Hello again, everyone.
So here we are with the fourth week of LOCKDOWN TV - my attempt to distract and entertain you with a personally and carefully curated playlist of some of my favourite comedy, circus, variety, TV, film and all sorts of other fun amusements.
This week we have a particularly bumper selection - about 1 hour 20 mins of stuff. Some if it you may have seen before, some of it you probably won’t have, but I hope that it all goes a little way to helping make the unsettling and difficult situation we all find ourselves in just a little less scary.
Couple of things before we get going - earlier this week, over on my youtube channel, I started a series of short videos in which I will, if you so desire, teach you how to juggle. You can watch them right here.
If you’re enjoying the things I’m making, curating and posting during this period of isolation, and if your income hasn’t been adversely affected by the pandemic, I’d ask you to consider donating me the price of a cup of coffee by clicking here. For the last 33 years, I’ve made my living as a live performer, and I’m looking at my entire year of international shows, tours and festivals being completely cancelled, which is scary, both emotionally and, to be frank, financially. So I’m approaching this in the same way I used to approach being a street performer - if you’ve enjoyed what I put in front of you, and can afford to, then pay what you can, but if you can’t afford to, or are a member of the wonderful front line services, then it’s free - my gift to you.
Alright, enough words, on with the funnies.
Now, I don’t know what you’ve been doing since the last show, but over at the Blue Moon Detective Agency, Maddie Hayes and David Addison have been learning how to be funky. This one’s for Carla.
The Kates - Kate McCartney and Kate McLennan - are my favourite comedy thing of the last couple of years (And yes I know I’m late to the party). “Get Krackin” is savage genius, but here’s an episode of their cooking series that preceded that, “The Katering Show”.
Here’s a very famous short, unplanned, and completely perfect TV moment from the Johnny Carson show in 1965.
We’re all picky eaters sometimes. And if you haven’t seen John Mulaney’s Sack Lunch Bunch, then do yourself a kindness, and fire up Netflix.
An Oscar nominated short film from 1977 made by Steve Martin? Oh yes.
I’m re-reading Simon Lovell’s great “How To Cheat At Everything” at the moment, and if a book with that title interests you, then this might also be up your street..
I’ve been lucky enough to have performed on a few of the same stages as the great Bob Bramson over the years, although thankfully not in the same show, because his act would have blown mine to smithereens. Originality, high skill, and a dope tuxedo - you won’t be surprised to learn that he is my kind of act. After a stellar career, he retired in 1996. A reviewer of his farewell show wrote, “He didn’t steal everyone’s heart that night, because we gave them up gladly”. Not bad, not bad at all.
That Bob Bramson clip was, of course, from the Paul Daniels magic show. I was fortunate to work with Paul a few times, and here’s my favourite - interviewing him live on stage, during one of the West End runs of my “London Varieties” show.
And since we’re enjoying being in awe of people who mastered their art, here’s a fantastic short film about the techniques Buster Keaton used to craft comedy for film.
And to finish, how about this - an entire unaired 1999 pilot for an action comedy series about an astronaut who becomes a genius when exposed to sunlight and who rides a talking motorcycle. Starring jack Black, and Owen Wilson as the voice of the motorcycle? You might have come across this before, but it’s always worth rewatching Heat Vision and Jack!
As always, I hope this weeks little playlist managed to entertain you. First time here? Then scroll down - as of now there’s somewhere around four and a half hours of stuff like this for you to watch, so HAVE AT IT!
If you enjoyed this, then there’s a good chance other people might, too - so please do share this page on social media and help spread the word.
And finally, you’re probably not getting your morning cup from your local coffee shop right now, so maybe instead click here and donate the price of a coffee to me so I can keep the lights on.
Thanks for coming, see you next Wednesday. In the meantime stay safe and sane. Love you, bye.