Comedy crusaders

A while ago in an interview in this very magazine, Russell Kane said that he was set to host a new TV series that would be like Michael McIntyre’s Comedy Roadshow, but for the quirkier less conventional acts. He called it the “weird cousin of that (Michael McIntyre’s Comedy Roadshow) show.” Ta da! And here it is.

The series started last week on BBC3, as Kane had predicted would be its home, offering a place for character and sketch comedy, as well as the stand-up talents of Kane himself. Unlike McIntyre’s BBC1 big brother, each episode is only for half an hour as opposed to the hour-long format, but with the bitty-ness required of sketches and character snippets this is the format that suits best.

With the rise in prominence of comedy in all formats and the telly coverage rising accordingly at the Edinburgh Festival, Edinburgh Fringe and last year’s Laughs In The Park, we’ve already had glimpses of some of these talents. Nick Helm was seen at the Edinburgh highlights and Russell Howard’s Good News, Joe Wilkinson and Diane Morgan from Two Episodes Of Mash had already had their own BBC Radio 4 series, and Humphrey Kerr could be seen on late night improv show Fast And Loose (as well as picking up last year’s Edinburgh Best Newcomer Award). Add to that Lady Garden (a female sketch group including the comedy dynasty offspring of Jennifer Saunders and Ade Edmondson), sketch group Jigsaw who together have at least half a dozen awards or nominations for their individual comedy performances, WitTank with their crude eloquence, and double act Totally Tom framing the entire show with a backstage backstory. It’s all rather impressive and quick fire.

“Quite why it’s called ‘Live’ At The Electric I can’t fathom”

Quite why it’s called ‘Live’ At The Electric I can’t fathom as although there are live elements to it, the show certainly makes the most of its prerecorded film shorts. It is a testing ground for acts on the up that don’t quite fit into the panel shows and stand-up live arenas on display elsewhere in the televisual world. If something works here I wouldn’t be surprised to see it get its own show, whether that be on BBC3 or on the BBC radio would remain to be seen. And you may argue that there’s already plenty of comedy splattered all over TV and really, what is the point of another forum? You have a point. It’s just that this one offers more than a young man in a smart suit and a microphone. With a platform for undiscovered formats of comedy, without the risk involved of a full investment in an entire series, this is the place where hopefully the new and the challenging will rise. The actual alternative alternative comedy. Well, they do swear and show nudity, and quote Hamlet. Nice to mix things up a bit.

Live At The Electric, BBC3, Thursday 7 June 2012