Victoria Wood - a comic for the ages

[WarOnWomen]

I don't know about you, but I don't think there are very many funny comedians out there, and very few female comedians. Humour is so subjective but most people can probably agree that Victoria Wood was a fantastic writer and stand-up. I can't think of anyone on tele recently who made me laugh as much. If you have, please recommend.

Here's a piece from Andrew Doyle on Spiked all about Victoria Wood.

www.spiked-online.com/2021/04/20/victoria-wood-a-comic-for-the-ages/

And here's a clip of a sketch that Doyle talks about in the piece:

Yes there’s never been anyone else quite like her. She made it seem so easy and natural (which obviously it wasn’t she had to work extremely hard). And that to me showed how incredibly talented she was.
I can’t think of another comic that can make me laugh the way she did.

I loved her. She was sublimely funny.

Incredibly talented.

Maybe it's a sign of my age but I find myself noticing/respecting and enjoying comedians who are able to be incredibly funny and clever without ever giving offence/being obscene etc

Sadly this series from Sarah Kendall is no longer available on BBC sounds. Absolutely brilliant, so clever, funny and yet actually moved me to tears at certain points. I loved it.

Also loved Victoria Wood.

Two words when people say women can’t be funny: Victoria Wood. Nuff said.

i can't think of anyone recently but Caroline Aherne was another one of the greats, I was so sad when she died. The Royle Family is a work of genius and my old DVDs never fail to make me cry with laughter or cry at the poignancy of the writing and topics covered.

Actually, thinking about more recent/ alive comics, I do really like Diane Morgan. Northern women do the best comedy.

I have to say, her death really shook me. She seems so permanent.

‘If a man dies in India, the widow flings herself on to the funeral pyre. If a man dies in England, the woman just drags herself into the kitchen and says “Seventy-two baps, Connie. You slice, I’ll spread”.’

Genius.

There are a lot of good female comedians out there at the minute, but sadly the nature of TV comedy at least has changed and instead of sketch shows and stand ups, it's mostly panel shows.
I like a lot of the ones who get on shows such as the News Quiz or QI, but that's not really their act as such.
Victoria Wood was a giant, but I think French and Saunders have been also.

@Datun

I have to say, her death really shook me. She seems so permanent.

‘If a man dies in India, the widow flings herself on to the funeral pyre. If a man dies in England, the woman just drags herself into the kitchen and says “Seventy-two baps, Connie. You slice, I’ll spread”.’

Genius.

🤣😂

so true

I have few regrets in life but not seeing Victoria Wood live would be one. I was living near London when I first left home & could have gone but it was pre-internet & I just wasn't brave enough to go on my own.

My dc have all been raised to appreciate Victoria Wood!!
Dinner Ladies is the best series I have ever seen..
'Not unless sperm can get through a sash window' is priceless..

Yep!

She was hilarious. A sad loss. I really enjoyed that Sarah Kendall piece too, fanny, very funny

Agreed. I also loved Linda Smith

Beat me on the bottom with the womans weekly! Lets do it, lets do it toniiiight.

She was starting to make her mark with her more serious acting and writing too. Housewife 49 is one of my favourite pieces of TV.

@reprehensibleme

She was starting to make her mark with her more serious acting and writing too. Housewife 49 is one of my favourite pieces of TV.

this was brilliant and heart breaking viewing

I love her beyond measure. Acorn Antiques is just my favourite thing of all time. I think of her surprisingly often: custard creams, eiderdowns, varicose veins, Julie Walters in the shoe shop, Kimberley, Kelly Marie Tunstall. I miss her!

Victoria Woods definitely.

I'm going to chip in with Joyce Grenfell whose one-woman shows and works were remarkable.

As I catch-up with TV I'd never seen before - I'm impressed with how groundbreaking some US women were in comedy and how often they raised contentious issues long before they seemed to be 'respectable' to talk about in public.

I also really liked Linda Smith but once heard her make a joke about Jamie Oliver's slight speech impediment and thought, no, Linda, you don't have to do that. Women comedians making fun of others is rarer than it is with male comedians - not complaining, I think if you can make people laugh without being nasty about others, as Victoria Wood could, then you truly have the comedy gift.

@Aprilshowersandhail

My dc have all been raised to appreciate Victoria Wood!! Dinner Ladies is the best series I have ever seen.. 'Not unless sperm can get through a sash window' is priceless..

I loved the studied 'ordinariness' of her writing.

Also totally bono fodo

She was one of a kind. I saw her live three times and I never get bored of watching her body of work. Truly missed.

She was a genius! The use of her language and observations. Sadly missed.

I think with great comedy, you can appreciate it at different ages. I remember watching her shows when I was younger and thinking they were funny but watching some of the songs and shows now, I am in tears with laughter.

Caroline Aherne also very talented and funny.

I find the ones on the panel shows a bit mediocre and the American female comedians too aggressive. I like Sindhu Vee as a stand up, and given my background, what she talks about really resonates with me.