It’s almost impossible to review Stewart Lee’s Comedy Vehicle (Saturday, BBC2), the meta-stand-up show which has returned for a third series, because Stewart Lee is his own best critic; he’s already done the hard work for us.
So, as he put it, this episode was both “weaving magic out of thin air” and “some sort of elitist prank”. It was, most of all, “the sound of the middle class applauding their own guilt”. Cheers, Stew. I might nip downstairs for a cup of tea, while you finish up here?
SLCV also requires no introduction, because if you’re one of those guilt-applauding Independent-reading liberals that Stewart Lee appeals to, you’ll already know and admire the semi-masochistic pleasure of his abrasive style. And if not, then you’re unlikely to be made to feel welcome. By the end of this half-hour show, Lee had his back to the studio audience, having become engrossed in a mimed phone conversation with an imaginary patron of a made-up business. It was very clever, very funny and also the height of rudeness.
Last series introduced the “hostile interrogator”, helping Lee to get away with such spectacular slights to his devoted fans by bringing him down a peg or two. This series, these short scenes intercut with the stand-up marked the return to TV of British comedy’s most enigmatic satirist, Chris Morris. He’d always acted as SLCV’s script editor, but in this series he’s emerging from the shadows to take over from Armando Iannucci as Lee’s Paxman-style foe.
This comedy about comedy would be unforgivably self-indulgent if Lee wasn’t just as incisive on every other facet of modern life as he is on his own comedic genius. Last series included episodes titled “Charity”, “Identity” and “Democracy”; this episode memorably summed up Twitter as “a state surveillance agency staffed by gullible volunteers” and Vodafone’s Digital Parenting guide as “the fox’s guide to chicken security”.
There’s nothing more to add, is there? Especially since any and all criticisms of Lee risk being co-opted into the advertising for his next tour. Or at the very least included in the exhaustive “Online Critiques” list he keeps on his website, detailing every rude thing anyone has ever said about him.
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter