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What are the best comedic acting performances in TV shows?


GivenToFly

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I think the award for best ever should go to Nigel Hawthorne as Sir Humphrey Appleby in Yes Minister.

Runners-up Peter Capaldi as Malcolm Tucker in The Thick of It from the UK and Michael Richards as Kramer in Seinfeld from the US.

I also feel the need to mention John McGinley (Dr Cox) and Neil Flynn (Janitor) in Scrubs, Ed O'Neill (Al) in Married with Children, Gary Shandling (Larry) and Jeffrey Tambor (Hank) in The Larry Sanders Show, and for currently running shows Don Glover (Troy) and Danny Puddy (Abed) in Community and Chris Pratt (Andy) in Parks and Recreation. Special mention for someone not in their shows main cast: Patrick Warburton (Puddy) in Seinfeld.

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Guest Len B'stard

Warren Mitchell - Alf Garnett

Harry H Corbett - Harold Steptoe

Wilfred Brambell - Albert Steptoe

Rik Mayall - The New Statesman

Robert Lindsay - Citizen Smith

The entire cast of Only Fools & Horses

Tony Hancock - Hancocks Half Hour

Rowan Atkinson - Blackadder

Rik Mayall & Adrian Edmondson - Bottom

Best ever? Harry H Corbett :)

Edited by sugaraylen
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Jackie Gleason and Art Carney in The Honeymooners

Garry Shandling and Jeffrey Tambor in The Larry Sanders Show

Alf in Alf

Lucille Ball in I Love Lucy

Peter Boyle in Everybody Loves Raymond

Ted Knight in The Mary Tyler Moore Show

John Ritter and Norman Fell in Three's Company

Chris Elliott in Get A Life

Ty Burrell in Modern Family

Ed O'Neill in Married With Children

Bob Newhart in The Bob Newhart Show

Bob Newhart in Newhart

Estelle Getty and Betty White in The Golden Girls

Redd Foxx in Sanford And Son

Bernie Mac in The Bernie Mac Show

Bud Abbott and Lou Costello in The Abbott And Costello Show

the whole cast of Cheers

Martin Lawrence in Martin

Kelsey Grammer and David Hyde Pierce in Frasier

Nick Offerman in Parks And Recreation

Danny DeVito in Taxi

Rainn Wilson and Steve Carrell in The Office

Jason Alexander in Seinfeld

Larry David in Curb Your Enthusiasm

Tracy Morgan in 30 Rock

Will Arnett and David Cross in Arrested Development

Edited by axl666axl666
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For me, nobody has better comedic timing than Ricky Gervais in the The Office (the original series, of course).

I was thinking of mentioning him but I get the feeling that he just plays himself.

I'd consider his role in Extras to be along those lines. I've never seen a character with less self introspection or humility as David Brent. Ricky Gervais doesn't strike me as someone who shares those character traits. Listen to his podcasts with Stephen Merchant and Karl Pilkington and you'll hear a real difference between the two.

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John Cleese - Fawlty Towers

Amy Sedaris - Strangers with Candy

Laurie Metcalfe - Roseanne

Jason Alexander, Julia Louis Dreyfus - Seinfeld

Everyone - Arrested Development

Jeffrey Tambor - The Larry Sanders Show

Bryan Cranston, Jane Kaczmarek, the creepy little blonde boy - Malcolm in the Middle

Alec Baldwin, Tracy Morgan, Jane Krakowski - 30 Rock

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Ripping Yarns is possibly my favourite comedy series (rate it over Python) so Palin gets a mention from me for sure.

The guys from the Young Ones, Blackadder, French and Saunders and Alexei Sayle (who is that fat bastard?)

I also love Jason Alexander as George Costanza, and as Downzy mentioned Ricky Gervais who is my favourite of the present day.

Edited by DR DOOM
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Charlie Day in It's Always Sunny. It's tough to pick one of them, but he'd get my pick.

Was thinking of posting that + Danny Devito. They are a superb comedy team that I don't think gets enough recognition. Danny's character does go off and do a lot of stuff with Mac/Dennis at times, but he and Charlie are truly made for each other.

Edited by OmarBradley
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The entire cast of Red Dwarf.

David Mitchell in Peep Show/That Mitchell and Webb Look

The entire cast of Father Ted.

Julian Barrett and Noel Fielding in The Mighty Boosh.

Ford Kiernan and Greg Hemphill in Still Game.

Rab Florence and Iain Connell in Burnistoun.

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