Father Ted co-creator Graham Linehan has revealed why the US now has a better comedy scene than the UK ahead of his move stateside.
The Irish comedy writer announced his decision to relocate to the US on X earlier this month.
Addressing his 575,000 followers in a video message, the Bafta award-winning writer expressed concerns about the state of free speech in the UK, stating: “Freedom of speech is really in bad shape at the moment.”
Linehan plans to establish a production company in Arizona with GB News’ Andrew Doyle and actor Rob Schneider.
“I’ve been visiting Arizona over the last year and I love it and it’s very exciting to land in a new place, where I don’t have any of the baggage that I have over here,” he said.
In the video, Linehan mentioned that he has written three episodes of a new sitcom, which he describes as “not anti-woke comedy, which I think many people would be expecting because I think that’s going to be as dead an end as the woke movement itself is”, adding: “The premise is strong.”
Linehan plans to establish a production company in Arizona with GB News’ Andrew Doyle and actor Rob Schneider
GB News
Prior to his announcement, the creator of The IT Crowd heaped praise on the US comedy scene, telling GB News that American comedians are very good at bouncing back from cancellation and establishing an audience through podcasts and touring, adding: “They know how to do it.”
He cites Shane Gillis, who was effectively “cancelled” in 2019 after clips from his past podcast episodes resurfaced in which he made derogatory remarks and racial slurs, as an example of an incredibly talented comedian who has been shrewd in this regard.
“He’s a brilliant stand up but then he does his podcasts,” he told GB News.
Linehan is struck by how cancellation is a “pre-existing situation” for these young comedians, adding: “I had no idea it was even possible. I heard Shane Gillis saying on his podcast recently, ‘When I get cancelled again, I’m going to do this’. So he’s actually got it in his mind that it’s a possibility.”
Unlike his own cancellation, which took him by “complete surprise”, this generation of American comedians grew up in an era of cancellation, the Father Ted co-creator explains. It’s simply a fact of life – they accept it and are ready to ride out the storm.
“These comedians are very good at navigating the incredibly complicated and difficult tripwires,” he said.
Linehan speaks less favourably about the UK comedy scene, suggesting that it has fallen prey to woke sensitivities.
“If you say that any one or several groups of people are exempt from comedy, you’re not allowed to make fun of them because it’s ‘punching down’, you’re actually showing that you think you’re superior to these people because punching down means you’re superior,” the comedy writer says, adding: “Comedy should punch in every direction. It should be like a grenade that goes off in a room and hits everybody.”
Linehan is inspired by comedians like Shane Gillis, who ride out cancellation
Getty Images
He feels that the current state of affairs runs counter to what makes comedy so special – that “talented people always rise to the top”, adding: “At the moment, the mediocre are ruling the roost.”
His own cancellation has no doubt shaped his thinking. Linehan was cast into the wilderness over his views on transgenderism.
The comedy writer’s public cancellation came into full effect around 2020 when his X (formerly known as Twitter) account was permanently suspended in June of that year after he tweeted “men aren’t women tho” in response to a Women’s Institute post wishing transgender members a happy Pride.
He was later reinstated on the platform but the damage was done. His controversial views had robbed him of a career in comedy, destroyed friendships and even contributed to the collapse of his marriage, the latter of which he attributes to threats from activists and the ensuing financial insecurity.
