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National Treasures – Paul O’Grady + Stewart Lee + Jack Dee + Jo Brand: The Four Underrated British Comedy Icons


02 March 2021

When it comes to comedy, the British are among the finest on planet. Our humble little isle has brought us the likes of Morecambe and Wise, Monty Python, Victoria Wood, and many, many more. In fact, the country is awash with fantastic stand-up and original sitcoms.

Many have indeed been lauded down the years and have gone on to become British institutions. However, there are many that also perhaps don’t get the praise they deserve. We looked at four comics who we think should be British institutions in their own right...

 

 

Paul O’Grady

Paul O’Grady has been gracing British TV screens for over 30 years and is best known for his character Lily Savage who is one of the most recognisable drag artists on the planet. O’Grady presented multiple shows as Savage, including Blankety Blank, Lily Live! and The Big Breakfast before moving away from the character and starring in Eyes Down, a sitcom about bingo.

It came during a huge boom for the game and is one many fans will be revisiting given the huge increase in players over recent months. For example, iPhone bingo is welcoming thousands of new customers by the day, and many are keen to get back into the bingo halls too. O’Grady played a bingo caller named Ray and it was a great play on all the typical cliches associated with the game. In more recent times he’s moved into the realms of talk shows and documentaries, and the fact he’s been an ever present on our screens for decades says all you need to know about the love the British public do have for him.

 

 

Stewart Lee

Stewart Lee has long had a cult following but has been a prominent figure on the British comedy scene since the late 1980s. His comedy partner Richard Herring is another man who perhaps should make this list, while Lee is often referred to as “the comedian’s comedian” thanks to his intelligent story arching and unique sense of dark humour. He co-wrote Jerry Springer: The Opera, and has been involved in many other shows too, as well as his own Comedy Vehicle which was a huge hit with the critics.

 

 

Jack Dee

Jack Dee is another deadpan comic who perhaps doesn’t get the praise he deserves, particularly given the fact he has also helped launch many other careers thanks to his creation of Live At The Apollo which has in itself become a British institution.

Dee presented the stand-up showcase for several series’ before handing the mic to many new faces. Dee has also been a team captain on Shooting Stars, as well as winning multiple awards and being the writer and star of Lead Balloon, where he plays a cynical and misanthropic comedian. We wonder where he got that idea from…

 

 

Jo Brand

Jo Brand has inspired many comedians and has been a major force in the rise of women’s comedy since her arrival on the scene in 1986. She was a big part of the alternative comedy scene but has moved into the mainstream down the years, starring on panel shows such as QI and Have I Got News For You, as well as a number of sitcoms, including the popular Damned. She’s also presented many shows, and now has a spot presenting An Extra Slice of the Great British Bake Off.

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