British comedy needs a new Brass Eye

Britain has always prided itself on the rich diversity of its comedy output, from trouser splitting farce to cerebral satire but our genius for tickling the world’s funny bone has reached a crisis point – something has gone terribly awry. A new report on the BBC’s TV output from regulator Ofcom has classed comedy as an ‘at risk’ genre. 

Over the last decade, the amount of original comedy on BBC channels has dropped by more than 40 per cent. This is partly to do with the cost and risk factors involved in making such a subjective art form but the problem runs deeper than mere economics. Comedy has hit a brick wall, and I don’t mean in a comedic way. 

Producers, writers and performers appear to be all out of ideas especially when it comes to creating daring satire. TV comedy in particular has become increasingly generic with a seemingly endless round of tedious panel shows hosted by the same old sneering agitprop comics taking self-satisfied pops at the same old easy targets.