# Stewart Lee's Comedy Vehicle (2009)

> Stewart Lee performs filmed stand-up and weekly-themed sketches in a comedy series that turns its own making into the joke.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/16378

## Facts

- Seasons: 4
- Episodes: 24
- Episode runtime: 30 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: comedy
- Created by: Stewart Lee
- Network: BBC Two
- Cast: Stewart Lee, Peter Serafinowicz, Armando Iannucci, Chris Morris, Paul Putner, Kevin Eldon, Nick Turner, Michael Redmond
- TMDB rating: 8.7/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1227802/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: mild
- Complexity: accessible
- Violence: none
- Tone: deadpan, dry, irreverent, intellectual, self-aware

## Synopsis

Stewart Lee's Comedy Vehicle (2009-2016) is a British comedy series created by Stewart Lee for BBC Two. Lee himself plays a version of himself performing long, meticulously built stand-up routines filmed at The Mildmay Club in Newington Green, and each episode pairs these with sketches built around a single weekly theme. Recurring performers include Simon Munnery, Kevin Eldon and Paul Putner, with voice-over parts by Peter Serafinowicz and interviewer appearances from Armando Iannucci and Chris Morris. Across four seasons of six episodes each, the engine of the show is Lee pushing material to its limits, sometimes deliberately lingering on a joke until it turns uncomfortable and then exposing the mechanics behind it. The mood is dry, deadpan and intellectually playful, with a sharp edge aimed at politics and public posturing. Its shape is a loose, episodic format rather than a continuing plot, and the sketches and routines circle back on one another in a way that rewards attentive viewers. Fans of Alan Partridge, Brass Eye and The Day Today will find a similar satirical bite and taste for self-aware British comedy here.

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