Ian Hislop’s Oldest Jokes

4.0/5

Critic Rating

There are a number of themes or types or techniques in British comedy that seem to survive any social or political upheaval. We love wordplay, we're suckers for Double entendre and while animals can be cute or terrifying, they can also make us laugh. In this series Ian Hislop looks back to try and find the first examples of these jokes or comedy genres. We love a good parody but when did that become a thing? Can we really find Anglo-Saxon Double Entendre? You bet we can, and filthy to boot, another trove of British Humour. He visits libraries, museums and chapels, and also talks to comedy stars and writers of today like Nina Conti, Paul Whitehouse, comedy song writing duo Jo and Joan and parodist Craig Brown.


Critic Reviews

Score: 4

James Marriot • The Times UK Jan 24, 2024

"...disarmingly willing to be amused. An aspect of humour not mentioned is that things can become funny when someone with a genuinely comic sensibility points out that they are funny. Hislop is an excellent inspirer of laughter."

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