The Sketch Show Series 2: Top 10 Sketches

After winning a BAFTA for the fantastic first series, The Sketch Show returned for a final season consisting of eight episodes. Kitty Flanagan joined the cast, replacing Ronni Ancona, with the other four cast members remaining. Though not as strong as series one, there are a number of stand-out sketches from the show's final series that deserve recognition, and here they are:

10. Military Wife

Military Officer Lee visits Kitty to inform her of her husband's death during the war. Lee continuously appears to have finished telling her how her husband died, only to reveal that he constantly survived the many accidents and attempts on his life. Both shocked and relived at the same time, Kitty eventually learns that her husband left her for another woman. Lee comforts her by explaining that her husband has now been shot for desertion. This sketch, like Film Noir in series one, perfectly creates the look of the period of which it is set, and Kitty's deliberately overplayed widow makes for a great satire.

9. Busker

A very short sketch, involving Tim busking near the sea. As he sings, people walk past and generously place money in his guitar case. With Tim stopping to say "thanks" every time someone pays, he becomes more and more frustrated with their generosity, leading him to hilariously shout at them: "will you just let me sing?!". Though a more simple sketch, Tim's delivery of the final line makes this a personal favourite of mine.

8. Partner Names

Kitty is unimpressed with Lee's various "romantic names" for her. Trying several in one go, Kitty grows more impatient with his efforts. Eventually, she simply demands Lee call her by her proper name, only for Lee to reveal he refuses to do so being that her proper name is "Minge". What I love is that Lee's suggested names are all perfectly innocent (if a bit ridiculous), making for an unexpected reveal of Kitty's real name. 

7. Bill Paying

After a meal, Jim and Tim ask for the bill, with both more than happy to pay it themselves. A small argument soon takes an unexpected turn, as the two draw guns on one another, creating a stand-off. The sketch parodies classic tropes of film stand-offs, such as Jim telling Tim that he's captured his wife, and Tim trying to negotiate a deal. As well as this, the backdrop of having this take place over something as innocent as paying a bill offers up some great comedy, with Jim finally paying the bill and the waitress (Kitty) drawing a gun on him after he tips her.

6. Ben Ign

Perhaps the darkest sketch in the series, due to the subject matter. Tim is told by his doctor (Lee) that his condition is benign. Lee then refers to him as Mr. Ignant, to which Tim corrects him. Upon learning that his patient's name is Mr. Ben Ign, Lee looks at his documents and asks: "then who's this 'Mal Ignant'?". The calmness of both Tim and Lee's performances is key to this sketch working, as overplaying it could be seen as a more insensitive use of the subject matter. As it stands, this is a clever use of dark humour and is a stand-out in the series as a result.

5. Pickpocket
Kitty teaches Lee how to be a successful pickpocket, with her demonstrating on a passer-by. Inspired by this, Lee attempts the same. However, his distraction of starting a conversation with his target quickly backfires, as the target (Tim) engages enthusiastically with the conversation, asking: "how are those two kids of yours?" etc. Lee becomes startled and believes Tim is trying to pickpocket him, so he goes back to Kitty for advice and asks: "does this work better if this person isn't my brother?". Tim's overly enthusiastic portaryal of the brother is my favourite part of this sketch, as it is enough to not only confuse Lee, but briefly make him paranoid about being robbed. 

4. Tim's Accident
Lee asks Tim about an accident he had, and how badly it effected him. Upon Tim telling him that he has lost a testicle as a result of the accident, Lee can't help but notice everything he says sounds like a double entendre. I love how many jokes are present during such a small space of time, with everything Lee does to not make references to the accident making things worse and worse. A brilliant sketch providing non-stop laughs.

3. Kitty's Guitar
Arriving back at Kitty's house after a date, Lee notices she has a guitar. He soon wishes he didn't notice it, as Kitty begins playing songs that she wrote. These supposedly romantic songs are the same tune with sightly different lyrics, and are about everyone besides Lee. The interaction between Lee and Kitty is brilliant, with Lee's increasing disinterest working perfectly off Kitty's growing enthusiasm for playing and singing her own songs.

2. Tennis
Karen and Kitty's tennis match is interrupted by Lee, who is making load grunting noises everytime he hits the ball on his court. Frustrated, Kitty sternly tells Lee to keep the noise down, only for Lee to continue at the time where its most inconvenient for her. The sketch is a great satire of not only those who take sport too seriously, but of the unnecessary and over-the-top shouting of tennis players. The final moments of the sketch are a fantastic resolution of the built up tension between the two characters, with Kitty silencing Lee by whacking the tennis ball at him as hard as she can.

1. Police Visit
Not just my favourite sketch of series two, but better than some of series one's finest. Another great example of the show's use of dark humour, as Tim receives a visit from two police officers (Lee and Kitty). Despite their insistence of Tim coming with them to the police station, Tim explains that his wife will be home any moment to celebrate his birthday. The officers then break out into song, and Tim feels relieved that they aren't here on an urgent matter. He then gets a bit of a shock when the officers sing about how Tim's wife has crashed her car, and that they do in fact need him to come to the station. Tim Vine's performance is hilarious, as he manages to sell the innocence of his character so that the dark humour has maximum effect. As series two turned out to be the show's final series, at least it contained this incredible sketch as a reminder of how funny the show could be.

The Sketch Show Series 1: Top 10 Sketches

Last year, I listed my ten favourite episodes of the BBC comedy Not Going Out. After it became one of my favourite shows, I wanted to see what other series Lee Mack and Tim Vine had worked on, and came across The Sketch Show, which featured Mack and Vine along with comic talents Jim Tavare, Karen Taylor and Ronni Ancona. Here are my ten favourite episodes from the first series:

10. Urinal

Perhaps the most famous sketch from the show, involving all three male members of the cast. Filmed in one shot, Tim, Lee and Jim make things complicated for one another when Lee wants to borrow a light for his cigarette from Jim. Already with a drink in his other hand, Tim has to "help" Lee so that both hands can be free to light his cigarette. It's the deadpan manner, particularly that of Jim, that makes this sketch a classic. It would have been so easy to over-act this strange situation, but the three men's comedic timing and naturalism makes this an ever popular sketch.

9. Prostitute 

In this sketch, Lee proves to be a naive customer for a prostitute played by Ronni. His lack of understanding of phrases such as "are you looking for some company" means Ronni has to constantly change her way of speaking. When it looks like she might finally be getting through to Lee, he proves even more naive by finally asking outright: "how much would it be for sex". I love Ronni's portrayal of the increasingly annoyed prostitute because it clashes wonderfully with Lee's overly naive customer, which makes for great comic interaction.

8. Film Noir

Karen plays a mostly silent "femme fatale", as a detective (Lee) tries to admit his feelings whilst confessing he isn't the most romantic guy. Taylor continues to include more reasons as to why he's no good for her, which leads Lee to try harder being more romantic. After her final insult of "you're crap at sex", Mack breaks character, drops his New York accent, and tells her to "get stuffed". The sketch recreates the visuals of a film noir perfectly, with the blinds, office décor and black and white filter creating an authentic look. This why the final line always makes me laugh, as it completely shatters the atmosphere and is a great climax to Lee's continued romantic attempts.

7. Tim's Confession 
Tim wishes to confess something to Lee, who has gathered his colleagues to listen to what he has to say. Believing Lee to be the only one listening, Tim confesses that he likes to wear women's underwear. Driven to the point of madness keeping this a secret, he tells Lee that he regards him as a friend and needs to tell him this "in confidence". Lee admits to mishearing him and tells Tim: "I thought you said in conference". The played down reactions of the colleagues ensures the punchline has great impact, and Lee's sincere admittance to mishearing Tim adds to this sketch's brilliance.

6. Extra

Jim attempts to direct a dinner scene with Ronni and Tim as the lead actors. However, Lee overplays his role of "background scenery", causing Jim to continually re-shoot the sequence. After finally settling on a silent role, Lee promises not to say a word for the final take, only to trip and ruin the set, and thus ruin the entire scene. Lee's obliviousness to making too much noise makes for great comedy, especially when he starts repeating the lines of the lead actors to create "background noise". I believe this was the final sketch of series one, and it certainly is a great finale to the series if so.

5. Imaginary Friends
During a therapy session, Ronnie counsels Lee, Karen and Tim about their imaginary friends. This proves increasingly difficult, with Tim going as far to claim he himself is an imaginary friend of someone else! Lee claims to be accompanying his "friend" to the session for his alcoholism, and Karen claims that her "friend" is her actual boyfriend. At the end of the sketch, it is revealed that Ronni is alone in the room, and that she was imagining the whole scenario. There are many subtle jokes throughout the sketch, particularly from Tim, making this one of the most memorable and hilarious sketches of the series.

4. California Dreaming 
Arguably the next most popular sketch behind Urinal, this closing sketch to the show's first episode features all five members of the cast. Ronni is recording a cover version of "California Dreaming" by The Mamas and The Papas. The only problem, however, is that her backing singers (Lee, Tim, Karen and Jim) are unable to say the correct lyrics. What seems like a simple repetition of Ronni's vocals quickly spirals into absurdity. This sketch ensures that you will forever sing the wrong lyrics whenever you hear the song, which is testament to its genius. Other versions of the show would feature this sketch, but the original cannot be outdone due to its fantastic comic timing and interaction between the cast.

3. Dinner Date
Lee demonstrates every way in which a date can be ruined. His lack of understanding of how to act on a date contrasts with Ronni's calmness and manners. Starting out with only pouring wine for himself, things become more awkward when the waiter (Tim) appears to flirt with Ronni. This leads Lee to taunt Ronni further, until the waiter leaves. Finally, he manages to make her laugh, only to quickly revert back to his usual rude self. Lee completely steals this sketch, with each awkward moment being even more hilarious than the last. The final line that makes Ronni walk out is so unexpected, and is perhaps one of the funniest lines in the show's history.

2. Phobias Workshop
Lee conducts a workshop for the other cast members to get over their phobias, which include awkward silences, repetition, apologies and barking at other people's phobias. To make matters worse, Lee has a phobia of someone shouting "aagh!". When each of these phobias become known, it doesn't take long for a hilarious circle of each phobia being caused by the other. This must have been one of the most complex sketches to act out, as the timing has to be spot on in order for the circle of phobias to work. Perhaps the most inventive sketch in the series, and one which remains funny despite repeated viewings.

1. Gangsters
Jim and Tim have trouble interrogating Lee due to their use of gangster related slang. Not even the threat of being shot makes Lee comply with answering their questions, as he genuinely has no idea what they are saying. The phrases Lee fails to understand become funnier and funnier throughout. At one point, Lee misinterprets Jim's threat of "we don't want to unload in your face" as a sexual comment, and further lands himself in rouble by misunderstanding Jim's meaning of "if you start singing, we're out of here, its Kool and the Gang". Thinking Jim wants him to actually sing, Lee's last attempt to not be shot by the gangsters is to sing "Cherish" in a scared tone. Jim and Tim's over-the-top gangster voices add to the brilliance of sketch, and Lee's deadpan manner is the perfect clash between the characters. 

Top 10 Not Going Out Episodes

I've been thinking of doing a Top 10 list on this blog for some time now. The difficulty was trying to compose a list that hasn't been covered yet (see the WatchMojo YouTube channel for pretty much every Top 10 list ever). I haven't covered much television so far, and have only written about one comedy: Beverly Hills Cop (1984). So I've decided to dedicate a post to one of my favourite comedy series on television: Not Going Out. Created by British comedian Lee Mack, he writes and stars as a fictionalised version of himself. Living as a lodger with his attractive landlady, Lee tries his best to impress her whilst also trying to steer clear of any trouble. But Lee can't help rope his best friend Tim (Tim Vine) into his schemes, and this usually ends up with their plans backfiring. With its dead-pan humour and witty writing, Not Going Out frequently has me coming back for more. Here's my personal 10 favourite episodes of the show so far:

10. Lucy (Series 7, Episode 9)

This episode makes the list not so much for the comedy, though that's still here in spades of course, but for the ending. Set entirely in the one location, Lee is troubled that his chances of ever being with Lucy (Sally Bretton) are fading. With competition supposedly arriving, Lee must quickly find the courage to admit his feelings to Lucy, but begins to doubt if he's the right man for her. While definitely the most dramatic episode, the comedy doesn't suffer, and that's largely down to the conversations between Lee and his neighbour Toby (Hugh Dennis). But the highlight is of course the ending. After seven seasons, we finally see Lee at his most sensitive. Seeing him get together with Lucy is both satisfying and hilarious, with Lee still managing to keep his witty personality intact whilst trying to be romantic. One of my favourite moments from the show.

9. Rachel (Series 6, Episode 5)

Yet another episode where Lee tries to get in touch with his romantic side. Only this time, it's to make Lucy jealous, as he tries to prove that he can be in a relationship if he wants to. He asks out the good looking Rachel (Joanna Bobin) on a dinner date, but Rachel seems a bit too keen to see Lee again. It soon becomes clear that Rachel isn't all Lee had hoped, with her strange behaviour amounting to recreating the film Fatal Attraction. The dinner date scenes are what makes the episode so funny, with Lee becoming more and more disillusioned with Rachel as she becomes more attached to him:

Rachel: Why won't you just listen to your heart, Lee?

Lee: I can't hear it, my brain's doing too much screaming.

Throw in a crazy ending with Lee's ditzy friend Daisy (Katy Wix) saving the day, and you have an amusing take on just how bad dating a psychopath can go.

8. Surprise (Series 7, Episode 7)

When Lucy plans a surprise anniversary party at a restaurant for her parents, she makes her biggest mistake by telling Lee all about it. Lee tries his best to act natural, but Lucy's father Geoffrey (Geoffrey Whitehead)  soon finds out, and Lee must do all he can to get the party cancelled, as Geoffrey hates surprises. The lengths Lee goes to accomplish this are incredible, even going as far as telling the owner of the restaurant that Geoffrey has died. When the owner shows up to show his condolences, Lee buries himself even deeper as he now must spin more lies and stop the now happening party being ruined. With Lee trying to con more people than he can possibly handle, this is an episode that doesn't disappoint.

7. Conference (Series 6, Episode 4)

A lot of Not Going Out focuses on Lee's attempts to worm his way into Lucy's affections, even if it means lying. In Conference, we see Lucy assume this role, as she tries flirting with potential clients at a business conference. When she pretends to be married to show there's a limit as to how far she's willing to flirt, Lee isn't happy at all, and shows up to the conference in order to keep an eye on Lucy's actions. This scenario is used to its full comedic potential, with Lucy's parents even showing up to the conference. Geoffrey gets all the best moments, with his hot-headedness not exactly aiding in a misunderstanding of a client thinking that he's Lucy's unclean, lazy "husband". Meanwhile, Lucy's mother Wendy (Deborah Grant) has to spend time with Lee, and soon Lucy isn't the only one attempting to flirt...

6. Gay (Series 2, Episode 2)

Usually when Lee is in a spot of bother, his best friend Tim is the first to know. Except this time, not only does Lee forget to inform Tim, but it is in fact Lee who has been dragged into a false pretence. Lucy is told that her workmate Guy (Simon Dutton) is gay, and so feels bad after making a joke about homosexuality beforehand. Despite being told this, Lucy's attraction to Guy remains, and so she tells him that she lives with a gay man in order to prove she is not homophobic. With Lee struggling to prove he ins't interested in the opposite sex. Tim slowly becomes convinced Lee may actually be gay. Lee's growing restlessness of pretending to be gay played out alongside Tim's suspicions makes for some of the best dialogue exchanges in the show. My personal favourite is when Tim finally wants Lee to tell him the truth, but Lee thinks Tim has found out that he's lying to help Lucy:

Tim: Look, why don't you just tell me.

Lee: Tell you what?

Tim: About you being... gay.

Lee: Oh that. How did you find out?

Tim: So it's true?

Lee: Yeah, but I'm not doing it for much longer.

Tim: Why?

Lee: Can't keep it up.

Simon Dutton is great here, perhaps his best episode of his one series in the show. The icing on the cake is his disbelief of Lee's sexuality, but not at all questioning that Tim is gay. Luckily for Lucy, her lie proves meaningless as Guy isn't gay at all. Guy instead shares the same attraction towards Lucy, setting up a strong story arc for the series.

5. Winner (Series 3, Episode 2)

Winning a writing competition doesn't seem like something Lee is capable of, so Tim isn't the least bit surprised to learn that he simply downloaded the essay off the internet. Lee isn't affected by Tim's discovery, however, as he feels the competition organisers won't think he is capable of using the internet if he is "blind". Lee's optimism is soon shattered when a journalist wants to interview him, and it turns out that Lee entered the essay under the pretence that he is a wheelchair user by mistake. From there, the episode offers up even more false disabilities Lee claims members of his family have in a desperate attempt to fool the journalist. It reminds me of the Fawlty Towers episode "Communication Problems", with so many characters being manipulated so the protagonist can claim a sum of cash. The best episode of Lee's overambitious conning gone wrong in the show's history.

4. Camping (Series 5, Episode 3)

What happens when Lee goes against the title of the show, and goes out? In this episode, Lee wants to prove to Lucy that there is no way she'd be able to cope with the great outdoors. Along with Tim and Daisy, their journey to the camp-site leads them to a spooky wood, where they soon discover they are not alone... Seeing the characters in such a different situation and acting scared makes Camping a stand-out episode of the show. I can't say too much, as you simply have to see it to understand just how funny it is. One thing to mention is that it is a surprisingly suspenseful episode, and Daisy is perhaps at her very best here.

3. Band (Series 5, Episode 1)

"You're just not very cool". Tim refuses to let Lee join his rock band, lead by charismatic guitarist Stretch, who appears to have his sights set on winning Lucy's heart. Lee, wanting to keep his eye on Stretch, is determined to prove he is cool enough to play in the band, just as a Battle of the Bands competition gets started. As a fan of rock music, this was an episode I was particularly looking forward to, and seeing Lee attempt to wow the audience with his "musicianship" makes for one of the show's greatest moments. There's a hilarious cover of Motorhead's "Ace of Spades", and Lee and Tim's brilliant chemistry is given plenty of moments to shine:

Lee: We'll go on forever, just like Status Quo.

Tim: With two guitarists?

Lee: Exactly, just like Status Quo.

Tim: You've certainly changed your tune.

Lee: Exactly, just like Status... in fact forget that last one.

2. Stress (Series 1, Episode 4)

As Lee becomes more and more stressed, his original landlady Kate (Megan Dodds) suggests a variety of ways for him to calm down. With her yoga session not lasting long, she books him in for an acupuncture appointment, whilst Tim tries to mend his damaged friendship with her. Lee Mack is superb throughout the episode, with his sarcastic delivery of the dialogue playing perfectly off Megan Dodds' straight faced acting. Even the acupuncturist (Miranda Hart) gets sick of Lee, which results in a rare moment of physical violence, all of course presented as completely over the top. Tim also has some great moments, with him constantly swinging between genuinely wanting to help Kate, to backing out of the idea entirely when he finds out Lee and Kate may be seeing each other. Not one scene is without laughs, and it all builds to a fantastic conclusion involving Kate's attempt at driving in the company of a jealous Tim, and a doped up Lee...

1. Drunk (Series 5, Episode 6)

I'll try my best not to spoil this episode, as it has the best build up and climax in the show. Lee and Lucy make what could be the biggest mistake of their lives after drinking too much home-brewed alcohol, rendering them with no memory of what they did. The next morning, they try to piece everything together, leading them to try and recover a videotape that they can't afford to let anyone see. All the main characters get a moment to shine, including Tim and Lucy's parents, where Geoffrey Whitehead steals the show with only a few lines. With the scenario becoming even more of a farce as events unfold, this episode sums up everything I love about Not Going Out: wacky storylines, hilarious character interactions, and all of it being delivered with in a dead-pan manner. If you don't laugh at this episode then the show really isn't for you, but for me, comedy doesn't get much better than this fantastic episode of one of my favourite comedy series.

Honourable Mentions:

Kid (Series 1, Episode 5)
Gangster (Series 2, Episode 7)
Party (Series 3, Episode 4)
Drugs (Series 4, Episode 1)
Movie (Series 4, Episode 3)
Pointless (Series 7, Episode 5)
The Wedding (Series 7, Episode 10)