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Friday February 22 2008 Write for this section: varsity.co.uk/arts [email protected] VIEWArts 21 That Mitchell and Webb Interview !anks to Peep Show, David Mitchell and Rob Webb are the most recognisable double act since Fry and Laurie. But, as they tell Patrick Kingsley, there’s more to David and Rob than just Mark and Jeremy ob Webb and David Mitchell acronymed TMAWL? Mitchell go to the loo, he goes to the loo. people assumed that because we dle-class theatre-goers.” David seem a bit bored of Peep again: “Content-wise, the new We’ve also got a sketch about were the stars of Peep Show, we elaborates on their travails: “We Show. Of course, they’d be series contains a lot more stand- these heli-vets.” And what are had a duty to be anti-capitalist.” were just putting on shows in the Rtoo diplomatic to say so them- alone, one-off stuff. There aren’t these? “Just some very bad vets,” “And I’ve owned a Mac since London fringe. We were very low selves, but after an hour’s conver- many recurring characters and explains Rob. 1998,” Webb interjects. “It was a on money and we had no idea how sation with them both, there is we’ve got rid of a lot of last year’s Of course, TMAWL and Peep natural choice.” to go about finding an agent.” a lurking suspicion that they’re content like Big Talk and Ted Show aren’t their only notable Indeed, the Nineties were Many ex-Footlighters are reluc- slightly tired of the offbeat Chan- and Peter, the snooker commen- projects. In 2000, they aired a important years for the duo, and tant to lend their support to their nel 4 sitcom that made them tators. We felt those ideas had surprisingly unsuccessful sketch not just for computing reasons: comedic alma mater, but, to their A-list comedians, paved the way run their course.” show called Bruiser – surprising four years before becoming great credit, Mitchell and Webb for Magicians, their first feature Hang on! Is Numberwang no given their collaborators included acquainted with IBM’s greatest are quite possibly the most sup- film, and led to their notorious ap- portive alumni, regularly showing pearances in those hilarious Mac “We’re very proud of Peep Show, but we simply have more their faces at Footlights events adverts. and often supplying Cambridge It’s easy to see why: they have emotional investment in !at Mitchell and Webb Look” comics with positive quotes for no direct involvement in Peep their Edinburgh posters. So what Show’s writing process. Sam Bain more? And what of Barry Crisp? Ricky Gervais, Martin Free- rival, Webb got to know Mitchell do they make of Mark Watson’s and Jesse Armstrong are the And that Chicken Salad chappie? man, Matthew Holness and Alan through Footlights. “I spotted suggestion in Varsity last month writers behind those perennial “We’re keeping Sir Digby Chicken Titchmarsh; from 2003 onwards, him at the end of 1994. I asked that ex-Footlighters are some- no-hopers Mark Corrigan and Caesar and we’re doing a kind of they broadcast That Mitchell and him if he wanted to do a two-man what stigmatised within the Jeremy Usbourne, and, perhaps history of Numberwang in episode Webb Sound, the radio show that show, and he couldn’t really refuse comedy industry? most tellingly, they, not Mitchell six, but apart from that, every- laid the foundations for many of because I was in the year above, Mitchell certainly agrees. and Webb, are the show’s Execu- thing’s new. There’s one sketch the sketches in the first series of on the Committee and kind of a “When I was in Footlights,” he tive Producers. And, contrary to about a robotic man who loses TMAWL. And, Webb continues, big deal.” And, after their seminal says, “it was at its least fashion- popular belief, it’s Sam and Jesse, his sense of smell to the extent “we’re planning a pilot sitcom ADC run of Innocent Millions able. Rob and I had to pretend we not Rob and David, who bear the that he can only smell petrol and of our own for the end of this Dead or Dying: A Wry Look at hadn’t been in it. You’d often hear most similarities to Peep Show’s cheese. And there’s another about year. It’ll inevitably be compared the Post-Apocalyptic Age, the pair people say, ‘Oh we’re not going to antiheroes. a film-maker who’s basically the unfavourably to Peep Show, but decided to make it in comedy to- see that bunch of fucking toffs,’ “Mark and Jeremy are a little antithesis of a dramatic director; we’re prepared for that, and we’re gether and Rob “hung around eat- because they’d assume that it has like us, but they’ve got a lot more he insists on going to try and make sure it’s as ing toast until David graduated”. some sort of nepotistic link with of Sam and Jesse in them,” Rob everything different as possible. We’ll write it Their career in comedy was tough the comedy industry. But that’s explains. “So we’re more detached being real. If in a much more fruity way. It’ll be to begin with. “I once had to drive just not true. To be a comedian, it about Peep Show. Jesse and Sam a character more like Father Ted.” a seven-and-a-half tonne truck to helps to be bright and Cambridge talk to us at the beginning about needs Yet, slightly bizarrely, the pay the bills simply has lots of bright students. the plot, but they still do about to production that really shot them after we I think the Footlights situation 98% of the script.” into the national consciousness left Cam- has now reached a happy Which is probably why Rob was not a sitcom or a sketch-show bridge. equilibrium. Agents and and David are so excited about but an advert for Apple in which That producers will still go see the second series of BBC2’s That Webb played a Mac computer and was the show but they won’t Mitchell and Webb Look, which Mitchell a PC. The pair attracted horrible. be biased in their treat- started last night. Says Webb, “We a great deal of flak for their And we ment of it. It’s OK to inevitably feel more attached to performances; the Telegraph were be in Footlights again.” That Mitchell and Webb Look. criticised them for seeking both Numberwang, evidently. We feel more personal about. We “corporate ends”, the British ushers at That Mitchell and Webb write three-quarters of it and so Sitcom Guide accused them of the Lyric Look in on Thursdays at tend to feel more rewarded when “selling their souls” whilst Nathan Hammer- 9pm on BBC2 and BBC HD. it goes well, and more depressed Barley’s Charlie Brooker hated smith, when it doesn’t.” Mitchell clari- their “smug” tone. which fies: “We’re very proud of Peep “The almost vitriolic reaction has left Show, but we simply have more genuinely surprised me,” declared me with emotional investment in That a surprised David Mitchell. “We a phobia of Mitchell and Webb Look.” weren’t advertising McDonalds mid- So what have we got to look or Exxon or anything like forward to in this that. We were doing it latest edition of the for what is quite emotionally-invest- a cool com- ed, awkwardly- pany. I think .

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