Bibliograph

Sunshine on putty, the golden age of British comedy, from Vic Reeves to The Office, Ben Thompson

Type

Label

Sunshine on putty, the golden age of British comedy, from Vic Reeves to The Office, Ben Thompson

Language

eng

Index

no index present

Literary Form

non fiction

Main title

Sunshine on putty

Nature of contents

dictionaries

Responsibility statement

Ben Thompson

Sub title

the golden age of British comedy, from Vic Reeves to The Office

Summary

The definitive history of a golden age in British show-business, Sunshine On Putty is based on hundreds of interviews with the leading comedians of the era, as well as managers, agents, producers, directors, executives and TV personalities. In the 1990s, British comedy underwent a renaissance - shows like The Fast Show, The Day Today, Shooting Stars, The League of Gentlemen, The Royle Family and The Office were hugely popular with critics and audiences alike. Just as politics, sport, art, literature and religion seemed to move towards light entertainment, the comedy on the nation's televisions not only offered a home to ideas and ideals of community which could no longer find one elsewhere, but also gave us a clearer picture of what was happening to our nation than any other form of artistic endeavour. From Ricky Gervais' self-destructive love affair with dairy products to Steve Coogan's suicidal overtaking technique; from the secrets of Vic Reeves' woodshed, to the stains on Caroline Aherne's sofa; from Victor Meldrew's prophetic dream to Spike Milligan's final resting place, Ben Thompson reveals the twisted beauty of British comedy's psyche. - An important accessible account of British comedy from the acclaimed author of Seven Years of Plenty and Ways of Hearing - Includes full chapters on: VIC and BOB; EDDIE IZZARD; FRANK SKINNER; THE FAST SHOW; HARRY HILL; FATHER TED; ALAN PARTRIDGE; THE ROYLE FAMILY; BEN ELTON; ALI G; THE LEAGUE OF GENTLEMEN; JOHNNY VEGAS; and THE OFFICE. - This paperback edition includes a new 'Afterword' on the final episodes of THE OFFICE, and its success at the Golden Globes. Ben also writes about the new wave of British Comedy, including LITTLE BRITAIN. - Ben Thompson was comedy critic for the Independent on Sunday for four years and has been asked on numerous occasions to be a judge for the PERRIER AWARD at the Edinburgh Festival. Competition: THE LAST PARTY John Harris; THE NINETIES Michael Bracewell; the EDINBURGH FESTIVAL; and the videos/DVDs of ALI G; THE OFFICE; THE ROYLE FAMILY; FATHER TED; THE LEAGUE OF GENTLEMEN; ALAN PARTRIDGE; EDDIE IZZARD; and JACK DEE

Target audience

adult

Classification