While American stand-up comedy in the '70s and '80s was in "rock star" mode, dominated by outsized personalities, the British comedy clubs were following the leads of punk and new wave, emphasizing class-conscious character studies, sly put-ons, and surrealist goofery. One of masterminds of the "alternative comedy" scene was Ben Elton, who came out of Manchester alongside Rik Mayall and Adrian Edmonson to co-create the seminal series The Young Ones. Simultaneous to The Young Ones, Elton hooked up with a quartet of Cambridge Footlights alums—Paul Shearer, Stephen Fry, Hugh Laurie, and Emma Thompson—to develop the dry, subtle sketch comedy program Alfresco, which aired on ITV in 1983 and '84. Alfresco was nowhere near as riotous as The Young Ones, nor as mind-bendingly brilliant as alt-comedy forerunner Monty Python's Flying Circus. The show was, first and foremost, a performance showcase, giving a cast of talented young comic actors (including Robbie Coltrane.
- 10/8/2008
- by Noel Murray
- avclub.com
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