The first series of ‘That Mitchell and Webb Look’ is by far the best. It came along at exactly the right time, 2006, when sketch comedy shows seemed moribund. Melding their contrasting ‘Peep Show’ personas with outright absurdism, it was very silly and often inspired. There was ‘Numberwang’, the quiz show with no discernible rules; a pastiche of Sherlock Holmes with a solution to thespian rivalry, and a man who had a unique form of telekinesis: he could move biscuits with his mind.
But my favourites are still ‘The Continued Adventures of Sir Digby Chicken Caesar,’ the aristocratic alcoholic; a surreal riff on kids’ show ‘Captain Pugwash’, and their riposte to the endless banality of reality TV, and pissed darts commentators. Best of all was the dystopian light entertainment show which was modelled on an Orwellian nightmare: it seemed to point to COVID as the smiling hosts beamed,”Please…Remain indoors!” Dark and yet hilarious.
There was a nod to retro teatime TV too with the fabulously deadpan ‘Angel Summoner and BMX Bandit’ which really skewered action hero tropes and worked as a garish eighties pastiche. Splendid stuff and although it often harkened back to the beats of early Fry and Laurie, their charm and versatility kept it buoyant.
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