That Mitchell And Webb Look: Series 3, Episode 2 - British Comedy Guide (original) (raw)

Skethes include a gangland villain made out of wood, new versions of classic films such as "Posh Jaws" and "Rude Gandhi", and Ted and Peter talk about snooker playing days in "Screw Back in Anger".

Preview clips

Further details

Viewers discover the true purpose of the Giant Death Ray; meet a gangland villain made of wood; and get some dating advice from a man who is "almost Gary Rhodes", as David Mitchell and Robert Webb's offbeat sketch show continues.

This week's programme features clips from exciting new versions of classic films, including Posh Jaws and Rude Gandhi, while there's another episode of The Quiz Show - the post-apocalyptic game show in which contestants answer questions such as "What is hope?" and "Where are all the children?" and everything's fine just so long as the contestants remember never to go outside.

Veteran snooker commentators Ted and Peter reminisce on their playing days in "Screw Back In Anger", and disaster looms again for gaffe-prone office lackey Hennimore. Viewers are also introduced to Captain Todger, a marvellous superhero who happens to be a tiny bit politically incorrect.

There's an argument about the ideal running order for a sketch show and viewers can see how David and Rob can each play two parts in the same sketch by simply existing twice.

Notes

Sketch-by-sketch list & credits

Broadcast details

Date

Thursday 18th June 2009

Time

9:30pm

Channel

BBC Two

Length

30 minutes

Cast & crew

Cast

Guest cast

Writing team

Production team

Video

Behind the Scenes - Hit and Miss

Behind the scenes on That Mitchell and Webb Look. Robert and David discuss how many hit sketches they should include. "It's a sketch show, it's got to be hit and miss."

Featuring: David Mitchell & Robert Webb.

Press

What is That Mitchell and Webb Look? I suspect it is the look of incredulity that passed over my face when I heard they'd got another series. Extremely clever and well performed by two very personable comics, it could still be a lot funnier.

Harry Venning, The Stage, 22nd June 2009

In That Mitchell and Webb Look (BBC2) David and Robert discuss the hit-and-miss nature of all sketch shows, including theirs. "If we didn't perversely include about 50% deliberately unamusing material, people would have to think of something else to say, wouldn't they," says David.

"Like we're too self-referential," says Robert.

"Ah, clever."

"And people call us smug," Robert adds, smugly.

Ah, doubly clever, and smug, and knowing. Quite funny, too. It is the only funny sketch of the lot - and there are 12 of them, I reckon, if you count the mini-movie spoofs as one. So when you say about 50%, David, what you really mean is about 92%.

Sam Wollaston, The Guardian, 19th June 2009

If you lasted through to the end of Krod Mandoon you would have reached That Mitchell and Webb Look, which, three series in, is doing something rare among sketch shows: improving. The first two series were patchy - I might have said "hit-and-miss" but last night's episode featured a sketch lampooning reviewers who say that. Well, anyway: its hit-rate's up. The main characteristic of the show's humour is nerdish pedantry. If something improbable happens in a sketch, the characters won't follow comic convention and go with the flow; instead, they'll draw attention to it.

In one sketch, a man, played by David Mitchell, was having visions of the television chef Gary Rhodes - played by Robert Webb with a foot-high quiff. "Is that what Gary Rhodes looks like?" said Mitchell's character uncertainly. "No," beamed the vision, "but this is the best version of me that your imagination could piece together."

Another thing they do well: the good old-fashioned "subverting expectations" gag. One sketch was about a pair of sleazy snooker pundits reflecting on their time in the game.

"It's been me life," began one. "I've been obsessed with it, me whole life."

Pause. "That and snooker..."

Michael Deacon, The Telegraph, 19th June 2009

That Mitchell And Webb Look 3.2 Review

Hit-and-miss. Just kidding! Well, it wasn't as good as last week's opener, but there weren't too many sketches that didn't make me giggle or smile, if only a few that had a genuinely brilliant idea behind them.

Dan Owen, Dan's Media Digest, 19th June 2009

Thursday night is the new Friday night, judging by the amount of comedy on TV this evening. last week's opener take a pop at their critics here with a sketch about the irksome nature of writing "hit-and-miss" shows. "We've done two hit-and-miss series now, can't we go for some-thing different?" asks Webb. "If we didn't perversely include 50% of deliberately unamusing material, people would have to think of something else to say," replies Mitchell. There are quite a few hits tonight, particularly Please Remain Indoors, a post-apocalyptic quiz show.

Hannah Pool, The Guardian, 18th June 2009

The duo know their critics well: 'If we didn't perversely include 50 per cent deliberately unamusing material,' says David Mitchell in a self-referential script meeting in last week's opener, 'they'd have to think of something else to say.' Well, that's us told, then. Happily there are more hits than misses in this instalment.

Sharon Lougher, Metro, 18th June 2009

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• Episode 3