Robert Webb

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Robert Webb
Webbcropped.jpg
Robert Webb in 2007
Born Robert Patrick Webb
(1972-09-29) September 29, 1972 (age 40)
Boston, Lincolnshire, England, UK
Education English Language and Literature
Alma mater Robinson College, Cambridge
Occupation Actor, comedian, writer
Years active 1997–present
Spouse(s) Abigail Burdess (m. 2007-present)
Children 2

Robert Patrick Webb (born 29 September 1972) is an English comedian, actor and writer, and one half of the double act Mitchell and Webb, alongside David Mitchell.

Contents

Early life[edit]

Webb was born in Boston, Lincolnshire[1] and grew up in the village of Woodhall Spa. Webb's parents divorced when he was four and he lived with his mother.[2] He has said that as a child he was "hugely spoilt".[3] He has two older brothers: one became a bus fitter, and the other is a potato wholesaler.[3]

Webb was educated at Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School in Horncastle.[4] Having grown up watching The Young Ones and Blackadder, he became interested in drama and poetry while in school and began writing parodies.[2][5] While Webb was in the lower sixth form preparing for his A-levels, his mother died of breast cancer, and he moved in with his father and re-sat his A-levels. He went to Robinson College, Cambridge at the age of 20 where he studied English and became vice-president of the Footlights.[6][7] He met David Mitchell at an audition for a Footlights production of Cinderella in 1993.[3]

Career[edit]

Mitchell and Webb[edit]

The two put together their first project in January 1995, a show about World War I[8] entitled Innocent Millions Dead or Dying: A Wry Look at the Post-Apocalyptic Age (With Songs).[9] Webb later described it as being "fucking terrible".[8]

From this, the duo were given the chance to write for Alexander Armstrong and Ben Miller and for series two of Big Train.[10] After minor work on The Jack Docherty Show and Comedy Nation, their first break into television acting was in 2000, on the short-lived BBC sketch show Bruiser, which they primarily wrote, and starred in. The show also featured former university mates Olivia Colman and Matt Holness and Martin Freeman, later of The Office fame. Additional material for the show was provided by various people including Ricky Gervais, Richard Ayoade and James Bachman.[11]

In 2001 the two were commissioned for a sketch show of their own, entitled The Mitchell and Webb Situation, which ran for six episodes on the now defunct channel Play UK.[10] Mitchell and Webb's next project came in 2003, with starring roles in the Channel 4 sitcom Peep Show, as flatmates Mark Corrigan and Jeremy "Jez" Usborne respectively.[12] The pair shared the 2007 Royal Television Society Award for "Comedy Performance",[13] and were jointly nominated for Best Television Comedy Actor at the 2006 British Comedy Awards.[14] Webb was nominated for the Best Television Comedy Actor award again, this time without Mitchell, in 2009.[15] Peep Show has aired eight series, making it the longest-running sitcom in Channel 4 history.[16]

After the success of Peep Show Mitchell and Webb returned to sketch comedy with their BBC Radio 4 sketch show That Mitchell and Webb Sound, which ran for four series. The show was adapted for television and became That Mitchell and Webb Look, producer Gareth Edwards described it as "the shortest pitch (he had) ever written".[8] Towards the end of 2006 the pair made their first tour, with a show called The Two Faces of Mitchell and Webb. The tour was criticised as just "a succession of largely unrelated scenes" by The Guardian's Brian Logan, who gave it a rating of two stars.[17]

That Mitchell and Webb Look won them the BAFTA for "Best Comedy Programme or Series" at the 2007 awards,[18] and they earned a further nomination for it in 2009.[19] It was nominated for two British Comedy awards in 2006: "Britain's Best New TV Comedy" and the "Highland Spring People's Choice".[14] Their stage tour The Two Faces of Mitchell and Webb was nominated for the British Comedy Award for "Best Stage Comedy",[14] and That Mitchell and Webb Sound won a Sony Silver Award.[20] Their first film, Magicians was released on 18 May 2007. It was directed by Andrew O'Connor and written by Jesse Armstrong and Sam Bain.[21] Webb played the role of modern magician Karl.[22]

Mitchell and Webb's first comedy book This Mitchell and Webb Book was released in 2009,[23] with a further book expected in 2010.[24] They filmed Playing Shop a comedy television pilot for BBC2 about two men who operate a business out of their shed, which they also wrote.[25] Although the BBC were happy with it, Mitchell and Webb scrapped it themselves, as they felt it was too similar to Peep Show. A new pilot had been commissioned,[26] but the plan was later shelved.[27]

The duo also fronted the campaign of the UK version of Apple Inc.'s Get a Mac adverts, with Mitchell playing PC.[28] The adverts have received much criticism. Writing in the Guardian, Charlie Brooker claimed that the use of Mitchell and Webb in the adverts was a curious choice. He compared the characters of PC and Mac in the adverts to those of Mark and Jeremy in Peep Show, stating that "when you see the ads, you think, 'PCs are a bit rubbish yet ultimately lovable, whereas Macs are just smug, preening tossers.'"[29] The British Sitcom Guide also criticised the pair for "selling their souls".[30] One journalist called the adverts "worse than not funny", and accused Mitchell and Webb of "an act of grave betrayal" for taking corporate work.[31] In an interview with The Telegraph, Robert Webb responded to the duo's critics, stating that "when someone asks, 'Do you want to do some funny ads for not many days in the year and be paid more than you would be for an entire series of Peep Show?' the answer, obviously, is, 'Yeah, that's fine'".[31] In the same interview, Mitchell also said "I don't see what is morally inconsistent with a comedian doing an advert. It's all right to sell computers, isn't it? Unless you think that capitalism is evil - which I don't. It's not like we're helping to flog a baby-killing machine".[31]

Solo work[edit]

Webb has also appeared in two series of the BBC Three sitcom The Smoking Room (2004) and the Radio 4 sketch show Concrete Cow. In 2005 he appeared in the Ben Elton-scripted BBC One sitcom Blessed as Ardal O'Hanlon's 'perfect' counterpart.[10]

He and Olivia Colman also featured as a naturist couple in Confetti, a 2006 film about a competition for the most original wedding. Webb has since called the film "shit" on several occasions,[32] and was led to believe that his genitals would be pixellated out but only discovered at the screening of the film that they were not.[33]

Also in 2008, Webb made his West End stage debut in the UK premiere of Neil LaBute's Fat Pig, co-starring as Tom alongside Kris Marshall, Joanna Page and Ella Smith.[34]

Webb won the 2009 series Let's Dance for the charity Comic Relief, parodying the audition sequence from the film Flashdance.[35] He also narrates the series Young, Dumb and Living Off Mum.[36] He hosted a 2010 Channel 4 series looking at the week's online news, Robert's Web.[16]

Between April 2010 and April 2011 Webb wrote a weekly column for the Saturday edition of the Daily Telegraph. He later criticised those who commented on the online versions of his articles in an article for the New Statesman.[37][38]

He has appeared on several panel shows, including The Bubble, Have I Got News For You, Never Mind The Buzzcocks and QI. In January 2011, Webb appeared on a celebrity version of BBC quiz Mastermind, answering nine questions correctly on his specialist subject (the novels of Ian McEwan) and 11 correctly on the general knowledge round.

In 2011 Webb played Dan the geology lecturer in Channel 4 series Fresh Meat. Later that year, he was cast in the costume comedy The Bleak Old Shop of Stuff, a parody of Charles Dickens' works, alongside Stephen Fry, Katherine Parkinson and David Mitchell.[2]

Since 2011, Webb has replaced Rufus Hound as team captain on the BBC comedy panel show Argumental, alongside Seann Walsh with Sean Lock as the host.

Webb is the narrator of Channel 5's anti-nostalgia series 10 Things I Hate About, which began on 16 April 2012. In each episode, Webb states how awful - in his opinion - a particular year is: 1995 (16 April), 1990 (23 April), 1987 (30 April), 1999 (7 May).

In 2012, Webb presented "Family Guy Best Freakin' Episodes" counting down the top 10 episodes of the animation as voted for by viewers, ahead of series 10 being broadcast on BBC Three.

Personal life[edit]

Webb married fellow comedy performer Abigail Burdess in 2007 after meeting her on the set of a radio sketch show.[3] David Mitchell was the best man. They live in Kilburn, London. The couple have two daughters.[2][39]

Webb has stated that he is a supporter of the Labour Party.[38]

Filmography[edit]

Film[edit]

Year Title Role
2006 Confetti Michael
2007 Magicians Karl
2012 The Wedding Video Tim

Television[edit]

Year Title Role Notes
1997 The Jack Docherty Show Various characters Writer
1998 Comedy Nation Various characters
2000 Meaningful Sex Graham
2000 Bruiser Various characters Writer
2001 Fun at the Funeral Parlour Packham Episode 1.4: "The Mountains of Doom"
2001 The Mitchell and Webb Situation Various characters Writer
2001 People Like Us Tom Wolfson Episode 2.5: "The Bank Manager"
2002 The Gist Paul Ashdown
2003 My Family Arvo Episode 4.14: "Sixty Feet Under"
2003–present Peep Show Jeremy Usborne
2004 55 Degrees North Dog handler Episode 1.3
2004–2005 The Smoking Room Robin 17 episodes
2005 Twisted Tales Colin Writer
Episode 1.9: "Nothing to Fear"
2005 Britain's 50 Greatest Comedy Sketches Host
2005 Blessed Bill Hathaway 8 episodes
2005 Have I Got News for You Panellist
2006 Friday Night with Jonathan Ross Himself
2006 Rob Brydon's Annually Retentive
2006 Imagine Himself 1 episode
2006 Best of the Worst
2006–2010 That Mitchell and Webb Look Various characters Writer
BAFTA for Best Comedy Programme or Series
British Comedy Award nominations
2007 The Graham Norton Show Himself
2007 Stephen Fry: 50 Not Out Himself
2007 Time Shift Himself
2008 The Law of the Playground Himself 8 episodes
2008 Never Mind the Buzzcocks Panellist
2008 Lily Allen and Friends Himself
2008 Saturday Kitchen Himself
2008 Would I Lie to You? Contestant
2009 Friday Night with Jonathan Ross Himself
2009 The One Show Himself
2009 The Graham Norton Show Himself
2009 Let's Dance for Comic Relief Himself Winner of first series
2009 My Life in Verse Himself
2009–2011 Young, Dumb and Living Off Mum Host
2010 This Morning Himself
2010 All Star Mr. and Mrs. Himself
2010 Great Movie Mistakes Host
2010 You Have Been Watching
2010 Great TV Mistakes Host
2010 BBC Breakfast Himself
2010 Robert's Web Presenter
2010 You Have Been Watching
2010 Cushelle advert Narrator
2010 Let's Dance for Sport Relief Judge
2010 Cutting Edge
2010 The Real Hustle: Around the World Host
2010 History of Now: The Story of the Noughties Host
2010 Peep Show & Tell Himself
2010 Have I Got News for You Host
2010 Never Mind the Buzzcocks Host
2010 Mad and Bad: 60 Years of Science on TV
2010 The Bubble
2010 BBC Breakfast Himself
2011 Great Movie Mistakes 2: The Sequel Host
2011 Great Movie Mistakes 3: Not in 3D Host
2011 Alexander Armstrong's Big Ask Himself
2011 QI Panellist
2011 The Sex Researchers Narrator
2011 Family Guy: Ground Breaking Gags Host
2011 Would I Lie to You? Contestant
2011 24 Hour Panel People Panellist
2011 Celebrity Mastermind Contestant
2011 Argumental Team captain
2011 EastEnders: Greatest Exits Host
2011 Pop's Greatest Dance Crazes Host
2011–present Fresh Meat Dan
2011–present The Bleak Old Shop of Stuff Jedrington Secret-Past
2012 The One Show Himself
2012 Room 101 Himself
2012 Doctor Who Robot Episode 7.2 "Dinosaurs on a Spaceship"
2012 Threesome Colin Episode 2.3 "Alice's Friend"
2013 Great Movie Mistakes - IV: May the Fourth Be with You Cutdowns Host
2013 Our Men Neil Tilly[40]
2013 The Matt Lucas Awards Himself

References[edit]

  1. ^ [1]
  2. ^ a b c d "Great Expectations for Robert Webb in Charles Dickens spoof". London Evening Standard. 29 November 2011. 
  3. ^ a b c d Janice Turner (2008-02-09). "Mitchell and Webb are back on TV". London: The Times. Retrieved 2008-04-19. 
  4. ^ "Comedy Star Goes Back to School". Horncastle News. 2006-04-14. Retrieved 2008-04-19. 
  5. ^ "BBC Two - My Life in Verse Episode 2: Robert Webb". bbc.co.uk. 9 October 2009. 
  6. ^ Rosanna Greenstreet (2005-12-03). "Q&A Robert Webb". London: The Guardian. Retrieved 2008-04-19. 
  7. ^ http://footlights.org/1990.html
  8. ^ a b c Mitchell, Ben (2006-08-27). "Masters of comedy". London: The Observer. Retrieved 2007-04-28. 
  9. ^ Harris, Sarah (2006-11-19). "David Mitchell & Robert Webb". The Independent on Sunday. Archived from the original on 2008-10-05. Retrieved 2007-03-18. 
  10. ^ a b c "Robert Webb". BBC. Retrieved 2007-03-17. 
  11. ^ Lewisohn, Mark. "Bruiser". BBC. Retrieved 2007-04-04. 
  12. ^ "Peep Show". The British Sitcom Guide. Retrieved 2007-04-04. 
  13. ^ "Programme Awards 2007: Winners". Royal Television Society. 2008-03-19. Retrieved 2008-03-20. 
  14. ^ a b c "British Comedy Awards: Nominations". BBC News. 2006-11-14. Retrieved 2007-12-07. 
  15. ^ Mayer Nissim (2009-11-18). "British Comedy Awards: The Nominations". Digital Spy. Retrieved 2010-08-27. 
  16. ^ a b "Frankie Boyle heads new Channel 4 season". BBC News. 2010-08-26. Retrieved 2010-08-27. 
  17. ^ Logan, Brian (2006-10-24). "The Two Faces of Mitchell and Webb". London: The Guardian. Retrieved 2007-04-04. 
  18. ^ "Victoria Wood scoops Bafta double". BBC News. 2007-05-20. Retrieved 2007-05-20. 
  19. ^ "Bafta TV Awards 2009: nominations". The Guardian (London). 2009-03-24. Retrieved 2009-08-19. 
  20. ^ "That Mitchell and Webb Sound". BBC. Retrieved 2007-04-14. 
  21. ^ "That Mitchell and Webb movie". chortle.co.uk. 2006-05-25. Retrieved 2007-04-04. 
  22. ^ "Magicians". Channel 4. Retrieved 2007-04-28. 
  23. ^ Bruce Dessau (August 2009). "That Mitchell and Webb Interview". Reader's Digest. Retrieved 2009-08-05. [dead link]
  24. ^ Katie Button (2008-01-24). "Mitchell and Webb to write comedy books". Digital Spy. Retrieved 2008-06-12. 
  25. ^ Michael Thornton (2008-12-09). "Mitchell and Webb reveal new sitcom". Digital Spy. Retrieved 2008-12-11. 
  26. ^ Andrew Pettie (2009-06-10). "Interview: David Mitchell and Robert Webb". The Telegraph (London). Retrieved 2009-06-15. 
  27. ^ Phil Harrison (2010-02-12). "David Mitchell: interview". Time Out. Retrieved 2010-07-07. 
  28. ^ Gamet, Jeff (2007-01-29). "Apple UK Get a Mac Ads Debut". Mac Observer.com. Retrieved 2007-04-04. 
  29. ^ Brooker, Charlie (2007-02-05). "I hate Macs". London: The Guardian. Retrieved 2007-04-28. 
  30. ^ "The British Sitcom Guide Awards 2006". The British Sitcom Guide. Retrieved 2007-04-04. 
  31. ^ a b c Pettie, Andrew (2007-04-07). "Who are those guys?". London: The Telegraph. Retrieved 2007-04-28. 
  32. ^ http://twitter.com/RealRobertWebb/statuses/1404626088
  33. ^ [2]
  34. ^ "The Stage Review of Fat Pig". The Stage. Retrieved 2008-08-11. 
  35. ^ "Webb dances to Comic Relief title". BBC News. 2009-03-14. Retrieved 2009-03-15. 
  36. ^ Sweeney, Kathy (2010-08-09). "In fine voice: the TV narrators that steal the show". The Guardian (London). Retrieved 2010-09-12. 
  37. ^ Robert Webb on Journalisted, access date: 2011-08-12
  38. ^ a b "Who needs S&M when you can write for the Telegraph?". The New Statesman. 2011-08-08. Retrieved 2011-08-12. 
  39. ^ Webb, Robert (2010-08-06). "Will it really matter if my daughter doesn't love scampi?". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 2011-05-25. 
  40. ^ Fletcher, Alex (2012-08-23). "'Bottom' reunion, Mitchell and Webb, Sue Perkins comedies for BBC Two". Digital Spy. Retrieved 2012-08-23. 

External links[edit]

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Preceded by
N/A		 Winner of Let's Dance for Comic Relief
2009		 Succeeded by
Rufus Hound
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