Stop Press

[DaveR]

Frankie Howerd should also be in that small group.

[DaveR]

..as should Lee Evans.

[Merddin Emrys]

and Jethro 

[Ian]

Not sure about FH and LE in terms of comic genius: one characteristic about all the comics I've listed is their ability to evoke belly laughs without resorting to any sort of swearing. LE seems to do that a lot, and FH - although quite possibly one of the greats - shared in common with Kenneth Williams a 'restricted' form of humour, mainly camp and double entendres, both of which resulted in long 'dry' periods in his career and ensured his type of humour was not universally enjoyed. I also think that LE hasn't been around enough to match their astonishing longevity.

Jethro

Who?

[Merddin Emrys]

Jethro came to Llandudno in October 2009, we met him before the show and he talked with us for at least 20 mins and gave us a cd, a great chap, although rarely on tv. He makes us laugh a lot  L0L L0L

  http://www.jethro.co.uk/

[Yorkie]

and Jethro 

Whose humour belongs and also seems to arise from the cess pit.  He loves talking about arses and the different way they can be treated amongst the Cornish and Devonian locals!   Not my sort of humour!   

[Merddin Emrys]

well, each to their own!

[DaveR]

one characteristic about all the comics I've listed is their ability to evoke belly laughs without resorting to any sort of swearing.

Billy Connolly doesn't swear?!  

[Yorkie]

well, each to their own!

Good job we're all different or half of them would be out of work!    L0L

[Ian]

Billy Connolly doesn't swear?!

That's one reason why I made the comment "possibly Jasper Carrot and Billy Connolly".  Connolly performed many of his mainstream acts without swearing in the middle of his career, and he's a genuinely incredibly funny person who also enjoyed a fair longevity in his career, but I think he lost his 'edge' in later years.  But that's a professional hazard, I suspect:  certainly Carrot lost it completely after a relatively short TV 'life', but Cooper, Monkhouse and Morecambe retained an amazing capacity to amuse until they died - in all three cases, and Wisdom was doing pratfalls at the age of 88 plus. Humour is objective, that's true, but the true geniuses are very few and far between.  

The USA has produced some real comics, among them Shelley Berman, who pioneered the imaginary telephone conversation gambit and Alan Sherman - probably best known for the Driving Instructor sketch.

[Yorkie]

Some of the best comedians are still working in the Clubs around the country and will never allow themselves to be exposed on Television.     

[Nemesis]

Hate to disagree Fester dear but PJ Proby is very much alive-- and on bail awaiting trial for Benefit Fraud.
He is still an excellent singer and usually comes to Venue Cymru at least once a year.

[Fester]

Hate to disagree Fester dear but PJ Proby is very much alive-- and on bail awaiting trial for Benefit Fraud.
He is still an excellent singer and usually comes to Venue Cymru at least once a year.

Oh Heck... you are absolutely right...

I was thinking of Gene Pitney!  Dies in his Cardiff hotel room.

PJ needs to be careful now, because the last time I made that mistake, I was talking to another singer in Benidorm about Al Martino.
I was certain he was dead.... and the other guy insisted he was alive.
I came home and checked, and realised I was wrong.  but then he died that very day !!!

[Dwyforite]

me and the wife went to the gala bingo in rhyl one night about eight years ago and the management was changing hands,and they had ken dodd as a guest appearance,he came on about 9.30 pm and the new manager said he would entertain for 30 mins ,they had to throw a cargo net over him and drag him off at 12.30 a.m.but funny i was cross legged for two hours, he adjusts his act to suit his audiences,as he said he was the first person to use the  self assessing method of tax liability and felt the inland revenue should have given him credit for it and a little bung on the side,he is also a fine singer and sang without backup,a very very funny man who has unlimited energy

[Nemesis]

And still going strong at 83-- my OH is one of his biggest fans !