2. That Mitchell And Webb Look (BBC2, 2006 - 2010)
Peep Show stars David Mitchell and Robert Webbs second foray into TV sketch comedy after their little known sketch show That Mitchell And Webb Situation (which aired on BBC Choice) came in the form of an adaptation of their radio show That Mitchell And Webb Sound in 2006. As well as fairly broad comedy (which it handles very well), there is a huge amount of genuine wit and intelligence in That Mitchell And Webb Look with a parody of Cyrano De Bergerac and logical deconstructions of conspiracy theories being present amongst other sketches. But regardless of how broad the sketches may or may not have been, the key to them being so brilliant is all in the dialogue. The shorter jokes are punchy and well-timed while the longer stuff is tailored so well to Mitchell and Webb's style and delivery that it never feels ill-fitting or overlong. It also had a very silly streak to it that ran alongside the more intelligent stuff and led to sketches like Mr Darcy dancing to Hit Me Baby One More Time after swearing at Caroline Bingley, which worked as a breathing space between the wordier sketches. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWbqqPV1-pE And while Mitchell and Webb were front and centre, they were working with an excellent supporting cast that included Peep Show stars Olivia Colman and Paterson Joseph, and Sarah Hadland (Miranda) who always worked as excellent foils for Mitchell and Webb to play off of. Another cornerstone of the programme's success is that played a lot on Mitchell and Webb's personalities, particularly in a series of sketches that were set behind the scenes of the programme itself and usually consisted of Mitchell and Webb having some kind of argument or one of them doing something exaggerated but relatively in line with their personality like Mitchell casting himself as both roles in a sketch because they're roles he thinks he is best suited to. That Mitchell And Webb Look was intelligent, utilised its stars to the best of their abilities, and was incredibly funny. Its BAFTA is well deserved and so is its spot on this list.
What Are Its Best Known Sketches? Incomprehensible game show Numberwang, the Behind The Scenes sketches, and The Surprising Adventures Of Sir Digby Chicken Caesar, a homeless alcoholic with the delusion that hes a James Bond-esque figure.