Until recently, Stewart Lee was still flogging his own DVDs in the foyer after
his shows, but a couple of BBC2 series of Stewart Lee’s Comedy Vehicle and a pair of 2011 British Comedy Awards have taken him on to the next level, a state of affairs that doesn’t sit entirely comfortably with this most contrary of standups.
On Carpet Remnant World ★★★★★, Lee brilliantly plays off this awkward dichotomy, dividing his audience into those who ‘get’ his multi-layered deconstructionism and those who are only there because they’ve seen him on the telly, explaining to them: ‘I’m so good at stand-up, I make it look as if I can’t do it.’
The show’s thrust is that Lee is devoid of material, since he spends his days either driving up and down motorways to gigs or watching Scooby Doo with his young son. So he’s taken to cruising London’s North Circular in the vain hope that something funny will happen, thereby neatly mocking the observational style of comedy favoured by so many successful stand-ups.
Only Lee could get away with writing a show about not having a show, but he pulls all the threads together with such understated aplomb that you can’t help but marvel at his utterly distinct approach. Really, it’s ridiculously good.
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Lents, redandwhitekop.com
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DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
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Contrapuntal, Twitter
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Fowkes81, Twitter
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Richard Herring, Comedian
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Aaron, comedy.co.uk
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Tokyofist, Youtube
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Anamatronix, Youtube
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Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
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Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
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Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
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Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
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Carcrazychica, Youtube
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Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
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Sidsings000, Youtube
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Tres Ryan, Twitter
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Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
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Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
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Microcuts 22, Twitter
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Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
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Brighton Argus
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Shit Crit, Twitter
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Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
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Gwaites, Digitalspy
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BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
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Peter Ould, Youtube
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Secretdeveloper, Youtube
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Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
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Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
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Len Firewood, Twitter
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Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
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98rosjon, Twitter
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Pnethor, pne-online.com
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Iain, eatenbymissionaries
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Gabrielle, Chortle.com
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Joe, Independent.co.uk
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Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
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Al Murray, Comedian
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Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
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Peter Ould, Twitter
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Anon, BBC Complaints Log
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Mrdavisn01, Twitter
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Etienne, Chortle.com
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Zombie Hamster, Twitter
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Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
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Stokeylitfest, Twitter
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Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
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Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
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Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
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Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
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John Robins, Comedian
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GRTak, finalgear.com
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Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
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Mpf1947, Youtube
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Rudeness, Youtube
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Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
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Funday’schild, youtube.
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Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
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Kozzy06, Youtube
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FBC, finalgear.com
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Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
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Guest1001, Youtube
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Frankie Boyle, Comedian
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Tin Frog, Twitter
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Leach Juice, Twitter
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Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
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Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
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Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
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Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
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Keilloh, Twitter
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Idrie, Youtube
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Sweeping Curves, Twitter
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Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
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Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
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NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
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Borathigh5, Youtube
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Aiden Hearn, Twitter
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Z-factor, Twitter.
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James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
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Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
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Hiewy, Youtube
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Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
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Bosco239, youtube
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Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
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Meninblack, Twitter
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Rubyshoes, Twitter
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Mearecate, Youtube
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Emilyistrendy, Youtube
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Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
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World Without End, Twitter
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Clampdown59, Twitter.
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Horatio Melvin, Twitter
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Robert Gavin, Twitter
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Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
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Jackmumf, Twitter
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Peter Fears, Twitter
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Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
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Birmingham Sunday Mercury
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Visualiser1, Twitter
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Pudabaya, Twitter
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Fairy Pingu, Twitter
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Liam Travitt, Twitter
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Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
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Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
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Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
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Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
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Dick Socrates, Twitter
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Stuart, Chortle
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12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
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Danazawa, Youtube
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Wharto15, Twitter
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Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
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Foxfoxton, Youtube
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Sam Rooney, Youtube
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Cyberbloke, Twitter
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Anon, westhamonline.com
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Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
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Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
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Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
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Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
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General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
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Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
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A D Ward, Twitter