Comedy legend Stewart Lee’s first television programme in over ten years debuted last week to a not unrespectable one million viewers on BBC2. Fans of his were not disappointed – the show was simply a 25-minute stand-up routine intercut with a few brief sketches – and non-converts were questioning why they had not heard of this genius before.
It was, in short, everything Stewart Lee promised it would be to his fans that feared their hero was selling out.
A diatribe against “celebrity hardbacks”, his targets were relatively easy for him (his stand-up generally chooses far trickier targets such as religious zealots and football fans), but no less worthwhile. If you’ve ever despaired when seeing Chris Moyles at the top of the bestseller list or wanted to scream at those idiots on the tube reading Dan Brown novels then this show was for you.
Anyone between the ages of thirty and forty will already be familiar with Stewart Lee’s television oeuvre. Twenty years ago at the tender age of 22, he and likeminded genius Richard Herring devised, wrote and starred in Fist Of Fun and This Morning With Richard Not Judy. Both shows were masterpieces but they were treated appallingly by the schedulers and the commissioners at the BBC who cancelled the latter without even telling its two stars. You can catch much of their work on YouTube (the BBC have never released the shows on DVD) but to get an idea of what it was like: imagine Horne and Corden but intelligent, funny, not homophobic and with some notion of comic timing.
Thankfully Herring is now doing better than ever, selling out large venues all over the country with The Headmaster’s Son, his best full-length stand-up show to date, and Lee is back on our screens. Happy days.
Tonight, Lee takes aim at television itself, wondering who is to blame, and it’s even better than the first show. Lee has long been one of the five best stand-ups in the country. Now he is possibly the funniest man on British television. Again.
Stewart Lee’s Comedy Vehicle is on BBC2 on Tuesdays at 10pm.
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
XPIJONpsY, Twitter
XPIJONpsY, Twitter
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Zoot Cadillac, Twitter
Zoot Cadillac, Twitter
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dan McCaid, Twitter
Dan McCaid, 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
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Spursguy, Youtube
Spursguy, Youtube
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Herald Scotland.
Herald Scotland.
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk