Stewart Lee "BASIC LEE" [2024] 5 MINUTE PREVIEW

BRAND NEW STAND-UP SPECIAL
Airs 20th July at 9pm
on Sky Comedy and streaming service NOW
Stewart Lee performs his latest tour show Basic Lee filmed in April at The Lowry in Salford.
Superficially an uncharacteristically simple Stewart Lee show, in which the gnomic fifty-six-year-old veteran attempts to define by example what stand-up comedy is, Basic Lee slowly reveals a subtext about staying sane by re-structuring reality. But Lee’s most personal show is also his funniest, as he rewards the post-pandemic audience with a barrel load of big laughs as well as a bucketful of post-modern comedy deconstruction.
Probably the finest live recording to date of “the world’s greatest living stand-up comedian” (The Times, 2018) or “the world’s second best living stand-up comedian after Bo Burnham” (Daily Telegraph, 2023).
Stewart Lee, Basic Lee: Live at the Lowry is produced by Drum Studios in association with Awkward Films. The Producer Director is Colin Dench. The Executive Producers are Danny Carvalho and Andy Holland. The Commissioning Editor for Sky is Dwayne Eaton.
Stewart Lee, Basic Lee: Live at the Lowry airs 20th July at 9pm on Sky Comedy and streaming service NOW

[@andycain4351]

Stewart Lee, saying the sayable

[@mokeboi3328]

And his brain reduced

[@tersemerkhet4633]

​@@mokeboi3328do you spoked properly England like when i used to did?

[@sensibility1174]

Stewart Lee saying Stewart Lee

[@patchso]

He says it like it isn’t.

[@thanekrios3211]

@andycain4351 Yeah, Stewart always gives it to us straight, like a pear cider.....

[@leerogers9949]

He looks like he's had his legs shortened.

[@DrLazerbeam]

He looks like a Kim Jon Un pencil topper

[@hnnsy]

Can't figure out if he's rocking skinny jeans or just regular jeans.....

[@garyc9908]

No he's had his body lengthened

[@eyeyayayay]

Don't be mean, it's three kids in an overcoat doing a frankly excellent Stewart Lee impression

[@Costa_del_Artlepool]

lost his shins during one of his eastern europe hols

[@pulchralutetia]

Pharaoh has let my people go.

[@Olyfrun]

He's got a bit of suet on his collar

[@Torahboy1]

@@Olyfrun Isn’t it a pea on his clavicle ?

[@mr.coolmug3181]

Gravy on his shirt?

[@pushthetempo2]

@@pulchralutetia bovil.... all down his front

[@narcoticundertow]

I see he is still involved in the ongoing process of letting himself go.

[@narcoticundertow]

Sad, really.

[@joerobinson1672]

It’s all that Socialist Champagne.

[@pushthetempo2]

And gingsters pasties

[@johngilmore697]

@@joerobinson1672 It's all the caviar, he scoffs with Billy Brag

[@pitchforkcustom]

❤

[@robertridley-fj8zz]

This comments section has let itself go.

[@george474747]

If there's one thing Stewart Lee fans can't stand in comments, it's repetition.

[@ProjectFlashlight612]

The legally blind person who tailored Lee's coat in the dark based on rough guesstimates of the comedian's size and fit has let himself go.

[@bentitchener5965]

KD Lang has let herself go

[@MichaelChurchill1982]

To be honest I thought it was Terry Christian or that bloke from UB40

[@danzai]

@@MichaelChurchill1982 Kim Jong Un

[@Adkb123]

I don’t care what any of the naysayers think. This man did a special while literally walking over the cheap DVDs of his contemporaries. Legend.

[@interestedlen8823]

Freddie Starr's kept himself in good shape.

[@davidbent347]

I'd like to see him do the fast forward, slomo walk... 😉

[@johnmc3862]

😅

[@dreamlodge]

That bloke off Springwatch has let himself go.

[@SuperFuzzyDunlop]

He might have had some treatment for his autism though

[@simonbirkbeck2856]

He's definitely put on weight...

[@ljc1520]

I laughed my head off the first time I seen this, then I saw it again and I was really laughing, the third time I saw it I could take it or leave it, the fourth time It annoyed me, the fifth time I was fuming, the sixth time I started finding it funny again, the seventh time I was in hysterics

[@FlintSL]

I met Stewart Lee once in Waterstones, Oxford. He was in there murmuring angrily to himself because some pesky kids were asking for his signature. Stewart Lee turned around when he couldn't take anymore and bellowed "Ey, mate...Maaaate" He did this eight hundred and thirteen times before he was finally escorted out

[@nigelcarren]

Watching this has really made my day, because I had just assumed none of the cast of Hi-de-Hi were still with us!

[@ProjectFlashlight612]

Su Pollard's still around. She whistles for food next to that big newsagents at Euston Station inbetween very infrequent gigs on _Would I Lie To You?_

[@thedukeofnuts]

They don't call him Stewart Bovis for nothing.

[@CMDR_Verm]

Really looking forward to this. Stewart Lee never disappoints. Unless you don't like him of course, then you're fucked, but why did you watch this and why are you reading my grovelling comment?

[@normoutandabout]

I'm not reading it, it's just on the way to the bottom of the page, figured the least I could do was glance at it.

[@mmmcomfy]

Yeah, you _should_ glance at it.

[@4q481]

@@normoutandabout sorry, did you say something?

[@bobadams7654]

I'm reading your comment because you're giving it to me straight.

[@joejoejoejoejoejoe4391]

If it wasn't for the people who don't like him, he wouldn't have their letters to read out.

[@focalpointsound]

This isn't stewart lee its an inflatable model of A.L.F.

[@moobslikejagger5653]

Noooooooooo not the queen of hearts

[@BaileysMariner]

Paul Shane has let himself go

[@googoogjoobgoogoogjoob]

This guy's gonna be a star. Just needs a little more experience.

[@minners71]

I hope he doesn't let himself go in the meantime.

[@jrlakin370]

I saw this in Leicester. Then I went home.

[@pseudonayme7717]

Nice.

[@TheCatBilbo]

There's more to this story. We assume you live in that there Leicester. But, you may have travelled.

[@jrlakin370]

@@TheCatBilbo Actually I was referring to my spiritual home, which is not Leicester where I may or may not infact currently reside. Where is it? Another mystery I’m afraid. I’m a geographical puzzle box.

[@downtowntrain2319]

Same, but now I have a computer and internet at home. Saves a journey to Leicester.

[@hexonatapeloop]

Time passed

[@MatthewLenton]

Taking a break from Everything But The Girl

[@tetsuoshima7385]

😂😅🤣

[@mr.coolmug3181]

And going at the cheese 👍

[@aussieevonne7857]

Tracey Thorn has let herself go.

[@Ugaine-Mor]

Grant Shapps let himself go.

[@WilliamSmith-mx6ze]

Stewart Lee's endless repetition of his own past routines about how his audience doesn't get it has let itself go.

[@Harrier_DuBois]

@@WilliamSmith-mx6ze That's the symptom not the cause though

[@sketcharmslong6289]

Brutal 😂

[@DavidD-rd6oc]

The Flying Pickets have let themselves go

[@joejoejoejoejoejoe4391]

All I needed was the love you gave.....

[@SANDSCORCHER]

All I needed for another day.

[@johnman559]

Claire Balding has let himself go

[@ocher8931]

😂😂😂

[@stud105]

@@johnman559 That hair.

[@platonkarataev550]

Herself

[@sensibility1174]

The first thing the new Changed Labour government should do is reinstate the Comedy Vehicle and Stewart Lee specials. What more convincing symbol of the end of the Culture Wars could there be.

[@ben6993]

Do you think the culture wars are over? Labour taking over from the Tories, it’s like shitting yourself and changing your shirt

[@HDSPKSRecords-gi1ob]

They're going to punish us with taxes, high immigration and eco-zealotry. But I draw the line at Stewart Lee.

[@_Tricky_]

I went to this. Was terrifying and bewildering. The man was having a breakdown and clearly enraged with the audience. 15th time is always the sweetest

[@TheCatBilbo]

'Terrifying & bewildering' is exactly what he is aiming for. In between letting himself go, he is enraged most of the time.

[@nutloaf]

I went to see him at Cardiff for the first performance of this. 5 minutes before the end and after a repetitive bit from Lee, two people got up from near the front and shouted 'You're taking the piss' and walked out. Collectively we thought this is the point of this bit and its the best part and what we have most wanted to see!!

[@leftmono1016]

Comedy gold 😀

[@bobadams7654]

People behaving like that makes me SO angly!

[@Torahboy1]

Did he just let them go?

[@PlattLaneEnd]

@@bobadams7654 😄

[@nutloaf]

@@Torahboy1 He said nothing, just took a slight pause then a little smirk.....then carried on taking the piss out of us with a brilliant repetitive bit about us all being so lucky to go to work each day. EDIT - Just remembered he was going through the days of the week and got to Thursday and the 2 blokes yelled and walked out. I thought the idiots have walked out just before Friday which is the punchline. So funny.

[@Torahboy1]

The BBC has let Stewart Lee go……

[@sandpiper9288]

Scum

[@thebluequiche1]

Bravo. the best yet. Iam being sincere

[@Torahboy1]

@@thebluequiche1 To be fair, although it is my own, I’ve been leaving this same comment on Stewart Lee videos for a couple of years. But yes It’s a good one It trumps most of the ‘….. has let himself/herself/itself go’ comments. Plus it’s kinda true. TV shies away from SL because he doesn’t fit the comedy panel show format

[@Jamesharveycomics]

@@Torahboy1 He was funny on Buzzcocks when he said the the only way they would be able to edit Bill Oddie's contributions was with "a series of slow fades"

[@juliewake4585]

Fools eh?

[@stuarthannay3370]

God, I loved Hi-de-Hi!

[@WilliamSmith-mx6ze]

Ted Bovis has let himself go.

[@MrMusicbyMartin]

The drummer from Showaddywaddy has let himself go.

[@TheCatBilbo]

The Black guy? Yes.

[@GG-ml3vr]

Romeo Challenger would beg to differ.

[@DaveCharlton-vb9zt]

Annie Lenox has let herself go!

[@Tonedefdom]

🤔

[@johnryan3106]

Still would though

[@WorkingFromHomes]

I was sat on the top floor of a bus and was looking out of the window and saw Stuart Lee.. He was walking along the street without a care in the world. I would have waved but he doesn’t know me and wasn’t looking up anyway..

[@trevfindley5704]

People like you are always looking down on him...

[@GenoAtkins]

Did he look fat and depressed and fat?

[@kdcyp]

Did you think, Stewart Lee’s let himself go?

[@WorkingFromHomes]

I couldn’t help it.. He looked pretty happy.. but then he was eating a donna kebab. My initial thought was, that Morrissey had let himself go.

[@trevfindley5704]

@@WorkingFromHomes sadly not the first time Morrissey's been mistaken for a half eaten Donner kebab...

[@adrever1986]

I don't want to detract from this point by dressing it up in the language of "letting himself go" because he really looks like Eamonn Holmes.

[@guser7137]

And, Eamonn Holmes certainly seems to have...

[@TheCatBilbo]

Shut up! Yes, he does! You never see them together in one room...

[@isaacwilson7769]

Dame Judi Dench has let herself go.

[@angklungeds]

haaaaaa beat me to it

[@RobbieB2606]

Legend has it Stewart Lee is made from 100% pear

[@dielaughing73]

What? One massive pear?

[@kdcyp]

That’s sexist! 😮

[@KaryoSentiko]

....s

[@TheCatBilbo]

Oo! That's below the belt....

[@GeorgeBenedict]

Baron Harkonnen from the 1984 Dune movie is looking well.

[@danyoutube7491]

That's a good one!

[@williamdew7143]

He who controls The Spice controls D Wing.

[@Dannington]

Big suit era Talking Heads frontman David Byrne has let himself go.

[@simonwilton3546]

That female replicant, from the original Bladerunner ( not Pris, the other one that has that snake) has really let herself go.

[@waynesimpson2074]

Zhora Salome...thank me later.

[@robertridley-fj8zz]

@@simonwilton3546 Joanna Cassidy

[@ShadyCrackers]

Ratko Mladić is back on tour, then. Seems to have let himself go a bit.

[@Torahboy1]

It was the Haig that let him go

[@stevenclark1973]

One of the very best comedians out there.

[@PlattLaneEnd]

That Mark Kermode has let himself go

[@ShadyCrackers]

He's gone down the pan. Mark Commode.

[@adamcole4623]

Mark Kermode has indeed let himself go. And so has, erm...ahhh, what's his name? Stewart Lee, stewart leeee, stuart leigh, stuart LEE, Stewart Leeeee...

[@WilliamSmith-mx6ze]

@@adamcole4623 Poo Art Wee.

[@Harrier_DuBois]

Mark Kermode is great what you on about?

[@TheCatBilbo]

It's the glasses, he looks better with them...

[@Frank_Nemo]

Stewart Lee - the thinking man's Joe Pasquale.

[@jeffmunkynutz1568]

Herman Munster's let himself go.

[@stansolo4138]

Maradona let himself go

[@tonygarratt5832]

Stewardly is a master of his craft.

[@garyc9908]

He should be there is only him doing it 😂

[@HDSPKSRecords-gi1ob]

Being deliberately unfunny for ages longer than all other comedians. Yes, he is good at that.

[@user-yi3ox8wy4k]

You mispelt 'cult'

[@alancarmody8848]

The joke about Stewart Lee letting himself go has let itself go

[@ziggypop8106]

🥳

[@Serial667-ht1kq]

Shane Richie has let himself go

[@SenorPandy]

Simon Weston's looking well

[@protopigeon]

fucking hell

[@nelvus]

Possibly the greatest comment in the history of youtube

[@shawzy620]

😂🤣

[@PhineasPhlob]

Oh, burn.

[@TheIronMonkey616]

Hahahahaaa

[@jacksonvega7751]

The fish men of innsmouth have let themselves go a bit The Stewart Lee bit at the end is very funny how very clever of him, Cthulhu be praised

[@tomf4087]

Terry Christian let himself go

[@threethrushes]

Amanda de Cadenet. Still remember her from The Word.

[@TheCatBilbo]

It's better without the comedy accent...

[@ryiin]

Maureen Lipton has let himself go.

[@doctortrouserpants1387]

"I'm the that of comedy". This is what the kids do, post a comment saying something from the video.

[@ProjectFlashlight612]

I always beta test my comments for humour value, including this one. It's pretty bad, this one, on all fronts.

[@Torahboy1]

It’s all about the algorithm these days And, frankly, I think that the KZbin algorithm has let itself go…..

[@gbuck1982]

Stewart Lee writes all of these replies as none of you lot would actually understand anything he says.

[@richardcotterill5449]

A sociopath.......

[@bobadams7654]

I am Stewart Lee and I'm giving it to you straight.

[@richardcotterill5449]

@@bobadams7654 like pee off and old man's....

[@Truffle_Pup]

Don't make me Ang Lee

[@bobadams7654]

That's racist

[@Truffle_Pup]

@@bobadams7654 No, it's gay, get it right noob. Also I am gay.

[@HDSPKSRecords-gi1ob]

@@bobadams7654 We are all Asians and we all like the joke. Is it still racist?

[@bobadams7654]

@@HDSPKSRecords-gi1ob it just makes me SO angly. But thanks for giving it to me straight.

[@Chris3141592]

I bought tickets to Basic Lee for my birthday last year but decided that Stewart would have enjoyed my presence more if I wasn't there; he was right of course. Obviously I missed a fabulous evening, made all the more fabulous by my non-presence which would only have diluted his brilliance.

[@pushthetempo2]

Saw this show in Kingston, SW london. So brilliant. Although his show varies so much, probably hardly any of the same bits left in this recording. Funniest comic in Britian.

[@ionsbrewable]

came on, said some things, went on about something for too long. Really looking forward to pirating this in five years time, Love you Stu! x

[@highnoon7097]

it'll be on iplayer. Or "on THE iplayer" as mums would say.

[@ionsbrewable]

@@highnoon7097 cool, won't really pirate it :) was a little call back to previos show

[@lennymccartney1]

where are the rest of showaddywaddy?

[@Zeem4]

You'll find them under the moon of love.

[@thegoodthebadandthescribbl7560]

😂

[@ianandy1234]

Quality 😂

[@stevewynnearts]

In the pit

[@stevewynnearts]

With Frankie

[@swanronson173]

Gareth Southgate's let himself go

[@peacefrog5193]

looooool!

[@LudvigIndestrucable]

Nigel Kennedy has really clawed his way back.

[@kickthestoat]

Liz Truss has let himself go.

[@tomref4001]

Liz's Truss even moreso-let it all hang out in a let himself go slightly alternative way....😎

[@phantom_him]

I can't wait to pretend to understand this and then tell everyone how great it was.

[@leeparsons6623]

Stewart Lee fans are the virtue signallers of the comedy world. They can’t wait to smugly tell you you’re so thick and bereft of intellect to understand it. Either that or it’s just not that funny…

[@Deimos2k5]

That melted Toby jug has really let himself go

[@comeonman8191]

Remember the Diddy Men, from the old days, with Ken Dodd, yeah them, the Diddy Men, well ….Stew looks a lot like them. The Diddy Men, in the old days.

[@adamcole4623]

In the 80s? Under Thatcher?

[@trevorowen865]

back when they were good

[@jellymilky]

I was here for this show! Right on the very back row! Loved it !

[@MerlynMusicman]

My first child was due a few days before I had been invited to see this show, little bugger, I had to miss it.

[@niallhayes3428]

The birth?

[@Hysteria98]

@@niallhayes3428 😂😂😂Immaculate response

[@ShoggothsAway]

Dude, congrats on the kid!

[@highnoon7097]

Imagine calling Stewart Lee a little bugger. Keyboard warrior much?

[@hnnsy]

Naomi Campbell has really let herself go.

[@bobadams7654]

Steve Coogan at his best. Brilliant!

[@Harani66]

The clown Grimaldi has let himself go.

[@Pinkybum]

Meta! True Stewart Lee style.

[@Torahboy1]

Only QI viewers will get that

[@beijingbond]

That Stewart Lee has let himself go.

[@TPRM1]

Stewart Lee wouldn’t understand this joke.

[@kdcyp]

Frankly it’s beneath him….and us. But to be honest, I’ve let myself go

[@Torahboy1]

Well played. Deconstructing the whole sub genre of ‘let himself/herself/itself go comments

[@Colonel_WZ]

This better get a DVD release

[@highnoon7097]

its not as good as the book, sadly

[@SuperRobertByrne]

It better get VHS and vinyl

[@Pinkybum]

Straight to the remainder bins.

[@educateme8455]

Remainer bins

[@demonicsquid7217]

You can download it for free off the internets.

[@10beanz]

Stewart Lee, Stewart Lee, Stewart, Lee Stewart Lee, Stweart Lee, Stewart Lee, Stewart Lee. Hillarious! Stewart Lee, Stewart Lee, Stewart Lee, Stewart Lee, Stewart Lee, Stewart Lee, Stewart Lee. So funny! Stewart Lee, Stewart Lee, Stewart, Lee Stewart Lee, Stewart Lee, Stewart Lee, Stewart Lee. Can't stop laughing because it's so funny.

[@MrBetamax75]

Morten Harket has not aged at all

[@sayno2lolzisback]

Love this new look on him, becoming the carmudgeon he's always wanted

[@jonathankimber8994]

Toby Buckland from Gardeners World has let himself go

[@Paul_Bond.]

This is a true story, that bloke I work with who looks like Stewart Lee has let himself go.

[@CDStoner]

Warwick Davis' legs have let themselves go

[@robpaterson9339]

Icelandic pop sensation Bjork has let himself go

[@SILKessDemon]

I suppose I should go and see this

[@bobadams7654]

You should

[@glenaitken9403]

Pol Pot has let himself go......

[@mrmervinjminky1536]

That bloke off ‘Hi-de-Hi! has let himself go…

[@rrbh]

Frank Bough's torture dungeon is wearing Ted Chippington's street-fighting jacket.

[@paul_e123]

I went to see Stewart Lee with my family once. My mum hated it and shouted "Get on with it!" It was the funniest part of the show tbf.

[@mikestoner2898]

Stewart Lee Stewart Lee Stewart Lee Stewart Lee Stewart Lee Stewart Lee has let himself go

[@USERNAMEfieldempty]

He's the that of this.

[@Professordog1]

Dose Showaddywaddy Know Stewart Lee's raided their wardrobe?

[@candyshop1398]

I'd much rather live in a world with Stewart Lee than one without him. For me he's the voice of sanity and reason where reason doesn't exist.

[@WilliamSmith-mx6ze]

Steady on! I thought sensible boring beige Sir Keith was meant to be the voice of sanity and reason? Now we've got Sir Keith in Number 10, what more do you want?

[@patchso]

He definitely has a voice.

[@MrDoyley35]

Stewart Lee world is great! But I like office world the best!!

[@mikethebloodthirsty]

Yeh huge fan of censorship... some voice of reason.

[@danyoutube7491]

@@mikethebloodthirsty Really, what has he censored or said should be censored? Exactly, nothing.

[@Philoyouknow]

Hayley Cropper has let him/her self go.

[@orwell8424]

James T Kirk's let himself go

[@samuelalexander1014]

Saw this show in Liverpool in February, it was absolutely phenomenal. Up there with his absolute best.

[@slagrajag]

He still looks fat, but not as depressed as the last time I saw him.

[@Hallucinationofasiliconslab]

​@@SomeCrapAnd fat

[@simonwild428]

@@SomeCraphe was in Tesco

[@dielaughing73]

​@@SomeCrap... and fat

[@mpsmcgrath]

and fat

[@charcolew]

I actually went back and counted the number of Stewart Lees to see if it was in fact 15. It wasn't, but this is what he does to you and it's just so enjoyably addictive... or addictively enjoyable. I am in thrall to this comedian.

[@PaulShendtown]

Den Hegarty's let himself go.

[@joiedeceivre]

Ian McMillan's let himself go

[@tonybates7870]

Donny Osmond hasn't let himself go at all, don't you think? He's looking pretty good.

[@MichaelTuohy]

The Krankies have let themselves go.

[@tonyrobinson4595]

I saw this show at the Forum in Bath.......remarkable!!!

[@TheDivvyDaily]

I saw it 3 times at the Theatre Royal in Newcastle lol

[@TheCreativemammal]

... is that near the corn exchange?

[@maxytwist]

A fine remark too

[@williamdew7143]

Did a funny thing happen on the way?

[@graemeStanley]

J L Austin has let himself go

[@robertridley-fj8zz]

@@graemeStanley Making a speech act? Think you've let yourself go.

[@george474747]

Erving Goffman would have liked this comment.

[@dl3909]

When he said the BBC pulled him off and then started to explain how they would do it, I nearly died of laughter 😂

[@dismalfist]

Bismillah no we will not let you go.

[@zouchmusic]

Mr Benn has let himself go.

[@csidewolf]

Blimey he’s looking like a Freddie Star tribute act 😮

[@neilriddell2171]

Terry Christian has let itself go