Skip to content
Brick Wall Comedy
Brick Wall Comedy

At the London Palladium

Jackie Mason

BBC One · 1996 · 60 min

A cranky comedy veteran complains about health food and VCRs.

Watch it free on YouTube (opens in a new tab)

Jackie Mason leans on his most reliable structural premise: the fundamental differences between Jews and Gentiles. He operates with the cadence of a guy complaining at a diner counter, turning everyday inconveniences into evidence of a cultural divide. The material relies heavily on generalizations, but the rhythm is undeniable. He gets genuine momentum out of complaining about health food stores, the complications of VCRs, and the logistics of changing a flat tire.

Filmed for the BBC at the London Palladium in 1996, the performance captures Mason in the middle of a massive late-career resurgence. A string of highly successful one-man shows on Broadway had recently reestablished him as a major stage draw, and the British crowd gets exactly the act he honed in New York. He works through standard observational topics like doctors and the weather report, filtering 1990s annoyances through the persona of a cranky, uncompromising comic who refuses to adapt to polite society.

The set list

6 bits

  1. Jews & Gentiles

    Observations contrasting Jewish and Gentile behaviors and cultural habits.

  2. Doctors

    Commentary on the medical profession and doctors.

  3. Marriage and Husbands & Wives

    Extended commentary examining marital dynamics and relationships.

  4. VCRs, Telephones & Mobile Phones

    Observations on modern consumer gadgets and electronic devices.

  5. Health Food Stores

    Satirical look at health food culture and shopping habits.

  6. Validation

    Humorous observations on validation routines.

How it plays

Tone
Irreverent, satirical, observational
On stage
Uniquely American-Jewish comic identity characterized by his distinct accent, Yiddish locutions, shrugs, expressions, and irreverent social satire.
About
Jews and gentiles, Health and sickness, Love and marriage, Culture, ballet, and opera, Doctors, Modern life and technology

What the critics said

Praised as hysterical observational humor highlighting human behavior and everyday life.

In the room: Taped before a packed, sold-out Palladium crowd that was apoplectic with laughter to the point of tears, though British gentile attendees were noted as being mystified by the humor.

Summed up from reviews, articles and listings. Sources: en.kinorium.com, rewind.thetvroom.com, amazon.com, ercham.substack.com, en.m.wikipedia.org, en.wikipedia.org, hatikvahmusic.com.

Backstory

Produced by Ernest Chambers to air on PBS as a fundraiser, PBS required Mason to omit topical news jokes to prevent the special from becoming dated. A backstage standoff occurred right before showtime when Mason and his manager/wife demanded payment before taking the stage.

Details

Released
Taped
London Palladium
Runtime
60 min
Where
BBC One
Director
Paul Jackson
Topics
Before
Brand New (1991)

More from Jackie Mason

If you liked this