Writing for The Independent, Lee said: ‘it was Michael McIntyre’s Comedy Roadshow that convinced the public that they might like stand-up, en masse, and he has begun to make household names of some hugely worthwhile acts, who somehow managed to shine in the show’s brutal showcase format.’
It’s true that stand-ups have been cropping up all over television schedules like reproducing bunny rabbits with shows like Michael McIntyre’s Comedy Roadshow bringing established comedians as well as new talent to mainstream audiences.
However it’s no secret that McIntyre’s impressive rise to fame hasn’t gone down too well with some comedians.
Lee continued: ‘Though McIntyre’s massively popular and super-evolved brand of observational schtick is regarded with baffled ambivalence by many comedians, he may, on balance, be a good thing for the future of stand-up as an art form.
‘The skipping humorist’s utilitarian ubiquity means that everyone knows what a stand-up comedian is now. And the idea of going to see stand-up comedy is now no longer something only those with very specialised interests do.’
Stewart Lee’s If You Prefer a Milder Comedian, Please Ask For One is out now to buy on DVD from HMV, Amazon, Play.com and the like.
Copyright : Comedy Central UK