Sketch shows are such a weird and wonderful creature. Sometimes I find myself wondering why there aren’t more on British TV because they are such a strong part of our heritage, but really they are so very hit and miss. While I’m watching some sketch shows the overwhelming thought in the back of my mind is “can these people keep going for a whole series”, which I’m sure is the same thought that is in the back of the mind of the people who commission this sort of programming.
The reason that sketch shows keep everyone coming back for more though, is when you get to experience true originality of thought, and the jokes enter your daily life, and that Mitchell and Webb Look is just such a show, a real classic.
And I’m so happy that I got the first series on DVD because not only did I get to experience the full on fun that you get watching a couple of episodes back to back, and I can refer back to my favourite sketches later, the supporting extra material on this DVD makes it all worthwhile. If it weren’t for the DVD extras I would probably just watch it once and then stick it on the shelf.
I’m sure everyone has their personal favourites, but mine are the Germans who start to realise that they might be the baddies. It really is such a strong idea, and the genius of David Mitchell and Robert Webb is that they can encapsulate it within a perfectly formed sketch that simply delivers the goods.
By contrast last night I watched Man Stroke Woman and while I really wanted it to be as good and as well crafted as That Mitchell and Webb Look, unfortunately it just wasn’t. Some of the jokes were good, even excellent, but the way they play out the whole sketches so often left me feeling uncomfortable, and they mixed good material with stuff that just didn’t quite make the grade.
Other characters in That Mitchell and Webb Look who play a regular part include Angel Summoner and BMX Bandit, who are excellent, but unlikely to make it to the next series because their joke is somewhat one dimensional. The thing David Walliams and Matt Lucas always do with their sketches in Little Britain is to have more than one dimension to each of their regular characters, and I think it’s this distinction that makes That Mitchell and Webb Look feel just that bit less epic in scope than Little Britain, but no less worthy for that fact because it’s more accessible as a result. I think expendable characters like Angel Summoner and BMX Bandit might turn out to be a strong point because Mitchell and Webb will need to come up with completely fresh material for their next series.
Numberwang is a quiz show that reminds me of Reeves and Mortimer. It’s just so way out there in the world of weirdness that it has taken on a life of its own, and gives a clue as to where That Mitchell and Webb Look is positioned in the world of sketch shows. It is one of my favourites on the show, but as the series progresses you get the idea that it is on some sort of path of self destruction, as if they want it to reach a conclusion so they can move on.
So the big question that I expect is on your mind right now (and that you hope I’m going to answer) is whether you should rush out and buy Series 1 of That Mitchell & Webb Look on DVD or put it on your Christmas list?
And my answer is mixed. If you can only get it at the recommended retail price of £19.99 then it would be hard to argue, but since just about everyone on planet earth sells it for less than this, the decision is much easier. It’s currently £12.48 on Amazon, and I’m sure Tescos are competitive with this, and at this sort of price I give it a definite thumbs up – go out and buy this disc now!
Full cast list for That Mitchell and Webb Look: Abigail Burdess, David Mitchell, Gus Brown, James Bachman, Mark Evans, Olivia Colman, Paterson Joseph, Robert Webb.