Top 49 Sketch Comedy Shows of All Time

Live late-night institutions meet cult cable oddities and British absurdism that rewired the genre. Funny is personal, so rank accordingly.

1. 1
   Monty Python's Flying Circus

   The surreal 1969-74 BBC series that rewrote the rules of British sketch comedy.
   1000pts
2. 2
   Saturday Night Live

   NBC's live late-night institution, running since 1975 and launching generations of comedy stars.
   952pts
3. 3
   The Kids in the Hall

   The Canadian troupe's offbeat 1989-95 series, famous for head crushing and drag characters.
   778pts
4. 4
   In Living Color

   Keenen Ivory Wayans' bold early-90s Fox show that introduced Jim Carrey and Jamie Foxx.
   721pts
5. 5
   The League of Gentlemen

   A dark, grotesque BBC series set in the fictional town of Royston Vasey.
   712pts
6. 6
   Harry Enfield's Television Programme

   Harry Enfield's early-90s BBC series that created Tim Nice-But-Dim and the Scousers.
   653pts
7. 7
   French and Saunders

   Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders' long-running BBC show famous for film parodies.
   614pts
8. 8
   The Ernie Kovacs Show

   Ernie Kovacs' 1950s experiments that pioneered visual gags and camera tricks in TV comedy.
   614pts
9. 9
   The Dana Carvey Show

   The 1996 cult flop whose writers and cast included Steve Carell, Stephen Colbert and Louis C.K.
   614pts
10. 10
    The Kenny Everett Video Show

    Kenny Everett's anarchic late-70s Thames TV show of zany characters and early video effects.
    570pts
11. 11
    Inside Amy Schumer

    Amy Schumer's Peabody-winning Comedy Central series skewering gender and pop culture.
    521pts
12. 12
    A Black Lady Sketch Show

    Robin Thede's Emmy-winning HBO series, the first sketch show written and starring Black women.
    521pts
13. 13
    Upright Citizens Brigade

    The Comedy Central series from Amy Poehler's improv troupe that seeded a comedy empire.
    521pts
14. 14
    Your Show of Shows

    Sid Caesar's live 1950s NBC revue whose writers' room defined American TV comedy.
    521pts
15. 15
    Not the Nine O'Clock News

    The topical 1979-82 BBC satire starring Rowan Atkinson, Mel Smith, Griff Rhys Jones and Pamela Stephenson.
    521pts
16. 16
    The Ben Stiller Show

    Ben Stiller's short-lived, Emmy-winning early-90s show of pop-culture parodies.
    466pts
17. 17
    Human Giant

    Aziz Ansari, Rob Huebel and Paul Scheer's late-2000s MTV sketch series.
    466pts
18. 18
    The Catherine Tate Show

    Catherine Tate's BBC series of characters, led by the 'Am I bovvered?' schoolgirl Lauren.
    466pts
19. 19
    Mr. Show with Bob and David

    Bob Odenkirk and David Cross's HBO series of sketches that flowed seamlessly into one another.
    466pts
20. 20
    The Tracey Ullman Show

    Tracey Ullman's Fox showcase of characters, best remembered for giving The Simpsons its start.
    466pts
21. 21
    The Fast Show

    The 1990s BBC series of quick-fire characters and catchphrases like Swiss Toni and Ted and Ralph.
    466pts
22. 22
    The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour

    Tom and Dick Smothers' politically daring 1967-69 CBS show that battled network censors.
    466pts
23. 23
    Key & Peele

    Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele's viral Comedy Central series full of sharp characters.
    404pts
24. 24
    Limmy's Show

    Scottish comedian Brian Limond's surreal, dark BBC Scotland sketch series.
    404pts
25. 25
    Baroness von Sketch Show

    A Canadian CBC series of sharp, observational sketches about women's everyday lives.
    404pts
26. 26
    The Two Ronnies

    Ronnie Barker and Ronnie Corbett's wordplay-rich BBC staple, home of the Four Candles sketch.
    404pts
27. 27
    Little Britain

    Matt Lucas and David Walliams' catchphrase-heavy 2000s BBC hit about eccentric Britons.
    404pts
28. 28
    All That

    Nickelodeon's 1990s kids' sketch show that launched Kenan Thompson and Amanda Bynes.
    404pts
29. 29
    That Mitchell and Webb Look

    David Mitchell and Robert Webb's BBC series, home of the 'Are we the baddies?' sketch.
    333pts
30. 30
    SCTV

    Canada's Second City Television, which built sketches around a fictional low-budget TV station.
    333pts
31. 31
    Robot Chicken

    Seth Green's stop-motion Adult Swim series of rapid-fire pop-culture parodies with toys.
    333pts
32. 32
    Fridays

    ABC's edgy 1980-82 live late-night show featuring Michael Richards and Larry David.
    333pts
33. 33
    Big Train

    A deadpan, surreal late-90s BBC series from the creators of Father Ted.
    333pts
34. 34
    The State

    MTV's anarchic 1990s troupe show from the team behind Reno 911! and Wet Hot American Summer.
    333pts
35. 35
    The Whitest Kids U' Know

    A five-man troupe's raunchy, absurd sketch series on Fuse and IFC.
    251pts
36. 36
    Goodness Gracious Me

    The BBC's groundbreaking British Asian sketch show, famous for 'Going for an English'.
    251pts
37. 37
    I Think You Should Leave

    Tim Robinson's Netflix series of escalating, deeply awkward social nightmares.
    251pts
38. 38
    The Muppet Show

    Jim Henson's puppet variety show where Kermit wrangled sketches, songs and celebrity guests.
    251pts
39. 39
    The Carol Burnett Show

    Carol Burnett's beloved 1967-78 CBS variety show packed with movie parodies and breaking castmates.
    251pts
40. 40
    A Bit of Fry & Laurie

    Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie's witty, wordy BBC sketch series from 1989 to 1995.
    251pts
41. 41
    The Amanda Show

    Amanda Bynes' Nickelodeon spin-off from All That, home of 'Judge Trudy'.
    251pts
42. 42
    The Flip Wilson Show

    Flip Wilson's hit early-70s NBC variety show, starring his sassy character Geraldine.
    251pts
43. 43
    Tim and Eric Awesome Show

    Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim's surreal Adult Swim parody of public-access TV.
    251pts
44. 44
    MADtv

    Fox's long-running 1995-2009 answer to SNL, with characters like Stuart and Ms. Swan.
    251pts
45. 45
    Smack the Pony

    Channel 4's Emmy-winning all-female sketch show starring Fiona Allen, Doon Mackichan and Sally Phillips.
    251pts
46. 46
    Chappelle's Show

    Dave Chappelle's fearless 2003-06 Comedy Central series about race, pop culture and celebrity.
    155pts
47. 47
    Kroll Show

    Nick Kroll's Comedy Central parody of reality TV with recurring characters like Bobby Bottleservice.
    155pts
48. 48
    Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In

    The rapid-fire, psychedelic 1968-73 NBC show of one-liners, catchphrases and quick cuts.
    155pts
49. 49
    Portlandia

    Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein's IFC satire of hipster life in Portland, Oregon.
    0pts

Comments