Stewart Lee divides comedy fans; his control of an audience is masterly, though he rarely tells conventional jokes and has no physical skills to speak of apart from stoutly leaning on his mic stand and occasionally capering up and down. I find him screamingly funny; plenty don’t, accusing him of smugness and a wilful disdain for the punters. “I’m up here like a god and you’re down there in the dark like pigs in an Essex ditch,” he informs the “cackling sycophants” of Southend-on-Sea in Stewart Lee: Content Provider (Saturday, BBC2, 10.45pm). They love it.
Filmed on one of the last nights of his latest tour, he actually does begin with a (foul) political joke, but soon settles into familiar routines of analysing levels of audience enthusiasm, decrying his rivals (the set is littered with their DVDs) and pontificating on the nature of comedy: a good line “ends on or near a hard consonant”, he maintains, and there’s a lengthy analysis of the comic value of the phrase, “soon-to-be-deported eastern European workers”.
His recent BBC2 series — axed, as he bitterly informs the audience — featured segments in which Chris Morris sternly pointed out Lee’s manifold personal and professional deficiencies. Here his interlocutor is graphic novel genius Alan Moore, to whom Lee confesses, “It’s not something that I feel is good enough to broadcast.”
Those who enjoy “pretentious, meta-textual, self-aware shit” will disagree, and for everyone else, there’s always Michael McIntyre.
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph