Sketch Comedy

Authors Keegan-Michael Key and Elle Key build on the popularity of their 2022 Webby Award-winning podcast and delve deeper into the world of sketch, helped along with new essays created expressly for the book by comedy greats.

Boy (Tim Heidecker) is a dog who is tired of being held back by humans. When he wakes one morning to find his owner dead, he assumes there’s no one left to stop him from achieving his goal of being a wild and majestic wolf. Unfortunately, he’s about to meet Rebecca (Patti Harrison), a lifelong slacker who is out to prove to her roommates (Poppy Liu and Danny Pudi) that she’s not a total loser by getting a job as a dog walker for a start-up called Bow-Now.

One of Canada's most cherished writers, British-born Stephen Leacock was probably best known and loved for his works of light humor. First published in 1912, Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town is one of his most popular and enduring pieces of fiction. This collection of short stories describes the people that comprise a typical but fictional small town in Ontario - Mariposa. The book's appeal lies in the universality of the characters Leacock describes so eloquently, they live out their 'large' lives in the little town.

In The Sketch-Book of Geoffrey Crayon (1820-21), Irving explores the uneasy relationship of an American writer to English literary traditions. In two sketches, he experiments with tales transplanted from Europe, thereby creating the first classic American short stories: "Rip Van Winkle" and "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow".

The complete ninth series of BBC Radio 4's award-winning sketch show 'One of our best sketch writers' Observer John Finnemore returns with his multi-award-winning sketch show, but this series is very different to the previous eight. There are still sketches and songs, and it's still written and...

John Finnemore presents the eighth series of his multi-award-winning Souvenir Programme ‘The best sketch show in years, on television or radio’ Radio Times John Finnemore, creator and star of Cabin Pressure and John Finnemore’s Double Acts, is back with Series 8 of his highly acclaimed...

A 2020 Audie Award Finalist From nationally bestselling author, YouTube star, and Facebook Video sensation Laura Clery comes a collection of comedic essays that paint “an honest, complicated portrait of how your life can change” (SheKnows). Laura Clery makes a living by sharing inappropriate...

The Kids in the Hall: One Dumb Guy spans the entirety of the Kids' storied career, from their early club shows in Toronto to their recent live reunion tours across North America-and everything in between. Along for the ride are a plethora of fans, peers, and luminaries to celebrate the career and legacy of Canada's most subversively hilarious comedy troupe. You'll hear tributes from Seth Meyers, Judd Apatow, Garry Shandling, Paul Feig, Mike Myers, David Cross, Michael Ian Black, Brent Butt, Jonah Ray, Dana Gould, Bob Odenkirk, Andy Richter, and Baroness Von Sketch.

Forbidden love is an art all its own London, 1886 Barkeep Warren Bakshi is happy with the secrets that he keeps—those of the patrons he serves at underground queer club The Curious Fox, and his own. But when Warren’s long-lost brother returns, bringing unexpected wealth to the Bakshi family...

NATIONAL BESTSELLER | A GLOBE AND MAIL 2023 BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR “Every sentence of Monica Heisey’s writing is a treat. No one makes me laugh like she does.” —Dolly Alderton, New York Times bestselling author of Good Material An unabashedly honest and hilarious portrait of a life gone...

A step-by-step practical guide to all types of comedy writing, filled with invaluable advice, exercises, interviews, tools, and jokes that will turn anyone into a funnier writer and person, from authors/editors/teachers/perfect 10s Elissa Bassist and Caitlin Kunkel. INSIDE JOKES is a masterclass...

As part of the legendary comedy team known as Nichols and May, May revolutionized sketch comedy before striking out on her own to make history as the third woman to be admitted into the Directors Guild of America when she wrote, directed, and starred in 1971s A New Leaf. Throughout the 1970s and...

“Genius . . . [This] is Bolaño playing with sharp, twisting knives.” —Stacey D’Erasmo, The New York Times Book Review “Imaginative, full of a love for literature, and . . . exceptionally entertaining.” —Michael Dirda, The Washington Post Nazi Literature in the Americas is Roberto...

Read by David Mitchell and Robert Webb the comedy duo tackle various subject matters in a 'How to Cope with…' guide addressing various scenarios, and everyday situations. David Mitchell and Robert Webb tackle various subject matters in a 'How to Cope with…' guide talking you through every...

Inspired by the real psychology study popularized by the New York Times and its "Modern Love" column, this contemporary YA is perfect for fans of Eleanor and Park. Two random strangers. Two secrets. Thirty-six questions to make them fall in love. Hildy and Paul each have their own reasons for...

Kenneth Williams, Hugh Paddick, and Joan Sims go beyond Round the Horne in this fabulous vintage comedy show A sparkling sequel to the legendary Round the Horne, Stop Messing About! continued the comedy tradition, reuniting Kenneth Williams with both his former foil Hugh Paddick and his Carry On...

From nationally bestselling author, YouTube star, and Facebook Video sensation Laura Clery comes a collection of comedic essays that paint “an honest, complicated portrait of how your life can change” (SheKnows). Laura Clery makes a living by sharing inappropriate comedy sketches with...

As a starting point in making the world a better place, Mark will free you from sin. It's a big task, but he thinks it's going to go really well. Mark Watson is not only a fantastic stand-up comedian, but he may also be the best chance we have to overcome sin. He's got a plan to teach us...

All three series of Phil Hammond and Tony Gardner's award-winning comedy show exploding the myths of medicine 'Very funny indeed' Daily Telegraph Broadcaster Dr Phil Hammond and actor Tony Gardner are best known for their respective roles in Trust Me, I'm a Doctor and Fresh Meat. But in the...

Pitch, Sketch, Launch extracts the techniques used to create today’s most beloved comedy shows and applies them to revitalizing software development. It shines a spotlight on the sketch comedy world’s ethos of feedback-driven product deliveries and its playful search for original solutions. Insightful interviews, best practices, and case studies demonstrate how creating comedy applies to designing top-tier software.