That Mitchell And Webb Look - Series 4 Page 27

Was there any red button stuff this week? I can't remember any.

I thought the Holmes sketch very moving, when he said "I know" it threw me and I hoped they wouldn't ruin that moment for a slapstick finish, and they didn't thankfully, a very well done sketch and shows they can do serious very well.

I've often thought either of them could cut it in dramas and things outside comedy, surely there are no doubters now.

The Sorry! sketch was possibly the funniest of the series, but that's likely because of the "Peep Show" similarities and one of them being nasty to the other.

"Peep Show isn't going to last forever"

But it could do! and then in series 57 Mark and Jeremy could go right back to the Holmes sketch again.

Quote: zooo @ August 19 2010, 10:38 AM BST

If you read back, I said I liked the ending. Just that it is also, as well as being good and thought provoking, a tad mawkish.

Your cat's mawkish.

For me, the Blackadder ending worked because it perfectly suited the comedy of the show.

The M&W ending didn't work because there was no relation between their final sketch and the theme of their show, other than being mostly unfunny.

Quote: Matthew Stott @ August 19 2010, 12:14 PM BST

Your cat's mawkish.

Ha! In your face! I don't have a cat.

:(

I thought the melancholy ending to the Quiz Broadcast worked because it emerged organically from a funny series of sketches; whereas the Holmes sketch as a stand alone piece had not accrued sufficient goodwill to carry it off.

And whatever happened to the sitcom they were doing for the BBC?

https://www.comedy.co.uk/guide/pilots/playing_shop/

Interesting that the stars pulled the plug, rather than the Beeb. If only Simon Amstell had the same powers of self-criticism.

Quote: Griff @ August 19 2010, 12:59 PM BST

If that's the Playing Shop sitcom, didn't they walk away from that, deciding it wasn't good enough?

I've seen their sketch show, it's not like Mitchell and Webb to exercise quality control.

I thought they decided not to because they thought they were on enough things already; what with Peep, the sketch show, and various other things. I seem to remember reading that.

Then you seem to have read wrong.

Quote: Aaron @ August 19 2010, 6:24 PM BST

Then you seem to have read wrong.

Nope, at least not completely, they definitely said it about some show or other they were developing.

Quote: Timbo @ August 19 2010, 12:25 PM BST

I thought the melancholy ending to the Quiz Broadcast worked because it emerged organically from a funny series of sketches; whereas the Holmes sketch as a stand alone piece had not accrued sufficient goodwill to carry it off.

I liked the Quiz Broadcast this week. Hadn't liked it much before.

Quote: Nogget @ August 19 2010, 10:23 AM BST

It looks like it's just you and me who are prepared to admit to disliking it. Perhaps we're simply heartless bastards?

Hey, don't leave me out! I'm sure I've said on other threads that I think it's sentimental self-satisfied twaddle. Mind you, I'm biased against Blackadder Goes Forth because they had a dig at Chaplin (a man with more comic talent than the whole of the Blackadder team put together).

Back to M&W, one day people will look back and realise that they thought they liked it because they wanted to like it. I want to like it but I don't. Despite some very good bits, overall it is very disappointing. Too many sketches are too long and too many have a good basic idea that they don't make the most of. Mitchell and Webb are fine performers, but ever since series one this show has had all the hallmarks of diminishing returns being propped up by the emperor's new clothes factor. Of the BBC's mainstream duo-based sketch shows of the moment, it's comfortably the weakest. I'm with Ben - I would much rather watch Harry and Paul or Armstrong and Miller, where the quality control seems to be much better.