Saturday, May 27, 2006

TWQ: TV Comedy Moments

This time, TWQ (The Weekend Question) asks about classic tv comedy.

What classic moment can you recall in a tv comedy show?

My answers are:

Dad's Army: When the German asks Private Pike for his name to write in his list, and Captain Mainwaring says "Don't tell him, Pike". Voted one of the classic British tv comedy moments.

The Phil Silvers Show: When Bilko and his men are put in a tank to test deadly bees, but they think they are there for a singing contest.

Fawlty Towers: 'The Psychiatrist' episode produces too many funny moments to list.

Now it's over to you....

But before I go...

For any new members who have not seen it, here is something I found that you might enjoy. Have your speakers on for The Picard Song

40 comments:

Canadian Mark said...

Good morning Jean-Luc. Michele sent me this way today. Classic TV comedy, eh? I think I'd have to go with that episode of "Bottom" where Eddie and Richard go overnight camping in a city park and scare themselves half to death at the thought of Wombles lurking about outsie. (This is funny to me in spite of the fact that I don't really even know what a "womble" is... Some sort of childrens show hedgehog I gather...)

Eddie: Richard, there's something out there!

Richard: Of course there's something out there. You can't expect the entire universe to be contained within the confines of a small tent.

Karen said...

Hmm...it must be too early in the morning. I can't think of any, although I do watch TONS of TV. Probably something on Dick Van Dyke show.

Michele sent me. Have a great day!

OldLady Of The Hills said...

My all time favorite humerous scene is Lucille Ball as "Lucy" and the Vita-Vegiman "drink" Advertisement..that is hilarious...a close second is Lucy again in the Chocolate Factory.
Wonderful question...and thanks for the visit, Captain.

Aaron78 said...

Where to begin skipper? The above comment about Bottom reminded me of the episode called Gas which contains possibly the finest example of prolonged TV violence I've ever seen when Eddie and Richard kill the gasman with pots and then try and hide him under the carpet. The other day I saw that half-anime South Park episode which contains the song Let's Fighting Love. Excellent stuff.

Panthergirl said...

Fawlty Towers: The kippers!!

Seinfeld: Too many to count! But I do love that episode with Elaine sleeping at Jerry's parents' house in Florida.

Will & Grace: The scene where Jack comes back (hyped up on caffeine) from meeting a new guy who works at Starbucks. Brilliant.

God, it's really hard to choose!

Here via michele. (Jean-Luc, I get TONS of visits by way of your blog...I guess people like the name Panthergirl when they see it in your blogroll!)

Aaron78 said...

Where to begin skipper? The comment above about Bottom reminds me of that episode called Gas which contains the finest example of prolonged TV violence I've ever witnessed where Eddie and Richard kill the gasman with pots and then try and hide his body under the carpet. I saw a South Park episode recently which contained a song called Let's Fighting Love which had me in tears.

Aaron78 said...

How strange, two versions of my comment have appeared. Oh well, sorry!

Prego said...

I always liked that Lucy fight with the Italian lady. I am also a big fan of Keeping Up Appearances. Anytime Hyacinth gets her comeuppance... or the way the mailmen, milkmen or paper boys try to deliver at her house without drawing attentnion.


p

here via michele.

Professor Xavier said...

Fawlty Towers is one of my favorite all time shows. I also really love Black Adder, too. One of my favorite bits was when Blackadder mentions the name of the "Scottish Play" to the two foppish actors. Hilarious!

craziequeen said...

[crawls out from under revision]

Jean-Luc - good question this week!

My favourite has always been from The Good Life, when Margo and Jerry are helping with the harvest. Margo, wonderfully dressed in yellow oilskins,, picking one bean at a time from the plant and then staggering through the mud to put it in the basket - then going back for another single bean.......

Oh, and the one where the homehelp goes on holiday and Margo is trying to do her own housework. She tells Jerry not to bleed in the sink 'because I've just cleaned it' and then tells him not to put rubbish in the bin 'because I've just emptied it'!

Wonderful comedy series - amongst British telly's greats.

video clip - you know, 'you' were a handsome chap, weren't 'you'? And I loved the face in the cloud.....and the dancing.....very classy.....

Always had a bit of a 'thang' for Patrick! :-)

cq

Ciera said...

I can't think of a thing right now either....I'll have to think on that and come back...

Anonymous said...

Two from british classic TV spring to mind.
The Andre Previn sketch with Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise.
Also the Fork Andles sketch with the Two Ronnies.

Pure british class.

Oh, and the Don't tell him Pike is priceless too. :)

Nic said...

I loved the old Red Skelton show for kids where it was his birthday and they had a nearly naked dancing girl behind a door or something that was hidden off camera and he caught a glimpse of her and his eyes just about bugged out of his head and then started laughing and sputtering. It was live TV so he oculdn't really say anything but they had a clip of it on the old show TV's Bloopers and Practical Jokes. I cracked up so hard.

A Army Of (Cl)One said...

Nic, I think that was soupy sals?

Osquer said...

First of all, Oh Captain! My Captain! I almost wet myself laughing during The Picard Song! It was fantastic! I forgot you could dance so well! Any time you need a partner to two-step, I'm your girl!

You could mention any Fawlty Towers episode for classic comedy, but I always think of The Germans episode. No one does a silly walk like John Cleese.

How about 'Allo 'Allo? I've got ze flying 'elmet and ze wet celery!

djWhite said...

Ok you've just won my heart.

Love love LOVE Jean-Luc Picard!


http://ramblingsonpage.blogspot.com/

Wendy Hoke said...

I love the Picard Song video!

Some of my favorite comedy scenes:

Monty Python Flying Circus: The Spam Cafe (just why were there Vikings there anyway?)

Also Monty Python: The Ministry of Silly Walks.

Saturday Night Live: Bass-O-Matic. Oh, lord, Dan Ackroyd really drank that ground up bass!

SNL: Guido Sarducci's "Pope in the Pizza Contest." Especially funny because in California if played just prior to Charles' and Diana's wedding.

And of course: Star Trek: The Trouble With Tribbles

WW

emi said...

The Picard Song is terrific! I love to see you laugh. Of course, who wouldn't laugh at a smiley face in a cloud, except maybe Worf?

BTW, I never knew you and Q were that close.

Helen Louise said...

I've been giggling at this one since I saw it a few days ago.

Germans: Stop talking about the war!
Fawlty: You started it!
Germans: No, we didn't.
Fawlty: Yes you did, you invaded Poland!

I also loved the end of 'Allo 'Allo

"René, what are you doing in that car with that servant girl?" "You stupid woman, can you not see I am eloping?"

I also adored the French and Saunders spoof of Titanic. It pretty much made seeing Titanic actually worth it.

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Melody Lam said...

Hmm...when it comes to humor, Q would trump any Earth comedy, but here are my choices:

Blackadder Series One: Blackadder finally becomes king...for about 30 seconds.

A Bit of Fry and Laurie Series One: Fry and Laurie get into a duel/Vox Pops (especially the ones with Hugh Laurie as a woman)/The one where Hugh is playing a 15 year old kid who gets called up to the principal's office about a poem/the one where they mention a sketch where Fry beats Laurie with a club sexily and going to bed violently.

I Love Lucy: Vegemeatvitamin episode is classic!

http://heat-death.blogspot.com/

Anonymous said...

I like Fawlty Towers "Germans" episode.

Another TV moment: On "Taxi," when Jim was taking his driver's license test and asked his friends what a yellow light means. And they said, "Slow down." And he said, "Whaaaaattttt dooooeeeeesss aaaaaaaaaa yelllllllloooooowwwwww liiiiiiiiiight meeeeeeeeean?"

:-)

HadesGigas said...

I forget the particulars, but the part on I Love Lucy where she smashes the eggs all over Ricky has the record for longest duration of audience laughter in sitcom history. I know what you're asking, and yes, I'm 71 years old.

captain corky said...

Hogans Heroes: The episode where Klink is all depressed because all of the Pows have escaped from the prison camp and Hogan and company come marching back into Stalag 13 whistling the show's theme song.

(SR71)Atomica said...

I grew up on comedy, American and British alike. There are a number of moments I can remember. Maybe too many. It is hard but I am going to pick just one...

From The Cosby Show (Mid to late 80s/early 90s:
There is an episode in which Vanessa (Tempestt Bledsoe) is playing a song for one of her friends, then Cliff Huxtable (Bill Cosby) comes in to tell her friend that "The Vanessa Broadcasting System" is signing off, then loudly hums/scats the Star Spangled Banner (which is how many stations in America which conclude their daily broadcasts and go off air for a few hours until the next morning; they roll tape of an announcement going off air and then play the Star Spangled Banner or America the Beautiful or Stars and Stripes Forever or another patriotic theme before going to a static screen and white noise).

=================================

Unknown said...

Hmmm- classic moments, let me think....
M*A*S*H - When Radar says: Nakedity makes me breathe funny.

M. C. Pearson said...

How about that I Love Lucy where she has to put her feet in a vat of grapes to make wine. I loved that one!

Or Mork and Mindy when Mork shows up with the priest collar but he is really just wearing his suit backwards.

I'm about to go check out the Picard Song...can't wait! Heh.

Jean-Luc Picard said...

Some examples above I have laughed at, and others I have sadly never seen. Loved all the Fawlty Towers episodes, Blackadder ones. The 'Taxi' one that Tara mentioned I now recall. It was side-splitting. Jim and Latka were my favourites in that show.

merlyn said...

The song is very catchy...
in fact it is so catchy Ican't actually get it ut of my head.... ever thought of sending this to the borg?

-merly

kimmyk said...

Hi Jean Luc Picard...I came here via Michele today. Just wanted to say HELLO!

I'd play this game, but I fear I am out of the loop. Growing up we weren't allowed to watch TV....sad, but true.

Hope you have a great long weekend !

Anonymous said...

I can't really think of any...it must be too early for me to remember anything on a Sunday right now.

Michele sent me. :)

MorahMommy said...

Good Morning,

I think any episode of the Flintstones. I loved that show. My kids are amazed that I watched it when I was little. "It must be really old mommy!"

I also loved that they had to use their feet to make their vehicles work...but how did the planes work!?

Here via Michele

Unknown said...

one of them (there really ARE so many) is; mary (of the mary tyler moore show) at the funeral of chuckles the clown. CLASSIC

OldLady Of The Hills said...

Michele sent me back again this morning...So, the third classic funny from a TV show to me, is another Lucy episode...The crushing of the grapes..in the graoe tank, using her feet...Very Very Funny!

Sandy said...

I will date myself now. ;) For me, most of my favorite comedic TV moments include Seinfeld. Although I do giggle still at the thought of Three's Company. Gosh, I miss John Ritter.

airliebird58 said...

The one thing that never fails to crease me up, no matter how many times I see it is 'The fish Slapping Dance' From Monty Python.
Love the blog Captain :)

Osquer said...

Sandy: RIP John Ritter! I miss him, too!

Panthergirl said...

OH I have a Mork and Mindy one too....when he's filling out an application and it says "Graduation Date". He writes "Mary Ann Mulligan" (or some name like that). I thought that was hilarious.

Here again via michele, but I love this post so I keep coming back to it!

Panthergirl said...

OMG.... Professor Xavier wrote the other one I meant to write... Black Adder and the Scottish Play. I crack up just THINKING about it!!!!

Panthergirl said...

Tara's Taxi moment is a CLASSIC.... I'm having just as much fun reading through the comments as I am trying to think of others.

Carol Burnett Show: The spoof on Gone With the Wind where she wears the curtains, complete with the rod across her back, and says "Oh, it's just something I saw in the window!"

I'll stop now!