When did Frankie Boyle become so boring?

In the never-ending debate about left-wing bias in BBC comedy, a more crucial issue tends to be overlooked. Namely, that the deeper problem with much of the material is that it is predictable, boring and geared towards applause rather than laughs. That most of it is also marinated in what passes for left-wing politics today, replete with all the usual talking points and lame anti-Toryism, is almost a second-order issue. Expressing a high-status opinion now takes precedence over actually landing a punchline. So much so that I’m not convinced your average anti-Tory genuinely finds this stuff funny either.

Frankie Boyle’s New World Order on BBC Two is an interesting case in point. Unlike, say, the insufferably politically correct Mash Report, recently departed to Dave after failing to find an audience on the BBC, it has at its helm one of the more talented mainstream comics of his generation. Boyle’s facility with words and his caustic, nihilistic view of the world has proved an irresistible combination for comedy fans and sick-joke-loving sixth formers alike since his Mock the Week days.