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Five great bits of comedy you can watch free online

Mike Pollitt | Tuesday 25 January, 2011 13:10

Snipe recently rediscovered an old comedic friend online. A strange experience – outwardly we lol-ed rambunctiously at the jokes, inside we were crying at the remorseless passage of time. Here are five free videos from years past which will stir up some similarly mixed emotions. But mostly laughter.

Arrested Development Tribute Video

If we had to choose one video on the entire internet to take to a desert island (and we were forced to make it clean), it would be this one. Arrested Development isn’t (legally) available in full online, but this is an incredible tribute. Moment after moment of comic genius synced perfectly to the lyrics of that Peep Show theme song. If you know AD at all, this will make you happy beyond measure. If you don’t, self flagellate with a large whip for the next hour and then buy yourself a copy.

Old Stand Up

Here’s Steve Martin dicking around with some balloons. Here’s Richard Pryor talking about the word “nigger”. Here’s Stewart Lee discussing the changing parameters of morality through the ages. Seek out good stand up, reader, and ye shall find.

Not the Nine O’Clock News

Still one of the funniest sketches ever. The way Atkinson says “walking around with an offensive wife” is a thing of beauty.

Massive Landmarks of the 20th Century
No more embeds, but click through for the videos. Here is a link which will take you to a special place, a place of underrated comedy, of overblown hats, of shaky historical knowledge, of improper use of English…here is a link to the National Theatre of Brent’s magnum opus, in which two middle aged white men in suits act out the defining events of the last century. Very badly. If you have the slightest interest in history, politics, the arts, culture, comedy or human life itself, you will watch this series and you will laugh.

Clark and Michael
More Michael Cera here, this time in a low budget self made project which probably wouldn’t be much good if he wasn’t so darn cute.

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