How has The Fast Show maintained its popularity over three decades?

The Fast Show has been kept alive through social media, with GIFs and memes circulating its characters and catchphrases.

What is the current status of The Fast Show's live performances?

A stage show called "An Evening With The Fast Show" began touring in 2024, reviving numerous characters.

Does the current Fast Show tour include any tributes?

Yes, the tour includes a montage celebrating the work of Caroline Aherne, who passed away in 2016.

Home / Arts and Entertainment / Fast Show: 3 Decades Later, Social Media Keeps Cult Comedy Alive

Fast Show: 3 Decades Later, Social Media Keeps Cult Comedy Alive

24 Jan

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Summary

Cult comedy The Fast Show, created by Higson and Whitehouse, thrives via social media.
A live stage show, featuring 70 revived characters, tours since 2024.
The show honors the late Caroline Aherne with a montage of her sketches.

Fast Show: 3 Decades Later, Social Media Keeps Cult Comedy Alive

More than three decades after its inception, the cult sketch comedy "The Fast Show," created by Charlie Higson and Paul Whitehouse, continues to resonate with audiences. The show's innovative format of rapid-fire, short sketches, which aired until 2000, has found a new life on social media platforms, with GIFs and memes keeping its characters and catchphrases in the cultural consciousness.

Higson and Whitehouse, friends since 1977, developed "The Fast Show" by refining their learnings from classic sketch shows. The series, known for its prolific character creation, squeezed an average of 27 sketches into each 30-minute episode, a significantly faster pace than its contemporaries. This approach was influenced by the fast-paced visuals of MTV pop videos.