'Comedy is fun but sometimes it can be really hard'

Nate Kitch shares his Perfect Playlist of comedy favourites in his own idiosyncratic way...

Good morning, comedy, it’s a funny old world, and we are all living in it. Here are some bits and beats that have shaped me, if you will:

Bumming Off from How TV Ruined Your Life

They told me that the classics never go out of style, but they do. However jokes never do, and the sitcom is the greatest gag of them all. Many will have Never Heard of It but Bumming Off is, to my mind, the best thing in the entire world* ever (*of television of course). The way the characters interacted in the room together, seamlessly blending joke structures with conversation, embedding catchphrases abd slapstick without us even realising. Pan out and what’s that we are also seeing? It’s a narrative arc. Genius. Also let’s not forget those pink walls of the flat, may I say ‘iconic’?

Bruce Chandling: Christmas Special

Reels are gold, we all know this, and most of them come from America which is arguably the home of stand-up comedy, most noticeably with the greats releasing ‘specials’ (and boy are they) whose name creates clarity compared to the old confusing British ‘hour’ of comedy we have over here in Britain.

But now we are getting British ‘full comedy specials" and it’s great to see more American styles make it this side of the pool; I’ve always felt we were so behind, silly British nuanced comedy, it’s like AI was writing it with its goddamn digital hand.

But it’s not just on stage that the Yanks make giant steps: ages ago Canadian Joe Rongan decided to swap the microphone for another microphone called ‘podcasting’ and now talks about important issues all day making his voice heard whilst raising awareness, something society doesn’t allow much of these days (sadly).

Now this next clip is not a reel nor a Joe nor in fact a podcast but it is one of my all-time favourite stand-ups Bruce Chandling with his mini-Christmas Special. Imagine AI writing this?! You can’t!

Coffee With: Tom Myers

When I’m not consuming comedians on the stage or on the podcast, ya boy is consuming them on the interviews. Yank Tom Myers always has something to say and this classic interview with him in it on WJZ with Denise & Mary is, may I say it again? ‘Iconic’. The ‘coffee with’ section has seen many big names come through, hell it’s almost a rite of passage up there with the Comedy Store (London or New York), but when Tom comes to town he doesn’t just pass through, he slays.

Andy Kaufman on Letterman

Whenever I am doing Top Secret Comedy Club people always say to me, ‘you must love Andy Kaufman’ and I literally do not really know who that person is.

But I saw this video of him being interviewed by Jimmy Letterman and I felt bad for the man. The way I see it he has just been sacked from his job as a taxi driver (comedian’s often have second jobs, I myself even used to have a third job but now I just have two jobs again, ironically though, my second job was previously my third job, life eh?) Anyway in this clip Andrew is very sad after life has clearly given him a kicking and I think it is important for people to watch it to raise awareness.

Comedy is fun but sometimes it can be really hard. People forget that, remember this, we don’t choose to do this. Please be kind. Please.

Nathan Fielder: Thin Watermelon

Sometimes things don’t seem to make sense whilst at the same time telling us everything we need to know. There is a film which I have not seen where a man sees a bag going up in the air and it makes him feel good, conversely here is a video which I have seen with a man holding a thin piece of watermelon that makes me feel good. And yes this one is also giving iconic.

Front of House: Dining Etiquette

Finally let’s end with a big laugh shall we? Mark Kusher may not be the biggest of household names but he is in mine, and his ‘special’ Front Of House: Dining Etiquette is a staple. In fact, let’s say it a fourth time, it’s iconic.

My husband, my son, my cat and hell, even my dog would sit down every Christmas to watch this in my living room, we can almost quote it word for word, or at least we could have except I have none of these aforementioned people, animals and/or rooms in my life so we can’t.

Comedy, it’s not just funny, it’s a lifeline.

Nah, joking of course. Let’s finish this time with this. We are all in the gutter but some of us are looking at the stars on the posters. And even if we are, never forget to sleep and dream, so yeah, thanks for having me, have a nice time, goodnight.