Here is something fun. Earlier, I wrote the following to Perplexity.
"I love witticisms, bon mots, funny circumstances, etc. For instance, Brummellian/dandy/Etonian comedy makes me laugh, and I enjoy writers such as Sheridan, and from much later times, actors such as Clifton Webb, particularly as Mr. Belvidere and in his skits with Talula Bankhead, and some old radio shows in general. I found I Lived with You with Ivor Novello to be hilarious and I enjoy some Noel Coward as well. I don't like comedy with obscenities, modern politics (old ones are fine, especially if they were truly witty), vulgarity, slapstick or other visual things, etc. What comedians, actors, writers, etc. can you recommend? Are there any standup commedians, young or old, who fit my mould?" Later, I added that I love Wodehouse (see recommendations), Keeping Up Appearances, books by Theodore Hook, Oscar Wilde (see recommendation), and operettas (referring to plot elements in this context). Sexual themes are fine if they are written tastefully, but it's not my primary type of humour. I also like to keep things light and playful not cruel e.g. I'd choose Wodehouse over Saki (a discarded recommendation).
It wrote back with the following suggestions. For the sake of brevity, I am not including the full discussion, just the names of the works and authors/actors, etc. I am excluding ones that we discarded later on.
P. G. Wodehouse — but put Psmith before Jeeves (Psmith is new character for me, will start with Mike)
E. F. Benson — the Mapp and Lucia novels (inspired Keeping Up Appearances mention)
Oscar Wilde — especially The Importance of Being Earnest (heard and loved it a long time ago, and I added Lady Windermere's Fan)
Frank Muir and Denis Norden — My Word! (sounds extremely funny based on description of wordplay)
Flanders and Swann — At the Drop of a Hat and At the Drop of Another Hat (heard of them but vaguely, must research)
Joyce Grenfell — comic monologues (heard George—Don’t Do That, which was not bad but not the best either)
Milton Jones (warned that he might be dark)
Tim Vine (warned might be visual)
William Powell in My Man Godfrey (screwball comedy might be visual, but also has great jokes)
What do you think of these suggestions and do you have any more?
#actors #authors #BonMots #British #comedy #commedians #funny #humor #humour #jokes #OldTimeRadio #reading #wit #wordplay