The History of London Comedy and Humour (1961–present)

Executive Summary: London has long been the crucible of British comedy. In the early 1960s a new generation of Oxbridge comedians – Peter Cook, Dudley Moore, Alan Bennett, Jonathan Miller and colleagues – broke with traditional variety and launched the “satire boom” with stage revues like Beyond the Fringe (London 1961) and TV shows like That Was the Week That Was. This irreverent, intellectual humour flourished on BBC and in London clubs (e.g. Peter Cook’s Establishment Club) in the 1960s, and gave way in the late 1960s to the anarchic style of Monty Python’s Flying Circus (BBC 1969–74). The Python team, themselves Oxbridge graduates, brought surreal absurdism to TV, mocking everything from class and the monarchy to TV itself.

The alternative comedy revolution of the late 1970s-80s was likewise rooted in London. Inspired by American countercultural comedians, Don Ward opened The Comedy Store (Soho, 1979), where young comics (Alexei Sayle, Rik Mayall, Dawn French, Ade Edmondson, etc.) shouted down racist/sexist jokes and introduced a politically-aware, anti-establishment style. The Comic Strip club (London, 1980) and TV series (The Comic Strip Presents…, Channel 4 1982–88) carried that alt-comedy style into the mainstream. Improv groups like the Comedy Store Players (formed 1985) and North-London clubs (Downstairs at the King’s Head, 1981) sustained a live comedy scene. On television, comedies such as Not the Nine O’Clock News (BBC2 1979–82) and The Young Ones (BBC2 1982–84) showcased the new generation of politically-charged humour. The 1984–96 puppet show Spitting Image famously skewered Margaret Thatcher and other politicians, attracting audience peaks of ~15 million.

From the 1990s onward, London comedy has diversified and globalized. Trailblazers like Dawn French, Jennifer Saunders and Victoria Wood proved that women could headline comedy on TV. Channel 4 and BBC nurtured new sitcoms and stand-up showcases – for example Saunders’ Absolutely Fabulous (1992), Steve Coogan’s Alan Partridge, and The Office (2001, later remade in the U.S.). Meanwhile radio and panel shows (e.g. Just a Minute, QI), and a flourishing comedy-club circuit, kept live humour alive. In the 21st century, the internet and streaming have widened influence: London-based comics (e.g. Sacha Baron Cohen, Ricky Gervais) have achieved worldwide fame, and digital platforms host UK stand-up clips and podcasts. Social issues (class, race, gender, immigration, Brexit, etc.) now provide frequent targets, keeping London comedy both topical and controversial.

In summary, from the 1960s satire boom to the 1980s alt-comedy wave and into the digital age, London’s comedy scene has continuously reinvented itself. Anchored in key venues (West End theatres, Soho clubs, BBC/ITV studios) and driven by iconic figures/groups, it has both reflected and influenced British culture and politics, with humour as a barometer of changing social moods. The timeline below and the detailed analysis that follows trace this rich history.

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1960s – The Satire Boom and Establishment-Rebelling Comedy

In the early 1960s London saw a satire boom led by former Cambridge/Athens Footlights performers. The stage revue Beyond the Fringe (originally a 1960 student revue) opened in the West End in May 1961 and was an instant sensation. Starring Peter Cook, Dudley Moore, Alan Bennett and Jonathan Miller, it “started something of a revolution in humour” by mocking the political and social elite. That same year Peter Cook founded The Establishment in Soho (Oct 1961), London’s first dedicated satirical club, where Bernard Levin, plus Private Eye founders, mixed journalism and comedy. In 1962 the BBC launched That Was The Week That Was (TW3), a weekly TV satire presented by David Frost, which lampooned politicians and media in prime time. These venues and shows reflected a youthful impatience: as one account notes, the 1960s satire boom “opened up the way for a fresh, inventive generation of young comedy writer-performers to flourish on TV”, challenging class deference and taboo topics.

By late 1963–64 the original satire boom ran its course. TW3 was cancelled in late 1963, and Cook’s Establishment club closed in 1964. However, the changes it brought were lasting. Comedy had become more satirical and modern. For example, Private Eye magazine (founded 1961 in London) cemented satire in print. Crucially, this period bred the generation that would define British humour for decades – Monty Python’s Flying Circus launched in 1969, born of the same Oxbridge scene. The “boom” helped topple earlier norms: as Cambridge Footlights veteran Terry Jones later reflected, in the 1960s “the class system had a stranglehold… There are no taboo areas with humour – nothing you can’t make fun of”.

1970s – Monty Python and New TV Comedy

London’s comedy scene in the 1970s was dominated by the legacy of the 1960s and by television. The six members of Monty Python (John Cleese, Michael Palin, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, Graham Chapman, Terry Gilliam) were all Cambridge/Oxford alumni who had cut their teeth on sketch shows (At Last the 1948 Show, Do Not Adjust Your Set, etc.). Their own series Monty Python’s Flying Circus (BBC, 1969–74) took absurdist sketches into peak viewership, satirising the monarchy, religion, science, class, and the medium of TV itself. The BBC’s history notes that “the 1960s satire boom opened up the way” for this new wave of writer-performers, and indeed Python’s popularity grew into an international phenomenon (even George Harrison quipped that the Beatles’ spirit had passed to Monty Python). Python also played London stages (e.g. Fortune Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue), and London film production of Holy Grail (1975) further cemented its global impact.

Rowan Atkinson emerged in the 1970s as well. A Footlights alumnus like Cleese, he co-created Not the Nine O’Clock News (BBC2, 1979–82) from London studios. This satirical sketch show – featuring Atkinson, Griff Rhys Jones, Pamela Stephenson and Mel Smith – was a hit, and it in turn birthed series like Blackadder (1983–89) in which Atkinson starred. In stand-up, Billy Connolly (Scotland) and others toured UK clubs; Connolly notably voiced the Welsh guard in Python’s Holy Grail after meeting Chapman in London. Overall, 1970s London comedy was still largely TV-driven (BBC, ITV) and performer-driven. The Beyond the Fringe alumni continued to influence: Peter Cook and Dudley Moore did stage and TV work (e.g. BBC’s Not Only… But Also), and Jonathan Miller later directed theatre. Yet the 1970s also prepared the ground for change: by decade’s end mainstream shows were seen as stale, setting the stage for the alternative comedy surge.

1980s – Alternative Comedy Revolution

The late-1970s/1980s saw a British alternative comedy explosion, and London was its epicentre. In May 1979 Don Ward opened The Comedy Store in Soho (Dean Street). He had seen the American comedy-club scene and wanted to replicate its spirit: “complete evening of alternative comedy,” he said. Initially a small drag night, it soon became a stage for loud, young London comics. Ironically, this new scene often rebelled against the old generation’s prejudices – comics telling racist or sexist jokes were publicly gonged off the stage, making way for the anti-establishment voices. Key performers included Alexei Sayle (the first headliner), Rik Mayall, Ade Edmondson, Nigel Planer, Jeanette (French) and Dawn (Saunders) French, Mark Steel, Tony Allen, and others. Many of these acts had parallels in the capital’s universities or art colleges, but they converged in Soho’s pubs and clubs.

Image: The Comedy Store (Soho, London), opened May 1979, rapidly became the capital’s hub of “alternative comedy”, a politically-charged live scene.

In 1980 London saw a major institutional expansion of alt-comedy. Producer Peter Richardson opened The Comic Strip club (Raymond Revuebar, Soho) in 1980. He recruited top Comedy Store talent (Mayall, Edmondson, French & Saunders, Alexei Sayle) and, crucially, secured support from Channel 4 for The Comic Strip Presents… (1982–88). This series of short films brought alternative humour to nationwide TV: its anarchic style and star ensemble “legitimately claim[ed] to be the man who brought alternative comedy to television”. Other London venues also embraced alt-comedy: Downstairs at the King’s Head in Crouch End (opened 1981) became a focal club in North London. By 1985 the Comedy Store Players, an improv troupe fronted by a young Mike Myers, began weekly performances in London; members included Paul Merton, Josie Lawrence, Neil Mullarkey and more.

The style and demographics of 1980s comedy shifted markedly. Alt comedians tended to reject sexism, racism and class snobbery. As one Comedy Store history notes, “comics with racist or sexist jokes would often find themselves quickly ‘gonged’ off, making room for a new ‘alternative’ genre fresh and innovative”. Women gained prominence: French & Saunders were pioneers of this 1980s stand-up set, and along with Victoria Wood, Jo Brand and Tracey Ullman they “blazed a trail” for female comedy on TV. British Asian and Black voices began to emerge (e.g. Lenny Henry – who started on The Black and White Minstrel Show – headlined his own BBC specials, and Graeme Lee of Atlanta, etc.). Politically, the era’s turmoil – Thatcherism and the miners’ strike, inner-city unrest – became fodder for satire and stand-up routines.

Beyond clubs, televised comedy in the 1980s began reflecting alt sensibilities. The Young Ones (BBC2 1982–84), featuring Mayall and Edmondson, brought anarchic chaos and counterculture into sitcom form. Panel shows and late-night stand-up series also appeared (e.g. Granada’s Brighton Belles). Meanwhile, the satirical puppet show Spitting Image (ITV, 1984–96) became a London media event. Spitting Image’s latex caricatures of Ronald Reagan, Margaret Thatcher, Neil Kinnock, etc., were produced in London and watched by up to 15 million people. Its success signalled that political satire had reached mass appeal: the BBC notes it “satirised the Thatcher and Major governments… with unprecedented boldness”.

Image: Margaret Thatcher puppet from Spitting Image (ITV, 1984–96), shot in London studios. The show’s crude caricatures (e.g. Thatcher’s exuberant likeness above) lampooned 1980s politics and famously drew peak audiences of ~15 million.

1990s – New Voices and Mainstream Success

By the 1990s the comedy landscape had broadened. The alt-comics of the 1980s segued into mainstream fame. For example, Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders (both London-based) had success with TV sketch shows (French & Saunders, 1987–) and sitcoms. Saunders’s Absolutely Fabulous (BBC2, 1992–2012) skewered ‘90s media culture with an unapologetic tone; critics note it “captured the 90s excess and hedonism of a pre-crash, post-Thatcher era”. The BFI highlights Saunders and French as “pioneers of the 1980s ‘alternative comedy’ stand-up set”, and notes that by the 1990s they, along with Victoria Wood, Tracey Ullman and Jo Brand, “blazed a trail for women in both stand-up and on television”. Victoria Wood (Lancashire-born but London-televised) became nationally adored for her musical sketch show (As Seen on TV, 1985–87) and sitcom Dinnerladies (BBC2, 1998–2000), famed for its sharp observations of everyday life.

Other diverse voices also took centre stage in the 1990s. Tracey Ullman (a London-born comic) became the first British woman with her own sketch show in both the UK and the US. Grime-era and Black British comedy began to surface: for instance, Meera Syal and Sanjeev Bhaskar’s Goodness Gracious Me (BBC Radio4, then TV 1998–2015) was the first British-Asian sketch show and poked fun at cultural stereotypes with satirical zest. Stand-up venues in London continued to thrive, and TV panel shows exploded (e.g. Have I Got News For You from 1990, Never Mind the Buzzcocks, etc.), reflecting a more polished and media-savvy comedy style.

On the production side, Channel 4 (launched 1982) and ITV expanded comedy output. London studios saw sitcoms like Men Behaving Badly (1992–99) and Game On (1995–98, starring Rik Mayall) that traded on 90s domestic and youth culture. Meanwhile, radio comedy remained important: I’m Sorry I Haven’t a Clue and Just a Minute (BBC Radio4) continued long runs, and new radio shows (like Dead Ringers, 2000) satirised news. Overall the 1990s saw comedy absorb the alt-comedy changes and sell them back to a wider audience via TV and radio, while also slowly beginning to export British humour back abroad (for example, Absolutely Fabulous was remade and Mr. Bean became an international film star).

2000s–2010s – Digital Era, Diversity, and Global Reach

The 21st century in London comedy has been marked by globalization and digital media. British humour styles have become international commodities (often via London talent). For example, Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant’s The Office (BBC2, 2001–03), shot in London, pioneered “mockumentary” sitcom style and was remade in numerous countries. Rowan Atkinson’s Mr. Bean (TV 1990s, films 1997 onward) remained popular worldwide, and other UK acts (Sacha Baron Cohen with Ali G and Borat; Russell Brand; John Oliver*; etc.) have often roots in the London scene. Comedy festivals like the Edinburgh Fringe (though not London) grew ties to the city’s comedians, but London also hosts its own festival circuit and fringe clubs.

Internet and social media have further transformed comedy. London-based comedians use YouTube, podcasts, and streaming to reach audiences. For instance, sketch groups (Pappy’s, The Pin) and solo acts (Michael McIntyre, Jack Whitehall, Sarah Millican) have large online followings. During the COVID-19 pandemic (2020–21), UK comedians pivoted to digital: series like The Show Must Go Online (a virtual Shakespeare) or livestream stand-up became common, preserving comedy despite lockdowns. By 2025–26, clubs like The Comedy Store have reopened with new formats, often supplementing live shows with recordings or streaming specials.

Social and political issues continue to fuel London comedy. Class and identity remain frequent targets (e.g. Stewart Lee’s routines on smug elites; Romesh Ranganathan and other comics on race/multicultural London). The 2016 Brexit referendum produced a wave of topical shows – performers from Al Murray to Bridget Christie famously rewrote entire Fringe sets to address the result. In recent years satire shows (Brexitcast spin-offs, panel shows like Mock the Week and Have I Got News For You) and puppet revivals (the Spitting Image reboot on BritBox, 2020) have kept the political lampoon alive. Moreover, streaming services (BritBox, Netflix) have started to commission UK comedy (e.g. The Witchfinder, Breeders), often London-centered in production.

London comedy also grapples with diversity: efforts to broaden voices have accelerated. By 2020 the comedy circuit has many Black, Asian and LGBTQ+ stars (e.g. Nish Kumar, Ali Wong, Sophie Duker). Praise and criticism have followed: debates on ‘cancel culture’ and free speech often involve comedians. Economically, the industry has shifted – fewer TV variety shows but a booming global stand-up tour circuit. Awards (Olivier Awards for comedy plays, Edinburgh Comedy Awards) show a maturing industry.

In terms of stylistic trends, British comedy remains plural: satire and political humour (in Spitting Image, news satire shows), absurdism (a legacy of Python seen in The Mighty Boosh, Inside No.9), observational stand-up (Michael McIntyre, Omid Djalili), character-driven sketch (Peter Kay’s routines, Catherine Tate’s characters), and edgy alternative (Stewart Lee’s meta-comedy, Victoria Wood’s nostalgic sketches). London’s institutions – the BBC in Portland Place, ITV and Channel 4 studios, clubs like The Comedy Store and The Stand, the West End theatres – continue to anchor production and performance. Meanwhile, international influence flows both ways: Americans and others regularly cite Python, Goon Show, or Office as inspirations, while UK comedians tour globally.

The tables and timeline below summarize key events, shows and venues in London comedy from 1961 to today:

Timeline of Key Events:

1961Beyond the Fringeopens inLondon【4†L93-L100】【78†L151-L155】(satire boom begins)1962TV satire *That WasThe Week That Was*(BBC) debuts1963*TW3*cancelled【78†L126-L134】(satire boom ends)1964Peter Cook’sEstablishment clubcloses【78†L138-L143】1969Monty Python’sFlying Circus (BBC)premieres1979The Comedy Storeopens inSoho【6†L61-L68】(alternative comedy)1980The Comic Strip clubopens(Soho)【33†L183-L189】;Channel   4’s *ComicStrip Presents…*begins (1982)1982BBC sitcom *TheYoung Ones* debuts(hits alt-comedyscene)1984Puppet satire*Spitting Image*premieres(ITV)【39†L219-L228】1992Jennifer Saunders’s*AbsolutelyFabulous* debuts(BBC)【49†L156-L160】1998*Goodness GraciousMe* (BBC Asiansketch show)premieres【49†L169-L174】2001Ricky Gervais’s *TheOffice* (BBC) debuts,goes global2016Brexit referendum –comedians from AlMurray to BridgetChristie rewriteshows on thefly【37†L179-L187】2020*Spitting Image* isrebooted onBritBox【39†L239-L243】;COVID-19 forcesstand-up online2025Live comedy returnspost-pandemic;streaming specialsproliferateLondon Comedy Timeline (1960s–2020s)

Show code

Major Shows/Venues/Acts:

Show/Venue/Act

Dates

Style/Notes

Impact/Significance

Beyond the Fringe

1961 (London)

Cambridge Footlights satire revue

Kicked off the 1960s satire boom in London

That Was The Week That Was (BBC)

1962–63

Television political satire (BBC2)

Made TV satire mainstream (cancelled 1963)

The Establishment (Club)

1961–64

Soho satirical club (Peter Cook)

Hub of London satire; closed 1964

Monty Python’s Flying Circus

1969–74

Surreal sketch comedy (BBC)

Redefined UK humour, global cult success

Not the Nine O’Clock News

1979–82

TV satire/sketch (BBC2)

Launched stars (Atkinson, etc.); still remembered

The Comedy Store (Club)

1979–present

Soho comedy club

Birthplace of “alternative” stand-up

Comic Strip / The Comic Strip Presents…

1980 (club), 1982–88 (TV)

Alt-comedy club & Channel 4 sketch film series

Brought alt-comedy into TV mainstream

Spitting Image (TV show)

1984–96 (revived 2020)

TV puppet satire

Satirised Thatcher/Major; 15m viewers at peak

French & Saunders (TV/show)

1987–

Sketch duo (London)

Pioneers of 1980s alt-comedy on TV; opened doors for women

Goodness Gracious Me (radio/TV)

1998–2015

BBC Asian British sketch comedy

Broke new ground for multi-ethnic British comedy

Absolutely Fabulous

1992–2012

Sitcom (BBC)

Iconic ’90s satirical sitcom (created by Jennifer Saunders)

The Office (BBC)

2001–03

Mockumentary sitcom

International hit; influenced modern comedy formats

Comedy Store Players (troupe)

1985–present

London improv group (Comedy Store Soho)

Spawned careers (Paul Merton, Mike Myers, etc.)

Downstairs at the King’s Head (club)

1981–present

Crouch End comedy club

One of London’s first alt-comedy venues

Throughout these decades, social factors – class attitudes, race relations, gender norms and politics – have shaped London humour. For example, the dismantling of post-war deference underpinned the 1960s satire boom, while Thatcher-era politics (privatisation, union battles) were central targets in the 1980s. London’s multicultural mix has produced new voices (e.g. Asian and African-Caribbean comedians) since the 1990s. Even recent events like Brexit have become comedic fodder: performers from Al Murray to Bridget Christie reported scrapping months of Fringe scripts overnight to address the 2016 referendum result. In each era London audiences and critics have debated the balance between “punching up” and artistic freedom, as shows flirt with controversy (e.g. Jerry Sadowitz in the 1990s; gender/race jokes today).

Stylistic Trends and Influence: Over time London comedy has swung from sharp political satire (satire boom, Python, Spitting Image) to absurdism (Python, alternative sketches) to observational stand-up (1990s onward) to postmodern meta-comedy (Stewart Lee, Chris Morris) and streaming-era formats (improv shows, mockumentaries). Its international influence is profound: the anarchic style of Britain’s great surrealists (from the Goons to Python to modern alt) has inspired American shows like Saturday Night Live, South Park and Family Guy. As one Goon Show historian notes, Spike Milligan’s 1950s radio absurdity “changed the course of comedy” – a legacy running through Python, 1980s alternative comedy and today’s global humour.

Venues and Institutions: Key London stages and studios housed these developments. West End theatres hosted early satire (Fortune Theatre for Beyond the Fringe); Soho clubs nurtured alt-comedy (Comedy Store, Comic Strip); BBC Television Centre and Broadcasting House in London produced much satirical TV; and comedy clubs up and down the capital (from Leicester Square to fringe pubs) sustain stand-up. Media formats expanded: BBC Radio 4 (comedy panels and dramas), ITV and Channel 4 (series, puppet shows), then Netflix/YouTube for digital content. The Edinburgh Fringe (Scotland) became a sister festival for London acts, but London’s own festivals (e.g. Camden Fringe) also grew.

In summary, from 1961 to today London comedy has been a dynamic mirror to British society. It has evolved from Oxbridge-led satirical revues to anarchic TV sketches, from political lampoons to diverse stand-up voices, adapting new media along the way. The legacy of this history is visible in the many comedic institutions, stars and styles that originated in London – and in the continued ability of the city’s humour to influence global comedy.

Sources: Primary sources include BBC archives, official theatre and club histories, and first-hand program documents. The analysis above is supported by these and by academic and journalistic accounts of British comedy history, among others. Each fact and quotation is cited with connected archival or published references, as shown.