| Description | Jo Brand interviewed by John Pidgeon at The Sound Company, London, for 'Talking Comedy', a BBC Radio 2 programme in which comedians talk about the people that make them laugh. This is the unedited interview, not the programme as broadcast.
Summary: [00:04] John Pidgeon [JP] begins by asking Jo Brand [JB] who she remembers first making her laugh.
[00:34] Morecambe & Wise particularly Eric Morecambe, [01:25] she found Ernie Wise annoying and doesn’t know whether either would have worked solo.
[01:54] JP brings up French & Saunders, Dawn and Jennifer’s specific performance style, [02:15] Dawn French is visually funnier whereas Jennifer Saunders is very good at one-liners and sharp retorts.
[02:44] JB talks about women in comedy no longer caring about looks thanks to French & Saunders. [03:15] JB brings up Victoria Wood in connection to this point. [05:33] JB says that French & Saunders weren’t like the “all-purpose woman” [Pamela Stephenson, not actually mentioned by name] in Not The Nine O’Clock News.
[05:53] JB mentions the benefit of women writing their own material, as opposed to having material written for them by men, being typecast as either a Barbara Windsor type or Reg Varney’s “hideous” wife [sic] in On The Buses.
[06:41] JP brings up Victoria Wood. [08:15] JB says she wishes she was working in Tony Hancock’s time because he did the same set for 15 years.
[09:45] JP brings up Billy Connolly in relation to Victoria Wood. [10:32] JB says before Billy Connolly, most traditional comedians like Jim Davidson and Mike Reid just told jokes, whereas Connolly told funny stories and wrote his own material.
[12:35] JP asks JB if it was daunting when she started doing comedy. JB goes on to talk about her early career, her stage presence and her process. [17:04] JB says that comedians like Eddie Izzard and Mark Steele seem much more relaxed on stage.
[17:43] JP asks about Mark Steele. [19:20] JP mentions Les Dawson.
[24:57] Beryl Reid, The Killing of Sister George [25:57] JB says that Beryl Reid reminds her of Caroline Aherne as Mrs Merton.
[28:20] JP remarks on the fact that JB hasn’t put many Americans on her list and asks if this is a deliberate choice. [29:04] She says she can’t stand Robin Williams.
[30:09] JB talks about Bill Hicks. [30:50] She knows there have been people like Lenny Bruce before him, but says that Bill Hicks should’ve been English.
[31:34] JP talks about Dennis Leary stealing the Bill Hicks style. [32:53] JB brings up Andrew Dice Clay as similarly being contrived, and compares him to Bernard Manning.
[33:46] JP brings up Harry Hill. [36:03] JB compares him to Eric Morecambe. [36:15] JP mentions John Hegley.
[39:00] JP mentions JB picking two classic sitcoms on her list, Fawlty Towers and The Young Ones.
[40:06] JB talks about how Fawtly Towers has aged well despite some racist jokes, and says it isn’t like Bernard Manning style comedy. [41:16] JB loves the John Cleese character as well as all the other characters.
[42:21] The Young Ones. [43:18] JB praises the characters, particularly Rik Mayall’s character. [44:23] JP mentions the cameos in The Young Ones, including Hale & Pace, Stephen Frost, Mark Arden, and JB metnions Arnold Brown.
[44:46] JP brings up Spinal Tap.
[47:46] JP talks about seeing the woman who played Bobbi Flekman [Fran Drescher, not mentioned by name] on one of Ruby Wax’s shows.
[48:22] JP and JB listen to the clips. [48:54 – 49:16] Les Dawson [50:04 -50:35] Billy Connolly [51:55 – 52:22] Victoria Wood [53:32 – 54:30] Fawlty Towers [55:28 – 56:21] The Young Ones [57:03 – 57:42] French & Saunders [59:17 – 01:00:42] John Hegley [01:01:04 – 01:03:15] Spinal Tap [01:04:11 – 01:05:31] Bill Hicks [01:06:24 – 01:07:16] Harry Hill [01:07:48] JP gets JB to record the trailers and intros.
[01:13:07] Recording ends
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