7 March 1873: Political satire at the theatre – political drama is a novelty, but people who care for art may regret its degradation by connection with the strife of parties.
1 September 1923: Clowning on the big screen – film critic CA Lejeune on Buster Keaton, Charlie Chaplin and the art of slapstick comedy.
25 July 1925: Understanding the genius of Chaplin and Harold Lloyd.
9 June 1960: Norman Wisdom talks to his fans in Darwen, Lancashire, during filming of There Was a Crooked Man.
11 July 1963: John Cleese and Bill Oddie stand out in “Cambridge Circus”.
27 February 1972: Stop me if you’ve heard this one before... The Observer reviews TV series, The Comedians.
27 May 1972: Full house for Morecambe and Wise: the Guardian meets the comedy duo backstage before a live show.
17 October 1980: Pamela Stephenson’s biting wit – the crazy world of the Not the Nine O’Clock News star and Comic Strip standup performer.
16 April 1982: Arthur Lowe, captain of comedy.
3 June 1983: Cambridge Footlights celebrates 100 years of comedy.
25 February 1984: John Lloyd, Spitting Image’s comedy broker.
19 October 1984: Women changing the face of US comedy.
23 May 1990: Master-clown Max Wall dies after a long Indian summer of fame.
31 May 1990: Athene Seyler, the 101 year-old funny lady, author of The Craft of Comedy.
9 March 2008: And it’s goodnight from her – after 30 years, French and Saunders say their goodbyes with a greatest hits tour.
Photograph: Tristram Kenton for the Guardian
8 July 2011: The Office – still doing the business.
9 June 2014: How Rik Mayall and his alternative comedy generation changed UK standup forever. The Young Ones – in pictures.
18 December 2015: The 10 best Fawlty Towers moments.
20 April 2016: Victoria Wood – a life in pictures.
