David Mitchell’s sketch show return divides fans: “Excruciatingly bad” or “Great to have them back”?

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The David Mitchell and Robert Webb-led Channel 4 comedy series titled “Mitchell and Webb Are Not Helping” has been available for several days, allowing for opinions to be formed and critiques to surface.

Four years after their last joint venture, the 2000s comedy show “That Mitchell and Webb Look” successor, aired when there had been a significant gap in the airwaves for fresh sketch comedies. This followed their sitcom “Back,” which was their previous project from Peep Show duo.

Ever since the premier episode was broadcasted on September 5 and all episodes became available on Channel 4’s streaming service last Friday, viewer reactions on IMDb have ranged from positive to negative.

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The sketches sometimes fall short and tend to extend past the ideal length, yet they still provide some genuine laughter. It’s delightful to witness Mitchell and Webb returning to their craft with a new sketch series in 2025, receiving a rating of 7/10.

A second favorable evaluation, entitled “It’s fantastic to see them again,” awarded the show a perfect score of 10/10 and commented: “Comparing this to Peep Show is similar to comparing cat food to steak. Even though they share some common ingredients, it doesn’t make them identical!! It had its ups and downs (similar to their earlier sketch show), but overall, it’s still excellent.

A more casual rewording could be: “One critic found the movie dull and aimless, with few moments that even remotely resembled humor, let alone successful satire.” Another reviewer described it as incredibly disappointing.

Another viewer commented, ‘Eight out of ten times it falls flat, but every once in a while, it’s amusing.’ They went on to say, ‘This comedy series is not well-crafted. Most episodes contain several sketches that can be easily skipped and only a handful that might prompt a chuckle or seem insightful. Unfortunately, many skits are built on thin concepts and drag on far too long.’

Many viewers show strong disapproval towards the “Sweary Aussie Drama” skit from the initial episode, as it’s a comedic parody that is overflowing with swear words.

1. One fan remarked that it seemed as though saying swear words loudly was intended to be humorous on its own.
2. Another fan observed that they often used excessive swearing as a substitute for actual humor.

Upon the announcement of the show, Mitchell and Webb expressed in a statement that a sketch comedy show is often the most challenging type of humor. They expressed their hope that their work wouldn’t serve as the fatal push for British television comedy towards an inevitable decline.

On Friday evenings, you can catch “Mitchell and Webb Are Not Helping” on Channel 4. The entire season is also accessible for streaming right now via the Channel 4 platform.

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2025-09-10 20:21