6. The Mary Whitehouse Experience
Named after the infamous television standards campaigner, The Mary Whitehouse Experience paired Rob Newman and David Baddiel with Steve Punt and Hugh Dennis for topical satire and sketches with a heavy emphasis on parody. The major hook, aside from the studenty swearing and Newman's luscious hair, was the fact the comics provided viewers with catchphrases they could take away and play with. The prime example coming from the show's regular fake academic segment. History Today starred two old, but juvenile, professors competing to offer the best and most puerile insult. The format was simple, a lengthy description of something truly disgusting which ended with the line: "That's you, that is". It gave schoolboys (and grown men) a semi-legitimate excuse to spend hour upon hour verbally abusing each other without fear of consequence. Classic moment: A guest appearance by The Cure frontman Robert Smith, who skipped into shot chirpily singing The Sun Has Got His Hat On.