Didn't You Kill My Mother-In-Law?

by Roger Wilmut, Peter Rosengard

Wilmut, Roger/ Rosengard, Peter. Didn't You Kill My Mother-In-Law? The Story of Alternative Comedy in Britain from The Comedy Store to Saturday Live. First Edition. London, Methuen, 1989. 19 x 24,5 cm. XVI, 285 pages. Original Softcover. Very good condition with minor signs of external wear. Contains among others the following An alternative to what?; Part 'Gong!!' by Peter Rosengard; Part 'Heave!!' by Roger Wilmut etc.

Genres: Comedy, Nonfiction, British Literature, Humor

286 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1989

Reviews

[Yousseif Abdellatif · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not gonna lie, Didn't You Kill My Mother-In-Law? is the reason I called my dad last weekend. Roger Wilmut writes about fathers and sons with a kind of clumsy tenderness, the awkward silences, the half-jokes, the "you doing okay?" that really means "I love you," and the scene in the garage, where neither of them can say what they mean, wrecked me. It does get a little sentimental near the end. For anybody with a complicated parent. Skip it if you'd rather not feel anything on your commute.

[Mal McCaron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my God, what a riot. So many names of great comedians that I'd forgot but who Ioved

[Deborah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent narrative and analysis of 'alternative' comedy in the 1980s. Written at the end of the decade, it's also interesting for the passing references to those who were still relatively minor at the time and later became much bigger (Paul Merton, Punt and Dennis, the Absolutely team) - and a little poignant, seeing pictures and hearing the words of the late Rick Mayall (and that's the spelling of Rick the book uses, for those that think it looks a little odd).

Comedy has of course moved on, back, and around again since then, and some of the comics discussed in this book now have a 'national treasure' label rather than an 'alternative' one. But this is still a book worth reading; I thoroughly enjoyed it.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another one for people interested in the history of British comedy.

[Benedict Reid · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good overview of the British comedy scene in the early 80s.