History Main / Punchline

--> [[FlatWhat What?]]

* Subversion: The boys behind ''Series/MontyPythonsFlyingCircus'' apparently felt no need to tack a punchline at the end of every sketch, no matter what [[Creator/TheBBC the BBC]] told them. They usually offered a segue into the next sketch instead, though a few sketches made fun of such punchlines. The restaurant sketch with the dirty fork is an example of the latter, where the cheesiness of the punchline (which is marked by a title card saying 'And now for the punchline' and was [[spoiler: "Luckily I didn't tell him about the dirty knife."]]) is shown to ruin the humour of the sketch. When a later sketch is ended by a policeman who tries to arrest everyone for making a strange sketch, another policeman then enters and tries to arrest everyone else for trying to get out of the sketch without a punchline.

* ''TheFastShow''`s core concept is an inversion of the Python type approach, instead being practically ''all'' punchlines with very little lead-up. This was also sometimes used by ''NotTheNineOClockNews'' and its {{Spiritual Successor}}s, but interspersed in between more conventional sketches.

* Another subversion was ''Series/ABitOfFryAndLaurie''. In one memorable sketch, Hugh Laurie stopped in the middle to protest that this was one of those sketches where Stephen's role just got sillier until there was no way to end things properly, and it was just abandoned. Stephen protested that of ''course'' there was a proper end to the sketch, and he'd go and get the script to prove it. After a few seconds, Hugh realised he wasn't coming back.
** Similarly, ''Series/TheKidsInTheHall'' sketch [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hvn20p6HNbE "Comedy Inc"]], in which a comedy writer's boss chews him out for writing bad sketches like "Comedy Inc", ends with a long pause, after which the boss asks the writer, "You forgot to write an ending, didn't you?"

Compare OneTwoPunchline and EscalatingPunchline. If a punchline appears without the rest of the joke, it's an OrphanedPunchline. If the joke appears to be setting up one punchline but then goes for another, that's SubvertedPunchline. On the other hand, the punchline can be left for you to figure out on your own; that's a StealthPun.

* Six episodes in Series 10 of ''NeverMindTheBuzzcocks'' (aired in early 2002) had Mark reading off a punchline in the beginning of each episode (before guest introductions) and telling the full joke later during the show. The full list (highlight to read the full joke):

* Another subversion was ''ABitOfFryAndLaurie''. In one memorable sketch, Hugh Laurie stopped in the middle to protest that this was one of those sketches where Stephen's role just got sillier until there was no way to end things properly, and it was just abandoned. Stephen protested that of ''course'' there was a proper end to the sketch, and he'd go and get the script to prove it. After a few seconds, Hugh realised he wasn't coming back.

** Similarly, ''TheKidsInTheHall'' sketch [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hvn20p6HNbE "Comedy Inc"]], in which a comedy writer's boss chews him out for writing bad sketches like "Comedy Inc", ends with a long pause, after which the boss asks the writer, "You forgot to write an ending, didn't you?"

->''"A punchline should be equated to an actual punch in the face. That's why it's called a punch-line. You deliver it and run. [[DontExplainTheJoke You do not hang around explaining how you did the punch and that the recipient should probably be in a lot of pain now]]."''

Compare OneTwoPunchline and EscalatingPunchline. If a punchline appears without the rest of the joke, it's an OrphanedPunchline. Compare and contrast with its dramatic cousin, the WhamLine.

* Averted in SeltzerAndFriedberg "comedies".

Not to be confused with the 1988 film starring Creator/SallyField and Creator/TomHanks or the 2015 [[Anime/PuchLine anime]].

Not to be confused with the 1988 film starring Creator/SallyField and Creator/TomHanks.

* In ''MahouSenseiNegima'', Negi once {{lampshaded}} it after sneezing on Chisame. ([[http://www.mangafox.com/manga/mahou_sensei_negima/v37/c338/19.html Link]] -- {{NSFW}})

* Subversion: The boys behind ''Series/MontyPythonsFlyingCircus'' apparently felt no need to tack a punchline at the end of every sketch, no matter what {{the BBC}} told them. They usually offered a segue into the next sketch instead, though a few sketches made fun of such punchlines. The restaurant sketch with the dirty fork is an example of the latter, where the cheesiness of the punchline (which is marked by a title card saying 'And now for the punchline' and was [[spoiler: "Luckily I didn't tell him about the dirty knife."]]) is shown to ruin the humour of the sketch. When a later sketch is ended by a policeman who tries to arrest everyone for making a strange sketch, another policeman then enters and tries to arrest everyone else for trying to get out of the sketch without a punchline.

Compare OneTwoPunchline and EscalatingPunchline. If a punchline appears without the rest of the joke, it's an OrphanedPunchline. Compare and Contrast with it's dramatic cousin, the WhamLine.

** The punchline is duly lampshaded via caption at the end of the "Dirty Fork" sketch: "Lucky I didn't say anything about the dirty ''knife!''"

If somebody CannotTellAJoke, this is the part they're most likely to forget. Or it may take the hearer a long time to figure out the point, making them LateToThePunchline. When it works, however, it's responsible for a very good many SugarWiki/FunnyMoments.

Compare OneTwoPunchline and EscalatingPunchline. If a punchline appears without the rest of the joke, it's an OrphanedPunchline.

* Parodied in [[http://www.qwantz.com/index.php?comic=815 this]] ''DinosaurComics'' strip.

If somebody CannotTellAJoke, this is the part they're most likely to forget. When it works, however, it's responsible for a very good many SugarWiki/FunnyMoments.

That which ends the joke and makes it funny. This is where dodgy {{Sitcom}}s cue the LaughTrack. And kitschy comedians get the {{rimshot}}. And bad {{pun}}s get the CollectiveGroan. In other words, it's the comedy equivalent of a TwistEnding: the surprising and amusing payoff to the StraightMan's line.

That which ends the joke and makes it funny. This is where dodgy {{Sitcom}}s cue the LaughTrack.

--> -- '''Ben [[ZeroPunctuation "Yahtzee"]] Croshaw'''

* In MahouSenseiNegima, Negi once {{lampshaded}} it after sneezing on Chisame. ([[http://www.mangafox.com/manga/mahou_sensei_negima/v37/c338/19.html Link]] -- {{NSFW}})