That Mitchell and Webb Sound
That Mitchell and Webb Sound is a comedy sketch show that appeared on BBC Radio 4 in 2003 (series 1) and 2005 (series 2). The series stars David Mitchell and Robert Webb who also write much of the material, although a fair proportion of the sketches are written by miscellaneous writers. These include Jesse Armstrong and Sam Bain (the writers of Peep Show, in which Mitchell and Webb star), James Bachman and Mark Evans, David Quantick Jonathan Dryden Taylor and John Finnemore. It was in some ways a follow-up to The Mitchell and Webb Situation, a sketch show shown on Play UK in 2001.
In the UK, the second series was re-aired on BBC Radio 4 on the Thursday 6:30pm slot between 20 April, and 25 May 2006. A third series is planned for Spring 2007.
Unlike other recent comedy sketch shows commissioned by Radio 4 such as Little Britain, the series does not tend to rely on exaggerated characterisations. Some sketches make use of the personas Mitchell and Webb use in the series Peep Show - Webb's character enthusiastic but prone to sarcasm and Mitchell occupying a more world weary and long suffering role - but the programme showcases the pair's considerable versatility.
The series has no fixed format but there are a number of recurring scenarios and sketch formats such as:
- Ted and Peter - a parody of television snooker commentary. Ted and Peter (Mitchell and Webb respectively) are a pair of jaded ex-players, whose voiceover trails off from describing the game, revealing more than they should about their personal lives and the murky behind-the-scenes, hard-drinking, hard-fighting, dog-eat-dog world of the sport and its commentators.
- The Party Planners - Mitchell and Webb prepare a party guest list, and realise that one of the guests will bring along a famous literary or historical figure. The twist is that positive figures are described as party wreckers and infamous figures are celebrated. The arrival of James Bond is dreaded ("Who in their right mind asks for a Vodka Martini 'shaken not stirred' at a barbecue?") while Hitler is welcomed ("Oh, I do love it when he goes off on one").Other guests have included June Sarpong and Dr Jekyll.
- Imagine That - A parody of intelligent panel shows. A set of intellectuals are asked to conceive of various bizarre ideas, such as "the biggest jacket potato they can think of." One episode was mistakenly called "Imagine Hat", due to "a printing error in the radio times". The panelists therefore had to imagine a hat. Mitchell's character, Professor David Trussell, is slightly deranged.
- Big Talk - Host Raymond Terrific (Webb) shouts at his panel of "boffins," demanding they solve the world's problems.
- Adrian Locket - Adrian (Mitchell) is a weary late-night local radio DJ who harbours no illusions about his audience. His life is as about as lonely and dark as the hours he works.
- The Lazy Film Writers - A parody of film genres. The lazy film writers can never be bothered to think of something new for their next film, so they take the bits out one genre that everyone recognises, and make their own, rather rubbish film. For example, they made a sports film, which was basically a poor combination of films such as Wimbledon and Brassed Off. The film even mentions a mill called, "Postlethwaite," which is probably named after Pete Postlethwaite who starred in Brassed Off.
That Mitchell and Webb Sound also features James Bachman and regular Mitchell and Webb collaborator Olivia Colman.
The TV sketch show That Mitchell and Webb Look began in 2006, and features many of these sketches.