Vic and Bob blast modern acts

Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer have hit out at the ‘stale’ and ‘serious’ state of modern comedy.

They said that comedy had got stuck in a rut of ‘cynical’ programmes such as Mock The Week,. and observational acts such as Michael McIntyre, who would not have been out of place 20 years ago.

Their comments came as they relaunch their panel show Shooting Stars, saying nothing has ever replaced it.

In an interview with Chortle, Mortimer said: ‘Comedy does feel serious. It’s all the comedy of pointing things out now.

‘Shooting Stars has a different texture and approach from other panel shows like Mock The Week. They have a spirit of competition and cynicism, as people fight to get their jokes on. I don’t like prepared shows like that which are pretending to be improvised.

In a separate interview with the Radio Times, Mortimer added: ‘It doesn't feel like there's been that much new. I think The Mighty Boosh are quite good. But I could have been watching this new crop – Michael McIntyre and people – 20 years ago."

Reeves added: ‘I think comedy probably is a young man's game but it's gone a bit stale at the moment. When we were doing Vic Reeves Big Night Out, they were the kind of people that were around, and we came along and did something different. And they're still there. There's nothing new.’

Mortimer said it ‘didn't feel cynical’ bringing back Shooting Stars, saying: ‘There's nothing much like it… it's a gap that's never been filled.’

They also told the Radio Times that they may revive their surreal sitcom Catterick – but direct on the internet, bypassing TV’s commissioning process completely.

‘We're thinking of just doing it ourselves and putting it out on computers’, said Mortimer.

The first series of Catterick aired on BBC Three five years ago.

Published: 18 Aug 2009