Greetings.

I've been out of the country for a little while until recently so may have missed a few things, but where are all the good British Sketch shows? I mean, Cardinal Burns is the only one I know of but that's pretty hit and miss. My whole life there's always been something funny on: Hale and Pace, Punt and Dennis, the Fast Show, Harry Enfield, the League of Gentlemen, Armstrong and Miller, Mitchell and Webb. What's going on people?

If I'm misinformed please somebody point me in the right direction...

And by that I meant TV sketch shows. I know there are a few decent ones knocking about on the radio. Anyway best get off to sleep now, the Diazepam and sleep tranqs are kicking in and my typing is starting to suflerzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

There haven't been many sketch shows on TV the past couple of years. But you should definitely familiarise yourself with Horrible Histories.

Oh I know, and love, HH, I just forgot to put it on my list in my drug-addled stupor. Another one that is no longer with us, though. Yonderland is pretty good, but more of a sitcom with sketches thrown in

Ah, no, HH is coming back!

There'll also be a Keith Lemon Sketch Show launching in February, if he's to your liking.

It's coming back? As a series? I heard they were doing a Magna Carta special, but that's great news! Keith Lemon is alright as a presenter, but I couldn't stand Bo Selecta so not sure if I'd like a Keith Lemon sketch show

https://www.comedy.co.uk/news/story/000001535/horrible_histories_series_6/

Watson & Oliver have done two series, but they're hit and miss, IMO.

https://www.comedy.co.uk/tv/watson_oliver/

Quote: Aaron @ 14th December 2014, 4:11 PM GMT

https://www.comedy.co.uk/news/story/000001535/horrible_histories_series_6/

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Hmmm, new cast though? Oh well, I suppose if the writing team is as strong this time round it'll still be ok. The Shakespearee film sounds interesting though.

Quote: bloopergast @ 14th December 2014, 4:25 PM GMT

Watson & Oliver have done two series, but they're hit and miss, IMO.

https://www.comedy.co.uk/tv/watson_oliver/

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Cheers, I shall check it out. I think even great shows like Mitchell & Webb/Armstrong & Miller could be hit and miss.

http://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/tvandradioblog/2014/dec/11/why-is-almost-nobody-making-tv-sketch-comedy-any-more

I suppose this answers my question...

There hasn't really been that many lately, apart from Horrible Histories and Cardinal Burns.

Unfortunately, the panel show is easier and cheaper to do and that's why we've got so/too many of them now.

Additionally, Horrible Histories is great to me because it doesn't constantly rely on recurring characters and catchphrases every single episode, which is very rare these days. I think we need another one of those type of sketch shows in the Not the Nine O'Clock News vein.

Quote: Gluben @ 27th February 2015, 4:00 PM GMT

There hasn't really been that many lately, apart from Horrible Histories and Cardinal Burns.

Unfortunately, the panel show is easier and cheaper to do and that's why we've got so/too many of them now.

Additionally, Horrible Histories is great to me because it doesn't constantly rely on recurring characters and catchphrases every single episode, which is very rare these days. I think we need another one of those type of sketch shows in the Not the Nine O'Clock News vein.

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Or Big Train, A Bit of Fry & Laurie. I did like Come Fly with Me, but I think if they had made a second series I would have gone off it.

Quote: DanShentonLives @ 15th December 2014, 5:44 PM GMT

http://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/tvandradioblog/2014/dec/11/why-is-almost-nobody-making-tv-sketch-comedy-any-more

I suppose this answers my question...

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That guardian article on sketch shows is very much on the button.

One thing it doesn't mention is that sketch shows have, to a certain degree, been the authors of their own undoing.
Especially under Enfield, Walliams, Tate and co. sketch shows have gone very high-end when it comes to production values.

Not at all unusual for a comedian to spend two, three, even four hours in make-up, having facial prosthetics applied, etc. for one single sketch.
This makes productions outrageously expensive.

Many of us will remember when sketch shows were cheap and cheerful numbers. These recent shows have raised the bar regarding what modern audiences expect a sketch show to look like. In my mind, way too far.
Established artists may be able to get support for such outrageous costs, but any up and coming experimental show doesn't stand a chance.

Unless, TV sketch shows return to a much more bargain basement image, in fact reveling in being cheap and a bit tacky, then it's not going to happen.

Quote: Gussie Fink Nottle @ 14th April 2015, 6:38 PM BST

Many of us will remember when sketch shows were cheap and cheerful numbers. These recent shows have raised the bar regarding what modern audiences expect a sketch show to look like. In my mind, way too far.
Established artists may be able to get support for such outrageous costs, but any up and coming experimental show doesn't stand a chance.

Unless, TV sketch shows return to a much more bargain basement image, in fact reveling in being cheap and a bit tacky, then it's not going to happen.

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See also: sitcoms and satire.

Quote: Aaron @ 14th April 2015, 7:05 PM BST

See also: sitcoms and satire.

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Can you elaborate on that point?
Not sure I follow.
Off the top of my head I can't think of very overly extravagant sitcoms.
And satire is just panel shows these days, which are fairly cheap, no?
But interested in your angle.

Quote: Gussie Fink Nottle @ 14th April 2015, 7:12 PM BST

Can you elaborate on that point?
Not sure I follow.
Off the top of my head I can't think of very overly extravagant sitcoms.

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They don't need to look expensive in terms of obvious things like prosthetics, to be incredibly costly to produce.

No one complained about the wobbly sets in Fawlty Towers because the focus was on the scripts and the comic quality, not the modern desire for "high production values" and the lust for film-like realism.