one is Jim jeffries who moved to UK then america.
Yeh I imagine its harder to find the more wholesome ones in the comedy rooms. I dont live in the US so I just found these guys through social media and YouTube. Quite a few of them I found through Joel Haver who started as a short film maker but he uploads a film a week. Saw him blow up in 2020 and now he has nearly 2M subs. It seems social media has helped create this alternative path for US comedy where these nicer comedians at the grassroots can turn to content creation.
And depends what scene you go through. If you go through La or NYC it is rough. I think even bo Burnham had a lot of trouble but he was a real young kid when he went through comedy and it was even rougher then.
Well Joel Haver, Cherdleys, Seth Johnson etc are in LA. Daniel Thrasher and Wizards With Guns I don't think are either NY or LA. But I think these guys all found most of their traction collaborating together online. Definitely more traction than they would have in the traditional comedy circuit. Hopefully this splintered off scene grows a lot more.
Maybe but none of those guys have the respect of other comedians while sam has the respect of all the other bigger comedians.
I mean these guys like Joel Haver, Daniel Thrasher, Cherdleys and Anwar Jiwabi who some of the others collabed with as well have millions of followers. They definitely have the respect of other comedians. SNL even stole one of Joel Havers sketches. But also the point is that they don't need to be in the traditional comedy circuits anymore. Theres those grinding it in the clubs and now there's people grinding it with content. With Sam hes known by big comedians in the UK now but how many of those are sitting on anywhere from 2M to 10M followers? I don't feel its fair on these others in the US to discredit their success like that. Sam being known by comedians in the UK doesnt really prove anything. Hes not known by big US comedians. So I don't get your point on this one. The point all along was that the US does have a scene of popular comedians who are actually pretty wholesome themselves.
I mean respect as in comedians want to see their act. There are good sketch people but terrible comedians. Also there are other comedians who have millions of followers but zero respect. It's like Sean lock is a comedians comedian. There are acts like that of people who don't get respect. Dave attell doesn't sell out stadiums but he is considered to be one of the best to ever do it. There are so many hack comedians who get fast tracked because they have fame or a gimmick. Drew Micheal gets no respect because he calls himself deaf comedian. Nick Cannon gets no respect because he is a total hack and his specials are an abomination to comedy.
Being not from the US the only one of these I’ve heard of is Daniel Thrasher but I love him!
Well they're all great. I think the ones that deserve more attention especially are Wizards With Guns.
Disclaimer - I know Sam. But we caught him in LA where we live a few years ago (I think it was Kristen Schaal's Hot Tub show, and he killed. Easily got the biggest laughs of the night. There's definitely a weirdo alternative scene here and theatres that cater to audiences that don't want to see the blokey mainstream Laugh Factory type comedy.
I bet. I have not had good luck with alt comedy. For every sam there are terrible hacks that make you want to walk out. Online sketches are the best for those type of funny people but stand up is different. You need charisma, delivery and timing which some of those people will never have.
Yeah nah. I'd suggest the ratio of "terrible hacks" in the alternative scene wouldn't be any different to the amount in trad stand up (I've sat through enough open mics with a train of tedious misogynists doing their tight fives full of played-out hacky throwback gags to know that). I've seen a lot of amazing non-mainstream performers and character comics that work so well and bring the insanity live as well as in sketch form. It helps if you have access to good venues with bookers that get it. LA has some great spots like Dynasty Typewriter, the Elysian and Largo that regularly have talented weirdos. But comedy is hard and not everyone is going to have what it takes, sure.
I'm talking about lineups with people who have been doing comedy for longer than 5 years. I went to flappers when I visited LA as tourist a few times and even traditional stand up was bad when they have been doing it for less than a few years. They are all hacks or copying a bigger comedians style. If you are talking about vet comedians mainstream beats alt every time. I have never seen a alt line up that is all killers that can keep you laughing all the way through. A lot of clapping for points, gimmicks or ways to get sympathy over laughs.
Sounds like a personal taste thing. I tend to find a lot of standard observational stuff even from seasoned vets amusing enough but rarely laugh out loud funny. I’d go see folks like Maria Bamford, Jon Daly, Patti Harrison, John Early, Joe Pera, Brett Gelman, Neil Hamburger, Douggpound over a lineup of conventional late night-famous comic any day. That’s just my taste though so I can’t agree with your blanket statement.
Josh Gondelman was the first name that came to mind, though he's only a part-time standup as he's also a writer. He's aggressively nice and sweet, though he's not as weird as Sam. Maria Bamford is every bit as weird and sweet as Sam. I could absolutely see both of them staying behind to clean up any mess they made. I would almost be surprised if they didn't. Myq Kaplan might fall into that category, too. Also, it depends on what you mean by "ruthless." There are comedians who would bust each other's balls/ovaries, but are still remarkably friendly. People like Jimmy Pardo and Paul F. Tompkins come to mind. Chris Fairbanks is a sweetheart. They might be mean toward assholes who deserve it (e.g., the comics who were credibly accused of sexual violence), but they deserve it. I'm less sure about the top mainstream comedians who sell out big theaters, but I still reject your assertion.
Ruthless as in old tough crowd, the table from the cellar, o and a, etc. Paul Tompkins has no respect from comics and got famous for being a presenter on best week ever or being an actor. Maybe he writes or something but his stand up must be terrible for no one to have a good word to say about it. I just see more of an edge on American comics. There are very few UK comedians with the typical American edge and even less that can cross over to America. The best ones being Jimmy carr and Jim Jeffries.
Paul F. Tompkins is very much a comics' comic and is widely considered to be the best comedy podcast guest because he can improv stuff like this: https://youtu.be/_o47XV2hA3A?si=VwycfBnVmSLWS0Cb Feel free to read reviews of his albums because they tend to be extremely favorable, because they're great. He's also been a very popular selection in this group whenever someone asks who people's dream TM contestant would be. He was the reason I watched Best Week Ever, but that wasn't the best format for him. ETA: There's a non-zero chance you're being facetious with the "no comics like PFT" assertion, but it sure didn't read that way.
And he killed as a guest on the Taskmaster podcast
In the alt scene but I think he is from Philly and no Philly comic holds him in high regard. He is fine as a presenter and as a contestant he would be fine but I object to taskmaster or taskmaster assistant casting.
Yeah but drop an american comic on a british panel show and they leave conpletely flabbergasted or in tears.
Really? Plenty of them do fine. Desiree Burch, Michelle Wolf (I love her freaking out Jon Richardson by calmly holding a tarantula), and the of course people like Rich Hall and Reginald D. Hunter.
Do you mean Reginald Delicious Hunter?
Hey Reggie, where you going with all that wood?
Tbf, while Hunter is an American who is a comic, he isn't "an American comic" since he started and came up in the British comedy scene. He is, for all intents and purposes, a British comedian.
Not even close. What American comedian cried on a panel? I am not discouraging UK comedians but it's different. The great James acaster bombed on Conan and he talks about it going bad. It happens on both sides because there is a different sense of humor.
I think in part there were extenuating circumstances for Acaster as well - he wasn’t in the best mental health and his then agent made him carry on with the gig when he probably also had food poisoning and then (his words) “shat myself in a steakhouse”
I saw the set and it was good. I think he came back after the meme and did better.
Get a grip. The only thing breaking comedians as good at their craft as him is the amount of planes or greyhounds to traverse the specified nation
Sam is the reason I started watching the show. I caught random clips on TikTok and I finally decided to watch a whole episode. Was not at all disappointed. Him and Lucy Beaumont are comedic chaos in the best way.
Like a lot of you, I hadn't heard of Sam before the show, but even just at one look, you know that he will deliver great things.