Comedian and author Charlie Higson, known for his work on the popular ‘90s comedy series, recently announced that there is to be a new online only series of The Fast Show, in association with sponsors Foster’s Gold. Along with his co-writer Paul Whitehouse, Higson was the show’s creative hub, and the pair have reunited in order to write new material for the first time since 2000’s Last Fast Show Ever.
The premiere aired on 10th November 2011 in London, and was also attended by former Fast Show actors Arabella Weir and John Thompson.
Following on from other classic British TV comedy shows to make YouTube comebacks, such as Alan Partridge’s Mid Morning Matters and a new series of Vic & Bob, The Fast Show’s fresh incarnation will comprise ‘briefs’ designed to fit YouTube’s length limitations, tailored to an internet audience’s penchant for the hard hitting and quickly over.
Higson’s interest in the new horizons Internet based comedy can offer was evident, as he told Sky News that ‘Foster’s approached us out of the blue. We were very excited to do it online rather than as a TV thing because that is something new that we haven't done before’. (Perhaps an indication of a new trend in sketch comedy, the internet seems to be allowing for yet shorter and punchier forms; the shift also represents a move away from the BBC, traditionally the home of the programmes that have switched to online media.
As its name suggests, the show is known for the brevity of its sketches and its so-called ‘blackout’ style of humour. The name comes from the days of Vaudeville theatre, in which the performers would turn off the lights after a gag in order to emphasise or accentuate the punch line. ‘Blackout’ comedy is characterised by quick fire jokes, often slapstick or surreal in execution; a defining feature of Whitehouse and Higson’s work.
The Fast Show first ran over three series between 1994 and 1997, and its classic characters include Ron Manager, Swiss Toni and Dave Angel Eco Warrior: personalities invariably marked by distinctive catchphrases, developed just enough to allow them to deliver the now famous lines. This innovative technique has been very influential, with a direct lineage observable in the BBC’s later programmes Little Britain and The Catherine Tate Show.
It is doubtful whether this new series will have the same kind of influence. Times are changing, but at least in going online The Fast Show is making an effort to move with them.