Did you notice that Ricky Gervais - ah yes, the man otherwise known as Mr David Brent - is hosting the Emmy Awards? Given that he is an excellent comedian, I am not surprised that they chose Gervais. Well, I also noticed that there is a bit of interest in British comedians, an interest that is probably influenced by the introduction of a few new faces into the Hollywood scene (think Simon Pegg, Russell Brand, etc.). So I figured, maybe more folks would like to know more about the various British comedian out there. Hence I came up with a list of my recent favorites:
Noel Fielding
How can you not love this comedian? He's quirky, he's flamboyant and he comes up with the most unexpected statements. If you want to know what I mean by that last sentence, you should check out clips of the current season of Nevermind the Buzzcocks. Fielding has been chosen as one of the team captains and more often than not, he springs up with the most arbitrary – albeit hilarious – comments. My favorite one so far was when the other panelists discovered that instead of listening to them, Fielding had been doodling smiley faces on an orange. If you are wondering why Fielding is a familiar face, you've probably seen him in The IT Crowd. Oh yes, that guy!
Frankie Boyle
If you love doses of biting humor, check out Frankie Boyle. It would be fair to say that this Scottish comedian's trademark move is delivering blunt commentary on a topic where his remarks intensifies in its harshness until you realise that the other party might as well crawl into a cave and wait for Boyle to focus on something else. For this reason, it is especially funny to hear Boyle's jokes about British politics and social trends. While he has been part of a number of TV shows, the one show where he truly excels in is Mock the Week.
Jack Whitehall
I was not entirely convinced about this comedian when he popped up for Mock the Week. Sure he was funny but was not exactly winning me over. I suppose everyone pales in comparison when the veterans of the show fire away and the younger generation just looks on in wonder about the former's passion for politics. And then he showed up as a guest host for Nevermind the Buzzcocks. If you are familiar with the former host, Simon Amstell, you'd know that his act will be a tough one to top. He was snarky, he was unforgiving and really relentless. Well, it turned out, Whitehall had the type of remarks and retorts that suited the NtB. How about that!
Rhod Gilbert
I've seen him on a few shows but the one that comes to mind is his most recent appearance on Nevermind the Buzzcocks. Previously, I have seen clips of his stand-up, both in UK and in other countries, and at each of these instances, he continues to wow the crowd. He starts out with a poker-faced, almost angry expression so you tend to wonder if he is going to rant on rather loudly. Far from it; that is part of his sneaky attempts to catch you off-guard and deliver the punchline. The best one I have seen so far is his lost luggage story before an Australian audience.