New sketch comedy recommendations

[lauraxsynthesis]

There's a piece on sketch comedy in the Telegraph today - removepaywall.com   >  https://www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/0/best-sketch-comedy-tiktok-youtube-netflix/
(Apologies to Tom Nicholson if you're here!)

Between the start of The Mary Whitehouse Experience in 1990 and the end of Limmy's Show in 2013, there was an unbroken run of sketch shows on mainstream TV channels which straddled the alternative and mainstream comedy worlds.

More than 10 years now since that run, RIP. Nicholson has some recommendations for online sketch stuff though, and I was only familiar with Bentley and Kurd.

1. Durk and Ski
Two workmates who started doing funny videos for a laugh in their spare time have built up such a following that they've even done some live shows. Their best stuff riffs on the mundane becoming increasingly strange, and their long-running parody of Coronation Street – which even had its own Christmas special episodes – is both very funny and genuinely gripping.

2. Freya Mallard
Mallard is a stand-up most of the time, but is a good example of a comic who's managed to build up a following by combining live work with deeply relatable sketches in Instagram and TikTok. See the one with her mum who can't remember the melody to any song, or her collab with fellow comedian Abi Clarke pulling apart how Gen Z are written for TV.

3. Kae Kurd
Also predominantly a stand-up and podcast host, Kurd's ear for an impression is absolutely impeccable and showcased best in his short skits – especially when he's picking out the different cadences of radio presenters.

4. Zara Gladman
Probably best known for her conceited, snobbish Glaswegian West End Mum character – forever wild swimming and getting on her high horse about VAT rates on school fees – Gladman also does an extraordinarily accurate rendering of what it'd be like to have a Scottish news reporter for a flatmate.

5. Davina Bentley
Bentley is absolutely ruthless when mocking the sly, hypocritical ways Hollywood men apologise and too-cool-for-school history podcast bros, but the piece de resistance is Gary Lineker's big spinning wheel of podcast ideas. Extra points for the felt-tip goatee here.

[Small Man Big Horse]

Can't say I can think of any online sketch shows / acts that I've seen and liked, but live I'd highly recommend Shelf, Sheeps, Lorna Rose Treen and Brynley Stent.

[neveragain]

Alasdair Beckett-King's sketches are terrific.

[lazyhour]

Alasdair Beckett-King's sketches are terrific.

Yes, some really fantastic stuff from him over the last few years.

[BritishHobo]

I do like Durk and Ski. Social media and TikTok especially have been a good avenue for sketch comedy I think, because you can now whack out some good ideas that last only 30 seconds or a couple of minutes, without having to edit them in a show for the stage or TV.

Alistair Green is exceptional, I was recommended him on here. Really really well-drawn character sketches, and unlike a lot of comedians in this area, he never really falls back on just repeating the same jokes/beats, which loads of them on TikTok do.

I'll also put a heavy heavy vote in for Aunty Donna, who I've gotten completely down-the-rabbit-hole obsessed with in the last year.

[Otisberg]

Alasdair Beckett-King's sketches are terrific.

They'll be even better when he writes jokes for them.

[Ray Travez]

I've enjoyed Gein's Family Giftshop live

[Poobum]

Love Aunty Donna, especially the Mark one's commitment to developing his look as most punchable man in universe.

[Beagle 2]

I do like Durk and Ski. Social media and TikTok especially have been a good avenue for sketch comedy I think, because you can now whack out some good ideas that last only 30 seconds or a couple of minutes, without having to edit them in a show for the stage or TV.

Alistair Green is exceptional, I was recommended him on here. Really really well-drawn character sketches, and unlike a lot of comedians in this area, he never really falls back on just repeating the same jokes/beats, which loads of them on TikTok do.

Loads of great stuff on Instagram/TikTok and obviously that's what any young comedian is going to do now, have an idea, shoot it, put it out, most of the time acting the parts of all participants, maybe putting on a different hat if they can be arsed. Seems like you get 163k followers for about seven ideas. But it is a bit of a shame, often half an idea that could be developed properly, have a bit of time and money spent on it and  weaved together into a proper show, but there's not much motivation to do that any more. And obviously if any sketch on the socials goes over a minute even I start to get twitchy.

I guess the other side of the coin is that TV sketch shows had a reputation for being expensive and time consuming to produce - stuff from 20 years ago like Mitchell and Webb, which was fine, occasionally great, but obviously had a lot of cash spent on it for stuff that could have been left in the radio studio. The sweet spot for me is something like Limmy's Show, cheap to make but polished and packed with ideas and totally worked in the half-hour series format. But he never would have bothered his arse if he'd have been coming through now, would he? He became more and more DIY as he realised he could do that and monetise it. But soz Limmy, I preferred the TV stuff. Millport would have been shit on your phone.