Mitchell and Webb Are Not Helping is ushering in a new era for sketch comedy

Since the death of the sketch show on mainstream TV around a decade ago, British fans have had to scavenge the internet for homemade clips, vintage Horrible Histories and snippets of US shows to fill the void.

But why did they go away? Perhaps because of cost – so many different filming set-ups for such brief screen time – but also maybe because they’re risky. Once audiences got access to the thumbs-up-or-down machines in their pockets, commissioners began to avoid the format altogether. Was it fear?

Now, David Mitchell and Robert Webb are back with Mitchell and Webb Are Not Helping . The Peep Show and sketch veterans have joined forces with a cast of newer writers and performers in the shape of Lara Ricote, Kiell Smith-Bynoe , Stevie Martin and Krystal Evans to bring