Sketches don't come any better than this. Not just the funny lines but the perfection in the acting! Griff in his despair and frustration is pure genius!
I've always turfed any over night dumping in my skips out on the tarmac. Did however turn up one morning to find our skip was gone turns out a load of rubbish was dumped in it and the cheeky sods had phoned the skip firm to collect it as it was full
@@JS-qg1ie "Until you compare to other nations" Oh mate you need to get out more. Unless your reference point is some 3rd world country where people live in huts?
Spot on! Latest - a PPE contract worth hundreds of millions to a Pest control company with around 16 employees. Apparently the wife of the owner is a vet, has contacts in China, AND they are Tory party donors! Starve the children ... heartless, incompetent, totally corrupt bastards!
So tired of people whining about “pc” cancelling things when it just isn’t happening. Still plenty of good British comedy around. Just fragile right whingers always going on about things being cancelled when it hasn’t happened🙄
@@beta700a The humour is the contrast between a huge project like digging the Channel Tunnel being to the least significant part of a project namely an Englishman waiting for delivery of a skip (a skip being a container to take away waste) Or put another way, it's the flimsiest of reasons to not get shit done
They're both on such good form here. A lot of sketch comics would just dial it in and let the lines get the laughs, but watch closely - it might just be a short sketch but the're both completely selling their characters. e.g. watch Griff at 1.13-1.23. Total commitment, brilliant chemistry, great stuff.
Hey ! He's the one who built the Southern Freeway for the Liberals back in 2001 here in Adelaide . So in the morning traffic can only use it one way going to the City and then in the afternoon it flows away from the city . If they built the Southern Expressway in both directions back in 2001 would have added $68 million to the cost, but the projectnow cost them $370 million in 2010
$370 million. You ought to come to Labor Victoria. The only party that singled a double track trunk line to a major regional city that was growing to save money widening the cuttings and bridges.
What's clever about the Channel Tunnel is when both sides met, they were about 2-3 feet out or something. May have been less. And it takes a strange route due to the weaving geology. It is nothing like a straight tunnel. From what I can recall, I think it was the French side that didn't live up to expectations.
Yeah. This sketch is a really funny watch! But in reality the tunnel was very well engineered from both sides, they did a damn good job of it. Yes the French progressed slower but they had by far the worst ground conditions to deal with.
The deal should be half upfront to buy thei parts and stuff needed and to pay earlier wages and the other half ON COMPLETION and not before :)I have known Builders leave jobs unfinished many times after being paid in full as there is no incentive other than morally to return as you or I would.ALSO, I have known clients refuse to pay "as their circumstances have changed" on completion.....
Mirror image of Great Britain's road works, endless waiting for work to be completed, endless amount of traffic cones, controlled traffic lights and workers standing over the holes they have just dug and not sure what to do next 🙄
Had someone pull off the M27 during roadworks at a contractors exit and then they promptly turned straight back onto the motorway then stopped right in front of me. there was a 50 mile an hour blanket limit on all three lanes with no hard shoulder I just about stopped behind them and then looking in my mirror there was about three or four cars stopped behind me I was blasting on the horn, shitting myself, and the passenger just waved at me to wait!! Ffs!!! I think the driver had misjudged the workman’s gap in the concrete temporary edging for a exit. They seemed to be map reading? then moved on after 20 seconds or so. ( this wasn’t a brake down) longest fucking wait of my life, I was in an old landrover and couldn’t have easily driven past them as I had stopped so close. Pulling out into lane two like leaving a tight parking space seemed more dangerous than being a sitting duck! That would have reduced the m27 to one lane only albeit briefly. Saturday morning, half eight , November 2020. Terrifying! Smart motor ways this happens at 70 75 No chance
@@karlbassett8485 Also the exact opposite of what actually happened. The UK side finished well before and at a substantially lower budget than the French side. To the point that in the last 18 months of construction thousands of UK workers went over to help the French who where a long - long way behind and hugely over cost. Here is the official report by Francis Hearn detailing the situation, issues and costs apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a276860.pdf We love to pretend the French and Europeans in general are doing a great job. So much better than us. It's a popular UK pastime - hating your own nation. It's often based on.. and let's not be obtuse about this. Bollocks. And your point on Covid as well Karl. Spot on. The UK has vaccinated almost 1.5X the number of people than the entire EU combined. The upshot of this is that, in 8 or 10 weeks when the UK restrictions are lifted properly - due to a hugely decreased risk of infection. The rest of Europe will be months behind. Just 12 weeks ago (October 25th 2020) what was left of the "Remain" group was adamant. Convinced, that the UK would be left without any vaccine as a result of Brexit. They issued two press statements and even a radio advert pleading for an extension and re-think. As usual - they were entirely, and completely wrong. No hang that..... "Wrong" implies they used data to come to an informed decision as to the likely outcome and that they miscalculated. They tried their best and were mistaken. That isn't what happened. They used no data, formed no testable hypothesis. They guessed based on their own political bias and need to peddle in fear. So they weren't "Wrong" "Wrong" implies a well intentioned mistake. That isn't what happened, What they did was "Lie" About what we expect from Remain
Generally, general joke is very good, but I think it is not as original; who other would make a brilliant joke about channel tunnel? It is so Mel&Griff
i really think that not the nine o`clock may well be one of the greatest sketch shows ever, and even more funny this clip is the mystery of all the roadworks on great britains roads, apparently there`s a load of signs and cones, bringing the traffic to a standstill but usually there is no workman in sight, or failing that they don`t really seem to be doing much, and how on earth do these companies get the contract in the first place, does the local authority put it out that there got far too much money to spend, when this money could probably be spent somewhere else, don`t really care how and when it gets done, and off course the workmen cannot possibly work weekends, bank holidays or when it`s raining, and i`m sure that during my brief spell as a labourer on a building site many a year ago, the main thing apart from digging a hole slowly was us having loads of tea breaks and reading the paper, if you really want to hear a funny joke, then it goes something like the state of the country at the moment, and no doubt not even the excellent people behind not the nine o`clock news could right a funnier sketch.
@@normanmeharry58 that would be the verb to skip, rather than the noun skip which refers to large metal container to put waste material in. It's English and almost without exception every word has more than one meaning.
The wonderful Mel Smith - sadly missed in 2021.
"You do realise this is the single most important engineering project this century..."
"Oh leave it out, it's a kitchen extension."
Sketches don't come any better than this. Not just the funny lines but the perfection in the acting! Griff in his despair and frustration is pure genius!
"With RSJ and damp course" always gets me!😂
My favourite Mel Smith sketch. Always stuck in my mind this one. Just sums up UK Builders. Rest easy Mel.
Until you compare to other nations... The brits were well ahead on the project compared to the French in all fairness
And when the skip arrives, you suddenly find it full of old mattresses and doors and any crap before you can put your stuff in it.
I've always turfed any over night dumping in my skips out on the tarmac. Did however turn up one morning to find our skip was gone turns out a load of rubbish was dumped in it and the cheeky sods had phoned the skip firm to collect it as it was full
@@JS-qg1ie "Until you compare to other nations"
Oh mate you need to get out more. Unless your reference point is some 3rd world country where people live in huts?
Derek Holmes You sum up the middle class ponces that they work for.
Always amazed at just how good they were. The acting is always phenomenal. Very talented gents.
I keep getting back to this sketch. It’s so dense with jokes and perfectly delivered.
Still makes me laugh " lent out the extension lead " classic thanks mel RIP.
Brilliant acting! Mel Smith can ease into any character perfectly.
gosh this is like watching a documentary about the HS2 😂
“What exactly is holding us up?”
We’re waiting for a skip!
Priceless.
Lol
Mel Smith delivered that line perfectly!
That was brilliant
I saw lots of their shows, but I cant remember this one
‘Leave it out...it’s a kitchen extension!’
😂😂😂
Now that's what I call comedy gold. ❤😂🎉 RIP Mel Smith very much missed.
Absolutely marvelous classic.. Top10 Mel&Griff, surely.
0:44 “We’re waiting for a skip” Perhaps one of the greatest statements in the history of comedy. 3:21 “Stubbs” - Homage to the great Basil Fawlty!
O'Reilly would have been better in that respect
Good humour never gets old.
And that is how this current government awards contracts to this day!
Spot on! Latest - a PPE contract worth hundreds of millions to a Pest control company with around 16 employees. Apparently the wife of the owner is a vet, has contacts in China, AND they are Tory party donors!
Starve the children ... heartless, incompetent, totally corrupt bastards!
@@artmcteagle take it you wont be voting tory again
£14m for a ferry company with no boats🤷🏽♂️
@@andrew30m And a port incapable of handling freighters/container ships of a decent size!
Yeah, sure it is........yawn.
0:46 "We're waiting for a skip" a classic line I have remembered although I have never seen this sketch since it was first on...!
Fantastic. Excellent script and superbly delivered.
Some things never change.....HS2 in a nutshell!
I think he immigrated to Australia! He's currently working on our freeway... for the past 40 years😣!
Millions of orange road cones in New Zealand 😳
No no. He is in Slovenia. Building railways
Quote " I'm not talking about Mrs Willoubys....I'm talking about this" I just love this sketch having worked in the building trade.
This is the funniest sketch i have ever seen p myself laughing BRILLIANT
LOL! "Yea we were all set, ready to the bloody van broke down, dinnit"
"Half a channel tunnel" 😂😂😂
"including RSJ and damp course".
God bless Alas Smith and Jones.
"You do realize this is the single most important engeneering project this century?!?""
"Oh it's a kitchen extension"
One of their best. Worth sharing with people too young to remember ASAJ
yes, especially as it is still far too close to the truth
Why have we lost this sense of humour. We were the best in the world. ONCE UPON A TIME
Eh? What do you base best in the world on? Yes it was funny, but you seem to have toxic nostalgia
PC brigade . The Laughing Popadom line would be out now
What arrogance! Maybe the best at being arrogant wankers.....
So tired of people whining about “pc” cancelling things when it just isn’t happening. Still plenty of good British comedy around.
Just fragile right whingers always going on about things being cancelled when it hasn’t happened🙄
45RPMsingles rubbish. Why would it be out? Geebus you lot a fragile little flowers always complaining
*"...waiting for a skip..."*
To this day I use that line but usually get blank looks 😂
Can you please kindly explain to a non-British "blank-looker" what this line actually means? (asking for a friend, of course ☺)
@@beta700a The humour is the contrast between a huge project like digging the Channel Tunnel being to the least significant part of a project namely an Englishman waiting for delivery of a skip (a skip being a container to take away waste) Or put another way, it's the flimsiest of reasons to not get shit done
Contractors, the same everywhere! 😀
They're both on such good form here. A lot of sketch comics would just dial it in and let the lines get the laughs, but watch closely - it might just be a short sketch but the're both completely selling their characters. e.g. watch Griff at 1.13-1.23. Total commitment, brilliant chemistry, great stuff.
They were amazing actors. Real talent.
'....well it was the Taj Mahal, I think its the Laughing Poppadom now'
We know how to laugh at ourselves, hilarious sketch.
Stubbs? Should have gone with O'Reilly!
Hey ! He's the one who built the Southern Freeway for the Liberals back in 2001 here in Adelaide . So in the morning traffic can only use it one way going to the City and then in the afternoon it flows away from the city . If they built the Southern Expressway in both directions back in 2001 would have added $68 million to the cost, but the projectnow cost them $370 million in 2010
$370 million. You ought to come to Labor Victoria. The only party that singled a double track trunk line to a major regional city that was growing to save money widening the cuttings and bridges.
What's clever about the Channel Tunnel is when both sides met, they were about 2-3 feet out or something. May have been less. And it takes a strange route due to the weaving geology. It is nothing like a straight tunnel.
From what I can recall, I think it was the French side that didn't live up to expectations.
It was about 80 cm.
Yeah. This sketch is a really funny watch! But in reality the tunnel was very well engineered from both sides, they did a damn good job of it. Yes the French progressed slower but they had by far the worst ground conditions to deal with.
@@TheAmazingAdventuresOfMiles Didn't the French fishermen keep blockading the entrance.😂🤣😂🤣
@@RB747domme so 2-3 feet is bang on the money then :)
it's so good. I totally agree with the comments below. The acting is amazing, and they were always very good at knowing how to end a sketch.
Brilliant like all their comedy
Have used that extension lead gag many times on building sites over the years
Totally brilliant sketch.
Then there's waiting around till someone brings back biscuits from the shop to have with the tea.
I’m still waiting for this builder to come round and put up my conservatory!
'Laughing Poppadom'. Classic name for eaterie.
AM TAWKIN ABOUT THIIIIS!! 😂😂😂
Just wondering ... did they finish Mrs. Willoughby kitchen extension?
;-)
Sounds about right! I love working for the British! The worker's rights is so strong!
Brilliant
I actually remember this skit from the original series on TV. I'm surprised they made it to Ashford lol 😆
On the Goon Show it would have been, "You can't get the wood, you know."
Fantastic comedy duo. Belly laughs a plenty and we sure do need it looking at world events.
BTW free the hero Julian Assange
This is the state of things beautifully done. £14m to a company that has no ferries to handle cross channelling after Brexit. Its not silly. It's true
It wouldn't be a surprise to learn that the ferry company is owned by Grayling's brother in law.
And when the skip finally arrived, fly tippers promptly filled it up !
This is why you should never pay builders all the money up front, and never in cash
Yes, they're just comedians.
The deal should be half upfront to buy thei parts and stuff needed and to pay earlier wages and the other half ON COMPLETION and not before :)I have known Builders leave jobs unfinished many times after being paid in full as there is no incentive other than morally to return as you or I would.ALSO, I have known clients refuse to pay "as their circumstances have changed" on completion.....
As it turned out, the U.K. still dug more than those lazy extended lunch break frogs!
We did dig more than half of it but they had by far the worst ground conditions to contend with.
Class comedy and not matched.
Mirror image of Great Britain's road works, endless waiting for work to be completed, endless amount of traffic cones, controlled traffic lights and workers standing over the holes they have just dug and not sure what to do next 🙄
Is this the same contractor used for HS2.
So true
So funny. We all miss Mel Smith.
Is Mr Stubbs a homage to Fawlty Towers?
Ah the template for HS2!
And our latest cock-up....Smart Motorways, that kill those unfortunate enough to break down on one.
I agree. Smart motorways are bonkers.
The
Had someone pull off the M27 during roadworks at a contractors exit and then they promptly turned straight back onto the motorway then stopped right in front of me. there was a 50 mile an hour blanket limit on all three lanes with no hard shoulder I just about stopped behind them and then looking in my mirror there was about three or four cars stopped behind me I was blasting on the horn, shitting myself, and the passenger just waved at me to wait!! Ffs!!!
I think the driver had misjudged the workman’s gap in the concrete temporary edging for a exit. They seemed to be map reading? then moved on after 20 seconds or so. ( this wasn’t a brake down) longest fucking wait of my life, I was in an old landrover and couldn’t have easily driven past them as I had stopped so close. Pulling out into lane two like leaving a tight parking space seemed more dangerous than being a sitting duck! That would have reduced the m27 to one lane only albeit briefly. Saturday morning, half eight , November 2020. Terrifying!
Smart motor ways this happens at 70 75 No chance
Everything with "smart" in the title isn't. Why do I need a "smart kettle"?
Chris Grayling to freight operator that has no boats "we paid you 2.5 billion for those ferries"
Or.. "We paid you 12 million for that track and trace"
It would be funny if it wasn't true.
Having worked with English builders I know the feeling only too well.
where are you from then? you not british?
@@fatherpaulstone896 Yes me British, you British, no? 😂
@@fredmila 😄👍
In other words, how the British Govt awarded the covid contracts.
Well we've vaccinated more people than the rest of Europe combined, so they seem to be working out okay.
@@karlbassett8485 Also the exact opposite of what actually happened. The UK side finished well before and at a substantially lower budget than the French side. To the point that in the last 18 months of construction thousands of UK workers went over to help the French who where a long - long way behind and hugely over cost.
Here is the official report by Francis Hearn detailing the situation, issues and costs
apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a276860.pdf
We love to pretend the French and Europeans in general are doing a great job. So much better than us.
It's a popular UK pastime - hating your own nation.
It's often based on.. and let's not be obtuse about this. Bollocks.
And your point on Covid as well Karl. Spot on. The UK has vaccinated almost 1.5X the number of people than the entire EU combined. The upshot of this is that, in 8 or 10 weeks when the UK restrictions are lifted properly - due to a hugely decreased risk of infection. The rest of Europe will be months behind.
Just 12 weeks ago (October 25th 2020) what was left of the "Remain" group was adamant. Convinced, that the UK would be left without any vaccine as a result of Brexit. They issued two press statements and even a radio advert pleading for an extension and re-think.
As usual - they were entirely, and completely wrong.
No hang that..... "Wrong" implies they used data to come to an informed decision as to the likely outcome and that they miscalculated. They tried their best and were mistaken.
That isn't what happened.
They used no data, formed no testable hypothesis. They guessed based on their own political bias and need to peddle in fear.
So they weren't "Wrong" "Wrong" implies a well intentioned mistake. That isn't what happened,
What they did was "Lie"
About what we expect from Remain
@@karlbassett8485 Hahaha, what a low bar, Even the Seychelles and Israel has beaten the UK and most of Europe
@@dnomyarnostaw Any countries without tiny populations?
Funniest one ever... R.I.P.
Wasn't Stubbs the builder in Fawlty Towers?
Wasn't the builder in Faulty Towers also called Stubbs?
Same these days, Rochester Bridge, Strood Hi Street.... Months and months
Berlin's new airport: Hold my beer!
Still funny even now - anyone who has dealt with local builders will recognise all these excuses rolled into one !
Can you come and do our patio by the weekend
The van broke down. How many times have I been given that excuse
Tunnel contractor and German generals. Got it down pat.
Maybe their two best.
I lived in Dollis Hill in the 80´s !
Best skit in the series?
This is it.
I dunno man...Nazi Generals is a real hoot.
Generally, general joke is very good, but I think it is not as original; who other would make a brilliant joke about channel tunnel? It is so Mel&Griff
Watched this many times Brilliant. Would like to find the Russian swimmer one .
They gave the job to build HS2 to him too
They went on to work on HS2
where is part 1
This rings so true for pretty much every westminster funded project in the past year, except the person getting the money is some tory donor.
LOL.....Back in THe 1960's Harold " Man Of The People" Wilson and his Labour cronies used to take backhanders left, right and centre....:)
My favourite sketch
Sounds like the tender for the garden bridge, and the ferry company with no ferries.
He didn't take into consideration their constant need for tea breaks.
Play "Right Said Fred" by Bernard Cribbins on You Tube to tell you EXACTLY what it was like :)
i really think that not the nine o`clock may well be one of the greatest sketch shows ever, and even more funny this clip is the mystery of all the roadworks on great britains roads, apparently there`s a load of signs and cones, bringing the traffic to a standstill but usually there is no workman in sight, or failing that they don`t really seem to be doing much, and how on earth do these companies get the contract in the first place, does the local authority put it out that there got far too much money to spend, when this money could probably be spent somewhere else, don`t really care how and when it gets done, and off course the workmen cannot possibly work weekends, bank holidays or when it`s raining, and i`m sure that during my brief spell as a labourer on a building site many a year ago, the main thing apart from digging a hole slowly was us having loads of tea breaks and reading the paper, if you really want to hear a funny joke, then it goes something like the state of the country at the moment, and no doubt not even the excellent people behind not the nine o`clock news could right a funnier sketch.
1:16 Griff turns in to Dev from Corrie!
This sounds pretty realistic for the tunnel 😄
Is Stubbs a reference to Fawlty Towers?
marwood1969 Possibly
Waiting for a skip. Absolutely brilliant comedy
What's a "skip" in this context? Is it a UK term??
@@terrystevens5261 So to haul away the trash (sorry, rubbish) from the construction site?
Didnt Costain go bust ?
Waiting for a skip...😅😅😅😅
Hilarious! 👷♀️😅😂
I've lent out my extension lead see!
Mr stubbs ? Wasn't that the builder in fatty owls
“Waiting for a skip”. What does that mean?
the 'skip' is the big container to put the waste in..
Thank you.
No. It's a rope with a child at each end and you jump up & down in the middle.
@@normanmeharry58 that would be the verb to skip, rather than the noun skip which refers to large metal container to put waste material in. It's English and almost without exception every word has more than one meaning.
In American English, a "dumpster."
Waiting for a skip😂😂
Waiting for a skip, love it.
That’s a name from the past Cementation.
My first job back in 1972.
Two and a half billion....it was a lot more than that!
Indeed, they had to sack this guy and write off what they paid him before going with one of the other tenders ;)
Now working on HS2
Proper humour.
We are waiting on a skip. Priceless