The Top 12 Online Comedy Sketches 2013

Independent comedy creators making sketches for the internet have now started to match traditional TV broadcasters in terms of production quality. Here's our twelve favourite sketches from 2013, sorted by upload date...

Wobble Box

This fast paced animated sketch show for the HuHa! channel is full of surreal delights:

Link to this video. There's lots of episodes of Wobble Box. Watch more

Moonwalking Shetland Pony

As you may recall, at the start of 2013 there was the horse meat scandal... and that ubiquitous pony mobile phone advert was all over the TV. Cope and Dalton, who have since gone on to create the warped sitcom Future Duck, mashed the two topics up brilliantly in this viral spoof:

Link to this.

Building A Human

This retro instructional film by Robert Popper and Peter Serafinowicz is so incredibly well put together. Admire all the small touches:

Link to this. Peter Serafinowicz is no stranger when it comes to creating hit videos for the internet of course. See also: Get Lucky and Singing Morrissey's Book.

Adolf Hitler in Mr Men

Jake Yapp is one of the online video producers who really made a name for himself in 2013. His Channel 4 News video showed off his skill for impressions, however it was his animated Mr Men video that most caught our eye this year:

Link to this.

Shopaholic Apocalypse

2013 saw a number of new independent video channels spring up, one of which was Hunka Wunda. This is perhaps their best video to date. We love how the topic of the video is slowly and subtly revealed:

Link to this.

This Glorious Monster

We love This Glorious Monster, a group which mixes great writing with slick filming. Their Office Cult sketch was our highlight last year, and they've continued with more great sketches this year. It's hard to pick a favourite, but here's a musical one from them:

Link to this. Don't miss Victorian Babestation, their sinister Ladies Of HR sketches, and other creations: More from This Glorious Monster

Don't Fear Death

Rik Mayall narrates this fast-paced comedy arguing the joys of being dead. It's made by the rather talented pens of Dice Productions.

Link to this.

The Dam and the Damned

The director George Kane is making quite a name for himself online at the moment. In this spot-on spoof of 1980s soap operas, Rufus Hound and Isabel Fay have some issues to get over:

Link to this.

Marek Larwood - How To Make An Art Film

Marek Larwood has been experimenting all year with various styles of comedy video. Here's one of our favourites from his channel - advice on how to make an art film. We love rule two:

Link to this. More Marek Larwood videos

Alan Rickman Karaoke

This short from Max Dowler makes our top 12 for the simple reason it made us giggle a lot. It's him, as Alan Rickman, as Professor Snape, singing an Adele song:

Link to this.

Kill Yourself by Phil Nichol

This music video for Phil Nichol's Kill Yourself is the most inventive video of the year. Bec Hill is the talented person behind the effects:

Link to this.

Barbershopera - The Christmas Jumper Song

Barbershopera, the comic musical theatre foursome, did themselves proud earlier this month with this tribute to a particular festive garment:

Link to this. See also: More from Barbershopera

2013 was a good year for musical comedy videos, others to check out include Shopping in Lidl, Downton Abbey Gift Shop, and the rude Simon Cowell protest song.

Best Advert of 2013

Using humour in adverts can really boost a brand's profile. This is what the team at Yorkshire Tea found when they created this charming but not entirely true song about their favourite beverage:

Link to this.

Best from the Broadcasters

Whilst the above list focuses on independently produced comedy, we shouldn't forget the TV channels have been working on their own online projects too. We've got two favourites, both from Channel 4's Comedy Blaps strand...

The Alternative Comedy Memorial Society

Link to this. See also: 3 more episodes

Claudia O'Doherty

Link to this. See also: Episode 2


So those were our favourites from 2013. There was so much to choose from, inevitably some great videos didn't quite make the cut, so do search around our site for more.

We'll continue to publish the best new sketches throughout 2014, so keep an eye on our videos page, or get our newsletter for the best delivered to your inbox each Monday.

Published: Monday 30th December 2013

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