Warning. This episode contains skipping. Sure enough, Lee suckered his TV viewers in last week with a relatively benign look at the nature of modern comedy and a few cheeky swipes at his fellow entertainers. This week he goes for the jugular, addressing the more tricky question of the rise of Islamophobia and the acceptability of jokes about religion.
The skipping, inevitably, comes in a section about a different rise – the rise of observational comedy. I guess the running around is a wry poke at Michael McIntyre. It’s a broad visual gag and what makes it really funny is how red in the face Lee gets. Positively puce. I worried for his heart. In fact there is an uncharacteristically large amount of energy expended this week. There’s a lot of shouting at the screen too.
I won’t give away too many of the gags here. Although they do work in print you really have to watch Lee to get the full impact. He truly is a consummate craftsman, showing how, unlike other comedians, he is capable to getting in his apology for a potentially ill-judged remark long before the punchline. Not that he is ever actually offensive.
In a number of set-pieces here he shows himself to be a master of having his comedic cake and eating it. Within the first few minutes he has his cake and eats it with an impeccable routine about the Great British Bake Off, including the best Mary Berry joke you will hear this year.
Lots of good stuff this week, even if at times Lee teeters on the cusp of self-parody. Yet despite his “liberal intelligentsia” schtick he remains accessible, with quips about Dapper Laughs and 50 Shades of Grey. There really are gags here that would work on on Live at the Apollo. As he suggests himself with a sly, mock-arrogant wink to the camera, he can do jokes if he wants.
Oh and there’s another treat here. I won’t go into detail except to say that it features Kevin Eldon and Paul Putner and might give you nightmares.
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Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
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Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
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Joe, Independent.co.uk
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DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
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Lents, redandwhitekop.com
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Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
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Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
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Guest1001, Youtube
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Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
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Bosco239, youtube
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Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
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Rudeness, Youtube
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Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
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Jackmumf, Twitter
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Idrie, Youtube
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Peter Ould, Youtube
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Anon, westhamonline.com
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Jamespearse, Twitter
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Stuart, Chortle
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Shit Crit, Twitter
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Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
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Dick Socrates, Twitter
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Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
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Secretdeveloper, Youtube
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Mrdavisn01, Twitter
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Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
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Foxfoxton, Youtube
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98rosjon, Twitter
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Liam Travitt, Twitter
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Z-factor, Twitter.
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Aaron, comedy.co.uk
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John Robins, Comedian
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Tin Frog, Twitter
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Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
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Mearecate, Youtube
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Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
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Meninblack, Twitter
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Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
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Joycey, readytogo.net
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Mini-x2, readytogo.net
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A D Ward, Twitter
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General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
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World Without End, Twitter
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Zombie Hamster, Twitter
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Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
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Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
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Horatio Melvin, Twitter
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Al Murray, Comedian
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Iain, eatenbymissionaries
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NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
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Aiden Hearn, Twitter
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Microcuts 22, Twitter
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FBC, finalgear.com
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Tres Ryan, Twitter
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Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
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Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
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Visualiser1, Twitter
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Pnethor, pne-online.com
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Birmingham Sunday Mercury
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Pudabaya, Twitter
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Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
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Mpf1947, Youtube
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Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
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Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
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Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
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12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
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Stokeylitfest, Twitter
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Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
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Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
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Borathigh5, Youtube
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Wharto15, Twitter
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Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
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Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
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Slothy Matt, Twitter
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Anamatronix, Youtube
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Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
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Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
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Fairy Pingu, Twitter
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Hiewy, Youtube
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Gwaites, Digitalspy
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Etienne, Chortle.com
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Fowkes81, Twitter
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Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
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Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
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Contrapuntal, Twitter
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GRTak, finalgear.com
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Anon, BBC Complaints Log
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Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
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Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
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Clampdown59, Twitter.
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Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
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Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
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Gabrielle, Chortle.com
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Frankie Boyle, Comedian
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Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
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Chez, Chortle.com
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Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
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Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
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Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
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Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
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Sweeping Curves, Twitter
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Sam Rooney, Youtube
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Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
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Keilloh, Twitter
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Robert Gavin, Twitter
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Peter Fears, Twitter
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Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
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Brighton Argus
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Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
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Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
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Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
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Carcrazychica, Youtube
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Kozzy06, Youtube
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James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
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Emilyistrendy, Youtube
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Peter Ould, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter