Sarah Millican

Dr Lobster* · Fri 21 Jan, 2011 23.35

i don't know if any of you have noticed this "comedian" who's recently got a fair bit of prominence on the various panel shows, i see she's on the british comedy award nominations programme.

now, i saw millican doing a set in our local comedy club in maybe in 2005/6 and her act has not changed. she says the same jokes. on every appearance she just reuses the same material again and again.

but what's more, she just isn't that funny. how is she worthy of an award?

can somebody tell me what's going on?

bilky asko · Fri 21 Jan, 2011 23.47

Dr Lobster* wrote:i don't know if any of you have noticed this "comedian" who's recently got a fair bit of prominence on the various panel shows, i see she's on the british comedy award nominations programme.

now, i saw millican doing a set in our local comedy club in maybe in 2005/6 and her act has not changed. she says the same jokes. on every appearance she just reuses the same material again and again.

but what's more, she just isn't that funny. how is she worthy of an award?

can somebody tell me what's going on?

She's a newcomer (a good newcomer will always be up for an award of some sort), she's female (in a profession with a distinct lack of females), and she's like lots of comedians who keep their act much the same for years on end. I suppose also that her early gigs will be full of tried and tested jokes anyway, simply to prevent a disaster - whether changes will come with time or not will - I suppose - come with time. Of what I've seen of her, she isn't massively original, and she's quite funny - so she may fritter away into obscurity if the act doesn't change.

Steve in Pudsey · Sat 22 Jan, 2011 10.15

Peter Kay only has about two acts. Doesn't seem to have done him much harm!

Sput · Sat 22 Jan, 2011 10.17

And two thirds of that is astonishment at garlic bread!

marksi · Sat 22 Jan, 2011 11.51

All comedians are like that - I saw Jack Dee do a stand up show before he was famous and for the next three years, as he became well known, I'd heard every line he delivered.

But I disagree on Sarah Milliken, I think she's very funny. Was in fits last night watching her on Graham Norton and what added to it was the fact that Puff bloke beside her had no idea what she was talking about most of the time.

scottishtv · Sat 22 Jan, 2011 16.16

Is she the one that jokes about being eating lots of chocolate? ALWAYS.

Alexia · Sat 22 Jan, 2011 17.05

You want someone who relies on the same old shtick? Shappi Khorsandi. We know you're Iranian and divorced.

rts · Sat 22 Jan, 2011 17.29

scottishtv wrote:Is she the one that jokes about being eating lots of chocolate? ALWAYS.

No, that's Jo Brand.

Gavin Scott · Sun 23 Jan, 2011 00.43

I'll freely admit to reusing old material in new shows. Every comedian and writer does it, its just much more obvious if your act is 50 minutes of gag telling in its most basic form, and there's a lot of performers like that.

Even if they change 80% of the material, theatre audiences will remember the jokes they've heard before - when they're so "exposed" - if you see what I mean.

The writing I do with Andy is largely topical satire so is ostensibly always brand new, but its supported, like me, by the truss of reliable well-tested gags, reworked to go with whatever I'm talking about.

Apparently though, the golden rule is once you say it on TV its gone - can never be used again.

But I wouldn't know anything about that.

WillPS · Sun 23 Jan, 2011 01.06

I watched a bit on Paramount Comedy with Jason Manford a few years ago. The same day I saw him recite one of the routines from that bit on 8 out of 10 Cats. He obviously didn't get the memo.

Alexia · Sun 23 Jan, 2011 01.58

Every time I see Michael McIntyre on something like Mock The Week, every time it's a pre-rehearsed line from one of his shows.... funny yeh, but yawn...