The Mitchell and Webb Situation
| The Mitchell and Webb Situation | |
|---|---|
 The opening titles of the show | |
| Genre | Sketch comedy |
| Created by |
David Mitchell Robert Webb |
| Directed by | David Kerr |
| Starring |
David Mitchell Robert Webb Olivia Colman Gus Brown Susan Earl |
| Theme music composer | The Holloway Brothers |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 6 |
| Production | |
| Producer(s) | Simon Lupton |
| Camera setup | Andy Hollis |
| Release | |
| Original network | Play UK |
| Original release | 6 October – 10 November 2001 |
| Chronology | |
| Related shows |
That Mitchell and Webb Look That Mitchell and Webb Sound |
The Mitchell and Webb Situation is a British sketch comedy television show originally shown on Play UK in 2001. Written by and starring David Mitchell and Robert Webb, it lasted for one series of six episodes and was released on region 2 DVD in 2006 by Eureka Video.[1] It was rebroadcast on BBC Two in October 2008.
Production
David Kerr storyboarded each episode exhaustively, allowing the entire series to be filmed in a space of just fifteen days. Most of the filming took place at the United States International University of Bushey (formerly the Royal Masonic School for Boys).[1]
Reception
A negative review came from Empire, who called it "extremely hit and miss. Emphasis on 'extremely."[2] DVD Times wrote: "We're faced with a duo trying to find a voice and as a result the material misses more often than it hits. For every sketch that works there's also one that doesn't, another that goes on for far too long, another that's undeveloped and another still that's simply over-egged."[3]
In an interview with Wessex Scene, Mitchell stated that he was "more proud of the way it turned out than annoyed that it was only aired on a small channel."[4]
Sketches
Although there are no recurring named characters as seen in many other sketch shows, some recurring sketches include:
- Two writers who attempt to dream up scripts for things which actually already exist, for example religion, fairy tales, and the human reproductive cycle. They debate how the item in question should work, and often come to the conclusion that the way it works in real life is a ridiculous way to operate.
- Two bar staff who make sound effects that make other people believe an event is occurring. After they make a "Ring ring" sound, for example, a woman checks to see if her phone is ringing.
- A farmer who was apparently shocked when he first entered the industry and learnt that farmers make money selling commodities that they obtain from the ground or from animals, and acts as if by mentioning this he is revealing a major secret to the viewer.
- The Early 1990s House - in a parody of shows such as The 1900 House, a couple in 2001 are forced to live with only those amenities available in the early 1990s, and find coping with slow internet connections and the inability to dial 1471 a struggle.
- A parody of the movie Suspicion, with Webb portraying a would-be murderer frequently attempting to poison his bedridden friend (Mitchell); however, the murderer's attempts at concealing his intentions are increasingly feeble and easily uncovered by the sharp-minded friend.
- As the end titles run a scene depicting Mitchell and Webb as tramps is shown, with a different punchline for each episode.
A sketch about a miscarriage in an abortion clinic was cut from the show as Mitchell and Webb agreed that it was inappropriate, and that their intention may have been misconstrued.[1]
References
- 1 2 3 Mitchell, David; Webb; Robert (2005). The Mitchell and Webb Situation DVD - Interview with David Mitchell and Robert Webb (DVD). Eureka! Video.
- ↑ Thomas, William (April 18, 2006). "The Mitchell and Webb Situation | TV Show – Empire". Empire. Retrieved May 3, 2016.
- ↑ Nield, Anthony (January 26, 2006). "[The Mitchell and Webb Situation review]". DVD Times.
- ↑ Richman, Darren (2005-03-07). "David 'peep show' Mitchell Interview". Wessex Scene. Archived from the original on 2007-08-03. Retrieved 2007-05-15.
External links
- The Mitchell and Webb Situation at the Internet Movie Database
- The Mitchell and Webb Situation at the British Comedy Guide
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