The best comedy on demand

The best comedy on demand.

Entertainment

Or Neil Hamburger: The Movie, pretty much. In this film, directed by Rick Alverson and newly available on Netflix, Gregg Turkington plays an unnamed comedian, as grim and repulsive as his on-stage alter ego. The result is a disconcerting film about a lonely, disconnected man on the road in the Canadian desert – a weird and uncomfortable ride deconstructing a stand-up's life, but also a strangely memorable one. Here is our review. And hat-tip to New On Netflix for tracking changes to the on-demand site

We Can Be Heroes

This is the show that launched Australian comedian Chris Lilley, who would go on to make Summer Heights High based around one of the characters, spoiled schoolgirl Ja'mie King. We Can Be Heroes, subtitled Finding The Australian of the Year, told the story of five nominees for the prestigious award, including Daniel Sims (later to resurface in Lilley's Angry Boys series) who donated an eardrum to his near-deaf twin brother, and Chinese physics student Ricky Wong. It first aired down under in 2005, but BBC Three has just made it available as a box set on its website. Start here.

Shit-Faced Shakespeare

Since it's the guy's birthday… this troupe give the Bard the Drunk Histories treatment, telling the stories of his greatest plays while inebriated. It's a live show which started life at the Edinburgh Fringe - and starts a seven-week run in London's Leicester Square Theatre on Tuesday with , A Midsummer Night's Dream – but there've started making videos, too. Here's Macbeth:

Published: 23 Apr 2016