Mitchell and Webb is C4's biggest comedy hit in seven years

1.8m viewers in the first week

Mitchell and Webb Are Not Helping has become Channel 4’s most successful scripted comedy debut in seven years.

The opening episode pulled in 1.8million viewers in its first seven days – the best opening since Derry Girls in 2018.

And it proved especially popular among 16–34s with an impressive 29 per cent share of that audience at the 10pm Friday night slot.

The show brought David Mitchell and Robert Webb back to the sketch format with a new wave of comic talent, Kiell Smith-Bynoe, Lara Ricote, Stevie Martin and Krystal Evans – plus a team of established and emerging writers.

Channel 4’s head of comedy, Charlie Perkins, said: ‘They said sketch was dead, but it’s great to see a resurrection under way with Mitchell and Webb Are Not Helping.

‘In these increasingly serious times it’s no surprise people turn to comedy for comfort and the release you can only get from watching a dog explode because it’s seen an expensive suitcase. We hope our show paves the way for more of this crucial comedic format to come.’

The six-part series is produced by That Mitchell & Webb Company with Big Talk Studios, and overseen by Bafta-winning producer Gareth Edwards.

It continues Fridays at 10pm on Channel 4, with all episodes available to stream now. A number of sketches have also been posted to YouTube, with the most popular – featuring the pair reuniting with Peep Show co-star Olivia Colman – attracting 310,000 views.