I think it would be pretty easy to argue that the best humor is natural humor. Thought out jokes and routines can be very funny, but their humor is fleeting. That is to say that although the jokes themselves may continue to be funny with each retelling, the humor and good feelings that build pre and post joke don't stay. I think part of this has to do with that odd little socio-quirk of not laughing as much alone as you do when others are around. The jokes are just as funny, but the need to laugh out loud differs. This goes for wit as well. A good witty response or off-the-cuff joke generally comes across much funnier than something that was planned and written. This is what I call natural humor. It is humor that arises naturally in the situation. This is humor that is funny without the participants necessarily trying to be funny. I'm not going to try to argue this with some philosophical argument about "natural vs artificial." I just want to put that sense of natural humor into your minds. I think the best way to really describe it would be with comparing two nights. On one night, you go to see a stand up comedian. It's just you and a friend or two. You go to the show and have a good time. On a different night, you get together with a few friends, maybe have dinner together, and then sit around having a good time playing cards, playing a board game, or even just chatting over coffee. You laugh and joke and have a genuinely good time in their company. Granted this might depend on your group of friends, but isn't the second night the kind that stays in your mind? Isn't it the kind that builds inside jokes? Isn't it the kind of night that you want regularly?
I may have gone off track a little. I wanted to get the idea of natural humor across though because it is so important to this topic. As with anything, it is so easy for us to generalize things and make opinions without having enough exposure to something. This can be seen in many people's opinions of Britcoms. Most know Britcoms as being either insane like Monty Python or dry like As Time Goes By. It's the same as saying that all anime is kids stuff like Pokemon or perverted like something hentai. Regardless, I'm just trying to make the point of ignoring your opinions on Britcoms since I am not actually talking about them.
I am talking about panel shows. What is a panel show? Well, imagine a quiz/game show with two team captains and a host. The quiz/game show concept is pretty loose here generally. Oh yes, they will have quiz type questions, rounds, and points to be scored, but these are secondary to the show especially the points. These aren't games you go on to win. These are games you go on to have fun and entertain people. Also, not all of them follow the host and 2 captains formula. Each captain's team is then filled out with other entertainers. Sometimes they are Reality TV stars, sometimes they are musicians, but usually they are other comedians. Much of this depends on which panel show it is.
We have nothing like this here. Granted I don't watch much television, but the only two shows I can even think of that remotely resemble a panel show are Hollywood Squares and Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher. While these are the closest to the concept, both are quite far from the mark. Politically Incorrect was too serious. Also, there weren't many guests on the show that worked well in the format. Either the guests were intelligent with a good grasp of politics or they were completely out of their element. So while there were good discussions on the show, there were also many awkward moments of comedians forcing jokes in an attempt to be funny. Hollywood Squares is too scripted and the comedians are restrained. Picture Hollywood Squares without the players. Now, let Whoopi Goldberg , Gilbert Gottfried, and Penn Jillette have free reign. Let's add either Jon Stewart or Stephen Colbert as the host. Oh, sure, there will be chaos, but can imagine how funny it would be?
The sad part of it all is that panel shows are one of the few types of shows that won't be "imported." Oh, we've "imported" many shows. American Idol, X Factor, America's Got Talent, Top Gear, Dancing with the Stars, and Big Brother are just a few. The problem is that there are far too many egos that would end up competing. They would each be trying to use the program as a vehicle for themselves. There are also too many egos that bruise easily. This is not conducive to a panel show. Think about it. We live in a day and age where stars go on talk shows where hosts are told what they can and cannot talk about. We have shows built on hosts like Donald Trump or Judge Judy who are supposed to be curt and rude, but should a comedian jokingly slag someone off, there will be apologies. We have to be careful around certain stars and treat them with kid gloves because otherwise they might get butt hurt and then we won't get them back on the show and then we'll lose ratings and money. F' that.
A word of warning, however. Should you start watching these shows, there are going to be people you've never heard of and jokes that you won't understand. This falls under the topical humor that I discussed in a previous topic. The jokes are funnier if you know who/what is involved, but many of them are still funny because you get the gist of them. A good bit of the humor is funny no matter what. Also, after watching a number of them, you will begin to learn who the different comedians are. There are a bunch of them that go from show to show.
Just to get you started, check out:
Never Mind the Buzzcocks
Would I Lie to You
Q.I.
8 Out of 10 Cats
Big Fat Quiz of the Year
Hope these bring smiles to your faces.
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