The best sketch comedy shows of all time

Portlandia’s specialty is spoofing the eccentricities of hipsters and other alt-leftist scenes in Portland, Oregon, combining SNL alum Fred Armisen’s impersonation skills and the comedic chops of Sleater-Kinney’s Carrie Brownstein, as well as her intimate knowledge of the Portland area and its people. Sketches are often introduced with an exterior shot and a title like “NE 30th Ave., North-east Portland,” giving the show a unique sense of setting and allowing its fanbase, from wherever they are, to feel like they know this town, too. Armisen and Brownstein both being musicians, also insert a fun musical component to this show, with indie musicians like Jeff Tweedy and St. Vincent showing up as themselves, plus memorable characters musicians can appreciate, like the parents who form a kids music band insisting children can appreciate “atonal” stuff, and the studio guy who lives to show off all of his gear. [Meredith Hobbs Coons]

You’ve gotta give it up for Kermit and Piggy’s weekly vaudeville show, you know? This loveable gang brought sketch comedy to families. Though creator Jim Henson had intended for The Muppet Show to skew toward adult audiences and for Sesame Street and Fraggle Rock to be the childrens’ vehicles, kids quick on the uptake and big on puppets ate this up and still do. On The Muppet Show, the absurdity of interacting with floppy cloth guys could bring out some of the show’s guest stars’ silliest sides, and the writing itself was tight and snappy, with an element of fun only possible through a little Muppet magic. There’s a reason it keeps coming back in some form every few years. [Meredith Hobbs Coons]

Ever SNL’s competitor, MADtv boasted some iconic characters all its own, seemed to include a more diverse lineup with more women and people of color than the NBC brand, and launched the careers of Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele (who began their own eponymous show) as well as Alex Bornstein, Bobby Lee, and Andy Daly. Based at least in name on humor magazine Mad, it would sometimes include an animated Spy Vs. Spy segment based on the popular comic, but would mostly rely on recurring characters to keep viewers tuning in, like Phil LaMarr’s bouncy UBS guy, Michael McDonald’s spoiled child character Stuart, and Bornstein’s Björk-inspired character Ms. Swan. [Meredith Hobbs Coons]

Before its cancellation and abrupt removal from the Paramount+ platform, where it had found a new home in 2022, Inside Amy Schumer skewered social norms related to gender and sexuality during a four-season run on Comedy Central. The show featured sketches on anything from the historical realities princesses had to face (i.e. marrying their weird, sickly cousins) to commiserating with legends Tina Fey, Patricia Arquette, and Julia Louis-Dreyfuss on the latter’s “Last Fuckable Day,” but that’s not all. They also threaded street interviews throughout, and ended each episode with a sincere interview segment often featuring someone from the fringes of society, affording them dignity and giving them a chance to speak about their lived experiences. [Meredith Hobbs Coons]

Anytime you hear the joyful bars of “Yakety Sax” and see sped-up slapstick footage, it’s a nod to Benny Hill—specifically the end of each show, which usually featured a chase scene involving Hill and hot ladies wearing very little. This song itself has probably been the show’s most lasting cultural contribution, as it’s still employed in YouTube videos and current comedies all the time. While he did impressions of prominent figures, like Kenny Rogers and Marlon Brando, most episodes had Hill cheekily mugging at the camera while acting a bit pervy to serve as his commentary on male buffoonery. [Meredith Hobbs Coons]

Actor Seth Green and writer Matthew Senreich brought stop-motion into the world of sketch comedy with Robot Chicken, which is a delightful vehicle for spoofing beloved characters, as in their popular Star Wars parodies. Not only does this aesthetic give the show the playful vibe of kids acting out ridiculous, often naughty scenes with their toys (we’ve all been there — Barbie, especially has been through a lot) but it opens up room for the writers, and an ever-evolving roster of guest stars including Mila Kunis and Mark Hamill, to dip into voiceover and enjoy themselves. The childlike fun is palpable. [Meredith Hobbs Coons]

This is where Nickelodeon’s green slime tradition comes from! (It was faithfully parodied on SNL in 2022 when John Mulaney hosted.) The show also introduced us to Alanis Morissette back when she but a child actress. A precursor to later Nickelodeon sketch comedy shows for kids All That and The Amanda Show, You Can’t Do That On Television actually premiered in Canada in 1979 before running on Nick in the States. As the parody indicates, a lot of the humor didn’t age well, but its cultural significance remains, just like slime in a teen’s soaked hair. [Meredith Hobbs Coons]

With A Black Lady Sketch Show, Robin Thede led a cast of Black women sketch comedy performers to greatness for four critically acclaimed seasons. Comedians Gabrielle Dennis and Skye Townsend stuck around for the full run of the series, while former cast members including Abbott Elementary’s Quinta Brunson and Ashley Nicole Black (Full Frontal with Samantha Bee), departed to pursue other projects. A late-night host herself, Amber Ruffin even joined the writer’s room for a bit, adding her unique comedic charm to the mix. The best part is watching legends like Angela Bassett and friend of the show Issa Rae have the time of their lives in sketches like “Bad B*tch Support Group” and “Gang Orientation.” We can feel the love and joy. [Meredith Hobbs Coons]

The giddy camaraderie of French And Saunders’ two leads Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders makes this sketch comedy show a standout. They parody scenes from movies, from Titanic to Silence Of The Lambs to Troy, perform musical numbers, and get meta—making fun of themselves and how the public receives them. Perhaps the most winning quality about French And Saunders is the sense of mutual admiration and intimacy you get from watching the stars work together. [Meredith Hobbs Coons]

For more information on the fascinating origins of this single-season show, and endearing clips like a then-struggling actor named Stephen Colbert holding his newborn in his audition tape and begging for the gig, check out the Hulu documentary about it. Suffice to say, people who would later break big-to-huge were staffed on this show, like Colbert himself, Steve Carrell, Bob Odenkirk, Louis CK, Robert Smigel, and Charlie Kaufman. With a primetime slot, The Dana Carvey Show’s edgy comedy never stood a chance, but its killer sketches like “Leftover Beatle Memories,” “Germans Who Say Nice Things,” and “Stupid Pranksters” left an indelible mark on those who found some way to watch. [Meredith Hobbs Coons]

Catherine Tate has a gift for comedic rhythm and repetition, whether she’s playing Lauren Cooper, her cheerleader character who, when cornered, rhetorically asks “Am I bovvered?” or Nan, her grumpy old lady character, who chirps gleefully about the family members who “come up and see” her, but quickly unloads complaints about ugly babies or disappointing muffins once the excitement has worn off. The characters she plays on The Catherine Tate Show are underrepresented types in comedy, and thrilling to see so lovingly rendered. [Meredith Hobbs Coons]

Steve Coogan’s much-beloved character Alan Partridge first appeared on this news show satire. Need we say more? (We should? Okay.) Created by Chris Morris and Armando Iannucci (Veep), and adapted from their BBC radio program On the Hour, The Day Today uses the familiar format of an evening news show, complete with the dramatic music beats, punny language, and broadcasting cadence typical of news programs to deliver bizarre jokes, such as one about an Elvis fan staging his own execution from a toilet seat as an homage to the King. It’s the juxtaposition of the absurd and the dead-serious that culls bigger laughs when we hear the anchor intone, “Sacked chimney sweep pumps boss full of mayonnaise.” What could be more British than that? [Meredith Hobbs Coons]

First, Upright Citizens Brigade Theater in New York City brought together Aziz Ansari (Parks And Recreation, Master Of None), Paul Scheer (The League), and Rob Heubel (Children’s Hospital). Then, former child star Jason Woliner directed Ansari and Heubel’s short film “Shutterbugs,” in which they run a hard-ass kids casting agency, representing clients who, for example, refuse to wear shoes and need that written in their contract. Finally, the four of them birthed a giant ... a Human Giant. The show ran on MTV for two seasons (14 episodes), and launched the comedy careers of all the actors involved. Sketches were short and came unannounced, stitched together by animations, a precursor to the sort of YouTube-borne comedy hitting now—the wordplay-inclined might even say these newcomers stand on the shoulders of this giant. [Meredith Hobbs Coons]

This is a compliment of the highest order, but Nick Kroll’s skills were meant for sketch comedy. The actor created Kroll Show to parody the internet and culture in 2013. While it ran for only three seasons, the series was a perfect way for him to revel in his many faces—with the help of regular appearances from John Mulaney, Jason Mantzoukas, Jenny Slate, and Kathryn Hahn, among others. The best of Kroll Show came when it poked fun at reality TV (“PubLIZity: Yogurt Water,” you will always be famous), enough to make it one of Comedy Central’s finest sketch shows of the 2010s era. [Saloni Gajjar]

MTV might be playing Ridiculousness on a loop now, but in the ’90s, it looked completely different. The network launched The Ben Stiller Show and aired it for 13 episodes before the show moved to Fox. The humble sketch comedy series featured, obviously, noted actor and director Ben Stiller. Bob Odenkirk, Jeanine Garofalo, and Andy Dick rounded out the cast. TBSS often used its platform to prod pop culture with a satirical lens, with “Wheels Of Filler” becoming hugely popular. The writing and impersonations (Bono! Bruce Springsteen! Tom Cruise!) were consistently sharp and scathing, so it’s unfortunate it lived a brief life. [Saloni Gajjar]

Let’s imagine we’re back in the early 2000s. Dave Chappelle is the king of comedy, with killer stand-up specials and a movie emerging as a cult favorite (Half Baked). If he’s at all controversial, it’s for speaking truth to power, as he did all over Chappelle’s Show. His comedic precision when tackling subjects like internalized anti-Blackness in a sketch where he plays a Blind Black White supremacist was razor sharp, but then he could be completely goofy, almost cartoonish, as when he played his Player Hater character or the loveable Tyrone Biggums. He had sketches about “shit-ins” for Civil Rights and Roc-a-fella Records having a brand of pads. All was wonderful and right with the world. [Meredith Hobbs Coons]

Comedy Central came through once again by giving the members of the Upright Citizens Brigade a three-season sketch show for the ages. Amy Poehler, Matt Walsh, Matt Besser, and Ian Roberts teamed up for the improv series UCB, which ultimately set up each of their Hollywood career paths. Despite the cast, this show slipped under the radar compared to the network’s other sketch hits like Key & Peele, but UCB deserves its flowers. [Saloni Gajjar]

Saturday Night Live’s power rests in its longevity. Because it has been around for so long, criticisms of a subpar season are quickly overshadowed by nostalgia for its most classic sketches or when it regains relevance due to a rising star, incendiary sketch, or controversy involving a host. It remains a proving ground for new talent, and still attracts quality people to the program thanks to Lorne Michaels’ years of leadership, commitment to his comedic standards, and willingness to pay attention to trending new voices. It almost feels redundant to list big stars from this show, because they’re so well known, but here are a few anyway: Bill Murray, Seth Meyers, John Belushi, Molly Shannon, Will Ferrell, Gilda Radner, Amy Poehler, Tina Fey, etc., etc., etc. [Meredith Hobbs Coons]

Canada’s Second City Television is an illustrious sketch-comedy endeavor, and not only because of its iconic cast. Featuring the likes of Joe Flaherty, John Candy, Andrea Martin, Eugene Levy, Catherine O’Hara, and Martin Short, SCTV carved out its own space in the genre in the ’70s before finding a home in the U.S. on NBC. The ingenious premise of cataloging the broadcast schedule of a fictitious TV station meant SCTV got away with a range of terrific skits, effectively sending-up sitcoms, dramas, newscasts, and talk shows. And it still holds up today, so no wonder it’s one of the funniest sketch comedies of all time. [Saloni Gajjar]

Tracey Ullman was a huge deal in her native England before crossing the pond to do comedy for Americans with The Tracey Ullman Show—and rack up Emmys for her efforts. She could morph into such a variety of memorable characters, from valley girl Brenda to aging Hollywood starlet Sandra Decker. The Simpsons debuted as short animations embedded within Ullman’s show—Simpsons voice actors Dan Castellaneta and Julie Kavner were cast members at the time. Also, Paula Abdul choreographed dances for this show, and that’s pretty cool, too. [Meredith Hobbs Coons]

We at The A.V. Club have said so much about Tim Robinson and Zach Kanin’s sketch comedy creation I Think You Should Leave With Tim Robinson. Authors elsewhere have either suggested quotes from it have formed a sort of love language between friends and family members or accused it of having stunted their boyfriends’ vocabularies, taking the space in conversation formerly occupied by dated Anchorman or Austin Powers references (as if that’s bad). But with a crop of sketch regulars like Tim Robinson, Patti Harrison, Sam Richardson, and a rotating cast of guest stars, ITYSL is so rewatchable and satisfying to meme and imitate, how can we refuse them? They’re “just too good,” and comedy geeks seem to agree. [Meredith Hobbs Coons]

Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim’s surrealist take on a public access type of show, with bizarre commercials stitched in for maximum effect, featured so many hilarious sketches, from David Cross hawking a product called “Pussydoodles” that you can attach to your cat to make art to Zach Galifianakis’ superhero “The Snuggler” whose power is “snuggling you back to health” (as his theme song suggests) to John C. Reilly’s recurring character Dr. Steve Brule, the slurring host of the advice segment “Brule’s Rules” and sometime field correspondent. The titles and score for Tim And Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!, reminiscent of an old, warped work training video, add to the ridiculous fever-dream vibe of it all the more. [Meredith Hobbs Coons]

It’s not a stretch to proclaim that there’s no one like Carol Burnett. The actor, writer, comedian, and singer broke ground with her CBS series, The Carol Burnett Show, which propelled her into the brightest of spotlights. Running for over 270 episodes, the show established popular sketches like a soap opera parody or Burnett’s signature offering, the Charwoman, among several others. Despite a powerhouse roster of comedians and guest stars, Burnett remained the show’s singular shining star. The Carol Burnett Show was pioneering in its own way for the 1960s and 1970s, and Burnette remains a legend. [Saloni Gajjar]

This being a BBC original, it’s no surprise that it originally stemmed from a radio show: David Mitchell and Robert Webb’s similarly named That Mitchell And Webb Sound. The televised version, That Mitchell And Webb Look, filled out its cast with, among others, the global stars Olivia Colman (The Favourite, Fleabag) and Daniel Kaluuya (Black Panther, Judas And The Black Messiah), and brought some absurdist humor to BBC Two in its day. For a true test of your appreciation of the inane, check out the sketches related to their fictional game show “Numberwang.” It’s numberwang, and we think you’ll agree. [Meredith Hobbs Coons]

For its astute observations of race relations and spot-on impersonations of public figures (most notably Barack Obama, played by Peele), Key & Peele has commanded a dedicated fanbase (their YouTube channel maintains 4.5 million subscribers and has racked up 2 billion views). Meet a teacher and you’ll hear all about the Mr. Garvey sketch, where Key plays a substitute who becomes enraged when white students correct him on the pronunciation of their names as he takes roll. Meet a person named Aaron and see if they haven’t been called “A. A. Ron.” because of this sketch. (Also, just watch the sketch, it’s hilarious.) [Meredith Hobbs Coons]

At NYU in 1988, the comedy troupe now known as The State, came together to engage in the sort of alt-comedy antics they’re still known for today. And there are a lot of them: Kevin Allison, Michael Ian Black, Robert Ben Garant, Todd Holoubek, Michael Patrick Jann, Kerri Kenney-Silver, Thomas Lennon, Joe Lo Truglio, Ken Marino, Michael Showalter, and David Wain. You may recognize some (or all) of them from Reno 911!, some from Stella or the Wet Hot American Summer movies, but they have all had careers since their sketch show, and that speaks to their comedic capital, their strong point of origin. [Meredith Hobbs Coons]

Keenen Ivory Wayans created, wrote, and starred in this 1990s mainstay, which introduced us to his siblings, Kim, Shawn, Damon, and Marlon, as well as Jim Carrey, Tommy Davidson and David Alan Grier and, of course, Jennifer Lopez, who performed as a member of the show’s dance troupe The Fly Girls. In contrast to SNL’s mostly white cast, the In Living Color crew was majority Black, and the show attracted strong ratings while producing high-quality sketches and introducing memorable characters, like Damon Wayans’ Homie the Clown (whose catchphrase was “Homie don’t play that,”) and Carrey’s Fire Marshall Bill (“lemme show ya something!”). [Meredith Hobbs Coons]

In addition to the show’s two formidable, and now very famous leads, Mr. Show With Bob And David gave us greats including Sarah Silverman, Paul F. Thompkins, Brain Posehn, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Jack Black (!!!), and Earwolf podcasting master Scott Aukerman (AKA Hot Saucerman, etc.). One of our favorite sketches is “Teardrop Awards,” in which Odenkirk’s character Willups Brighton’s Beach Boys-style laments about his “mouth full of sores” are bested, year after year, by Cross’ character’s perpetual revamping of a “Tears in Heaven,” type of tune. In another Mr. Show sketch, they apparently scooped comedian John Mulaney’s ex-cop motivational speaker J.J. Bittenbinder riff. Mr. Show was resurrected as With Bob and David (Mr. Show’s neglected subtitle) in 2015, and as its forebears Monty Python would say, “There was much rejoicing.” [Meredith Hobbs Coons]

Founded by five comedians, most notably Dave Foley and Mark McKinney, in Calgary, Canada, in 1984, The Kids In The Hall has topped many a best-of list since its debut. Their most familiar bit is probably McKinney’s absurd “Head Crusher” character, who initially just sat across the street from well-dressed men, narrating as he pinched thumb and forefinger together, the magic of foreshortening making it look like he’s “crushing [their] heads.” Simple, right? He finds new stakes in later iterations. In one he has his fingers broken by a bully, leading to a recovery montage with his thumb and forefinger dramatically playing out full body exercises, from running hurdles to dips in an ice bath. This is just one example of why this show’s legacy endures. [Meredith Hobbs Coons]

Ask just about any comedian about their earliest comedic influences, and Monty Python inevitably comes up. They brought a level of evergreen silliness to their comedy, played with absolute conviction, that still holds up. The cheese shop sketch, for example: John Cleese (whose real last name is Cheese, incidentally) is an exasperated straight-man who wants to buy something from the very store that should have it. We’re with him. The dead parrot sketch: a person has to convince a shop owner that a parrot is, in fact, dead and states the fact in every imaginable way, in a silly singsong cadence. We anticipate every stupid version. The Ministry of Silly Walks! They discuss the dumbest thing in the world (whether a walk is silly enough) with gravity and authority as they demonstrate these walks, legs in the air, shuffling, flared out to the sides. They sell it. We buy it. (We still do.) [Meredith Hobbs Coons]