A double act, also known as a comedy duo, is a comic device in which humor is derived from the uneven relationship between two partners, usually of the same gender, age, ethnic origin, and profession, but drastically different personalities. Comedy (from the Greek κωμωδίαkomodia has a popular meaning (any discourse generally intended to amuse especially in Television, Film, and Often one of them, the straight man, feed or stooge is portrayed as reasonable and serious, and the other one, the funny man or comic is portrayed as funny, unintelligent or unorthodox. When a woman is in the "straight man" role, she is more often referred to as a comic foil. The term feed comes from the way a straight man will set up jokes for - or "feed" them to - their partner.
Despite the names given to the roles, the "straight man" need not necessarily be humorless, and it is not always the comic who provides the act's humor. Sometimes, it is the straight man who gets the laughs through his or her sarcastic reactions to the comic's antics, as was often the case with Stewart Lee's deadpan, reasoned reactions to Richard Herring's more ridiculous antics in their pairing. Career to 2000 While studying English at St Edmund Hall Oxford in the 1980s he wrote and performed comedy in a revue group called "The Seven Raymonds Deadpan is a form of non-comedic delivery in which Humour is presented without a change in emotion or Facial expression, usually speaking in Richard Keith Herring (born July 12, 1967) is a British Comedian and writer Lee and Herring were a British standup Comedy Double act consisting of the Comedians Where the "straight man" serves no personal comedic purpose but acts as a device to make the "comic" look good, they are known as a "Stooge". This is sometimes considered a derogatory term. The most famous double act of all time is arguably Laurel and Hardy. Laurel and Hardy were the popular American -based comedy team of thin British-born Stan Laurel (1890-1965 and heavy American-born Oliver Hardy (1892-1957
Most often, however, the humor in a double act comes from the way the two personalities play off each other rather than the individuals themselves; in many successful acts the roles are interchangeable. It is no coincidence therefore that double acts are usually portrayed as close friends and that the comedians are often close in real life. However, tensions could often lead to the pairings falling out - Dudley Moore ended his partnership with Peter Cook by walking out on the final Derek and Clive recording, and Tommy Cannon and Bobby Ball, at the height of their success, did not speak to each other off stage - though the respective pairings later repaired their relationships. Dudley Stuart John Moore, CBE (19 April 1935 &ndash 27 March 2002 was an English Actor, Comedian and Musician. Peter Edward Cook (17 November 1937 &ndash 9 January 1995 was an English Satirist, Writer and Comedian. Derek and Clive are controversial cult characters created by Double act Dudley Moore and Peter Cook respectively on the Cannon and Ball are an English Comedy Double act consisting of Tommy Cannon and Bobby Ball. Similarly, American duo Abbott and Costello ended their career despising each other, as did British acts Rob Newman and David Baddiel and brothers Mike and Bernie Winters. William (Bud Abbott and Lou Costello (born Louis Francis Cristillo performed together as Abbott and Costello, an American comedy duo whose Newman and Baddiel was a Comedy partnership of the 1990s consisting of British stand-up comics Robert Newman and David Baddiel. Mike & Bernie Winters, born Michael Weinstein ( 15 November 1930) and Bernard Weinstein ( 6 September, 1932 &ndash
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History
Early development
The template for the modern double act began in the British music halls and the American vaudevillian scene of the late nineteenth century. Gallagher & Shean was a highly successful Double act on Vaudeville and Broadway in the 1910s and 1920s consisting of Edward Gallagher ( Music hall is a form of British theatrical Entertainment which was popular between 1850 and 1960 Vaudeville was a Genre of variety entertainment prevalent on the stage in the United States and Canada, from the early 1880s Here, the "straight man" was a necessity as he would repeat the lines of the "comic". This was done simply because the audience would be noisy, and repeating the joke gave the audience a fighting chance of hearing the joke and the comedians a fighting chance of getting a good reaction. Soon the dynamic developed so that the "straight man" became a more integral part of the act, setting up jokes that the comic could then deliver the "punchline" to. At various stages, acts such as George Burns and Gracie Allen (who, unlike their more recognizable incarnation on television and in films, operated with Burns as the comic), Abbot and Costello, Flanagan and Allen, Gallagher and Shean and Smith and Dale were all popular draws. George Burns ( January 20 1896 &ndash March 9 1996; born Nathan Birnbaum) was an American comedian, Actor Grace Ethel Cecile Rosalie Allen ( July 26 1895 Allen used to claim that she was born in 1906 but when pressed for evidence she would say that her birth certificate William (Bud Abbott and Lou Costello (born Louis Francis Cristillo performed together as Abbott and Costello, an American comedy duo whose Flanagan and Allen were a British singing and comedy Double act popular during World War II. Gallagher & Shean was a highly successful Double act on Vaudeville and Broadway in the 1910s and 1920s consisting of Edward Gallagher ( Smith and Dale were a famous American Vaudeville Comedy duo The two performed together for more than 70 years The dynamic continued to develop, with Abbott and Costello using a modern and recognizable formula in routines such as Who's On First? in the 1930s and Flanagan and Allen using "cross talking". Who's on First? is a comedy routine made famous by Abbott and Costello. Flanagan and Allen were a British singing and comedy Double act popular during World War II.
Though Vaudeville would last well into the 1930s, its popularity began to wane due to the gradual rise of motion pictures and some acts disappeared, having failed to survive the transition to movies. By the 1920s, double acts were beginning to attract worldwide fame more readily through the silent era. However, due to the obvious restrictions, the comedy was not derived from "cross talk" or clever verbal exchanges, but through slapstick routines and the actions of the characters. Slapstick is a type of Comedy involving exaggerated physical violence or activities which exceed the boundaries of common sense such as a character being hit in the face with The first double act to gain worldwide fame through film was probably Laurel and Hardy. Laurel and Hardy were the popular American -based comedy team of thin British-born Stan Laurel (1890-1965 and heavy American-born Oliver Hardy (1892-1957 The pair had never worked together on stage, though both had worked in vaudeville - Stan Laurel with Charlie Chaplin as part of Fred Karno's Army and Oliver Hardy, in various incarnations, as a singer. Stan Laurel (born Arthur Stanley Jefferson; June 16, 1890 &ndash February 23, 1965) was an English comic actor writer Frederick John Westcott ( March 26, 1866 - September 18, 1941) best known by the stage name Fred Karno, was a Theatre Oliver Hardy (born Norvell Hardy; January 18, 1892 &ndash August 7, 1957) was an American comic Actor Laurel could loosely be described as the comic, though the pair were one of the first not to fit the mold in the way that many double acts do, with both taking a fairly equal share of the laughs. The pair first worked together as a double act in the 1927 film Duck Soup. For other meanings see Duck Soup (disambiguation. Duck Soup was a short Silent film made by Hal Roach Studios in Laurel and Hardy adapted well to silent films, both being skilled at slapstick, and their non-verbal interplay with each other and the audience became famous - Laurel's cry and Hardy's downtrodden glances to the camera whenever something went wrong - and were carried over to their later talkies. A sound film is a motion picture with synchronized sound, or sound technologically coupled to image as opposed to a Silent film. Indeed, they were one of the few silent acts who made a successful transition to spoken word pictures in the 1930s, showing themselves to be equally adept at verbal wordplay.
1940s - 1960s
1940 saw Laurel and Hardy released Saps at Sea, their final film for long term producer and collaborator Hal Roach. Saps at Sea is a Laurel and Hardy film released in 1940. It was directed by Gordon Douglas, distributed by United Artists and their Harold Eugene "Hal" Roach Sr ( January 14, 1892 – November 2, 1992) was an American film and From here, their popularity began to decrease. However, in 1940s America, the double act remained a cinema draw, developing into the "buddy movie" genre with 1940 seeing Abbott and Costello making the transition from stage to screen and the first of Bob Hope and Bing Crosby's Road to... series. A buddy film, according to The Complete Film Dictionary, is "a film that features the friendship of two males as the major relationship" Bob Hope, KBE KCSG ( May 29, 1903 &ndash July 27, 2003) was an American comedian and actor who appeared in Harry Lillis “Bing” Crosby ( May 3, 1903 &ndash October 14, 1977) was an Academy Award winning American Popular Road to refers to a series of seven comedy films starring Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, and Dorothy Lamour. Further acts would soon follow; for example, the first pairing of Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis occurred in 1946. Dean Martin (born Dino Paul Crocetti; June 7 1917 &ndash December 25 1995 was an American Singer, Film Actor, television personality Jerry Lewis (born March 16, 1926) is an American Comedian, award-winning actor producer writer and director best-known for his slapstick The genre has continued to exist in cinema, while also making a successful transition to radio and later television via the likes of The Smothers Brothers and Rowan and Martin's Laugh In. The Smothers Brothers are an American music-and- Comedy team consisting of the brothers Tom ("Tommy" and Dick Smothers. Here Comes The Judge redirects here for the 1968 song see Shorty Long.
In Britain, double acts would remain confined to theatres and radio until the late 1950s when double acts such as Morecambe and Wise and Mike and Bernie Winters slowly began the transition to television on variety programmes such as Sunday Night at the London Palladium. Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise, usually referred to as Morecambe and Wise, were a British comic Double act, working in variety, radio Film Mike & Bernie Winters, born Michael Weinstein ( 15 November 1930) and Bernard Weinstein ( 6 September, 1932 &ndash Sunday Night at the London Palladium was a British Television Variety show made by ATV for the ITV network originally It was not until the mid-to-late 60s that these acts truly came into their own. When Morecambe and Wise teamed up with writer Eddie Braben they began to re-define what was meant by a double act, with Wise, the straight man, being developed into a comedic character in his own right. Eddie Braben (born 31 October 1930 in Liverpool, England) is a comedy writer and performer who has provided material for such figures as They provided the link between music hall and modern comedy for double acts. [1] As the two leading double acts of the day, Morecambe and Wise and the Winters brothers enjoyed a playful rivalry – the Winters themselves mocked the slight edge Morecambe and Wise had over them in popularity, while Morecambe, when asked what he and Wise would have been if not comedians, replied "Mike and Bernie Winters".
Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, the traditional formula was shunned by the likes of The Two Ronnies, who completely dispensed with the need for a "straight man", and Peter Cook and Dudley Moore, two Oxbridge-educated comedians who used the double act to deliver satire and edgy comedy. The Two Ronnies was a British Sketch show that aired on BBC 1 from 1971 to 1987 Oxbridge was originally a fictional composite of the University of '''Ox'''ford and the University of Cam'''bridge''' in England, and the term is now
1970s
Light entertainment in the 1970s was dominated by Morecambe and Wise, who enjoyed very impressive ratings, especially on their Christmas Specials. Although the Winters' popularity declined and the two fell out, The Two Ronnies' success grew greatly, while Peter Cook and Dudley Moore sporadically produced acclaimed work, in particular their recordings as Derek and Clive from 1976-1978. Derek and Clive are controversial cult characters created by Double act Dudley Moore and Peter Cook respectively on the
The late 1970s saw a resurgence in American double acts. Saturday Night Live, first broadcast in 1975, provided a group of comedians who were prepared to appear with each other in sketches as double acts, and has continued to do so. Saturday Night Live ( SNL) is a weekly late-night 90-minute American Sketch comedy / Variety show based in New York City In particular, it was here that Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi honed their characters The Blues Brothers, who would soon be propelled to fame in the 1980 buddy movie of the same name. Daniel Edward "Dan" Aykroyd, CM (born July 1, 1952) is an Academy Award -nominated and Emmy Award -winning Canadian-American John Adam Belushi ( January 24, 1949 – March 5, 1982) was an American Comedian, Actor and Musician The Blues Brothers are a Grammy Award -nominated American blues and soul revivalist band founded in 1978 by comedians Dan Aykroyd Year 1980 ( MCMLXXX) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar) Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor also embarked on a string of successful buddy films in the 1970s. Gene Wilder (born Jerome Silberman; June 11 1933 Richard Franklin Lennox Thomas Pryor III ( December 1, 1940 &ndash December 10, 2005) was an American Comedian, Actor
Occasionally the straight-man/funny-man dynamic would appear in contexts unexpected and between characters not normally thought of as comics. This often appeared in the William Shatner - James T. Kirk / Leonard Nimoy - Mr. Spock relationship in several episodes of the classic Star Trek original series. William Alan Shatner (born March 22, 1931) is a Canadian double Emmy - Golden Globe - and Saturn Award -winning Leonard Simon Nimoy (born March 26, 1931) is an American Actor, Film director, Poet, Musician and Spock (sometimes referred to as Mr Spock) is a main character in the original Star Trek TV series In several episodes - The Trouble with Tribbles, A Piece of the Action, and City on the Edge of Forever, inter alia, Spock's logical/humorless persona ironically made him the funny man as his hyperliteralness would make him (a far 'straighter' straight man than Shatner/Kirk) the actual comic between the pair. " The Trouble With Tribbles " is a second-season episode of Star Trek The Original Series, first broadcast on December 29, 1967 and " City on the Edge of Forever " (known as "Flashbacks" on the DVD is the 20th episode of Comedy Central 's animated series South Park ("We appear to be what was once referred to as pursuing a wild goose. " - "I am endeavoring, Madam, to construct a mnemonic memory circuit using stone knives and bear skins. " - "Right?" "Check. " "Check?" "Right. " etc. ) A similar dynamic would occasionally appear between Spock and DeForest Kelly / Dr. McCoy. Jackson DeForest Kelley ( January 20, 1920 – June 11, 1999) was an American actor known for his starring role as Dr Leonard H "Bones" McCoy, played by DeForest Kelley, is the Doctor character in the original Star Trek series and the first six
1980s
Eric Morecambe died in 1984 moments after walking off stage at Roses Theatre in Tewkesbury, his final words being "I'm glad that's over". The Roses Theatre is an art-house cinema and live performance venue located in the centre of Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, England Tewkesbury (ˈtjuːksbri is a Town in Gloucestershire, England. Morecambe and Wise had dominated British light entertainment throughout the 1970s, but when their output began to wane in the 1980s, and especially after Morecambe's death, several new double acts emerged. However, the two distinct groups could not have been more different. With alternative comedy came the likes of French and Saunders; Fry and Laurie; Rik Mayall and Ade Edmondson; Hale and Pace; and Griff Rhys Jones and Mel Smith. Alternative comedy is a style of Comedy that originated in the United Kingdom in the late 1970s and 1980s which would eventually go on to become mainstream in the French & Saunders is a British Sketch comedy Television show written by and staring BAFTA Award -nominee Dawn French This article is about the comedy double act For their television series see " A Bit of Fry and Laurie " Richard Michael "Rik" Mayall (born 7 March, 1958) is an English Actor, Writer and Comedian. Adrian Charles "Ade" Edmondson (born 24 January 1957 is an English Actor, Comedian, director and Writer Hale & Pace are an English comedy duo who have starred in several TV sketch series Griffith Rhys Jones (born 6th November or 16th November (depending on source speakers agent (6th or BBC (16th 1953 in Cardiff, Wales Mel Smith (born in Chiswick, London on 3 December, 1952) is an English Comedian, Actor, Film director These edgier comics were more brash and crude - comedy's answer to punk rock. [1] They developed the satire and vulgarity of Cook and Moore rather than the more gentle humour of Morecambe and Wise and The Two Ronnies. In fact, Smith and Jones showed blatant disregard for their predecessors, openly mocking the Two Ronnies (this may have been a factor in Ronnie Barker's decision to retire from comedy in the late 1980s. Ronald William George Barker, OBE (25 September 1929 &ndash 3 October 2005 was an English actor and Comedian, best known for his roles as Norman Stanley Fletcher [1])
However, in stark contrast to this came the likes of Little and Large and Cannon and Ball, acts who returned to the pre-Morecambe and Wise "straight man/comic" dynamic and used less controversial comedy born out of Northern workingmen's clubs. Little and Large were a British comedy Double act comprising straight man Syd Little (Born Cyril Mead in 1942 and comic Cannon and Ball are an English Comedy Double act consisting of Tommy Cannon and Bobby Ball.
1990s - present day
While the spirit of alternative comedy carried on into the 1990s, the likes of Cannon and Ball and Little and Large disappeared from television screens. The early 1990s saw comedy become "the new rock and roll"[1] in Britain and this was inherent in the work of Newman and Baddiel and Punt and Dennis on The Mary Whitehouse Experience. Newman and Baddiel was a Comedy partnership of the 1990s consisting of British stand-up comics Robert Newman and David Baddiel. Punt and Dennis are a Comedy Double act consisting of Steve Punt and Hugh Dennis. The Mary Whitehouse Experience was a British topical Sketch comedy show produced by the BBC in association with Spitting Image Productions Newman and Baddiel in particular symbolised this rock and roll attitude by playing the biggest ever British comedy gig at Wembley Stadium. original Wembley Stadium was a football Stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the However, with this came tension. Newman and Baddiel fell out with Punt and Dennis not wishing to share screen time with them, and then with each other. David Baddiel went on to form another successful double act with Frank Skinner. David Baddiel (born 28 May 1964 Troy New York, United States is an English Comedian, novelist and Television presenter. Frank Skinner, (born Christopher Graham Collins on 28 January 1957 in Oldbury, West Midlands, England is an English writer and award-winning
The 1990s also saw the introduction of one of comedy's strangest yet most successful double acts in Reeves and Mortimer. Vic Reeves (born 24 January 1959 real name Jim Moir) and Bob Mortimer (born 23 May 1959 more commonly known simply as Vic and Bob They at the same time deconstructed light entertainment[1] and paid homage to many of the classic double acts (Vic Reeves would even do an Eric Morecambe impression on Vic Reeves Big Night Out). Vic Reeves Big Night Out was a Cult British Comedy stage show and later TV series which ran on Channel 4 for They simultaneously used very bizarre, idiosyncratic humour and traditional double act staples (in later years they became increasingly reliant on violent slapstick).
Appearing in 1992, the pairing of sports duo Frank Burns, presenter of BBC's Sportsnight and former Great Britain Olympic athete John Mayock, combined incisive analysis of sporting action with dry, witty humour. Sportsnight was a midweek BBC television sports programme that ran from 1968 until 1997 See also Kingdom of Great Britain Great Britain (Breatainn Mhòr Prydain Fawr Breten Veur Graet Breetain is the larger of the two main islands The Olympic Games is an international Multi-sport event established for both summer and winter games John Paul Mayock OBE (born Barnsley 26 October 1970 is a British middle distance runner The pair presented "Burns and Mayock" in 1992 and went on to make "What do you do?" for British Satellite Broadcasting's The Sports Channel. British Satellite Broadcasting ( BSB) (1986-1990 was a company set up in 1986 to provide Direct broadcast satellite television services to the United Kingdom The Sports Channel was a British Television channel, operated by British Satellite Broadcasting, that broadcast live and recorded sporting action The latter was axed when Sky and BSB merged.
Another double act who emerged in the mid to late '90s was Lee & Herring, who combined a classic clash of personalities (downbeat and rational Lee contrasting with energetic, childish Herring) with very ironic, often satirical humour. Lee and Herring were a British standup Comedy Double act consisting of the Comedians
Also appearing in the latter half of the decade were Adam and Joe, whose low budget, self-produced Channel 4 series The Adam and Joe Show was a very sharp combination of TV and movie parodies and satirical looks at various elements of youth culture. The Adam and Joe Show is a British Television comedy show written and presented by Adam Buxton and Joe Cornish, which ran for Channel 4 is a public-service Television and Radio broadcaster in the United Kingdom centred around a television channel of the same name which began The Adam and Joe Show is a British Television comedy show written and presented by Adam Buxton and Joe Cornish, which ran for
Indian cinema, also had its share of the double act, with Tamil cinema comedians Goundamani and Senthil, teaming up for several films throughout the decade. Tamil cinema or Kollywood ( Tamil: கோலிவுட் kōlivūṭ) is the English name of the popular Tamil Film Industry based in the Goundamani is a Tamil comedian Goundamani gained entry into the Tamil film industry Kollywood due to his strong theatrical background
However, most of the 2000s' most successful double acts take their inspiration from the odder strain of double-act comedy spearheaded by Reeves and Mortimer. Matt Lucas and David Walliams, who had previously worked with Reeves and Mortimer but who also took inspiration from the Two Ronnies. Matthew Richard Lucas (born 5 March 1974) is an English Comedian and Actor. David Walliams (born David Williams, August 20, 1971) is an English Comedian and Actor, best known for his partnership The Mighty Boosh also played with the formula but essentially remained traditional at their roots. The Mighty Boosh, colloquially referred to as The Boosh, is the collective name for the creators of the British television situation comedy written by and starring Another popular current act is Ant and Dec, who are a very basic yet effective example of a double act. Ant & Dec are a British duo of Light entertainment television presenters consisting of Novocastrians (the colloquial terminology for this is "
United Kingdom
In its British form, the two actors would usually be composed of a "straight man" or "feed" and a "comic", the purpose of the feed being to set up jokes for the comic. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located This would rely heavily on comic timing.
Morecambe and Wise are widely regarded as the greatest British double act. Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise, usually referred to as Morecambe and Wise, were a British comic Double act, working in variety, radio Film They followed the traditional formula with Eric Morecambe as the comic and Ernie Wise as the feed. John Eric Bartholomew OBE ( 14 May 1926 &ndash 28 May 1984) better known by his stage name Eric Morecambe, was an Ernest Wiseman OBE ( 27 November 1925 &ndash 21 March 1999) better known by his stage name of Ernie Wise, was an However, other British acts such as The Two Ronnies, Hale and Pace, Rik Mayall and Adrian Edmondson, Reeves and Mortimer, French and Saunders, Mel Smith and Griff Rhys Jones, Fry and Laurie and The Mighty Boosh the role of "comic" and "straight man" are less obvious, largely interchangeable or dispensed with altogether. The Two Ronnies was a British Sketch show that aired on BBC 1 from 1971 to 1987 Hale & Pace are an English comedy duo who have starred in several TV sketch series Richard Michael "Rik" Mayall (born 7 March, 1958) is an English Actor, Writer and Comedian. Adrian Charles "Ade" Edmondson (born 24 January 1957 is an English Actor, Comedian, director and Writer Vic Reeves (born 24 January 1959 real name Jim Moir) and Bob Mortimer (born 23 May 1959 more commonly known simply as Vic and Bob French & Saunders is a British Sketch comedy Television show written by and staring BAFTA Award -nominee Dawn French Mel Smith (born in Chiswick, London on 3 December, 1952) is an English Comedian, Actor, Film director Griffith Rhys Jones (born 6th November or 16th November (depending on source speakers agent (6th or BBC (16th 1953 in Cardiff, Wales This article is about the comedy double act For their television series see " A Bit of Fry and Laurie " The Mighty Boosh, colloquially referred to as The Boosh, is the collective name for the creators of the British television situation comedy written by and starring More obvious British examples of the comic-feed dynamic are Cannon and Ball, Little and Large or the children's entertainers The Chuckle Brothers, where the straight man acted largely as a humourless set up for the comic. Cannon and Ball are an English Comedy Double act consisting of Tommy Cannon and Bobby Ball. Little and Large were a British comedy Double act comprising straight man Syd Little (Born Cyril Mead in 1942 and comic The Chuckle Brothers, Barry Elliot (born 24 December 1944) and Paul Elliot (born 18 October 1947) are British Comedians
Peter Cook and Dudley Moore perhaps also deserve a mention as being the first double act to go against the grain, and turn their double act into a complex analysis of the two's relationship. Peter Edward Cook (17 November 1937 &ndash 9 January 1995 was an English Satirist, Writer and Comedian. Dudley Stuart John Moore, CBE (19 April 1935 &ndash 27 March 2002 was an English Actor, Comedian and Musician. In many of the sketches (especially the Pete and Dud exchanges) Cook played the domineering know-it-all (who knows nothing) and Moore the put-upon dimwit (who also knows nothing). Pete and Dud were characters played by the comedians and entertainers Peter Cook and Dudley Moore.
This dominance was accentuated by the difference in height between the two, and the speed of Cook's mind, which meant that he could ad-lib, and force Moore to corpse in a Pete and Dud dialogue, leaving him helpless to respond. Corpsing is a British theatrical Slang term used to describe when an actor breaks character during a scene by laughing or by causing another Cast member As the partnership progressed into the often improvised Derek and Clive dialogues, these light-hearted attempts to make Moore laugh became, as a result of Cook's growing insecurity and alcoholism, vindictive attacks on the defenseless Moore. Derek and Clive are controversial cult characters created by Double act Dudley Moore and Peter Cook respectively on the However, carrying on the tradition of going against the grain of traditional double acts, when the partnership dissolved in the late '70s, it was Cook whose career stalled due to boredom, alcoholism and lack of ambition, whilst Moore went on to become one of Hollywood's most unlikely leading men.
Sitcoms
The double act has also become a popular theme in British sitcoms. A British sitcom is a Situation comedy (sitcom produced in the United Kingdom. One of the earliest examples of this was the relationship between Tony Hancock and Sid James in the Galton and Simpson series Hancock's Half Hour. Anthony John "Tony" Hancock (born 12 May 1924 &ndash 24 June 1968) was a popular British Actor and Sid James (born Joel Solomon Cohen; 8 May 1913 &ndash 26 April 1976) was a South African Actor, who made Ray Galton OBE (born 17 July 1930) and Alan Simpson OBE (born 27 November 1929) are British scriptwriters Hancock's Half Hour was a ground-breaking and influential BBC Radio comedy series of the 1950s starring Tony Hancock, with Sid James James played a down-to-earth character while Hancock was pompous and had delusions of grandeur, and the comedy was derived from the two playing off of each other's characteristics.
A common trend in sitcoms is to place the double act in a situation where they are forced together through uncontrollable circumstance. In another Galton and Simpson production, Steptoe and Son, a son, with great ambition, was forced to live with his elderly, manipulative father as a rag and bone man. Steptoe and Son is a British sitcom written by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson about two rag and bone men living in Oil Drum Lane a fictional street For the White Stripes song see Rag and Bone. Rag-and-bone man is a British phrase for a Junk dealer The comedy derives from the way the characters interact in their tempestuous relationship. The series also has more heart-rending moments as the son despairs at his inability to escape his needy, selfish, grasping father.
Porridge, saw "an habitual criminal", Fletcher (played by Ronnie Barker, already famous for his comedy partnership with Ronnie Corbett) and a young, naive first-time prisoner, Lennie Godber. Porridge was a British situation comedy that was broadcast on BBC1 from 1973 to 1977 running for three series two Christmas specials as well as Norman Stanley 'Fletch' Fletcher (born February 2, 1932) is the main character in the popular BBC Sitcom Porridge. Ronald William George Barker, OBE (25 September 1929 &ndash 3 October 2005 was an English actor and Comedian, best known for his roles as Norman Stanley Fletcher Ronald Balfour "Ronnie" Corbett, OBE (born 4 December 1930) is a British Actor and Comedian, born in Scotland Lennie Godber was a character in the popular BBC Sitcom Porridge. The two would bicker but endured a relationship of mutual respect. Also, he formed a partnership with David Jason in Open All Hours (who was the straight man of the pair) who played Granville, while Barker played Arthur Arkwright. Sir David John White OBE, known by his Stage name David Jason (born 2 February 1940 is an English Actor, known Open All Hours was a BBC Sitcom written by Roy Clarke which ran for four series (26 episodes in all between 1976 and 1985 with a pilot Many don't see this as a comedy duo but the straight man element coupled with Barker funny man antics on the show are still compressed into the script.
Rik Mayall and Ade Edmondson combined their success in sitcoms (The Young Ones) and as a double act (The Dangerous Brothers) in 1991 when they created Bottom. Richard Michael "Rik" Mayall (born 7 March, 1958) is an English Actor, Writer and Comedian. Adrian Charles "Ade" Edmondson (born 24 January 1957 is an English Actor, Comedian, director and Writer The Young Ones was a popular British sitcom, first seen in 1982, on BBC2. The Dangerous Brothers was an early stage and TV act by anarchic comedy duo Rik Mayall and Ade Edmondson, performing respectively as "Richard Dangerous" Year 1991 ( MCMXCI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar. Bottom is an award-winning British sitcom of the early 1990s (and later a series of stage shows written by and starring Rik Mayall and Adrian Edmondson Their characters are a pair of sad, pathetic losers forced together by their mutual hopelessness. However, unlike earlier examples of such, the characters in Bottom absolutely hate each other, exacerbating their despair. This often leads to slapstick violence. Mayall and Edmonson have said Bottom aimed to be more than just a series of toilet gags – it was meant to be a cruder cousin to plays like Waiting for Godot about the pointlessness of life. Waiting for Godot is a play by Samuel Beckett, in which two characters wait for someone named Godot who never arrives
Other popular double acts in British sitcoms include complex relationships involving status and superiority themes: in Dad's Army, the social climbing envy of Captain George Mainwaring, to his right hand man (Seargant Arthur Wilson) who is of higher status than him. Dad’s Army is a British sitcom about the Home Guard in the Second World War. Captain George Mainwaring (pronounced 'Mannering' is a fictional Bank Manager and Home Guard Platoon commander portrayed by However, the most prominent double act is that of an intelligent person and his inferior sidekick, such as Basil and Manuel of Fawlty Towers, Blackadder and Baldrick of Blackadder, or Ted and Father Dougal of the Irish-British sitcom Father Ted. Fawlty Towers is a British sitcom made by the BBC and first broadcast on BBC2 in 1975 Blackadder is the generic name that encompasses four series of an acclaimed BBC One historical sitcom, along with several one-off instalments Father Ted was a popular 1990s Television Situation comedy set around the lives of three Irish Catholic priests on the remote (and
In recent years, double acts as sitcoms appear to have gone full circle, as illustrated by the cult success of The Mighty Boosh. The Mighty Boosh, colloquially referred to as The Boosh, is the collective name for the creators of the British television situation comedy written by and starring For the relationship between the two main characters this series uses a formula very similar to that between Sid and Tony in Hancock's Half Hour – that of a pompous character whose best friend can see right through him and brings him back down to earth. A similar dynamic is used in Peep Show in which the characters of Mitchell and Webb were adapted for the sitcom formula. --> Peep Show is a BAFTA Mitchell and Webb are a British Comedy Double act, comprising David Mitchell and Robert Webb. However, in this case both characters suffer from pomposity.
US and Canada
In the United States and Canada, the tradition was more popular in the earlier part of the 20th century with vaudeville-derived acts such as Abbott and Costello, Burns and Allen, and Wheeler & Woolsey, and continuing into the television age with Martin and Lewis, Bob and Ray, the Smothers Brothers, Wayne and Shuster, Allen and Rossi, Jack Burns and Avery Schreiber, Rowan and Martin, Mike Nichols and Elaine May, the Wayans Brothers, and "stoner" duos like Cheech and Chong, Jay & Silent Bob, and Harold and Kumar. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page Vaudeville was a Genre of variety entertainment prevalent on the stage in the United States and Canada, from the early 1880s William (Bud Abbott and Lou Costello (born Louis Francis Cristillo performed together as Abbott and Costello, an American comedy duo whose Burns and Allen, an American comedy duo consisting of George Burns and his wife Gracie Allen, worked together as a comedy team Bert Wheeler ( 7 April 1895 in Paterson New Jersey &ndash 18 January 1968 in New York City) and Robert Woolsey Television ( TV) is a widely used Telecommunication medium for sending ( Broadcasting) and receiving moving Images, either monochromatic This article is about the American comedy duo Martin & Lewis For the British-born humorist writer producer and TV/radio host - see Martin Lewis. Bob Elliott (born 1923 and Ray Goulding (1922–1990 were an American comedy team whose career spanned five decades The Smothers Brothers are an American music-and- Comedy team consisting of the brothers Tom ("Tommy" and Dick Smothers. Wayne and Shuster were a Canadian comedy duo formed by Johnny Wayne and Frank Shuster which was active professionally from the early 1940s until Allen & Rossi was a comedy team composed of Marty Allen and Steve Rossi, active from 1957 until 1969 Jack Burns (born November 15, 1933) is an American Comedian and voice actor. Avery Lawrence Schreiber ( April 9, 1935 – January 7, 2002) was an American comedian and actor Here Comes The Judge redirects here for the 1968 song see Shorty Long. Mike Nichols (born November 6 1931) is an American television stage and Film director, writer and producer Elaine May (born April 21 1932, Philadelphia) is a two-time Academy Award nominated Director, Screenwriter and The Wayans Bros is a Situation comedy that aired from 1995 to 1999 on The WB. Cheech & Chong are a Comedy duo, consisting of Richard "Cheech" Marin and Tommy Chong, who found a wide audience in the 1970s and 1980s for their Origins As depicted in an early scene of the film Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, Jay and Silent Bob were born in Leonardo New Jersey, in Harold & Kumar is a stoner Comedy Film series starring John Cho and Kal Penn.
More recently, the idea has been largely supplanted by that of the "buddy movie" genre, which has introduced several notable comedy partnerships not formally billed as a single "act" in the traditional manner. A buddy film, according to The Complete Film Dictionary, is "a film that features the friendship of two males as the major relationship" The earliest example of such a team may have been Bob Hope and Bing Crosby; later examples include Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor, Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi, Mike Myers and Dana Carvey, David Spade and Chris Farley and child stars Kenan Thompson and Kel Mitchell. Bob Hope, KBE KCSG ( May 29, 1903 &ndash July 27, 2003) was an American comedian and actor who appeared in Harry Lillis “Bing” Crosby ( May 3, 1903 &ndash October 14, 1977) was an Academy Award winning American Popular Gene Wilder (born Jerome Silberman; June 11 1933 Richard Franklin Lennox Thomas Pryor III ( December 1, 1940 &ndash December 10, 2005) was an American Comedian, Actor Daniel Edward "Dan" Aykroyd, CM (born July 1, 1952) is an Academy Award -nominated and Emmy Award -winning Canadian-American John Adam Belushi ( January 24, 1949 – March 5, 1982) was an American Comedian, Actor and Musician Michael John "Mike" Myers (born May 25, 1963) is a Canadian Actor, Comedian, Screenwriter and Film producer Dana Thomas Carvey (born June 2, 1955) is an Emmy -award winning American Comedian and Actor known for his work on David Wayne Spade (born July 22, 1964) is an Emmy nominated American Actor, Comedian, Television personality Christopher Crosby "Chris" Farley (February 15 1964 &ndash December 18 1997 was an American Comedian and Actor. Kenan Thompson (born May 10 1978 is an American Actor and Comedian who is currently known for the titular role in Fat Albert, as a regular Kel Johari Rice Mitchell (born August 25, 1978 in Chicago Illinois) is an American Actor and Comedian, best known
The double act is also successfully used in presenting unrelated information in an entertaining manner, such as the Savage / Hyneman pair of the Discovery Channel's MythBusters. Adam Whitney Savage (born 15 July 1967 is an American Industrial design and Special effects engineer actor educator and co-host of the Discovery James Earl "Jamie" Hyneman (born September 25 1956 is an American Visual effects expert best known for being the co-host of the Television series MythBusters is a Popular science Television program produced by Australian firm Beyond Television Productions originally for the Recently, Apple has used the double act formula successfully in their series of I'm a Mac / And I'm a PC ads with John Hodgman and Justin Long. Apple Inc, ( formerly Apple Computer Inc, is an American Multinational corporation with a focus on designing and manufacturing Consumer electronics John Kellogg Hodgman (born June 3, 1971) is an American author and humorist Justin Jacob Long (born June 2 1978) is an American Actor, known for his performances in the Films Jeepers Creepers
Japan
In Japan the manzai tradition parallels that of the double although it is more formulaic. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. Manzai (漫才 is a style of Stand-up comedy in Japan, which usually involves two performers—a straight man ( tsukkomi) and a Here there is a distinguished straight man (tsukkomi) and funny man (boke) and the humor consists of quick jokes full of slapstick humor and social misunderstandings.
Germany
In Germany Tünnes and Schäl (since 1803/1850s), two Cologne puppet theater characters, fit to the concept of fool and straight man. Tünnes and Schäl are two figures from the Puppet theater of Cologne.
Between 1950 and 1980, the most popular comedy duo of East Germany, Herricht & Preil, ran a very successful double act, with Hans-Joachim Preil as the straight man and Rolf Herricht as the comic. The German Democratic Republic ( GDR; Deutsche Demokratische Republik DDR; commonly known in English as East Germany) was a Socialist state Straight Man (New York Random House, 1997 is a Novel by Richard Russo set at the fictional West Central Pennsylvania State University in Railton
Comedic pairs compared
| Straight man (or comic foil) |
Comic |
|---|---|
| Alan Harper | Charlie Harper |
| Bud Abbott | Lou Costello |
| Desi Arnaz (as Ricky Ricardo) | Lucille Ball (as Lucy Ricardo) |
| Sonny Bono | Cher |
| George Burns | Gracie Allen |
| Tommy Cannon | Bobby Ball |
| Tommy Chong | Cheech Marin |
| John Cho | Kal Penn |
| Paul Chuckle | Barry Chuckle |
| Bing Crosby | Bob Hope |
| Kyle Gass | Jack Black |
| Andy Griffith (as Sheriff Andy Taylor) | Don Knotts (as Barney Fife) |
| Oliver Hardy | Stan Laurel |
| Dante Hicks | Randal Graves |
| Cheryl Hines | Larry David |
| Richard Karn (as Al Borland) | Tim Allen (as Tim Taylor) |
| Alice Kramden | Ralph Kramden |
| Moe Howard | Curly Howard, Larry Fine |
| Colin Lane | Frank Woodley |
| Stewart Lee | Richard Herring |
| Syd Little | Eddie Large |
| Dean Martin | Jerry Lewis |
| Jerry Seinfeld | Michael Richards |
| Dudley Moore | Peter Cook |
| Bob Newhart | Suzanne Pleshette |
| Spencer Rice | Kenny Hotz |
| Dan Rowan | Dick Martin |
| David Shatraw (as Tommy Shafter) | Christopher Titus, Zack Ward (as Dave Scouvel) |
| Dick Smothers | Tom Smothers |
| Teller | Penn Jillette |
| John Mayock | Frank W. Burns |
| Ronnie Williams | Ryan Davies |
| Kenan Thompson | Kel Mitchell |
| Mike Winters | Bernie Winters |
| Ernie Wise | Eric Morecambe |
| Tammany Young | W.C. Fields |
| Senthil | Goundamani |
| Silent Bob | Jay |
| Burton Guster | Shawn Spencer |
| Double acts who do not use the "Funny Man/Straight Man" dynamic or whose roles are interchangeable | |
| Tim and Eric | |
| Dan Aykroyd & John Belushi | |
| A Pair of Nuts: The Comedy Duo | |
| Ade Edmondson & Rik Mayall | |
| Rod Brasfield & Minnie Pearl | |
| Baddiel and Skinner | |
| French and Saunders | |
| Fry and Laurie | |
| Gallagher and Shean | |
| Hale and Pace | |
| The Mighty Boosh | |
| Mitchell and Webb | |
| Flight of the Conchords | |
| Colin Mochrie & Ryan Stiles | |
| Newman and Baddiel | |
| Roy and HG | |
| Smith and Dale | |
| Mel Smith & Griff Rhys Jones | |
| The Two Ronnies | |
| Vic and Bob | |
| Puppets | |
| Straight man (or comic foil) |
Funny man or woman |
| Bert | Ernie (interchangeable in rare cases) |
| Zag | Zig |
| Animated characters | |
| Porky Pig | Daffy Duck |
| Gromit | Wallace |
| Chip | Dale |
| Bob the Tomato | Larry the Cucumber |
| Michelle Francis Conrad | Jason T. Conrad |
| Animated television series | |
| The Brain | Pinky |
| Chip | Dale |
| Big Dog | Little Dog |
| Ren | Stimpy |
| Fred Flintstone | Barney Rubble (occasionally interchangeable) |
| Frylock | Master Shake and Meatwad |
| Brian | Stewie |
| Rocket "Rocky" J. Squirrel | Bullwinkle J. Moose |
| Squidward Tentacles | SpongeBob SquarePants |
| Lisa Simpson | Bart Simpson |
| Wanda | Cosmo |
| Cat | Dog |
| Mac | Bloo |
| Comics | |
| Tintin | Captain Haddock |
| Jon Arbuckle | Garfield (occasionally reversed) |
| Garfield | Odie |
| Hobbes | Calvin (frequently reversed) |
| Pig | Rat |
| Asterix | Obelix |
| Anime | |
| Senbei Norimaki | Arale Norimaki |
| Bulma, Kuririn, Vegeta | Son Goku |
| Koyomi Mizuhara | Tomo Takino |
| Minamo Kurosawa | Yukari Tanizaki |
| Jin | Mugen |
| Kagami Hiiragi | Konata Izumi |
| Train Heartnet | Sven Vollfied |
| Luke Valentine | Jan Valentine |
| Ban Mido | Ginji Amano |
| Harukaze Kurobane | Amane "Davide" Hikaru (in Prince of Tennis) |
| Manga | |
| Pearl | Diamond |
| Webcomics | |
| Tycho | Gabe (Penny Arcade) |
| Danny | Joe (Roomies!) |
| Preston | Abe (Alien Loves Predator) |
| Bloodrose | Flintlocke (Flintlocke's Guide to Azeroth) |
| Ardam | Karn (Adventurers!) |
| Cherry Blossomfeather | "Hero" (RPG World) |
| Piro | Largo (in Megatokyo, occasionally reversed) |
| Osborne | Wally (in Wally & Osborne, occasionally reversed) |
| Utahraptor | T-Rex (Dinosaur Comics) |
| Aeris | Leo (VG Cats) |
| Ozy | Millie (Ozy and Millie) |
| Beaver | Steve (Beaver and Steve) |
| Lt. Alan Harper may be Alan Harper (archbishop, Anglican primate Alan Harper (footballer, English footballer Alan Harper (American Charlie Harper (born David Charles Perez on 25 April 1944 in London, United Kingdom) is the Singer of the Punk band William Alexander “Bud” Abbott ( October 2, 1895 – April 24, 1974) was an American Actor, producer and Lou Costello (born Louis Francis Cristillo; March 6, 1906 - March 3, 1959) was an American Actor and Comedian Desi Arnaz (born Desiderio Alberto Arnaz y de Acha III) ( March 2, 1917 – December 2, 1986) was a Cuban American Lucille Ball (August 6 1911 – April 26 1989 was an American comedienne, film television stage and radio Actress, model, film Salvatore Phillip "Sonny" Bono ( February 16, 1935 – January 5, 1998) was an American Record producer, Cher ( IPA: /ʃɛr/ born Cherilyn Sarkisian, May 20 1946 George Burns ( January 20 1896 &ndash March 9 1996; born Nathan Birnbaum) was an American comedian, Actor Grace Ethel Cecile Rosalie Allen ( July 26 1895 Allen used to claim that she was born in 1906 but when pressed for evidence she would say that her birth certificate Tommy Cannon (b 27 June 1938 is a Comedian and the feed member of comedy Double act Cannon and Ball, along with Bobby Ball. Bobby Ball is one half of the comedy Double act Cannon and Ball, along with Tommy Cannon. Thomas "Tommy" B Kin Chong (born May 24 1938 is a Canadian Comedian, Actor and Musician who is well-known for his stereotypical Richard Anthony "Cheech" Marin (born July 13 1946 is an American Comedian and Actor who gained recognition as part of the comedy act John Yohan Cho (born June 16, 1972) is an American film and television Actor and Musician, best known for his roles in the American Kalpen Suresh Modi (born April 23, 1977) known by his Stage name Kal Penn is an American Actor, producer, and political Paul Chuckle (born Paul William Elliot on October 18 1947 in Rotherham, South Yorkshire) is one-half and Comic foil, of Barry Chuckle (born Barry James Elliot on December 24, 1944 in Rotherham, South Yorkshire) is an English actor and Harry Lillis “Bing” Crosby ( May 3, 1903 &ndash October 14, 1977) was an Academy Award winning American Popular Bob Hope, KBE KCSG ( May 29, 1903 &ndash July 27, 2003) was an American comedian and actor who appeared in Kyle Richard Gass (born July 14, 1960) also known as KG or Kage is an American Actor and a member of the bands Tenacious D Thomas Jack Black Jr (born August 28 1969 is an American Actor, Comedian and Musician. Andy Samuel Griffith (born June 1, 1926) is an American Actor, producer, Writer, director Jesse Donald Knotts ( July 21, 1924 &ndash February 24, 2006) was an American comedic Actor best known Bernard "Barney" P Fife is a fictional dramatic character in the American Television program The Andy Griffith Show, portrayed Oliver Hardy (born Norvell Hardy; January 18, 1892 &ndash August 7, 1957) was an American comic Actor Stan Laurel (born Arthur Stanley Jefferson; June 16, 1890 &ndash February 23, 1965) was an English comic actor writer Dante Hicks is a Fictional character in writer/director Kevin Smith 's View Askewniverse, played by Brian O'Halloran. Randal Graves is a Fictional character in director Kevin Smith 's View Askewniverse, portrayed by Jeff Anderson. Cheryl Hines (born September 21, 1965) is an American actress best-known for her role as Cheryl David Larry David 's wife on HBO 's Lawrence Eugene "Larry" David (born July 2 1947 is an American Emmy -winning Actor, Writer, Comedian, producer Richard Karn Wilson (born February 17 1956 in Seattle Washington) is an American Television Actor and Game show Albert "Al" E Borland is a Fictional character from the TV Sitcom Home Improvement played by Richard Karn. Tim Allen (born Timothy Allen Dick; June 13, 1953) is an American Comedian, Actor, Voice-over artist and Timothy "Tim The Tool Man" Taylor, PhD is the main character on the American television Sitcom Home Improvement, portrayed The Honeymooners debuted as a half-hour series on October 1 1955. Moe Howard ( June 19, 1897 – May 4, 1975) was one of the Three Stooges, the Slapstick comedy team who starred in Curly Howard ( October 22, 1903 – January 18, 1952) was a member of the American Slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges Larry Fine ( October 5, 1902 – January 24, 1975) was an American comedian and Actor, who is best-known Colin Stuart Lane (born December 25 1967 is an Australian comedian who gained fame alongside Frank Woodley as part of the comedic duo Lano and Woodley. Frank Woodley (born February 29, 1968) is an Australian Comedian who is best known for his work alongside Colin Lane as part of Career to 2000 While studying English at St Edmund Hall Oxford in the 1980s he wrote and performed comedy in a revue group called "The Seven Raymonds Richard Keith Herring (born July 12, 1967) is a British Comedian and writer Syd Little (born 1942 is an English Comedian and Straight man in the double act Little and Large, along with Eddie Large. Eddie Large (born 25 June 1941 in Glasgow, Scotland) is the stage name of Edward Hugh McGinnis, a British Comedian Dean Martin (born Dino Paul Crocetti; June 7 1917 &ndash December 25 1995 was an American Singer, Film Actor, television personality Jerry Lewis (born March 16, 1926) is an American Comedian, award-winning actor producer writer and director best-known for his slapstick Jerome Allen "Jerry" Seinfeld (born on April 29 1954 in Brooklyn, New York) is an American comedian actor and writer Michael Anthony Richards (born July 24, 1949) is an American Comedian and Actor best known for his portrayal of the eccentric Dudley Stuart John Moore, CBE (19 April 1935 &ndash 27 March 2002 was an English Actor, Comedian and Musician. Peter Edward Cook (17 November 1937 &ndash 9 January 1995 was an English Satirist, Writer and Comedian. George Robert "Bob" Newhart (born September 5, 1929) is an American stand-up comedian and Actor. Suzanne Pleshette ( January 31, 1937 &ndash January 19, 2008) was an American actress, on stage screen and television Spencer Nolan Rice, aka Spenny, is a Canadian writer producer and comedian Kenneth Joel "Kenny" Hotz (born in Toronto, Canada) is a Canadian filmaker actor producer director photographer and co-star of the Canadian television Daniel Hale “Dan” Rowan ( 22 July 1922 &ndash 22 September 1987) was an American comedian Dick Martin may refer to Dick Martin (artist, American illustrator particularly associated with the Land of Oz Dick Martin (comedian, co-host David Shatraw (born 7 June 196? in Albany New York) is an American film TV stage and voice Actor. Titus is an Emmy -nominated American dark-comedy Sitcom that debuted on FOX in 2000. Christopher Todd Titus (born October 1, 1964 in Castro Valley California) is an American Comedian and actor. Zack Ward (born August 31, 1970) is a Canadian actor. He is known for his character Dave Scovil on the television show Titus Titus is an Emmy -nominated American dark-comedy Sitcom that debuted on FOX in 2000. Richard Remick “Dick” Smothers (born November 20, 1939) is an American Comedian, Composer and Musician. Thomas Bolin “Tom” Smothers III (born February 2, 1937) is an American Comedian, Composer and Musician, best known Teller (born Raymond Joseph Teller February 14, 1948) is an American illusionist, Comedian and Writer best Penn Fraser Jillette (born March 5, 1955) is an American Comedian, Illusionist, juggler and Writer known John Paul Mayock OBE (born Barnsley 26 October 1970 is a British middle distance runner Frank W Burns was a one-time BBC television presenter ( Sportsnight) and former Sports Development Officer for the County Town of Stafford. Ronnie Williams ( Ronald Clive Williams) ( March 29, 1939 - December 28, 1997) was a Welsh actor and comedian Ryan Davies ( 22 January, 1937 — 22 April, 1977) was a popular Welsh entertainer of the 1960s and 1970s Kenan Thompson (born May 10 1978 is an American Actor and Comedian who is currently known for the titular role in Fat Albert, as a regular Kel Johari Rice Mitchell (born August 25, 1978 in Chicago Illinois) is an American Actor and Comedian, best known Mike & Bernie Winters, born Michael Weinstein ( 15 November 1930) and Bernard Weinstein ( 6 September, 1932 &ndash Mike & Bernie Winters, born Michael Weinstein ( 15 November 1930) and Bernard Weinstein ( 6 September, 1932 &ndash Ernest Wiseman OBE ( 27 November 1925 &ndash 21 March 1999) better known by his stage name of Ernie Wise, was an John Eric Bartholomew OBE ( 14 May 1926 &ndash 28 May 1984) better known by his stage name Eric Morecambe, was an Tammany Young ( September 9, 1886 – April 26, 1936) was an American stage and film actor who appeared with W W C Fields ( January 29, 1880 &ndash December 25, 1946) was an American Juggler, Comedian, and Actor Goundamani is a Tamil comedian Goundamani gained entry into the Tamil film industry Kollywood due to his strong theatrical background Origins As depicted in an early scene of the film Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, Jay and Silent Bob were born in Leonardo New Jersey, in Origins As depicted in an early scene of the film Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, Jay and Silent Bob were born in Leonardo New Jersey, in Burton "Gus" Guster is a character on the USA Network television dramedy Psych played by American actor Dulé Hill. Shawn Spencer is a Fictional character on the American television dramedy Psych played by American actor James Roday. Tim and Eric Awesome Show Great Job! is an American Television series, created by and starring Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim, which Daniel Edward "Dan" Aykroyd, CM (born July 1, 1952) is an Academy Award -nominated and Emmy Award -winning Canadian-American John Adam Belushi ( January 24, 1949 – March 5, 1982) was an American Comedian, Actor and Musician A Pair of Nuts is a Sketch comedy duo based in Miami Florida consisting of Yamil Piedra and Johnny Trabanco Adrian Charles "Ade" Edmondson (born 24 January 1957 is an English Actor, Comedian, director and Writer Richard Michael "Rik" Mayall (born 7 March, 1958) is an English Actor, Writer and Comedian. Rodney Leon Brasfield was an American comedian who was featured at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville Tennessee between 1947 and 1958 Minnie Pearl was the stage name of Sarah Ophelia Colley Cannon ( October 25, 1912 - March 4, 1996) David Baddiel (born 28 May 1964 Troy New York, United States is an English Comedian, novelist and Television presenter. Frank Skinner, (born Christopher Graham Collins on 28 January 1957 in Oldbury, West Midlands, England is an English writer and award-winning French & Saunders is a British Sketch comedy Television show written by and staring BAFTA Award -nominee Dawn French This article is about the comedy double act For their television series see " A Bit of Fry and Laurie " Gallagher & Shean was a highly successful Double act on Vaudeville and Broadway in the 1910s and 1920s consisting of Edward Gallagher ( Hale & Pace are an English comedy duo who have starred in several TV sketch series The Mighty Boosh, colloquially referred to as The Boosh, is the collective name for the creators of the British television situation comedy written by and starring Mitchell and Webb are a British Comedy Double act, comprising David Mitchell and Robert Webb. Flight of the Conchords is a Grammy Award-winning New Zealand Comedy duo composed of Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement. Colin Andrew Mochrie (born November 30, 1957) is a Scottish Canadian Actor and improvisational comedian. Ryan Lee Stiles (born April 22, 1959) is an Emmy -nominated American - Canadian Actor and Comedian, whose work Newman and Baddiel was a Comedy partnership of the 1990s consisting of British stand-up comics Robert Newman and David Baddiel. Roy & HG are a noted Australian comedy duo with Greig Pickhaver taking the role of HG Nelson and John Doyle as "Rampaging" Roy Smith and Dale were a famous American Vaudeville Comedy duo The two performed together for more than 70 years Mel Smith (born in Chiswick, London on 3 December, 1952) is an English Comedian, Actor, Film director Griffith Rhys Jones (born 6th November or 16th November (depending on source speakers agent (6th or BBC (16th 1953 in Cardiff, Wales The Two Ronnies was a British Sketch show that aired on BBC 1 from 1971 to 1987 Vic Reeves (born 24 January 1959 real name Jim Moir) and Bob Mortimer (born 23 May 1959 more commonly known simply as Vic and Bob Since 1969 Ernie has been one of the stars of PBS 's long-running children's television show Sesame Street. Zig and Zag are Fictional characters portrayed by Puppets who made their television début on Radio Telefís Éireann (RTÉ's The Den Zig and Zag are Fictional characters portrayed by Puppets who made their television début on Radio Telefís Éireann (RTÉ's The Den Porky Pig is an animated cartoon character in the Warner Bros Daffy Duck is an Animated cartoon character in the Warner Brothers Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series of Chip 'n' Dale are two animated Chipmunks created by The Walt Disney Company. Chip 'n' Dale are two animated Chipmunks created by The Walt Disney Company. This is a list of primary secondary and recurring characters that appear in the animated series VeggieTales. This is a list of primary secondary and recurring characters that appear in the animated series VeggieTales. Not to be confused with Penguins!. 3-2-1 Penguins! is a series of Christian animated videos (on Not to be confused with Penguins!. 3-2-1 Penguins! is a series of Christian animated videos (on Pinky and the Brain are Cartoon characters who have starred in the American Animated television series Steven Spielberg Presents Animaniacs Pinky and the Brain are Cartoon characters who have starred in the American Animated television series Steven Spielberg Presents Animaniacs Chip 'n' Dale are two animated Chipmunks created by The Walt Disney Company. Chip 'n' Dale are two animated Chipmunks created by The Walt Disney Company. 2 Stupid Dogs is an Emmy -nominatedAmerican Animated television series created by Donovan Cook and produced by Hanna-Barbera Cartoons 2 Stupid Dogs is an Emmy -nominatedAmerican Animated television series created by Donovan Cook and produced by Hanna-Barbera Cartoons The Ren and Stimpy Show is an American / Canadian animated television series created by Canadian Animator John Ren and Stimpy, created by John Kricfalusi, are the titular characters in the Canadian / American co-produced animated television series Frederick J "Fred" Flintstone is a Fictional character who originated in the animated Sitcom The Flintstones on Bernard "Barney" Rubble, a Fictional character in the popular television Animated series The Flintstones, is the diminutive blonde-haired Aqua Teen Hunger Force (also known as ATHF) is an American Animated television series shown on Cartoon Network as part Aqua Teen Hunger Force (also known as ATHF) is an American Animated television series shown on Cartoon Network as part Brian Griffin is a Fictional character from the animated television series Family Guy, and is voiced by show creator Seth MacFarlane Stewart Gilligan "Stewie" Griffin, is a Fictional character in the animated series Family Guy. Rocket J Squirrel, usually called by the nickname " Rocky " is the name of the Flying squirrel protagonist Bullwinkle J Moose is a Fictional character in the 1959 – 1964 Animated television series Rocky and His Friends and This is a list of characters from the Nickelodeon animated series SpongeBob SquarePants. SpongeBob SquarePants is the main character of the Fictional Nickelodeon Animated series SpongeBob SquarePants. Lisa Marie Simpson is a Fictional character in the animated Television series The Simpsons and is voiced by Yeardley Smith. Bartholomew J "Bart" Simpson is a character in the animated television series The Simpsons This is a list of characters in the Nickelodeon animated series The Fairly OddParents. This is a list of characters in the Nickelodeon animated series The Fairly OddParents. CatDog is an American Animated television series on Nickelodeon, created by Peter Hannan. CatDog is an American Animated television series on Nickelodeon, created by Peter Hannan. This is a list of characters seen in the American Animated television series Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends. This is a list of characters seen in the American Animated television series Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends. Tintin and Snowy (original French language names Tintin et Milou) a journalist and his canine companion are a pair of adventurers who travel around the Captain Archibald Haddock ( Capitaine Archibald Haddock) is a character in the Comic book series The Adventures of Tintin by Belgian Jonathan Q "Jon" Arbuckle is a character from the Garfield Comic strip by Jim Davis. Garfield is the main Protagonist of the Comic strip Garfield by Jim Davis. Garfield is the main Protagonist of the Comic strip Garfield by Jim Davis. Odie is a Fictional character in the Jim Davis Comic strip Garfield. Hobbes is a character in the comic strip Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson. Calvin is a Fictional character in the Comic strip Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson. This is a partial list of characters in the comic strip Pearls Before Swine by Stephen Pastis Rat Personality Rat is a megalomaniacal Rat This is a partial list of characters in the comic strip Pearls Before Swine by Stephen Pastis Rat Personality Rat is a megalomaniacal Rat Asterix ( Astérix) is a Fictional character, created in 1959 as the titular Hero of a series of French Comic books Obelix (Fr Obélix) is a Sidekick with superhuman strength in the Asterix Comic books He is Asterix ' closest friend (they even have is a Fictional character and the main Protagonist in the Anime and Manga series Dr is a Fictional character who first appears in the Dragon Ball Manga created by Akira Toriyama, followed by three Anime is a Fictional character in the ''Dragon Ball'' franchise created by Akira Toriyama. is a Fictional character from the Dragon Ball universe created by Akira Toriyama as the main Protagonist for the Media franchise usually known as Yomi, is a character from the Anime and Manga series Azumanga Daioh. is a fictional character from the Anime and Manga series Azumanga Daioh. also known as, normally called Kurosawa-sensei by her students is a fictional character from the Anime and Manga series Azumanga Daioh. also known as "Miss Yukari" (ゆかり先生 Yukari-sensei) is a fictional character from the Manga and Anime series Azumanga Daioh This is a list of characters from the Japanese Manga, Video game, and Anime series Lucky Star. This is a list of characters from the Japanese Manga, Video game, and Anime series Lucky Star. Train Heartnet (トレイン＝ハートネット Torein Hātonetto) is the one of the four primary Protagonists in the Anime and Manga Sven Vollfied (スヴェン＝ボルフィード Suven Borufīdo) is one of the four main protagonists in the Anime and Manga versions of Black is a fictional character in the manga / anime series GetBackers. is a fictional character in the manga / anime series Get Backers. is a popular Japanese Manga written and illustrated by Takeshi Konomi. This is a list of main Protagonists of the Pokémon Adventures manga This is a list of main Protagonists of the Pokémon Adventures manga Penny Arcade is a Webcomic written by Jerry Holkins and illustrated by Mike Krahulik. Roomies! was a Webcomic by David Willis starring the college adventures of two Roommates, Danny and Joe Alien Loves Predator ( ALP to fans is a Webcomic written by Bernie Hou RPG World was a Webcomic by Ian Jones-Quartey (aka Ian J that took place in the environment of a RPG. Megatokyo is an English-language Webcomic created by Fred Gallagher and Rodney Caston, debuting on August 14 2000 Gallagher's style Megatokyo is an English-language Webcomic created by Fred Gallagher and Rodney Caston, debuting on August 14 2000 Gallagher's style Megatokyo is an English-language Webcomic created by Fred Gallagher and Rodney Caston, debuting on August 14 2000 Gallagher's style Wally and Osborne, formerly titled On the Rocks, is a humor Webcomic by Tyler Martin Dinosaur Comics is a constrained Webcomic by Canadian writer Ryan North. VG Cats (short for Video Game Cats) is a Webcomic written and drawn by Canadian Cartoonist Scott Ramsoomair. Ozy and Millie is a Webcomic, created by D C Simpson, which debuted in January 1997 Beaver and Steve (also known as The Unfeasible Adventures of Beaver and Steve) was a popular Webcomic by James Turner. Gruber | Capt. Awesome |
| Lucas | Ethan (Ctrl+Alt+Del) |
Notes
Ctrl+Alt+Del (CAD is a gaming -related Webcomic and animated series written by Tim Buckley Ctrl+Alt+Del (CAD is a gaming -related Webcomic and animated series written by Tim Buckley Ctrl+Alt+Del (CAD is a gaming -related Webcomic and animated series written by Tim Buckley Events 1099 - First Crusade: Godfrey of Bouillon is elected the first Defender of the Holy Sepulchre of The Kingdom of Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar.Dapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic