Comedian's Comedians

Just look at that face.

Stuart Goldsmith is a comedian and a profoundly nice man. I don't really know him, but I have met him once or twice - both times after recordings of Miranda when he's done brilliant audience warm-up.

What I like most about Stuart is that he really pulls his weight. In fact, he's a stand-up geek. Over the last year or so, he's been producing podcasts with stand-up comedians, asking them about their work, their craft, their experiences, their aspirations and how they got started. It's like Desert Island Discs, but without the songs and Sue Lawley or Kirsty Whatshername, longer and more specifically about comedy. Okay, it's nothing like Desert Island Discs. It's fascinating and if you're interested in comedy - which as a sitcom writer you should be - you should listen, even though it's exclusively about stand-up comedy. But the advice about the craft, the generation of ideas, the emotional distress and creative industry carries across to sitcom writers.

The podcast is called The Comedian's Comedian and there is currently a back catalague of 44 podcasts to listen to including big names like Sarah Millican and Alan Davies, newer stars like Josh Widdecombe, and joke technicians like Adam Bloom. And he's doing live interviews in Edinburgh this year that look brilliant; including seriously experienced professionals like Brendon Burns, Greg Proops and David Baddiel.

I'm writing this blogpost though off the back of catching up on an episode I missed. It was the interview with Rob Rouse. It was a really insightful interview about growing up and actually having something to say more than anything else. And the interview also made me aware of this bit of stand-up by a guy I'd not heard of call Bill Burr who has a bit about Steve Jobs that made me laugh so much I ached. So I thought I'd share. I embed for your aching enjoyment below. Enjoy.