What’s your favourite sketch? It’s a question that every comedy connoisseur has asked themselves. And if you haven’t, well, we’d say you should stop thinking about the casual stuff (science, politics, etc.) and pay attention to the debates that matter…
So, Ronnie or Morecambe? Cleese or Idle? More broadly – what are the most amazing sketches ever? We’ve racked up four that are definitely in the running. The ones that never fail to make tears spring from your eyes. Bring a hankie, and take a look at our top picks!
The Ministry Of Silly Walks
Sure, Monty Python’s dead parrot routine is legendary. But the ‘Beatles of comedy’, as they were known, had a ton of other things up their sleeves during the Flying Circus days. Remember the Ministry of Silly Walks? It made perhaps the best ever use of John Cleese’s body (aka the most hysterical object in the universe).
We see him lunging across the street in a suit and bowler hat, with those huge, elastic legs. He goes into the titular building in Whitehall. There, in the corridor, other people pass him with their own silly walk. “Sorry,” he says to Michael Palin, “my walk has become rather sillier recently, and so it takes me rather longer to get to work.”
Watch the original sketch:
The Two Ronnies: Mastermind
We reckon you’ve seen the Ronnies’ material dozens, if not hundreds, of times. Yet they probably never bettered their 1980 Mastermind parody.
Barker is the quizmaster, and Corbett is the guest, who can only answer the previous question when he’s asked a new one. Cue such classics as… Q: “What is the difference between a donkey and an ass?” A: “One’s a trade union leader, the other’s a member of the cabinet.” Show your Nan this one again and she’ll be reliving her younger years in not time!
See the double act at their peak:
Sarah Palin’s Interview
Americans are a little nuts, aren’t they, with their perfect teeth and terrible politicians… Maybe good dentists give bad advice to election candidates! Take the 2008 presidential run, for example, which put Sarah Palin in line for the White House under John McCain.
Tina Fey gave her a nice ripe skewering on Saturday Night Live – something that’ll forever go down in the history of great satire. As Palin, she talked about the UN, Russia’s proximity to Alaska, and “the dollar value meal at restaurants”. Amy Poehler’s rapid-fire blink played the ‘straight man’. Watch this modern classic, and you’ll be glad you’re on British soil…
Here’s the full fake interview:
A Morecambe & Wise Breakfast
Perhaps there’s someone on earth who hasn’t seen it. But we pity them. Or anyone who hasn’t played a song at the breakfast counter, done a jiggle in their dressing gown, or considered stripper music with their morning paper.
It’s all about the timing. We get whisks, cracked eggs, butchered oranges and more to the tune of a striptease. Kids love it. Dads absolutely love it. Anyone can find their funny bone with a blast of Morecambe and Wise.
Relive the song and dance:
The art of the sketch is still going strong, depending on where you look. Try NextUp Comedy for brand new routines, written and performed by some of the most buzzworthy talent on the UK circuit. Maybe they’ll be on par with these beauties…
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