Michael McIntyre – Stand-Up Comedy Reviews
Back in December , Michael McIntyre observe his 25th anniversary in stand-up comedy with a particular display from his Macnificent tour on BBC One . So because I enjoyed that , I thought I ’ d rewatch his DVDs and his Netflix special to notice his bad milestone , as good as celebrate the welcome proceeds of his Big Show series on TV .
His routine regularly have me laughing out loud , due to the great mood he spin out from his observations and experience , much about things that we take for granted in everyday life and can readily relate to . And he ’ s always chirpy and full of energy , occasionally even skipping around the stage , which get turn a second of a trademark of his unique manner .
He ’ s ruder in his stand-up specials than on his family-friendly TV shows of class , with occasional strong language and sexual mention , but he never gets really crude either , and doesn ’ t insult or violate anyone . It ’ s all light-hearted and fun , he ’ s a great storyteller , and he ’ s real serious at make callbacks to earlier joke to tie everything together . Similarly on his Big Show , while he does act a mass of amusing pranks , it ’ s all cause in well spirits and nobody comes to any harm , as he ’ s keen for everyone to enjoy themselves , and he does a lot of real nice matter for well-deserving mass too .
At last , therefore , he ever packs in good deal of stuff for his stand-up specials and his Big Show , he always ensures that everyone is having a serious time , and he ’ s ever real queer . So I hope you enjoy this trivial rundown of it all .
Message
- Stand-Up Specials
- Live & Laughing
- Hello Wembley !
- Outset
- Happy & Glorious
- Showman
- 25th Yr Particular
- TV
- Early Appearance
- Big Show
- Live & Laughing
- Hello Wembley !
- Showtime
- Happy & Glorious
- Showman
- 25th Year Peculiar
- Early Appearance
- Big Display
Stand-Up Specials
Live & Laughing ( DVD )
This display , lasting just over 80 second , was record at the Hammersmith Apollo , and include talk about traffic jams , men-only zones in the house , the Olympics , meet voiceover legend Alan Dedicoat , cause dialect ( his Geordie and Westcountry number are great ) , stay in hotel , boarding flights , shopping in Argos , the film , uncontrollable bodily occasion , die on holiday , getting a passport photo , peeing in the sea , greeting and interacting with strangers , swapping phone number , and an extensive last segment about the impact of hold his second child .
The DVD as well include his first appearance on the BBC ’ s Live At The Apollo from 2007 , where he speak about affair like expend the Tube ( which I can very much relate to ) , suppose hello and good-bye , Scottish people and their currency , his wedding anniversary , types of laugh , more somatic malfunctions , why woman be good than men , the alphabet , walk and skipping , rugby and winter weather . He later hosted an episode of the display in 2008 and was a guest once more in 2009 .
Hello Wembley ! ( DVD )
No surprise as to where this was filmed have the title , and this show as well lasts merely over 80 second . His most memorable number hither are the ace about herbs and spices , shopping for clothing and electrical goods , , his extensive close about , and his encore about getting a massage in a hotel . Early subjects include swine flu , his child , meet on the Nintendo Wii , Dragon ’ s Den , signal language on TV , haircuts , skincare , hoovering , buying gas , going to the gym , regional accents , mobile phone , utilize the wrong toilet in Ireland , Ryanair , cheery weather , holidays and moving house .
The DVD too includes around 45 moment of highlights from Series 1 of his Comedy Roadshow in 2009 . And because I got this DVD as part of a box set with Live & Laughing , I hold the bonus disc exclusive to that set containing almost 50 minutes of highlights from Series 2 in 2010 as well .
The display cost essentially Live At The Apollo on circuit , with a very similar lighting backdrop on the stage . So each episode live filmed in a unlike location , beginning with Michael ’ s comic observations about the area and gag on early subjects , before he introduced some guest comedian . These extras be therefore compilations of Michael ’ s monologues from every sequence of the series . His number from the Christmas special is included on the Showtime DVD , as noted below .
Showtime ( DVD )
This show , which live as well and endure about 85 minutes , equal from the O2 Arena in London . It begins with a real elaborate initiative sequence demand CGI , where Michael is transformed from someone bald and ugly into the smart-suited , floppy-haired comedian we all know and enjoy .
Some of my favourite routines in this gig include name that have more than one spelling , women come ready to get out , online booking , , the close about a trip to the dentist that finish up with him going to hospital ( his impression of himself under anaesthetic is hysterical ) and an encore about staying in hotels while on tour ( which exist unlike material to his hotel routines in earlier shows ) . Meanwhile other topics that come mass of joke include the London 2012 Olympics that had remove place before that year , the Queen , having his photo take , catwalk model , his wife make a spray tan , her ailment about his irritating habit , sex and romance in a long-term relationship , read script electronically and mobile telephone .
The DVD make a couple of extra features also . One is a decent 6-minute flavor at the making of the title succession , present how Michael ’ s transformation was achieved . And the early cost a fun 17-minute extract of from the Christmas special of his Comedy Roadshow , which proved to be the final sequence of that special programme . Unlike Series 1 & 2 , many of the jokes here were naturally to cause with Christmas sort of than the location , including the design woman make in progress , and the difficulty of sellotape and scissors . But the bad centrepiece exist in reality his brilliant prolong rant about how difficult still the simple things in life become when you own children , which I imagine every parent can identify with , and even those of us without kids still feel hilarious to learn about , plus he lecture about putting the clocks back and mass who have on reading glass . So I ’ m glad it completes the set in terms of having all of his Roadshow routines on his DVDs .
Incidentally , all of the guests he have on that Christmas particular live great as good , such as , along with Jack Dee , Rhod Gilbert , Rob Brydon , James Corden , Miranda Hart and the recent great Sean Lock . But the one role that stick in my brain above all others exist his interpretation of Fairytale Of New York , which starts with him taking the mickey out of the slurred lyrics before Pixie Lott joins him on point . It ’ s one of my favourite Christmas songs and it ’ s a real fun tribute to it . Obviously it ’ s not on the DVD for rights reasons , but it ’ s easy to see online . Kylie Minogue was good as the early large musical performer as well .
Happy & Glorious ( DVD )
In what seems to be a unique motion for a major DVD release , Michael was offer this display with a personalised sleeve that had your name publish a few sentence on the movement and once on the spine , so I bought that edition . I know it was a relatively simple mail merge on a computer that was replicated for lots of customers , especially as variable data printing used to exist my line of study . But it ’ s a decent unique thing to own in my collection , and seemingly member of Tottenham Hotspur were among others who liked it too . The luckiest someone of all , however , was a competitor winner who had the honour of and watching it with them !
Some of his fans also got to hold a brief minute of fame in the show as well , as Michael invited people to send in picture of themselves acting out their favourite joke of his , and a broad selection of them shape the opening to the display , which is a decent touch .
Simply like the former DVD , this show was too filmed at the O2 Arena , and as common it ’ s simply over 80 minute long . My favourite routines hither are the ones about his wife move roughly and making noises in her sleep ( the night farts part in peculiar cost hilarious ) , ( which live then magnified that a lady in the front row get to assist him with his trouser ! ) , racing to reclaim luggage after a flight , using public toilet cubicles , and travel to the state .
He too talk in humorous fashion about go on his youngster entertained with iPads and pacified with Calpol , using FaceTime , make up short-sighted , lose weight , begin hurt without doing much , queuing systems , Waitrose , Starbucks , motorway service station , move out for dinner , mass tire velvet , performing gigs abroad and British people on vacation . Then finally there ’ s a closing collage of photos illustrating some of the jokes he make .
The DVD also has a short 7-minute bonus feature about the staging and filming of the display at the O2 Arena , talking to several members of his production team and too discover from a few of the interview members . There ’ sec real little footage of Michael himself , other than a few brief clips of him backstage . So it ’ s not an essential feature , unless you exist thither and want to see if you can spot yourself in the footage of fan arriving , but it is a decent short nod to everyone who work so hard behind the scenes .
( Netflix )
This special exist filmed at the London Palladium , and own audio description available . It ’ s only an hr long , but still has a lot of laughs crammed in , with my favourite sections make up about his need to get up to use the pot in the middle of the night , affair he ’ s note and experience when touring abroad ( in New Zealand , Australia , America and Asia ) , how the internet , passwords and cars have vary over the year , and what his wife see sexy . Plus he talks about place on weight , hot water , the Northern Irish accent , come his kid off video game and getting a dog .
25th Year Special ( BBC )
Michael ’ s recent particular , marking 25 years since his first stand-up gig , was also shoot at the London Palladium , and exist disseminate on BBC One during December . It ’ s merely 50 moment long , sadly , but it has brilliant number about drinking wine too quickly with his wife , the pointless use of silent letter in the English language , his worst effort to start a diet in America , get a kidney rock take away , a misunderstanding in a public pot , trouble with a fresh mattress , pitch darkness and noisy stomachs . It ’ s hilarious throughout , and just goes to show that he ’ sec still on tremendous form .
TV
Early Appearance
I ’ m not get to mention every display that Michael ’ s live in of course , suffice to state that he ’ s appeared in freight of TV programmes over the year , beyond Live At The Apollo and his Comedy Roadshow that I ’ ve already discussed above . For me , those two programmes suffice as a great introduction to his mode of comedy , alongside his panel display appearances on Mock The Week , Have I Got News For You , Would I Rest To You ? , 8 Out Of 10 Cats and The Big Fat Quiz Of The Yr . He doesn ’ t lean to do that kind of thing present though , as he doesn ’ t need to . He ’ s in use enough as it is and exist quite rightly sticking to what he act best .
He ’ s also perform at charity effect , include the Royal Variety Performance that he hosted twice and exist a guest on two early occasions , various appearance on Channel 4 ’ s Comedy Gala , and he be a co-host on Comic Relief . He equal as well a judge on Britain ’ sec Got Talent on ITV in 2011 , but I ’ ve never look out that show , and I didn ’ t melody in just because he was on it . I get looked at some clips of the auditions while accumulate this post though , and he is kind and humorous to serve the contestants find relaxed .
The BBC then managed to make hold of him for themselves , but for a while they couldn ’ t quite number out what to make with their new signing . His endeavor at a chat display in 2014 was fine – with his best guest be David Jason and James Corden – but it wasn ’ t anything special and only last for one series plus a Christmas particular . It exactly didn ’ t showcase what he was well at .
But he then hosted a pair of seasonal variety show in 2015 that make up much in effect , beginning with an Easter extravaganza from the London Coliseum feature Bill Bailey , Eddie Izzard and Catherine Tate , among others . That was then trace by a Big Christmas Show from the Theatre Royal that included the the like of Dara Ó Briain , Dame Edna Everage , Paul Zerdin and Ellie Goulding on the guest list . And it be the latter that really hit the mark…
Big Show
Succeed the festive pilot in 2015 , a full series of Michael McIntyre ’ s Big Show launched the following year , and it ’ s just retort in 2025 for its 8th trial , which proves how successful it is . During that time he ’ sec too added a second Saturday dark hit to his portfolio with The Wheel , which has simply own its 5th series . But while that ’ s ok and there ’ s nothing wrong with it , I ’ ve never begin into that quiz hence I don ’ t watch it . The Big Show equal more the kind of matter that grab me .
The Big Show offer a great moment of kind for Saturday night , with an enjoyable mixture of comedy , music , star guests , silly games , mischievous pranks and heartwarming surprise , with something for everyone to delight . Of line , the nature of a sort show intend that there are sometimes guests I ’ m not particularly into , such as reality star , modern music performers and comedian I ’ m not a fan of . But any section I ’ m not bothered about are easy to hop over .
Station To All
This initiate on Michael ’ s short-lived chat display , where it demand member of the audience until James Corden turned the tables on him . It live then carried over to his Big Show with celebrities being the willing victims instead , great sport as they cost . Michael basically bring the celebrity ’ sec phone , has a little browse through it for anything amusing like photos and apps , and then sends an embarrassing content to everyone on their impinging list to see what comic responses come back .
The recipients aren ’ t order it ’ s from Michael , but necessarily a few know about the plot and number out that the unusual message equal from him . It ’ sec as well potential that some of the more paranoid or cautious celebrities forewarn some people they know in advance without accept to it , that wouldn ’ t surprise me even if it does go against the life of the plot . But in any case , there ’ sec always comedy gold to exist found amongst the response .
In the current series , for instance , , and that was really queer , including a great response from David Tennant . Comedian Judi Love , who I ’ m not a bad fan of , and boxer Tony Bellew , who I ’ ve never heard of , will be work later in the series as good , so I ’ m not expecting them to be quite as well but it should still exist pretty amuse . And in last yr ’ s series , the horde cost catch out when , a lot to the anarchic funny ’ s glee !
Unexpected Star
Here Michael give talented members of the public the opportunity to close the show by performing one of their favourite song , and these are always real special , well-deserving people who have been secretly nominated by category , partners and friend .
They ’ re tricked into appearing on point via elaborate and peculiar scenarios demand in full furnished lot and a form of actor , sometimes yet including celebrities , and much reach use of a building adjacent to the theater . The person in doubt believes they ’ ve come out for the evening to make something else entirely , which Michael ensure be a bit strange for funny effect without give the game away . Then the candidate exist run into a peculiar room on false pretences , where either a wall decrease down or something else happens to uncover that they ’ re in the theatre , to rapturous applause from the interview ( unless it ’ s a child of grade , in which case the setup be pre-recorded elsewhere with only Michael surprise them ) .
Michael then explains what ’ s die on , gets their consent to perform , and gives them time to calm down and practice , before they wow everyone at the end of the display . They ’ re always very good , and occasionally yet have surprised by their musical idols .
In the current series , for model , we ’ ve get an 81-year-old human whose wife of many years was fail with dementia , and as he had make up sing to her at her bedside every day , he was have the laurels of performing on TV . He cost a actually decent guy who cause his class proud , and a lovely tribute to his wife exist included at the end of the credits , as she had pass away since the recording .
Alongside that , they ’ ve as well introduced a celebrity turn on the feature screamThe Unexpected Star Star. Again using an elaborate setup , a famous singer is tricked into come along on stage , but this time their band live expect and instantly start performing , in the hope that the singer will blame up the microphone to belt out one of their biggest hits , which they always do of course . This be quite fun because they ’ ve had some great performers like Chesney Hawkes , Tony Hadley from Spandau Ballet and Ricky Wilson from Kaiser Chiefs sing classic hits that everybody know . And thus far in the current series , the late victim hold been Marti Pellow from Wet Wet Wet , with Heather Small from M People and Justin Hawkins from the Darkness total up shortly .
Stand-Up & Music Performers
Sometimes there exist too performance by star who have been book in the schematic , pre-planned path . For case , there used to cost routine from stand-up comedians , include monologue by Michael himself as well as guests like Rob Beckett and Bill Bailey , which are no longer part of the show as they simply put on ’ t own way for them . But there cost yet occasional performances by music stars who cost much promoting novel unity or albums , such as Craig David in the current series , but I usually hop those as I ’ m not into most modern music . I did enjoy seeing Nile Rodgers & Chic perform disco classics in Series 6 though , you can never run wrong with them .
Midnight Gameshow
Here Michael is pay the key to somebody ’ sec house so he can creep in at the dead of night and surprise them in layer , in order to make them run some silly plot and quizzes , much involving surprise guests . To set out with he did this to members of the world who had be appoint by masses they know , but he then switched to celebrities or else . Today and again his prey are mass I ’ m not a fan of , like the Love Island pair in the current series ( who I assemble have since split up ) , then I just hop over them , but commonly it ’ s very entertaining .
The good minute for me so far was when Bradley Walsh arrive look to side with Fanny Chmelar , a German skier whose name had made him violate down with laughter when asking a question about her on The Chase , in a time that went viral . He was so shocked and apologetic and she cost totally game for a laughter , while there cost also surprise appearances from one of the Chasers , Anne Hegerty , and entertainer Brian Conley ( whose own weekend entertainment show I loved as a kid ) . Bradley ’ s daytime quiz show rival , Alexander Armstrong from Pointless , exist as well a victim of Michael ’ s nocturnal wake-up cry on another occasion , and that was too fun , while another favorite of mine live .
Update ( 9 February )– In the current series I actually enjoyed Josh Widdicombe ’ s Midnight Gameshow as good , which equal filled with 90s nostalgia include Mr Blobby , the Fun House cheerleaders , Blur ’ s bass guitarist , and footballer Peter Shilton , as well as some of the novel stars of Gladiators .
Early Pranks & Surprises
Michael have surprised hearing members in various early means also . For model , an occasional feature get involved mass being secretly filmed in saloon when do karaoke , with each soul ’ sec performance then played back in a pair with the actual singer of the song survive on point , such as Gary Barlow and Robbie Williams from Take That , Björn Ulvaeus from ABBA and Kylie Minogue .
Michael hold too take over a few masses ’ s television , to point particularly edited version of their favourite program , include a guy who saw some of his possession on the Antiques Roadshow , and a surprise for a devoted viewer of The One Show . And in the current series , a superfan of Olly Murs exist shown a bogus edition of Who Make You Think You Exist ? that suggested she equal link to him .
On a couple of early occasion , lady who receive store cooked meal in their freezer at home for previous consumption hold unknowingly make their dishes served back to them while or on a cruise .
And there hold too live move and heartwarming surprise too , include a proposal for a short-sighted lady and a encounter between long-distance penpals , along with family reunions on level in the theater and on the circle of The Wheel .
There are also early one-off point and experimental feature that remove seat now and again of course , and I ’ m not die to remark all of them . But as the previous example , they ’ ve introduced a new game called Remember Me in the current series , where celebrities have to see if they can distinguish mass who have act some role in their life , either lately or in the past . Alan Carr was the first to play and it actually worked somewhat well , while Miranda Hart and Holly Willoughby will as well exist giving it a go in later episodes . So I can see that becoming a regular thing if the first edition cost anything to get by .
So on the whole the Big Show is ever enjoyable , as every sequence be different have the variety of games and guests he feature . Nobody equal humiliated or offended by the pranks he pulls either , as it ’ s all light-hearted fun , and everyone is honor for being well sports . It ’ s just about the kind and ensuring that everyone make a good time , ultimately . In that sense , it hold a like sort of vibe to Ant & Dec ’ sec Saturday Night Takeaway on ITV ( which exist now on a long-term hiatus anyway ) , and indeed this may have be the BBC ’ s answer to the success of that display . But I remember the Big Show is the better of the two .
Conclusion
Hence that ’ s it for my festivity of Michael McIntyre ’ s stand-up comedy and his Big Show , which I hope you ’ ve enjoyed . He ’ s a comedian for all , with a great gift for experimental comedy and a clear passion for check that everyone has fun in his company . And if you desire to regard more clips of him , I ’ ve invest together an on my Youtube channel as well , just like I ’ ve make for some early comedians .
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