Types of comedy.
Comedy may be divided into multiple genres based on the source of humour, the method of delivery, and
the context in which it is delivered.
These classifications overlap, and most comedians can fit into multiple genres. For example, deadpan
comics often fall into observational comedy, or into black comedy or blue comedy to contrast the morbidity
or offensiveness of the joke with a lack of emotion.
Type
Description
Famous comedians/comedy shows
Chris Morris, Jim Norton, Bill Hicks, Frankie
Boyle, Jimmy Carr, Denis Leary, Richard Pryor,
Black comedy deals with disturbing Ricky Gervais, Jim and Them, George Carlin, Jeff
subjects such as death, drugs,
Dunham, Chris Rush, Penn & Teller, Patrice
Black comedy terrorism, rape, and war. Some dark Oneal, Rich Vos, Jeff Duran, The League of
or dark comedy comedy is similar to the horror movie Gentlemen, Christopher Titus, Sacha Baron
genre. Television examples include
Cohen, Doug Stanhope, Brother Theodore, Tom
Lehrer, Shel Silverstein, The Chaser's War On
Brass Eye.
Everything, Monkey Dust, It's Always Sunny in
Philadelphia
Blue comedy
Eddie Murphy, Jim Davidson, Frankie Boyle, Jim
and Them, Andrew Dice Clay, Bernard Manning,
Comedy based on sexism, racism and Jeff Duran, Martin Lawrence, Roy 'Chubby'
homophobic views, often using sexual Brown, George Lopez, Doug Stanhope, Tommy
Tiernan, Jerry Sadowitz, Redd Foxx, Bob Saget,
jokes and profane language words.
Ron White, Dave Attell, Chris Rock, Derek and
Clive, Sarah Silverman, Chappelle's Show
Character
comedy
George Carlin, Andy Kaufman, Paul Eddington,
Andrew Dice Clay, Rich Hall, Tim Allen, John
Gordon Sinclair, Lenny Henry, Sacha Baron
Character comedy derives humor from
Cohen, Christopher Ryan, Steve Guttenberg, Jerry
a persona invented by a performer.
Sadowitz, Steve Coogan, Bip, Jay London, Larry
Much character comedy comes from
the Cable Guy, Sarah Silverman, Rob Brydon,
stereotypes.
Rowan Atkinson, Peter Helliar, Harry Enfield,
Margaret Cho, Little Britain, Stephen Colbert, Al
Murray
Improvisational (sometimes shortened
to improv) comics rarely plan out their
routines. Prime examples of this kind
Improvisational
of comic can be seen on the television
comedy
shows Curb Your Enthusiasm, Whose
Line Is It Anyway? and Thank God
You're Here.
Observational
comedy
Observational comedy pokes fun at
everyday life, often by inflating the
importance of trivial things or by
observing the silliness of something
that society accepts as normal.
Robin Williams, Jonathan Winters, Paula
Poundstone, Paul Merton, Tony Slattery, Josie
Lawrence, Jim Sweeney, Steve Steen, Wayne
Brady, Ryan Stiles, Colin Mochrie, Drew Carey,
Greg Proops, John Sessions, Neil Mullarkey,
Kathy Greenwood, Brad Sherwood, Chip Esten,
Jeff Davis, Jonathan Mangum.
Jerry Seinfeld, Larry David, George Carlin, Bill
Cosby, Mitch Hedberg, Billy Connolly, Ray
Romano, Chris Rush, Dane Cook, Dave Hughes,
Ricky Gervais, Janeane Garofalo, Chris Rock,
Jeff Foxworthy, Jim Gaffigan, Kathy Greenwood,
Ellen DeGeneres, Peter Kay, Daniel Tosh, Russell
Peters, Demetri Martin, Tommy Tiernan, Carl
Barron, Lee Evans, Michael Mcintyre, Kevin
Bridges, Brian Regan
Alternative
comedy
Differing from traditional punchline
jokes which features many other
forms of comedy such as Observation,
Satire, Surrealism, Slapstick and
Improvisation
Somewhat similar to slapstick, this
form of comedy uses physical
Physical comedy movement and gestures. Physical
comedy is often influenced by
clowning.
Prop comedy
Comedy that relies on ridiculous
props, casual jackets or everyday
objects used in humorous ways.
Alexei Sayle, Mark Steel, Dave Gorman, Linda
Smith, Jeremy Hardy, Ron Sparks, Alan Davies,
Jim and Them, Ben Elton, Jo Brand, Sean
Hughes, Rik Mayall, Adrian Edmonson, Malcolm
Hardee, Kristen Schaal
Jim Carrey, Norman Wisdom, Jerry Lewis, Robin
Williams, Chevy Chase, John Ritter, Conan
O'Brien, Mr. Bean, Michael Mcintyre, Lee Evans,
Max Wall, Matthew Perry, Kathy Greenwood,
The Three Stooges, Lano & Woodley, Lucille
Ball, Dane Cook, Chris Farley
Carrot Top, Jeff Dunham, Gallagher, Timmy
Mallett, The Amazing Johnathan, Jerry Sadowitz
Spike Milligan, Eddie Izzard, Ross Noble, Bill
Bailey, The Mighty Boosh, Steven Wright, Monty
Surreal humour is a form of humor
Python, Vic and Bob, The Goodies, Jack Handey,
Surreal comedy based on bizarre juxtapositions,
Harry Hill, The Kids in the Hall, Conan O'Brien,
absurd situations, and nonsense logic.
Tim and Eric, Paul Merton, Mitch Hedberg,
Firesign Theatre, Shaun Micallef.
Deadpan
comedy
Jack Dee, Jimmy Carr, Steven Wright, Peter
Not strictly a style of comedy. Telling Cook, Dylan Moran, Buster Keaton, Bill Murray,
jokes without a change in face
Jim Gaffigan, The Office, Les Dawson, Mike
Birbiglia, Mitch Hedberg, Bruce McCulloch,
expression or change in emotion
Demetri Martin, Elliott Goblet, Aubrey Plaza.
Topical
comedy/Satire
George Carlin, Bill Hicks, Chris Morris, Dennis
Miller, Conan O'Brien, David Letterman, Jay
Leno, Andy Hamilton, Bill Maher, Ian Hislop,
Topical comedy relies on
Paul Merton, Chris Morris, Kathy Griffin, Jon
headlining/important news and current
Stewart, Stephen Colbert, Stewart Lee, Rory
affairs. It dates quickly, but is a
Bremner, Ben Elton, David Cross, Lewis Black,
popular form of comedy for late night
Dave Chappelle, The Chaser, The Late Show,
talk shows.
Have I Got News For You, Mock The Week, Punt
and Dennis, Jon Holmes, The News Quiz, South
Park.
Wit/Word play
Wit and word play are more
intellectual forms of comedy based on
clever, often subtle manipulation of
language (though puns can be crude
and farcical).
Groucho Marx, Jim and Them, William
Shakespeare, Bo Burnham, Harry Hill, Jay Jason,
Oscar Wilde, Rodney Marks, Woody Allen,
George Carlin, Tim Vine, Stephen Fry, Demetri
Martin, Firesign Theatre, Myq Kaplan.
Insult Comedy
Insult comedy is a form of comedy
which consists mainly of offensive
insults directed at the performer's
audience and/or other performers.
Don Rickles, Chris Rock, Andrew Dice Clay,
Ricky Gervais, Bob Saget, Frankie Boyle, Jimmy
Carr, Jerry Sadowitz, Sam Kinison, Triumph, the
Insult Comic Dog, Roy 'Chubby' Brown, Marcus
Valerius Martialis, Jeffrey Ross, Lisa Lampanelli,
Greg Giraldo.
Mockumentary
A fiction film that parodies the
conventions of documentary style.
A comedy of embarrassment, in which
the humour comes from inappropriate
Cringe comedy actions or words. Usually popular in
television shows and film, but
occasionally in stand-up as well.
Borat, This is Spinal Tap, The Monkees, The
Rutles, Summer Heights High, Electric Apricot:
Quest for Festeroo, The Office, Bruno (character),
Parks and Recreation, Modern Family, Come Fly
with Me, Angry Boys, The Compleat Al
Ricky Gervais, Richard Herring, Stewart Lee, The
Office, Alan Partridge, Curb Your Enthusiasm,
Peep Show, The Proposal, Bob Saget, Top Gear,
The Inbetweeners
Jennifer Saunders, Monty Python, Saturday Night
Live, Chappelle's Show, Firesign Theatre, In
Living Color, Catherine Tate, A Bit of Fry &
Laurie
Sketch
A small episode of comedy practised
and recorded.
Sitcom
Seinfeld, Fawlty Towers, Black Books, Porridge,
A comedy drama creating a comic
Dad's Army, Blackadder, Gavin and Stacey, My
situation which develops over a longer
Wife and Kids, Fresh Prince of Bel Air, The
period of time than a sketch;
Office, Open All Hours, Only Fools and Horses,
commonly found as television series
Dinner Ladies, Modern Family
Musical
Comedy
A form of alternative comedy where
humor is mostly derived from music
and/or lyrics.
Spoof
French and Saunders, Mitchell and Webb, I'm
The recreating of a book, film or play
Sorry I Haven't a Clue, Hot Shots, Frankie Boyle's
for humour, it can be used to make fun
Tramadol Nights, Shriek, Peter Serafinowicz,
of or ridicule a certain production
Look Around You
Technical
Comedy
Humor involving technical persons,
and for example use of products,
Don McMillan
software and so on. Often the base of
the comedy are work situations.
Bill Bailey, Denis Leary, Tim Minchin, The
Lonely Island, Flight Of The Conchords, Les
Luthiers, Mitch Benn, Tenacious D, Spinal Tap,
Stepehen Lynch, "Weird Al" Yankovic, Bob
Rivers, Bo Burnham, Wayne Brady