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That Mitchell & Webb Look - Series 1 [2007]


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Excellent.
Review date: 2008-07-07 Rating: 8 out of 10

Sketch shows have a rich British tradition, The Fast Show, Harry Enfield And Chums, dating all the way back to Monty Python. However, first season aside, Little Britain heralded a different brand of sketch show, a lowest-common-denominator, catchphrase-and-gross-out based style. This predictability removes the one thing which made shows like Monty Python in particular great, namely the unpredictability. The whole point of a sketch show isn't to have recurring characters every week, but to just spent a couple of minutes in each little world and then move onto something totally different. That Mitchell And Webb Look restores this balance, reviving sketch shows as they were originally intended.

This is not to say that there aren't recurring characters in That Mitchell And Webb Look. The likes of delusional tramp Sir Digby Chicken Caesar, conman Barry Crisp and spectacularly surreal gameshow Numberwang all have repeat appearances, but crucially have enough material to make it worth seeing each time, with each rendition having a new spin. Also funny are the Extras-style, 'backstage' moments, with Mitchell and Webb playing perverse, childish verisons of themselves to great effect.

In addition to this, each episode is crammed full of one-shot sketches which deliver home-run gangs and then disappear; like the abusive detective on the phone, the man with the telekinetic power over biscuits or the BMX Bandit and the Angel Summoner. Best of all is the saga of Chip And Pin, a hilarious mini-biography of the rise and fall of four stage performers. An original, sharp, witty show that's well worth watching from front to back; and the DVD comes with a bunch of deleted sketches and outtakes which are worth watching, as well as an interesting (and funny) making-of documentary.

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Reviews


This is not Peep Show
Review date: 2008-06-16 Rating: 8 out of 10

Peep show is excellent. This isn't Peep Show.

Mitchell and Webb's comedy sketch series is silly. That's the basis of it all, a bunch of downright enjoyable silly sketchs that often (but not always) hit the funny bone like rounds from a minigun. The sketches range from those that appear in just one episode (the amazing BMX Bantit, Mr. Green Claronet) to those which recur (Numberwang, Sir Digby Chicken Sezar). In my view it's the one episode sketches which make this show (Numberwang is just a bit crap really) with exception of Mitchell and Web playing themselves (yeah, it's really just Mark and Jez).

Forget about Peep Show, don't expect this to be Peep Show, be prepaired for some amazingly silly jokes that will make you die with laughter, and you'll have a riot with this DVD (that is unless you don't like silly Jokes, in which case stay away. Honestly they really are silly).

cack
Review date: 2008-05-31 Rating: 4 out of 10

I love peep show and this was such a letdown. It just isnt funny. I now understand that they never actually wrote peep show which explains a lot.

I suppose there's the odd funny thing like numberwang or sir digby chicken caesar but generally the sketches just go on for way too long, dragging out weak material well beyond the point of goodwill.

don't bother.

oh, and this is a 'bad miss'!!
Review date: 2008-05-27 Rating: 4 out of 10

I caught an episode of this series when It was shown on TV. I remembered the Chip and Pin sketch, and bought the DVD purely on this. I recently got into Peep Show, and bought series 1-4 and thought I'd add this DVD too. Peep Show is pure class.

In all 6 shows of TM&WL, It has to be said that the material is quite poor, and there are only one or two sketches per show that really made me laugh. I liked Sherlock Holmes best, but on the whole, this is weak stuff. They just repeat the same unfunny format. Disappointing...

No copy and paste catchphrases, thank the lord
Review date: 2008-01-28 Rating: 8 out of 10

After years of copy and paste sketch comedies, where people take one joke and bleed it to death with merchandising, video games and celbrities guests being bought in to say the same catchphrase I was amazed when this came along.

The Mitchell and webb look does not rely on the same joke, week in week out, and does genuinely attempt to keep its comedy fresh and new every episode.

This is so refreshing to see and the skills of mitchell and webb as comedic actors does help in lifting this above the average.

Whilst, there are still some catchphrase moments ('numberwang' etc) these are never over done and written with an air of uncertainty so that it is not overtly obvious what the final punchline is the second the sketch starts.

But mainly, the sketches are one offs, usually in the style of monty python in that they tinker with the format by stopping sketches half way through or having a sketch based behind the scenes of filming, this all leads to a superior sketchshow by people who clearly study and love the format.

It is certainly not going to get the audience Catherine tate has but it certainly keeps a much higher level of comedy. I reccommend this to anyone looking to see why sketch shows used to be (in the 1990s anyways) such a brilliant part of British comedy.

Product Details/Specifications


Actor(s):
David Mitchell
Robert Webb

Creators:
Robert Webb (Primary Contributor)
David Mitchell (Primary Contributor)

Recording label: Contender Entertainment Group
Manufacturer: Contender Entertainment Group
EAN: 5030305104962
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 1
Format: PAL,
Release date: 2007-10-29
Audience rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
Region code: 2
Running time: 180 minutes
Theatrical release date: 2007
Language: English (Unknown)

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