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The producer, who has worked on some of the most iconic comedies of the past five decades, added they can also be a life-saver, helping people through depression.

However, John does feel one of his most famous productions – Blackadder – should not have a new run because it will never “top” the iconic ending, which saw the First World War characters head “over the top” before fading to a field of poppies.

The award-winning TV producer, radio presenter, ad director and writer has created or worked on hit radio and TV shows, including Spitting Image, The News Quiz, The Museum of Curiosity, The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy and Mr Bean.

As he prepares for his new one-man show at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, he pointed out less comedy was being made for TV and what was missing were sketch shows. He said: “There’s not a show on telly that gets to the 15-year-old, the one that 15-year-old remembers the rest of their lives.”

“The ones where the next day, in the playground, you are repeating the jokes and having a laugh.”

“Those shows are very good for national health, as it were, because they are uniting. They join people up, everybody gets talking to each other and having a good laugh at things that are quite serious – but they see the funny side of it.””

“And there is a funny side to everything.”

John, 70, who has been open about his own battle with depression, added: “If you’re a depressed 15-year-old thinking ‘What’s the point?’, those are the things that actually want to make you stay alive.”

“I remember when I was producing Spitting Image I used to get letters from people saying, ‘I am so depressed, I have been out of work for five years and I was going to kill myself last week. But then I thought I would have just one more big laugh at Spitting image on Sunday and it was so good I thought I might stay alive another week’.That’s touching.”

But he said it was a worry the BBC made half the comedies it did 10 years ago, and is concerned society has become too serious.

He said: “It is a mystery to me where it has gone.”

“I feel when people are talking about life they laugh at it a bit less than they used to – they are more angry than they use to be. People get irritated with everybody, people take offence more often.”

“Whereas before, part of being British was laughing it off, teasing each other, telling a joke rather than getting cross.”

“It is such a bonding thing – I definitely think we could use a lot more of this in the country right now.

“It’s probably fair to say it’s one of the things people liked about Boris, that he can be funny. It’s not that common in politics.”

His show John Lloyd: Do You Know Who I Am? sees him answering questions from alive audience, those submitted on social media using #askjohn Lloyd, and a few curve balls from John’s more famous friends. He said the appeal for him and the audience was it could all end in disaster.

John Lloyd: Do You Know Who I Am?, New Town Theatre, August 5-15, Tickets visit thestand.co.uk or www.Edfringe.com 222 QI Answers to Your Quite Ingenious Questions by the QI Elves will be published by Faber in November

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