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