40 Greatest Sketch-Comedy TV Shows of All Time
by jamee_sunderlin | created - 08 Dec 2020 | updated - 08 Dec 2020 | PublicRolling Stone
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1. Monty Python's Flying Circus (1969–1974)
TV-14 | 30 min | Comedy
The original surreal sketch comedy showcase for the Monty Python troupe.
Stars: Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle
Votes: 78,819
2. Saturday Night Live (1975– )
TV-14 | 90 min | Comedy, Music
A famous guest host stars in parodies and sketches created by the cast of this witty show.
Stars: The Saturday Night Live Band, Don Pardo, Darrell Hammond, Kenan Thompson
Votes: 52,760
3. Mr. Show with Bob and David (1995–1998)
TV-MA | 27 min | Comedy
This is a sketch-comedy show. The twist here is that all of the sketches (even the monologue) are connected in some strange way.
Stars: Bob Odenkirk, David Cross, John Ennis, Jay Johnston
Votes: 10,552
4. Chappelle's Show (2003–2006)
TV-MA | 22 min | Comedy, Music
Comedian Dave Chappelle hosts this sketch-comedy show that parodies many of the nuances of race and culture.
Stars: Dave Chappelle, Donnell Rawlings, Rudy Rush, Charlie Murphy
Votes: 71,818
5. Key and Peele (2012–2015)
TV-14 | 30 min | Comedy
Project sees Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele in front of a live studio audience bantering about a topic weaved between filmed shorts and sketches.
Stars: Keegan-Michael Key, Jordan Peele, Metta World Peace, Brendan Hunt
Votes: 25,841
6. Your Show of Shows (1950–1954)
90 min | Comedy
Best remembered by its posterior title, Your Show of Shows, this live variety show included comedy sketches with TV pioneers Sid Caesar and Imogene Coca.
Stars: Sid Caesar, Imogene Coca, Felisa Vanoff, Carl Reiner
Votes: 368
7. The Carol Burnett Show (1967–1978)
TV-G | 60 min | Comedy, Family
Television show featuring skits by Carol Burnett and her comedy troupe.
Stars: Carol Burnett, Vicki Lawrence, The Ernie Flatt Dancers, Harvey Korman
Votes: 7,306
8. The Kids in the Hall (1988–2021)
TV-14 | 25 min | Comedy
The TV series of the Canadian sketch comedy troupe that, more often than not, puts bizarre, unique, and insane twists in their skits.
Stars: David Foley, Bruce McCulloch, Kevin McDonald, Mark McKinney
Votes: 11,097
9. In Living Color (1990–1994)
TV-14 | 30 min | Comedy, Music
The Wayans siblings present an African-American focused sketch comedy show.
Stars: Keenen Ivory Wayans, Jim Carrey, Kelly Coffield Park, Terrence Brown
Votes: 12,765
10. The Muppet Show (1976–1981)
TV-G | 30 min | Comedy, Family, Musical
Kermit the Frog and his fellow Muppets put on a vaudeville show at their theatre, bringing in a famous celebrity to help out for each episode.
Stars: Jim Henson, Frank Oz, Richard Hunt, Dave Goelz
Votes: 26,242
11. Laugh-In (1967–1973)
TV-PG | 60 min | Comedy, Music
The original rapid fire sketch comedy show.
Stars: Dan Rowan, Dick Martin, Gary Owens, Ruth Buzzi
Votes: 3,660
12. A Bit of Fry and Laurie (1987–1995)
TV-PG | 30 min | Comedy
Comedians Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie perform a variety of comedy skits and the occasional musical number.
Stars: Stephen Fry, Hugh Laurie, Deborah Norton, Geoffrey McGivern
Votes: 9,920
13. SCTV (1976–1981)
TV-PG | 30 min | Comedy
The staff of Melonville's TV station put on programming that is unique in its own silly way.
Stars: Joe Flaherty, Eugene Levy, Andrea Martin, Dave Thomas
Votes: 2,883
14. The Richard Pryor Show (1977)
60 min | Comedy
An American comedy series hosted by comedian Richard Pryor
Stars: Richard Pryor, Robin Williams, Edie McClurg, Jimmy Martinez
Votes: 463
15. The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour (1967–1993)
60 min | Comedy
The Smothers Brothers host a comedy variety show that became notorious for its topical satirical humor.
Stars: Tom Smothers, Dick Smothers, Pat Paulsen, Peter Cullen
Votes: 1,639
16. The State (1993–2009)
TV-14 | 30 min | Comedy
Each episode contains 30 minutes of extremely bizarre and funny sketch comedy performed by THE STATE, an 11 member sketch comedy troupe who wrote and starred in various sketches seen throughout the program.
Stars: Kevin Allison, Michael Ian Black, Robert Ben Garant, Todd Holoubek
Votes: 3,035
17. The Dana Carvey Show (1996)
30 min | Comedy
Riffs on pop culture, politics and even the show's own sponsors.
Stars: Dana Carvey, Steve Carell, Bill Chott, Stephen Colbert
Votes: 1,280
18. The Ernie Kovacs Show (1952–1956)
60 min | Comedy, Family
An American comedy show, hosted by comedian Ernie Kovacs who often changed the show's format during its run. It was variously retooled as a daytime show, prime-time show, late-night show, ... See full summary »
Stars: Ernie Kovacs, Edie Adams, Pat White, Elliot Lawrence
Votes: 125
19. The Ben Stiller Show (1992–1995)
TV-PG | 306 min | Comedy
This comedy/variety show specialized in parodies of movies and television shows and commercials. Often, they would also have a special guest (e.g., a TV actor) join them.
Stars: Ben Stiller, Andy Dick, Janeane Garofalo, Bob Odenkirk
Votes: 2,084
20. You Can't Do That on Television (1979–2004)
TV-PG | 30 min | Comedy, Family
Sketch TV by young amateur actors in true classic Nick-style. But whatever you do, never admit that you don't know or ask for water.
Stars: Les Lye, Abby Hagyard, Christine McGlade, Lisa Ruddy
Votes: 2,614
21. Upright Citizens Brigade (1998–2000)
TV-14 | 30 min | Comedy
Agents Adair, Antoine, Colby, and Trotter both monitor and create chaos across the universe.
Stars: Matt Besser, Amy Poehler, Ian Roberts, Matt Walsh
Votes: 2,528
22. Portlandia (2011–2018)
TV-14 | 22 min | Comedy
A sketch-comedy series that parodies life in Portland, Oregon.
Stars: Fred Armisen, Carrie Brownstein, Kyle MacLachlan, Sam Adams
Votes: 23,103
23. The Fast Show (1994–2014)
TV-14 | 30 min | Comedy
UK comedy sketch show depicting most forms of stereotypical British society.
Stars: Paul Whitehouse, Charlie Higson, Arabella Weir, Simon Day
Votes: 5,229
24. Not the Nine O'Clock News (1979–1982)
TV-PG | 25 min | Comedy
British sketch comedy starring the likes of Rowan Atkinson and Mel Smith.
Stars: Rowan Atkinson, Mel Smith, Pamela Stephenson, Griff Rhys Jones
Votes: 2,803
25. The Tracey Ullman Show (1987–1990)
30 min | Comedy, Music
Tracey Ullman hosts a variety show containing sketches, song-and-dance routines, and The Simpsons.
Stars: Tracey Ullman, Dan Castellaneta, Sam McMurray, Joseph Malone
Votes: 1,574
26. Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! (2007–2017)
TV-14 | 11 min | Comedy, Music
Two comedians, average nobodies, and celebrity guest stars perform bizarre low-budget comedy sketches.
Stars: Tim Heidecker, Eric Wareheim, Bob Odenkirk, John C. Reilly
Votes: 11,985
27. Inside Amy Schumer (2013–2022)
TV-14 | 22 min | Comedy
Amy Schumer switches from sketches to doing stand-up to interviewing people on the street and people of interest, usually following a certain theme.
Stars: Amy Schumer, Kevin Kane, Kyle Dunnigan, Kim Caramele
Votes: 13,817
28. French and Saunders (1987–2017)
TV-PG | 30 min | Comedy
Comedy duo Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders satirically present aspects of British life, films such as Batman Forever and Pulp Fiction.
Stars: Dawn French, Jennifer Saunders, Simon Brint, Rowland Rivron
Votes: 3,751
29. The Day Today (1994)
204 min | Comedy
A spoof of the British style of news broadcasting - including ridiculous stories, patronising vox pops, offensively hard-hitting research and a sports presenter clearly struggling for metaphors.
Stars: Christopher Morris, Steve Coogan, Patrick Marber, Doon Mackichan
Votes: 5,553
30. The Jonathan Winters Show (1956–1957)
15 min
Stars: Jonathan Winters, Don Pardo, Wayne Howell, Eddie Safranski
Votes: 22
31. Mad TV (1995–2016)
TV-14 | 60 min | Comedy
A sketch comedy show based on the seminal Mad Magazine.
Stars: Michael McDonald, Debra Wilson, Aries Spears, Bobby Lee
Votes: 11,927
32. Exit 57 (1995–1996)
TV-14 | 23 min | Comedy
30 minute sketch comedy featuring Stephen Colbert that aired on Comedy Central in 1995.
Stars: Amy Sedaris, Stephen Colbert, Mitch Rouse, Paul Dinello
Votes: 249
33. Funny or Die Presents... (2007– )
TV-MA | Comedy
A series of comedy sketches brought to you by the people at "Funny or Die."
Stars: Steve Tom, Rob Huebel, Christine Scott Bennett, Callie Cameron
Votes: 1,279
34. The Andy Dick Show (2001–2003)
30 min | Comedy
Comedian Andy Dick stars in this MTV sketch comedy series that features his unique brand of humor.
Stars: Andy Dick, Paul Henderson, Lacy Livingston, Ashton Kutcher
Votes: 469
35. The Idiot Box (1991–1992)
Comedy
MTV sketch comedy show.
Stars: Alex Winter, Lee Arenberg, Danny Cooksey, Ricki Lake
Votes: 136
36. Little Britain (2003–2006)
TV-MA | 29 min | Comedy
Matt Lucas and David Walliams, the creators of this character-comedy sketch show, delight in all that is mad, bad, quirky and generally bonkers about the people and places of Britain.
Stars: Matt Lucas, David Walliams, Tom Baker, Paul Putner
Votes: 26,143
37. The Amanda Show (1999–2002)
TV-Y7 | 30 min | Comedy, Family
A comedy sketch show centered around All That (1994) alum Amanda Bynes.
Stars: Amanda Bynes, Drake Bell, Nancy Sullivan, John Kassir
Votes: 8,299
38. Human Giant (2007–2008)
TV-14 | 30 min | Comedy
A half-hour show of edgy short films.
Stars: Aziz Ansari, Rob Huebel, Paul Scheer, Marcus Shultz
Votes: 2,891
39. Fridays (1980–1982)
TV-14 | 70 min | Comedy, Music
Live late-night comedy sketch show similar to "Saturday Night Live."
Stars: Jack Burns, Brandis Kemp, Mark Blankfield, Maryedith Burrell
Votes: 711
40. The League of Gentlemen (1999–2017)
TV-MA | 60 min | Comedy, Horror
An interweaving narrative chronicling the antics of such diverse characters as: a transgender taxi driver, a family obsessed with hygiene and toads, a fiery reverend, a carnival owner who kidnaps women into marriage, and a xenophobic couple who run a local shop for local people.
Stars: Mark Gatiss, Steve Pemberton, Reece Shearsmith, Jeremy Dyson
Votes: 12,228
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