DB7

Cook is the best, say comedians

More than 300 comedians, comedy writers, producers and directors on both sides of the Atlantic were asked to rank the biggest names in comedy.

Cook was named the world`s most talented comedian, followed by Fawlty Towers and Monty Python star John Cleese in second place, American film-maker Woody Allen and the late Eric Morecambe.

The list of 50 top comedians, compiled for the Channel 4 show The Comedians` Comedian, is dominated by British talent.

Tommy Cooper, who died after collapsing on stage in 1984, is sixth in the list, Scottish stand-up Billy Connolly eighth and double act Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer ninth.

Today`s top-rated British comedians include Steve Coogan (17), cross-dresser Eddie Izzard (19), Have I Got News for You? star Paul Merton (20), Phoenix Nights creator and star Peter Kay (22) and Blackadder creator Rowan Atkinson (24).

At 26th in the list, Harry Hill, the doctor turned comedian famous for TV Burp, has been voted funnier than Monty Python star Michael Palin (30), The Young Ones star Rik Mayall (34) and British wit Stephen Fry (39).

The talent behind The Office, Ricky Gervais, is also in the top 50 list, although at 49th he ranks below more established stars.

Women have fared less well - the highest ranking female is Victoria Wood at 27, followed by French and Saunders at 31.

The only other females in the top 50 are US star of the barbed one-liners Joan Rivers, at 40, followed by the late British comedienne Joyce Grenfell, who appeared as Sgt Ruby Gates in the St Trinian`s films.

Although Cook is voted number one, his comedy partner Dudley Moore is absent from the top 50.

Cook`s partnership with Moore in the Not Only...But Also TV shows made the pair one of the funniest double acts of all time.

Morecambe`s partner Ernie Wise is also absent and, while Ronnie Barker makes it to 16th place, sidekick Ronnie Corbett does not get a mention.

American comic favourites include screen star Groucho Marx in fifth place, Laurel and Hardy in seventh spot, and US stand-up and screen star Richard Pryor in tenth place.

Other US stars include Steve Martin (15), Eddie Murphy (32), Jackie Mason (43), Bill Cosby (47) and The Producers writer Mel Brooks (50).

Little Britain stars Matt Lucas and David Walliams are not in the list.

Tributes to Cook included Canadian Austin Powers star Mike Myers, who was voted 48th in the list, and said of the late British comedian: "I didn`t know dirty words could be done that artfully."

Arthur Smith said: "He had talent oozing out of him and he hardly had to exert himself as he was so brilliantly funny.

"He influenced a whole generation of people - even now he`s spoken of in terms of awe."

US star Greg Proops said: "There`s a kind of insanity which is in his eyes, when he`s trying to do dead corpse, and that`s where all the magic is, in that evil, evil brilliant devil."

The results were broadcast on Channel 4 show The Comedians Comedian yesterday.

The 50 top comedians:

1. Peter Cook
2. John Cleese
3. Woody Allen
4. Eric Morecambe
5. Groucho Marx
6. Tommy Cooper
7. Laurel and Hardy
8. Billy Connolly
9. Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer
10. Richard Pryor
11. Chris Morris
12. Tony Hancock
13. Bill Hicks
14. Peter Sellers
15. Steve Martin
16. Ronnie Barker
17. Steve Coogan
18. Charlie Chaplin
19. Eddie Izzard
20. Paul Merton
21. Eric Idle
22. Peter Kay
23. Larry David
24. Rowan Atkinson
25. Bob Hope
26. Harry Hill
27. Victoria Wood
28. Spike Milligan
29. Christopher Guest
30. Michael Palin
31. French and Saunders
32. Eddie Murphy
33. Bob Monkhouse
34. Rik Mayall
35. Steven Wright
36. Ken Dodd
37. Les Dawson
38. Chic Murray
39. Stephen Fry
40. Joan Rivers
41. Joyce Grenfell
42. Phil Silvers
43. Jackie Mason
44. Eric Sykes
45. Robin Williams
46. Paul Whitehouse
47. Bill Cosby
48. Mike Myers
49. Ricky Gervais
50. Mel Brooks.

Marky B

Am I the only one who thought Peter Cook was totally unfunny :mad:
Ta Ta
Marky B thumbs_u

I am special. The heavens always open for me.

mysteriesofedgarwallace

I found this all rather amazing.

Peter Cook at No1, yet no mention of partner in crime Dudley Moore, likewise with other double acts; Ernie Wise and Ronnie Corbett.

I would have placed a bet on Morecambe being No1. but John Cleese at No2 above Eric Morecambe??
I would have thought, too, that Tommy Cooper would have ranked a lot higher.

But this is Channel4, who have dumbed down no end in recent years, their main output nowadays being Big Brother or pointless 'countdowns' like this.
And another excuse to use Jimmy Carr, who has made a career out of being bland and uninteresting in addition to being talentless.

sanndevil

Yes, Jimmy Carr hasn't found a decent conduit for his humour on TV. He's on XFM radio (104.9 in London and M25) on Sunday mornings, and on that he's hilarious. Perhaps he should stick to radio?

BTW, why no Frankie Howerd or Benny Hill in the poll????

Yes, I agree - those nostalgia-driven countdown shows, invariably with unknown pundits too young to remember anything about the era on which they comment, are driving me up the wall too! violent

mysteriesofedgarwallace

I too find it astonishing that neither Frankie Howerd or Benny Hill are mentioned, yet Reeves and Mortimer are ranked 9th; lets be honset, they're hardly groundbreaking.

These countdown shows are getting silly; they will ask someone to comment on something from a period before they were born.

Thats why I get so annoyed with Channel4 now, they will do anything to provide cheap, dumbed down entertainment for the Sun reading population.

What happened to the ground breaking documentaries and excellent archive films they used to show?

violent violent violent

Guybrush Threepwood

A couple of simple observations (from a simpleton)..


A/ Mr Carr is not nearly as funny as he thinks he is...

B/ Channel 4, (along with others) was critised for the amount of repeats it shows. This sort of programme is merely a way round that...they can put out a whole evening of repeated clips but are able to package them up as though it was "New Programming"....all these "Top Ten/Twenty/Thirty lists are designed solely with that in mind.

Channel 4 aint alone in all this, 5 do it all the time and during the summer BBC 2 ran a series of "Funniest Sit.Coms." (or whatever) which was really only an excuse to fill the air with repeats, and hoped we didn't cotton on.


Threep.

DB7

I thought there was a bit more depth to the Beebs best sitcom given each nominee was given their own show that went into the making.

The CH4 polls are just lazy (cheaply produced) clip shows with a few talking heads. Even celebs must be tiring of the format as Joan Rivers seemed to pad out most of the comedians poll.

Can't really argue with Peter Cook winning and there was little point including Dud as he was little more than a corpseing soundboard. The follow-on Derek and Clive show was pretty raw and you couldn't help but feel for Dud enduring some of Cook's more poisonous diatribes.

Freddy

Rhys Ifan was outstanding as Peter Cook in one of the highlights of Christmas, Not Only But Always. As you say though the follow on Derek and Clive, if Cook had used his fists on Dudley as cruelly as he used his words ......

Although it could be handy to have a top 50 of comedians let us also remember the comedy writers. I know Cook used his own material but it would be interesting to find out what percentage of the others wrote all/most their own stuff. So lets hear it for John Junkin, Barry Took and Barry Cryer, Eddie Braben, David Croft and Jimmy Perry, Roy Clarke, George Layton, many many others and also John Sullivan who's writing has given us more laughs and pathos than the majority of those in the top 50.

Lastly though the final word I will give to the late George Carmen QC when defending Ken Dodd on tax charges. (Dodd who is notorious for staying on far longer than he should) Carmen turned to one of his counsel and said thats he's afraid Doddy might get five years and do seven.

regards
Freddy

The world wags on.

Hackett

Mike Myers funny? when did that happen?.