When people begin to discuss the greatest and best sketch comedy shows of all time, inevitably, Chappelle's Show is guaranteed a spot in the top three. From that point on, the remaining entries wholly depend on the subjective tastes crafting the list. In my mind, the fight for slots number two and three in my ever-rotating trifecta of top sketch comedy shows comes down to Mr.Show and That Mitchell and Webb Look.
Unless you're a connoisseur of British comedy, the names Mitchell and Webb might elicit an involuntary shrug and apathy from you. If you are amongst the core cult fans of the duo, you know that they're some of the most clever writers and performers to ever inhabit the field. Whereas Chappelle's Show focused on race as a central theme and Mr. Show ventured into brokering a balance between the relatable and the surreal, That Mitchell and Webb Look put the tropes and idiosyncratic conventions of television and film from the late 70s to early 00s under their meta microscope.
In the video linked above, Mitchell and Webb explore the dichotomy between advertisers' efforts to court female and male customers. If I explain any further, I'll ruin the bit.
