Sunshine on Putty: The Golden Age of British Comedy from Vic Reeves to The Office

Sunshine on Putty: The Golden Age of British Comedy from Vic Reeves to The Office
Ben Thompson

The definitive history of a golden age in British show-business, Sunshine On Putty is based on hundreds of interviews with the leading comedians of the era, as well as managers, agents, producers, directors, executives and TV personalities.In the 1990s, British comedy underwent a renaissance – shows like The Fast Show, The Day Today, Shooting Stars, The League of Gentlemen, The Royle Family and The Office were hugely popular with critics and audiences alike. Just as politics, sport, art, literature and religion seemed to move towards light entertainment, the comedy on the nation's televisions not only offered a home to ideas and ideals of community which could no longer find one elsewhere, but also gave us a clearer picture of what was happening to our nation than any other form of artistic endeavour.From Ricky Gervais' self-destructive love affair with dairy products to Steve Coogan's suicidal overtaking technique; from the secrets of Vic Reeves' woodshed, to the stains on Caroline Aherne's sofa; from Victor Meldrew's prophetic dream to Spike Milligan's final resting place, Ben Thompson reveals the twisted beauty of British comedy’s psyche.

Sunshine on Putty

The Golden Age of British Comedy, from Vic Reeves to The Big Night Out to The Office

Ben Thompson

‘Be content to laugh and try not to know why’

Dugas, La Psychologie de rire, 1902

Table of Contents

Cover Page (#u7956b6e0-bdee-5179-8c2d-7b6e03c5473c)

Title Page (#uac516d7a-a24c-5501-b35c-248cabc43e29)

Epigraph (#ub97e7ad0-1f4e-59d6-b517-63a3bb8f939e)

Introduction (#udf083b18-fd74-54d9-9e63-a5d65376e8be)

Chronological Timeline (#uc4d8467a-1fae-5961-87c1-54a69fd572bd)

Part One (#uc828a96e-f336-5267-85b0-9adeadb36123)

1 On the Launchpad (#u9df324e7-dde8-515f-b77b-1c86be58ed8a)

2 ‘Don’t Mention the War’ (#ua65cb42b-8b1d-51de-95e0-2891fecf345b)

3 Morris, Iannucci, Coogan, Lee, Herring and Marber (#u0d1073d7-9fcc-553f-b849-42de0d853bee)

4 The Great Mythological Armour Shortage of 1993-4 (#ueae08ba7-49d5-55b5-814e-828224928234)

5 Constructing the Citadel (#ubdca74d2-6c2a-5d68-b0f7-81c82c88222e)

6 The Illusion (or Otherwise) of Spontaneity (#ue6da251f-4f74-5db4-a516-26023e150e8b)

7 It’s Frank’s (and Chubby’s and Jo’s and Jenny’s) World (#litres_trial_promo)

8 ‘Sensation’ (#litres_trial_promo)

9 A Class of His Own (#litres_trial_promo)

10 Cry Harry for England (#litres_trial_promo)

11 That Would Be an Ecumenical Matter’ (#litres_trial_promo)

12 The Chat Nexus (#litres_trial_promo)

Part Two (#litres_trial_promo)

13 David Baddiel Syndrome (#litres_trial_promo)

14 Vic Reeves Welcomes Us into His Beautiful Home (#litres_trial_promo)

15 A Grove of His Own (#litres_trial_promo)

16 The Royle We (#litres_trial_promo)

17 ‘A Little Bit of Politics’ (#litres_trial_promo)

18 Morals (#litres_trial_promo)

19 Equal Opportunities, the Ones that Never Knock (#litres_trial_promo)

20 Families at War (#litres_trial_promo)

21 The League of Gentlemen (#litres_trial_promo)

22 Ceramics Revue (#litres_trial_promo)

23 Script for a Jester’s Tear (#litres_trial_promo)

24 The Office (#litres_trial_promo)

25 ‘I Told You I Was Ill’ (#litres_trial_promo)

Conclusion (#litres_trial_promo)

Afterword (#litres_trial_promo)

Bibliography (#litres_trial_promo)

Acknowledgements (#litres_trial_promo)

Index (#litres_trial_promo)

About the Author (#litres_trial_promo)

Praise (#litres_trial_promo)

By the same author (#litres_trial_promo)

Copyright (#litres_trial_promo)

About the Publisher (#litres_trial_promo)