# The Fast Show (1994)

> A British sketch comedy show packed with recurring characters, catchphrases and absurd vignettes.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/2410

## Facts

- Seasons: 4
- Episodes: 34
- Episode runtime: 30 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: comedy
- Created by: Paul Whitehouse, Charlie Higson
- Network: BBC Two
- Cast: Paul Whitehouse, Charlie Higson, Mark Williams, John Thomson, Caroline Aherne, Arabella Weir, Simon Day, Maria McErlane
- TMDB rating: 8.2/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108771/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: mild
- Complexity: simple
- Violence: none
- Tone: irreverent, deadpan, playful, wry, absurd

## What critics say

Acclaimed as a sharp, quotable British sketch show whose recurring characters and catchphrases have stayed popular with audiences.

## Synopsis

The Fast Show (1994-2012) is a British sketch comedy series created by Paul Whitehouse and Charlie Higson for BBC Two. Built from a rotating troupe of performers including Paul Whitehouse, Charlie Higson, Mark Williams, John Thomson, Caroline Aherne, Arabella Weir and Simon Day, the show strings together short, self-contained vignettes rather than following a single protagonist. Each sketch introduces a stock character with a signature catchphrase, and those figures return across the run, so viewers learn their rhythms and lines. The engine is pure escalation of the everyday: pompous bores, hapless salesmen, dim pub regulars and absurd pseudo-documentary spoofs, each played with a flat deadpan delivery that lets the premise curdle into something surreal. Across four series and thirty-four episodes, the format stays brisk, with many quick cuts in each half hour. Its tone is irreverent, playful and wry, carried by a mix of silliness and sharp social observation of British types. Fans of Monty Python's Flying Circus, Little Britain and The Mighty Boosh will find resonance in its absurd humour and memorable recurring characters. The result is a sketch show built for repeat viewing and quotable lines.

## Shows like The Fast Show

- [Little Britain USA (2008)](https://ember.film/tv/13873)
- [Mr. Show with Bob and David (1995)](https://ember.film/tv/576)
- [A Bit of Fry & Laurie (1989)](https://ember.film/tv/176)
- [The Young Ones (1982)](https://ember.film/tv/4264)
- [Monty Python's Flying Circus (1969)](https://ember.film/tv/805)
- [Little Britain (2003)](https://ember.film/tv/354)
- [Men Behaving Badly (1992)](https://ember.film/tv/745)
- [The Kids in the Hall (1989)](https://ember.film/tv/1462)
- [The Day Today (1994)](https://ember.film/tv/2622)
- [The League of Gentlemen (1999)](https://ember.film/tv/2230)

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