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.
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Herald Scotland.
Herald Scotland.
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
XPIJONpsY, Twitter
XPIJONpsY, Twitter
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Dan McCaid, Twitter
Dan McCaid, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Zoot Cadillac, Twitter
Zoot Cadillac, Twitter
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Spursguy, Youtube
Spursguy, Youtube
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter