Fifteen years after their last sketch show, the beloved comedy duo David Mitchell and Robert Webb have returned to Channel 4 with Not Helping. The highly anticipated comeback promises the same sharp wit that made Peep Show a cult classic, but does it deliver?
The opening sketch sets the tone immediately, featuring Mitchell as a beleaguered government minister desperately trying to spin a catastrophic policy failure. Webb plays his obsequious special advisor, and their dynamic feels both familiar and freshly tuned to our current era of political chaos.
A Shift in Satirical Targets
Gone are the purely absurdist scenarios of their earlier work. Not Helping takes direct aim at the crumbling state of modern Britain, from the NHS waiting lists to the cost-of-living crisis. One particularly biting sketch features the pair as underfunded police officers who can only afford to solve crimes committed within a specific postcode.
Another highlights the duo's strength in character work, with Webb playing a gig economy delivery driver explaining the precariousness of his existence to Mitchell's comfortably middle-class homeowner. The satire is pointed, but some jokes land with a thud, feeling more like a newspaper headline than a crafted punchline.
Highs and Lows of the Comeback
When it works, it's brilliant. A recurring segment where they play a pair of overly empathetic tech billionaires trying to solve UK poverty with a disastrous new app is a standout, perfectly blending absurdity with sharp commentary.
However, the show struggles with consistency. The pacing feels erratic, with some sketches running too long while others end just as they find their footing. The reliance on audience laughter, a departure from their previous studio-free format, sometimes undermines the more subtle jokes.
Despite the unevenness, Mitchell and Webb's chemistry remains undeniable. Their ability to bounce off each other, with Mitchell's signature exasperation met by Webb's manic energy, provides a solid foundation. It’s a welcome return, but one that perhaps tries to tackle too much, too directly, losing some of the subtlety that defined their past work.
Ultimately, Not Helping is a mixed bag. It’s a brave and often funny attempt to hold a mirror up to a nation in decline, but it doesn’t always hit the mark. For fans, it’s a must-watch, but it may not convert the uninitiated.
