People /shows that were funny once... but no longer...

Sassafras

Jim'll Fix It.

Phil_aka_Pip

Till Death Us Do Part was considered by some to be offensive, in its time. I still think it's funny.

Axe_meister

Anybody remember It ain't half hot mum.

Fortheloveofguitar

Noel fielding

He has never been funny at all and should have been done under the trades description act for calling himself a comedian.

SimonC

The other way round to the OP I know, but I never used to get Dad's Army, but I find it really funny nowadays - genius in parts.

EricTheWeary

Axe_meister said:

Anybody remember It ain't half hot mum.

when my oldest son was a toddler - this is 16 or 17 years ago now - I tried various things to calm him down when he was going bonkers in the car. For some reason I tried and succeeded with singing the theme tune from 'Mum. So, for a long time it became a family favourite singalong ( and mercifully brief) so my two sons are very familiar with the theme choon but never seen the programme. Although, TBH, I never found it that funny in the first place. Oh, also makes a good song for testing mic levels!

impmann

+1 for Ben Elton.

Sassafras

I didn't used to like Frank Skinner, but that was when he was with David Baddiel.

Now, I find him a lot funnier now he's on his own.

Paul_C

randomhandclaps isn't as edgy these days.

impmann

DrewFX

Sassafras

Just been listening to a documentary about Dave Allen. His humour has endured far better than most comedians. Bloody funny.

EricTheWeary

Danny1969 said:

It's an aging thing, your not supposed to like the same things your whole life I spose. I grew up watching things like Love thy Neighbour, 

Till death us do part, Rising Damp and all kinds of shit that would be deemed offensive now. Jim Davidson was huge, Benny Hill was om primetime TV chasing young girls in bikinis around the park with his tongue hanging out ...  I couldn't watch any of it now, not because it's offensive but just because it's not funny. 

At the mo I love Gervaise, Micky Flanagan and some others  but prob won't in 20 years time

I presume some people did find some of this offensive at the time.
I had a conversation at work once about Mind Your Language, often regarded as the most offensive show by modern standards due to the racial stereotypes. Interesting that a Sikh woman I worked with said it was her family's favourite show as it was the only show with Asian actors.
My other pet old show that looks different now is The Goodies, full of innuendo which completely passed me by at the time.

HAL9000

Emp_Fab;567861" said:

Billy Connolly.

When he worked in the Clyde shipyards was the last time anyone found him riveting

richardhomer

Billy Conolly seemed to cease being funny when he sobered up.

Ricky Gervais's humour fell off a cliff once The Office was over.

Have I Got News For You - used to be 'must watch' TV 20 years ago; post Angus Deayton, dull as ditch water.

Travisthedog

Bottom It used to kill me when I was about 20 - watching re-runs is a painful experience Reeves and mortimers early stuff still cracks me up - especially the smell of reeves and mortimer

chillidoggy

Indeed, and I'm concerned that @gassage has gone upmarket.

scrumhalf

One of the problems is things being funny first and second time you see or hear them and not being so funny on the fiftieth occasion.

Most comedy is made for the moment, and most comedians have a moment. In the old days of music hall and the early days of alternative comedy many acts would not want to appear on film or telly as it would mean that their act, played nightly for years with little new material but played in the main toaudiences who had never seen it before, would expire all too quickly.

The need to contstantly refresh material can kill a talent.

lloyd

I'll wiz you for that @scrumhalf I'd add that watching comedy live with a beer or two is how comedy should be enjoyed-I've watched some average comedians live which i'd probably turn over if they were on tv but had a great night due to the atmosphere etc.

lloyd

I'd also add Hale and Pace couldn't be funny live even with 10 beers down my neck....

EricTheWeary

I used to think Whose Line is it Anyway was brilliant. That has not aged well, seen a bit on Gold ( or somesuch) and oh dear God what was I thinking....