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NZ Herald
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- NZ Herald
The 10 best comedy series to see before you die, according to the Herald's entertainment team
Seinfeld (1989-1988) Jason Alexander and Jerry Seinfeld on Seinfeld. A series that's essentially about nothing doesn't seem like the right grounds for a comedy masterpiece, but thanks to Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld's impeccable writing, Seinfeld stands as (in my opinion) the best sitcom of all time. Spawning unforgettable pop culture references like Festivus and 'yadda yadda yadda', this show takes the concept of social normality and turns it on its head, letting the intrusive thoughts win every time and creating some of the funniest situations ever seen on screen. It paved the way for sitcoms to come, no matter how bad or good they ended up being. – MH Friends (1994-2004) Friends became iconic to a generation over its 10 seasons. The comedy series about six friends living and learning in New York City gave us the likes of Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, and Matthew Perry and became iconic to a generation over its 10 seasons. It was an easy watch, kept us laughing and ultimately gave us the endings we wanted. There was a character everyone could relate to, with every 90s girl declaring themselves a Rachel, Monica or Phoebe. As a Monica, I neatly put this on the list while declaring she should have ended up with Richard. – JM It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (2005-Present) Andy Buckley, Danny DeVito, Kaitlin Olson, and Charlie Day were among the cast in It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. At its core, this is a show about very bad people doing very bad things ... and boy, is it wild to watch. Danny De Vito is having the most fun he's ever had on screen playing a gremlin of a man who eats cat food for breakfast, and the rest of 'the gang' are equally despicable. Crimes are committed, psychopathic traits encouraged, and there's no filter when it comes to the moral depravity at play, but it's both a cautionary tale and a raucous romp. This show lets its characters' inner demons out in a cathartic and hilarious fashion, unlike any other show seen on screens, and deserves a spot on the list for proving that surreal comedy does have a place on TV. – MH The Office UK (2001-2003) Rickey Gervais as David Brent. Photo / BBC It was The Office that started it all, with the deeply unlikable David Brent at the helm of the show. It was its own brand of sharp comedy, and it pioneered the mockumentary-style show. In typical British comedy style, it offered us far fewer character arcs than were later seen on the US version, far less warmth and not an ounce of American cheese. But Ricky Gervais as Brent showed us a show could be grotesque, offensive, get it all wrong, fluorescent lit, set in Slough, and we would still all follow along. - JM The Inbetweeners (2008-2010) The Inbetweeners is the ultimate coming of age comedy. While The Office, Black Books, Blackadder, and The IT Crowd paved the way for British comedy, The Inbetweeners cemented it in modern pop culture history. Still as relevant as ever in the TikTok age, this series about growing up has just the right amount of gross-out humour and heart to make it appealing as a comedy series. While the actors for Will, Simon, Jay, and Neil may have grown up, their spirited mishaps and quotable quotes (some too rude to share here) will continue to stay in the minds of comedy buffs everywhere for years to come. Just make sure you read up on British slang before watching to get the full comedic effect. – MH The Office US (2005-2013) The Office US featured Rainn Wilson as Dwight Schrute, Jenna Fischer as Pam Beesly, Steve Carell as Michael Scott, B.J. Novak as Ryan Howard and John Krasinski as Jim Halpert. Photo / NBCU Photo Bank The softer US iteration of Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant's series gave us Steve Carell as Michael Scott and plenty of beautiful and horrific characters to follow – I still detest Toby more than any character, ever. But The Office US gave us the UK Office with optimism, and more unforgettable moments and quotes than virtually any other show. Pam and Jim's love story is elite. Dwight's character is unmatched, and Michael finding love with 'the hottest girl in the world' warmed even the coldest of hearts. Dunder Mifflin forever. – JM The Simpsons (1989-Present) The dynamic of our favourite yellow family, The Simpsons, never gets old. Photo / Fox A best comedy series list isn't complete without the longest-running American animated comedy series ever, and The Simpsons has stood the test of time for good reason. It continues to reflect the world we live in, satirically touching on relevant issues with just the right tone and style to still entertain. The dynamic of our favourite yellow family never gets old, and new and legacy characters create an iconic world worthy of the movie and theme park rides it spawned. To this day, we are still waiting for the next opening credit couch gag, and will no doubt continue to look forward to it. – MH New Girl (2011-2018) Seasons 2-4 of New Girl were lessons in elite comedic timing. While the series starts slow, and season 1 of the Fox show can be considered anything but its best, seasons 2-4 of New Girl were lessons in elite comedic timing, perfect casting and characters who seamlessly feed off each other. The greatest TV friendship of all time sits in the form of Nick and Schmidt, Winston's mess-arounds will forever live rent-free in my head and Jess (played by Zoe Deschanel) and Nick's fiery (literally) love story reminds us that sometimes your person comes in the form of your best friend. – JM Veep (2012-2019) Veep, starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus, was over the top but scarily real. Scarily real, yet ludicrously over the top, this political satire from the genius mind of Armando Iannucci acts both as a warning and an expose of just how stupid politics can be. With some of the best comebacks and one-liners ever constructed, this show paints fictional US politician Selina Meyer (played by the superb Julia Louis-Dreyfus) as an unfiltered, morally despicable clown who will do everything and anything to retain power – and the result is rib-shatteringly hilarious. What makes the show even better is its supporting cast, who bend to the will of Meyer, often at their own expense, resulting in a circus of errors that leaves viewers in hysterics. – MH Derek (2012-2014) Ricky Gervais in a scene from Derek. Photo / Netflix Ricky Gervais as Derek could easily be misconstrued by pictures or even trailers. But Derek is one of the most beautiful characters in comedy history, showing us that kindness and believing in others are undervalued qualities. The gullible Derek, who works in a retirement home, shows us through the lens of humour, shows us that despite all odds, it's possible to find the good in everything. The cast of Kerry Godliman, Karl Pilkington, Barry Martin and Brett Goldstein (of Ted Lasso fame) turn a high-risk storyline into a comedy masterpiece. – JM Mitchell Hageman joined the Herald's entertainment and lifestyle team in 2024. He previously worked as a multimedia journalist for Hawke's Bay Today. Jenni Mortimer is the NZ Herald's chief lifestyle and entertainment reporter. Jenni started at the Herald in 2017 and has previously worked as lifestyle, entertainment and travel editor.
Scotsman
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Bill will reflect on extraordinary career in special show
Bill Bailey will be among those interviewed as part of the celebrations It's an exciting time as we announce the final show for the Gilded Balloon special In Conversation shows to celebrate our 40th anniversary. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... On the final day of the Festival, one of comedy's most distinctive voices, Bill Bailey, will be interviewed by Mhairi Black. A comedian, actor and musician, Bill will reflect on his extraordinary career so far, his Gilded Balloon memories, his beloved role as Manny in Black Books, his Strictly Come Dancing win and his many appearances at the Fringe. Mhairi Black will also return to Gilded Balloon for a new Work-in-Progress show following her sold out debut last year. Bill Bailey and Kris, his wife, have been my friends since the early 90s when Bill split up from the double act The Rubber Bishops and performed his first solo show at Gilded Balloon. I'm so proud of his achievements over the years and in no way has he changed, he is still the lovely, happy man I met all these years ago. I have had many adventures with Bill and Kris in Bali where they got married, in Holland, Australia and Montreal. In 2002 Bill, Kris, myself and eight other friends went on a sailing trip around the spice islands on the Banda Sea. We went diving and Bill was my dive buddy. It was a thrilling trip and made us friends for life. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Mhairi Black, the youngest Westminster MP for nearly 10 years, sold out her debut show last year, which we then toured around Scotland as well as Soho Theatre in London and now she returns with a Work-In-Progress to see what it's like to not talk about politics. We thought Mhairi and Bill would make a great pairing, from very different backgrounds and at different stages of their career, and for Mhairi to be on the other side of the interview for once! With special shows from the fantastic Smack The Pony, Alan Davies, Rosie O'Donnell, Lewis MacLeod and Caroline Rhea, I'm thrilled to present this eclectic mix of comedy icons and rising stars at Fringe. With our special one-off In Conversation events featuring Bill Bailey and Jenny Eclair who have been an integral part of Gilded Balloon's history to rising stars on the Scottish scene like Glasgow's Alana Jackson, Kim Blythe, Rosco McClelland and Paul Black – these are all special shows that should not be missed.
The Age
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Age
I missed my chance at a gap year, so instead I tried a ‘gap week' in my 40s
I've always been as besotted with the idea of living in London as I was embarrassed by being besotted with the idea of living in London. It's such a terrible cliché: middle-class, white Australian girl grows up watching too much Press Gang, This Life and Black Books and, on finishing school, dreams of becoming an Antipodean Bridget Jones, follows the well-worn road of a gap year, moves to England, has a brilliant time and maybe never comes back. I thought for sure I would take that path. But I kept putting it off. After my final high school exams, I was still not quite 18 and didn't feel brave enough to go live in a strange city on my own. After university, I needed money before I could consider the move, so I found three jobs and got to work, putting off the trip for another year. The next obstacle was a boyfriend I didn't want to break up with. That time, I even got as far as starting my year away, only to spend the first month with him in Europe before throwing in the towel on my plan to continue to London and coming home with him. Then, back in Sydney, there was a job: a highly sought-after (by a particular subset of people with a fondness for books and extremely low salaries) entry-level position at a well-known multinational publishing house. I couldn't say no to getting my foot in the door of such a glamorous and exciting industry, could I? You can see where this is going. For the next decade I worked away in publishing, moving up the ladder, quietly living through my 20s and watching as every year friends left for time abroad, building new lives that some returned from and some didn't. I stopped thinking that could be me. I had a mortgage now, and a relationship, work I enjoyed, family I adored and great friends. It would be silly to throw all that away. Before I knew it, 20 years had passed and I had a great life. I was a mother of two, happily married, living in suburban Sydney – and I had pivoted from editing to writing books for a living. Books largely set in suburban Sydney, about mothers living perfectly good lives. After three novels, I began to see a pattern emerging: all these women wanted more. The regret I had swallowed about my permanently delayed gap year began to creep back. My world had closed up around that potential gap, leaving no great scar, but there was a tingle of discontent, like you get before a cold sore erupts. Loading The human propensity for dissatisfaction is what has led us to where we are today as a species. It's why we figured out how to control fire and domesticate animals, and build shelter; what led us to strive for discovery, exploration and invention. (It's responsible for the climate crisis and most wars, along with social media and celebrity culture – so, you know, not all good things.) It's also pretty insufferable coming from a person of great privilege and good fortune, so I did what any writer does to try to validate their feelings: I turned it into material. I began to consider regret and what it has to teach us. This regret about not taking a gap year has shaped me: I'm intensely curious about (read: deeply envious of) people who have moved to other countries, either briefly or permanently. I wondered if there was something in that regret that could be incorporated into my life now. Was this a sign that I wanted to uproot my family and move overseas?
Sydney Morning Herald
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
I missed my chance at a gap year, so instead I tried a ‘gap week' in my 40s
I've always been as besotted with the idea of living in London as I was embarrassed by being besotted with the idea of living in London. It's such a terrible cliché: middle-class, white Australian girl grows up watching too much Press Gang, This Life and Black Books and, on finishing school, dreams of becoming an Antipodean Bridget Jones, follows the well-worn road of a gap year, moves to England, has a brilliant time and maybe never comes back. I thought for sure I would take that path. But I kept putting it off. After my final high school exams, I was still not quite 18 and didn't feel brave enough to go live in a strange city on my own. After university, I needed money before I could consider the move, so I found three jobs and got to work, putting off the trip for another year. The next obstacle was a boyfriend I didn't want to break up with. That time, I even got as far as starting my year away, only to spend the first month with him in Europe before throwing in the towel on my plan to continue to London and coming home with him. Then, back in Sydney, there was a job: a highly sought-after (by a particular subset of people with a fondness for books and extremely low salaries) entry-level position at a well-known multinational publishing house. I couldn't say no to getting my foot in the door of such a glamorous and exciting industry, could I? You can see where this is going. For the next decade I worked away in publishing, moving up the ladder, quietly living through my 20s and watching as every year friends left for time abroad, building new lives that some returned from and some didn't. I stopped thinking that could be me. I had a mortgage now, and a relationship, work I enjoyed, family I adored and great friends. It would be silly to throw all that away. Before I knew it, 20 years had passed and I had a great life. I was a mother of two, happily married, living in suburban Sydney – and I had pivoted from editing to writing books for a living. Books largely set in suburban Sydney, about mothers living perfectly good lives. After three novels, I began to see a pattern emerging: all these women wanted more. The regret I had swallowed about my permanently delayed gap year began to creep back. My world had closed up around that potential gap, leaving no great scar, but there was a tingle of discontent, like you get before a cold sore erupts. Loading The human propensity for dissatisfaction is what has led us to where we are today as a species. It's why we figured out how to control fire and domesticate animals, and build shelter; what led us to strive for discovery, exploration and invention. (It's responsible for the climate crisis and most wars, along with social media and celebrity culture – so, you know, not all good things.) It's also pretty insufferable coming from a person of great privilege and good fortune, so I did what any writer does to try to validate their feelings: I turned it into material. I began to consider regret and what it has to teach us. This regret about not taking a gap year has shaped me: I'm intensely curious about (read: deeply envious of) people who have moved to other countries, either briefly or permanently. I wondered if there was something in that regret that could be incorporated into my life now. Was this a sign that I wanted to uproot my family and move overseas?
Scoop
24-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Scoop
Bill Bailey New Zealand Tour 2025
Press Release – Elephant Publicity Following a hugely successful sold-out tour in 2023, award-winning UK comedian, musician and actor Bill Bailey is heading back to New Zealand this October and November with his brand-new show Vaudevillean – bringing his trademark wit, musical virtuosity, and wonderfully twisted sense of the absurd to 13 centres across the country. Familiar to fans from his iconic roles in Never Mind the Buzzcocks, QI, In the Long Run (created by Idris Elba), and the award-winning Black Books, Bailey also hosted the debut season of New Zealand's own hit panel show Patriot Brains. His creative range spans film, television, music, art and publishing – from voicing the animated feature Dragonkeeper, to writing the best-selling Bill Bailey's Remarkable Guide to Happiness, and winning the hearts of millions as the 2020 champion of Strictly Come Dancing. 'Bloody excellent… The material is solid gold' NZ Herald 'Virtuoso… Comedy's Mozart' The Sunday Times Bill's global touring career has taken him across Europe, Asia, Australia and New Zealand with acclaimed shows including Part Troll, Tinselworm, Qualmpeddler, Limboland and Thoughtifier. In Channel 4's Perfect Pub Walks, he embarks on countryside rambles with famous friends, journeying between historic pubs – proof that Bailey brings charm and humour to every setting. Before streaming, before tv, before cinema, before even radio… There was Vaudeville! This was the prime time entertainment of its day… A celebration of comedy, songs, and multifarious skills. Tales of showbiz, tales of the city, Tales of the strange, the unusual… all with the aim to amuse, amaze a broad audience. Enthralling family fun, to divert and transport from the tribulations of daily life! Bill Bailey returns with a show that celebrates this great tradition, as the versatile multi-instrumental, multi-lingual, purveyor of humour and musical prowess, who could lay claim to being perhaps the foremost practitioner of this great tradition, an entertainer, a performer, a modern Vaudevillian! Don't miss your chance to experience the master at work – tickets are expected to sell fast.
