A thread for the delightful (or underwhelming, depending on your point of view; I thought it was great) sketch comedy show which stars Robert Webb and David Mitchell of Peep Show fame, and which makes its U.S. debut tonight at 9:20 ET on BBC America (to say nothing of its second-season bow on BBC2 February 21 at 9:30 GMT).

I saw most of it before my dad took over the TV. I thought it was great.

I loved the Angel Summoner (?) and BMX Bandit. In the promos I thought in shouted "Angelic Whores!" instead of "Angelic Hordes!"

"Hans, are we the baddies?"

If you ever see the live DVD, I'm featured a couple of times in the audience, and the loud laugh is from Sandra, who I went with.

It can be hit and miss, but when it hits, it's gold.

Sir Digby Chicken Ceaser is dynamite.

I missed it, and apparently it's not being repeated. BBC America is too in love with Torchwood and whatever else it's repeating ad nauseum this week.

Yeah, with the exception of "Friday Night Comedy Block" - and even that is basically just on a loop for 7 hours - BBCA's programming has deteriorated almost beyond recognition.
Four Weddings and a Funeral??? Are you fucking kidding me??? It's like they just play whatever is in the programming dept's personal video collection.

Topic? Numberwang + Wangernumb = Hilarious
Liked the Snooker commentators, but especially the James Bond gossip.

I think you're on to something there, Zelmia. It would explain why they aired "Ten" a few months ago. And "Arthur."

On topic: Tonight's episode was just as funny as the first. Numberwang is complete genius.

I'm kind of wondering if the boys have actually snuck in some kind of real rules/theme to Numberwang that over each episode we're supposed to try to figure out.

The second series starts in the UK this week, and the boys are doing many interviews to support it.

I'm happy to report that barely any of the recurring characters have survived to the new series, I think Sir Digby and Numberwang are just about the only carry overs.

Thank god they aren't going down the Little Britain route.

I hope we get some of the sketches from the 3rd Radio Season. There were some great sketches in there, and pretty much all stand-alone. I think there's only one recurring joke in the entire six episodes (and it's a good one).

I liked the "Scooby Doo" invitations sketch - until they started on about the "talking dog". I think they should have just left it as "don't invite Shaggy, he's such a weirdo".

I loved that Scooby Doo skit.

I've only see two eps so far. Have there been more on BBC America? I love the characters they create.

Maybe my favorite... "It's a poo! It's a poo!"

The new episode was pretty funny.

Liked the Padlock Folding sketch, and the Sky Sports parody.

The movie director interview was very good, but a bit to similar to that Python "It's The Arts" sketch at times.

Don't remember where I heard about this series but as LONG time Monty Python fans we had to watch and weren't disappointed. What fun!!

That's Numberwang!

"Oh, and that's a bad miss."

I loved the "Hole in the Ring" game show. It was a hilariously spot-on takeoff on 'The Weakest Link' and Anne Robinson, yet it seemed a few years out of date. Is that show still current in Britain?

Yep, it's still running. I haven't seen it in years though, except maybe a few minutes of the celebrity editions, which are usually shown in a better time slot.

The continuous [blurred] flipping off by the host had me cracking up.

I'm adoring the different changes they manage to ring on Numberwang from episode to episode. It's a textbook example of how to do a running gag.

My wife has formally asked me to stop starting conversations with "Oh, and that's a bad miss..."

I wish I could use that in my daily conversation, but no one would know what it meant.

I liked how Rob had David write his own birthday card because he's so used to writing everything with Dave. For some reason that just made me laugh.

OK, what is the music during 'Sir Digby Chicken Caesar?' I don't know if it's used in lots of shows/movies or just in one, but it's bugging me that I can't place it.

That would be Devil's Gallop, by Charles Williams.

I loved the explorers naming places sketch in the new Series Two episode.

Thank you! Thank you! Excellent information. I know the tune from 30 Rock.

The Series 1 finale was fantastic, solid all the way through. I especially liked the dense metatextuality of David's chiropractor complaining about the sketch featuring David's chiropractor and Admiral Doenitz ("Well, they were hardly going to give me the job when everything was going really well...").

As the second season starts on BBCA, Tim Goodman gives the show an effusive write-up:

I agree with the article (and thanks for that link). American comedy always seems so plodding and thick to me, and that's the reason: it often lingers far too long and tries to milk as many laughs as possible out of one simple gag. The best comedy is always the "hit and run" kind.

peeayebee, they used it because in the UK it's quite well known as being the theme tune to a long running and very popular radio (and short lived TV show) called Dick Barton: Special Agent.

It's more or less part of the British conciousness because of that.

I guess I didn't see the Season 1 finale yet. The one I just watched was great. It had a Da Vinci Code satire about Numberwang -- I love how the Numberwang game show has evolved. It didn't simply stay a static running gag.

There was also a hilarious bit with David doing a promo for 'Sky Sports' constantly saying meaningless things like, "Meanwhile, there are old scores to be settled at the dell, scores like one-nil, and two-all, that have happened in previous years." "... as a match that is already being described as 'on this Sunday.'" "Looking ahead to March, every football team will be playing football several times and in various combinations."

I'm really enjoying this show. I'm glad I happened to hear about it on NPR.

Along with "Oh, and that's a bad miss," I have now already been banned from starting conversations with "Shall I take my cock out?"

I hope that still leaves you with something to say!

The other day I was playing a game with my son where you shoot little balls at a target. I must have said, "Oooo, that's a bad miss," about a dozen times. To an unappreciative audience. And frankly it just didn't sound as funny when I said it. Might be the accent.

I like how one of the women on the show is hugely pregnant, and at least in the episodes I've seen, no one ever mentions it.

That's Olivia Coleman. She's worked with them a lot.

I thought that American Courtroom Drama ("Speedo") was - sadly - not too far off the mark. I loved that evil guy having the contractor ("Call me Ryan." "I detest informality!") in to set up his trapdoors. The home version of Numberwang... Love how they keep doing that gag but are able to keep it fresh every time.

It really is amazing that the Numberwang gag never gets tired.

"Speedo" was hilarious. I loved that when they walked briskly around while talking, the walking is completely aimless and ridiculous. I thought of Aaron Sorkin's "walk-and-talk" scenes in his TV shows.

BTW, the skit about the documentary host who can't control his arms -- Was that just a general spoof on those types of hosts, or a specific one? I was thinking of James Burke from "Connections," though that's a pretty old reference.

I wish whoever banned you could also manage to ban my boyfriend from saying "hey, this isn't a 70s hospital!" at every possible opportunity.

Best Numberwang for me was the last episode with the evolution of the show throughout the decades and the attempt by Colossus to take over the world.

I thought Speedo was a stab at House - with the cane, bad ass attitude & not so perfect American accent (although the last thing might be due to the ability of Mitchell [or was that Webb?]).

The Dr Evil sketch was very funny.

That was great, especially when the presenter is looking for a picture of a chicken. I kind of hope they leave Numberwang at that and don't bring it back for Series Three.

Do we know if there is going to be a Series Three?

Also great from the last episode of Series Two was the football/Indiana Jones sketch. It was my favourite sketch in the third radio series, and I was really hoping they'd use it.

There is a marathon on BBC America right now, and having just discovered this show on Friday night, I'm really enjoying catching up. I rarely laugh out loud when watching TV, but this has had be bursting with laughter a lot. The noise keeps waking up my dogs, much to their chagrin.

Thanks so much for the heads-up. I missed the first episode, but am recording the rest & hopefully will see most of the epis I missed. How many were in season 1?

I hadn't seen the first one of this mini-marathon, but I've seen the rest. I want more new ones!!!

"Thanks so much for the heads-up. I missed the first episode, but am recording the rest & hopefully will see most of the epis I missed. How many were in season 1? "

Each season is six episodes. There are two seasons on TV, and three on radio. The radio is worth listening to, even though there's a lot of crossover.

Have we had both seasons on BBC America, or just the first one? I loved German Numberwang.

I don't know the answer to that, iMissEthan, but I just watched the last ep, and Mitchell makes mention of season 1, meaning this is season 2. I haven't been keeping track, but it's certainly possible that we've seen all six season 1 eps and are now seeing season 2.

This last ep was great, of course. There's a Numberwang skit where we find out the origins of the game -- It was based on a book by Bertrand Russell. The whole Numberwang skit progression is so inspired. Genius.

There's also a great bit with the two office mates about sports fanatics, the Webb character suddenly becoming one after a team wins. The Mitchell character then sarcastically decides that since he loves the movie 'Raiders of the Lost Ark,' he can bloody well say that he and other fans are IN it.

I love this series.

Peeayebee, that episode is the last in season 2.

Waaahhh!

"We all have 'temporary immortality'. That's just mortality!"

Bertrand Russell.
Silent in 1958.

I loved that the failsafe was to show the Numberwang robot a picture of a chicken (;)

There doesn't seem to be an entry for 'Peep Show'! How else can we celebrate the men with ven? Can we do it here?

'Obey my commands, Orac!!'

I gave out a little cheer at that line.