David Mitchell and Robert Webb brought back the British sketch show a few months ago with Mitchell and Webb Are Not Helping on Channel 4, with Taskmaster's Kiell Smith-Bynoe and Stevie Martin joining them.

It's been a long time since there was a big sketch show hit on UK TV, with skits now more associated with TikTok and Instagram.

Upon its release, the show was hugely divisive among viewers, with people thinking there were plenty of misses in among the hits, while one particular sketch really irked viewers. The duo themselves called sketch shows "the trickiest genre of comedy" ahead of its premiere.

Despite the mixed reception, Channel 4 thinks the format still has legs and has greenlit a second season.

The broadcaster states that the first episode reached a consolidated 2.3 million viewers, while the series itself was its third biggest scripted comedy behind Derry Girls and Friday Night Dinner. Sketches from the show have garnered 25.5 million views across social media.

krystal evans, david mitchell, stevie martin and kiell smithbynoe, mitchell and webb are not helping
Channel 4

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"They said sketch was dead, but the success of Mitchell and Webb Are Not Helping with audiences on linear, streaming and social proves otherwise," Channel 4's Head of Comedy Charlie Perkins said.

"Making a hit, on top of having the ability to showcase so many incredible new writers and performers alongside David and Robert, has been an immense honour and joy.

"Thank you so much to our exceptional series 1 ensemble. We're looking forward to offering more brilliant writers and performers the opportunity on Series 2. Long live sketch comedy."

robert webb, david mitchell, mitchell and webb are not helping
Channel 4

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"Channel 4 loves nothing more than swimming against the tide so it was particularly satisfying to watch Robert and David and their supporting cast of emerging stars breathe life into such a vital genre for UK Comedy," the broadcaster's Chief Content Officer Ian Katz added.

Kenton Allen, Chief Executive at Big Talk Studios, added: "We can't wait to platform more new stars of the future alongside Robert and David on the next series."

Mitchell and Webb Are Not Helping is available to stream on Channel 4.


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Joe Anderton is a freelance news writer at Digital Spy, having worked there since 2016. In his time, he's covered a host of live events and interviewed celebrities big and small. A big fan of TV and movies both mainstream and obscure, Joe also enjoys video games and in particular PlayStation. Joe currently does not use Twitter, but he only ever used it to tell people to watch the film Help! I'm a Fish.