Mitchell & Webb Return to Channel 4 with a Bold New Sketch Show

Image: Ch4 Press

By Jon Donnis

David Mitchell and Robert Webb are making a long-awaited return to Channel 4 with a brand-new sketch show, set to bring a fresh and innovative take on British comedy. This six-part series marks a bold reimagining of the sketch format, as the BAFTA-winning duo team up with a new generation of comedy talent, blending classic wit with modern perspectives.

Joining Mitchell & Webb are rising stars Kiell Smith-Bynoe, Lara Ricote, Stevie Martin and Krystal Evans, along with a talented team of established and up-and-coming comedy writers. The show is produced by That Mitchell & Webb Company in association with Big Talk Studios, the production company behind Friday Night Dinner, Back and Ludwig. Long-time collaborator Gareth Edwards will once again take the helm as producer.

Mitchell and Webb have embraced the challenge of reviving sketch comedy for a new era, describing the project as "a brilliant piece of counterintuitive commissioning" in a time of uncertainty for the industry. With their trademark self-deprecating humour, they reassured audiences that unlike a Roger Moore-era Bond clinging to the edge of disaster, they are not about to send British TV comedy into the abyss.

Their co-stars are equally excited. Kiell Smith-Bynoe compared the experience to finally sitting at the grown-ups' table, while Stevie Martin reflected on how Mitchell & Webb's early work inspired her own journey into sketch comedy. Lara Ricote and Krystal Evans both praised the fun and energy of the writers' room, with Evans joking that the promise of free biscuits and pizza had made the job even sweeter.

Channel 4's Head of Comedy, Charlie Perkins, hailed the return of sketch comedy, calling it "the bedrock of generations of comedy writers and performers." Big Talk Studios' Kenton Allen echoed this, likening the show to a conservation success story, where two masters of the craft lead a new generation of talent into the world of sketch.

Commissioned by Channel 4's Charlie Perkins and Joe Hullait, the 6x30' series is set to bring together the best of old and new, offering audiences a show packed with quick-fire comedy, sharp writing and unpredictable hilarity. With Mitchell & Webb back in their natural habitat, sketch comedy may be about to experience a well-earned revival.