This is the best thing ever made – even better than vaccines

Ted Hill picks his comedy favourites

Ted Hill is back at the Edinburgh Fringe with Ted Hill Tries and Fails to Fix Climate Change, at Assembly George Square at 2.50pm. Here he shares his Perfect Playlist of comedy favourites.

Nathan For You

I believe that this is the best thing ever made. Better than vaccines, pasta, or any other human endeavour.

Nathan poses as a fake business expert, hosting a fake reality show where struggling businesses get his help. The ideas he gives them are nuts; but because it’s TV they go along with it. Whether it’s convincing an ice cream shop to sell poo flavoured ice cream, or a moving company to start a fake weight loss trend to trick people into working for free, every episode is so full of amazing jokes.

Nathan is like a master puppeteer, manipulating people into doing absurd things. It’s incredibly funny and a wonderful exploration of what truth is means in reality TV.

Bo Burnham: What

Bo Burnham is a genius. I was a fan from his YouTube days, but seeing this show led me to idolise him.

Lots of people loved his most recent show, Inside, and with good reason, it’s a very clever show and I think it’s great. But What is so funny. It’s densely packed with jokes of many different types. It’s just brilliant comedy.

The full show is here.

Joseph Morpurgo’s solo shows

I’d count Joseph Morpurgo among my biggest influences as a comedian. Seeing his shows made me realise just how dense a comedy show could be.

Before I saw Morpurgo, I wanted to be a stand-up. After seeing Morpurgo, I wanted to make comedy.

His two full shows I’ve seen, Soothing Sounds for Baby and Hammerhead, are both brilliantly densely packed with jokes that attack you from all angles, an assault on your lungs as you struggle for breath from laughter before the next one comes along.

(Unfortunately, there’s no footage online)

Foxdog Studios

Foxdog Studios are so, so funny. Sometimes people will refer to me as a techy comedian, but Foxdog Studios make me look like a Neanderthal.

These guys bring their own WiFi network and strap a PC to their backs. They’re pushing the limits of what can be done with comedy and I don’t understand why they don’t have 10billion fans.

John Mulaney

John Mulaney is just a brilliant stand-up. I don’t usually like ‘person tells stories’ style, traditional stand-up, but Mulaney is just so good at it. If you’ve never seen Mulaney, go and watch his ‘horse in a hospital routine’ at once.

Arrested Development

The most fun sitcom ever made. I love comedy where you have to really, really pay attention, lest you miss something.

There are jokes in this show that are set up, and aren’t paid off until the next season. It has a really beautiful rhythm, with repetition used to perfection. It’s pacy, precisely written, with brilliant performances from the cast.