Mitchell and Webb - A Bigger Spoon

[@GrandSupremeDaddyo]

This is like one of those dreams where your legs stop working.

[@hackedagain3421]

😂😂😂

[@rewrose2838]

accurate

[@At0mFruit]

its nothing like that

[@peterhall4216]

@dylan murphy I don't think he understands what we mean

[@Elbownian]

I have these on the reg. My legs tangle when I try to walk. Or run. It's annoying. But this is nothing like that.

[@TallSilentGuy]

The absence of a laugh track suits this sketch perfectly.

[@thexbigxgreen]

I was just about to say the same thing, a laugh track would have ruined the offbeat humour

[@joshuanorthey2026]

Honestly laugh tracks are always bad in this era. If something isn’t funny enough for no laugh track it’s not funny enough to bother watching.

[@rvkice23]

Unless the show is designed to incorporate them, laugh tracks are just lame

[@Ron-Ayres]

BBC sketch shows do not use laughter tracks; they're shown to a live studio audience and any laughter we hear is genuine.

[@MatthewPhilip-d6z]

It's so bad a laughter track would be beyond incongruous.

[@dinsy512]

"Sorry, I'm explaining this very badly.", exquisite!

[@jaycho7198]

The level of ettiquette is through the roof! Such a supportive and understanding boss with so much patience!

[@Unga_Bunga]

@@jaycho7198 I don't think patience has a big play here. As he demonstrated by the drawing at the end, he also can't quite grasp the complex concept of a "bigger spoon". So the boss himself isn't probably feeling like the worker is doing a subpar job or that he is taking too long. This is, after all, quite a complicated project they got themselves into.

[@TheBeaker59]

I've been in design meetings just like that. In fact exactly like that. Well bigger really.

[@PoeLemic]

Sad to say, but yeah, I'm in IT and this stuff happens all the freaking time.

[@scarletpeoni9347]

John Edwards we want examplessssssss

[@owendavies3786]

What bigger

[@Kalenz1234]

Yeah.. you really lost me at the end there. Could you explain it better?

[@owendavies3786]

Just think of a design meeting, then think of one thats, well, bigger

[@GenericInternetter]

His first attempt to draw a bigger soon is masterful. He manages to draw a near-perfect replica of the previous one.

[@Auzzie015]

I want to work in a place like that. Supportive boss who genuinely appreciates your work, doesn’t blame you when you make a mistake and tries to help you when you do.

[@formalsquid]

and you want to work for someone that makes completely unreasonable demands? a bigger spoon? you've got to be kidding me ffs

[@AndyFisherMusic]

How would you even make a bigger spoon? A third one? It's a joke. Totally unreasonable boss.

[@dwarfoscar]

and is as dumb as you

[@DM-mb3wm]

A bigger spoon? Right... No.

[@loodlebop]

@@dwarfoscar they're supposed to be dumber, otherwise you wouldn't have the job

[@dkennell998]

I saw this sketch years ago and didn't think much of it tbh. And yet, years later, when my boss is trying to explain something at my web job to me that he finds simple and I don't understand, I just keep flashing back to "like this one, only.... you know, bigger." I get this sketch now.

[@WilliamSmith-mx6ze]

You do realise it's not David Mitchell's character who is unreasonable here?

[@justin_5631]

@@WilliamSmith-mx6ze It's not that simple. They went from a sketch about a dense guy who doesn't understand a simple concept and flipped it into an even better joke about design. A lot of times clients think they know what they want and try to explain it but it turns out they don't have a clear idea of what they want. Or something seems really simple but it turns out is really difficult to get right.

[@Aquascape_Dreaming]

​@@justin_5631 I think the point is that they're both idiots, James Webb's Scott character being slightly more so 😂

[@justin_5631]

​@@Aquascape_Dreaming No, that's not the joke.

[@Aquascape_Dreaming]

​@@justin_5631yes it is. it's a layered joke. Scott's inability to understand a simple concept such as a larger spoon, and the boss's incompetence in illustrating the same simple concept. It's a joke about a breakdown in communication.

[@thenaylor]

It's oddly relaxing to watch this scene.

[@leeroyjenkins5754]

I’m glad someone else thinks so 😂 thought I was losing it

[@abberss]

These two are super chill and calm in this

[@willmcpherson2]

The early Mitchell & Webb skits are comfy

[@bubbles8871]

It's because of how calm and supportive the boss is.

[@leeballington3136]

It has ASMR feels to it. That's why it feel comfy and relaxing to watch.

[@Wulfrune]

Those spoons are from the IKEA Manhattan Brushed 16 piece cutlery set circa 2002. And I should REALLY go out more.

[@joshsterckx]

Make sure if you do go out its to somewhere other than ikea ;)

[@Wulfrune]

You would have no Ikea :)

[@logdog6762]

Class A dad, joke. Respect.

[@8DX]

There's an IDEA furniture chain as well..

[@chris10240]

Wulfrune X

[@fahadus]

Those who don't get the joke, if you have any friends who do freelance development or any sort of creative/artistic work. Go to a meeting with them. This is exactly how all communication is done. The artist keeps saying "I see what you mean" when he doesn't. The client doesn't know how to ask for what he's envisioned and keeps trying to explain in the same words without any additional useful information.

[@capitalb5889]

It's not just freelance work, but all across the corporate world. Such as the conversation that follows the emailing of 'Client presentation DRAFT V14.ppt'

[@PK-lz4ho]

He did say at the beginning though, a bigger spoon for serving vegetables and such.

[@adeyoliver1680]

@@capitalb5889 You made me LOL with the V14.ppt as I've been there WAY more times than I wish to remember... Very recently I managed to have a Client send me a photo of a Final and professionally printed piece ( a certificate ) I had completed ages ago ( I had moved to a different country and did not get to see the end result), I wanted feedback on the quality and whether or not the Client was happy..... Well I got a blurry photo via WhatsApp and realised they had printed out the tiny maquette I sent in a PowerPoint....... When I asked why they used that rather than the professionally formatted much MUCH better version, they said they liked the fake wooden background I'd used to make the certificate stand out AND were more than happy with the result too.....!

[@capitalb5889]

@@adeyoliver1680 - that's hilarious. You wonder why you bother sometimes.

[@adeyoliver1680]

@@capitalb5889 Haha, my sentiments exactly!

[@coneyisland428]

"In a world, where no one can imagine what a 3rd, slightly bigger spoon, would look like."

[@gideonros2705]

😂🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@trisblackshaw1640]

These are the adventures of Digby Chicken Caesar!

[@amendolaraholisticpiano4388]

The whole thing is extremely funny, and even when watching it for the 20th time! At the end, when he says 'it's tricky, isn't it?', is one of my favorite parts. I also loved when he couldn't draw the bigger spoon.

[@HolandaChiquita]

For some reason this still is one of my absolute favorite things they ever made together. It's so simple and almost boring, but I love it every time I watch it!

[@dinsy512]

Almost boring, but so not.

[@Decawink27]

I work in software development. I get told that a bigger spoon is needed while having no knowledge the dinner collection exists, then find out that another team already built a bigger spoon, and in the end the client decides to use a smaller fork instead.

[@Ron-Ayres]

Bahahaha! [sorry]

[@AlecDyer]

That ending was perfect.

[@sycamour5654]

Alejandro D Tricky isn't it?

[@BenGras]

Can’t stop laughing

[@Rushmore222]

I'm telling you, get the exact dimensions of the request and have it signed off by the entire design committee. That way, you only have to do it five or six times.

[@rewrose2838]

😂 still too many times

[@SportyMabamba]

Too true!

[@tomgilesmarvoloryley]

Number of times = point at which you contemplate murder or suicide + 1

[@jasonsiegel7039]

😂

[@Paul-A01]

What if we made the spoon bigger? I mean not bigger, but like that. Does that make sense? Well, not sense, but yea?"

[@StandardGoose]

TGGeko We'd like the spoon to use The Cloud.

[@connor5160]

TGGeko Obviously not that. But yeah that would be good.

[@willmcpherson2]

I mean NOT that. Don't do that. But, that. Yeah?

[@dimturkin5954]

swell guy Well not a spoon, but a fork, or a knife, or a policeman. Well not them, none of them, but, yeah?

[@marcelldavis4809]

This sketch perfectly summarises my entire professional life.

[@niksatt4843]

I would lose my mind lol.

[@wx7fm]

I just realized whats always tingled my brain whenever I would watch thus sketch. This is exactly the same sketch as "The Expert," but from the perspective of the client! Watching them back to back is great

[@peterjoyfilms]

This is what teaching primary school children is like

[@sidarthur8706]

i hope you've gotten better by now

[@nobodyuknow2490]

This is what teaching college students is like...

[@CosmicTeapot]

To be fair, I'm sure it's what teaching anything to anyone sort of feels like when you easily understand what you're teaching and the student doesn't get it.

[@May-or-May-not]

As a primary school special ed teacher this is also how it feels explaining to other teachers how to handle neurodivergent kids when they're in class. It just does not sink in.

[@JenifAR87]

is it?

[@motog4221]

This absolutely encapsulates what it feels like to teach design to students

[@chriscolabella880]

I've sat through this meeting too many times for this to be funny.

[@willisan]

The end so brings this sketch all together. Love these two

[@flyforce16]

"Ah, the new spoon! Great!" "THAT'S more what you meant, isn't it?" (holds up tiny-ass spoon) "Yea-uh... oh." lol

[@GlassyDusty]

I love the gentle and patient manner of the comissioner, it's so well observed and really complements the silliness of the sketch.

[@commanderwyro4204]

he was going for simplicity while also going for flair... absolutely love it

[@Oafing]

Fricken love this one, not laugh out loud but I chuckled away. Everyone thinks they know what someone should do until they try to do it on their own!

[@WHITE888-]

Such a simple idea but clever in its execution.

[@SacredDaturaa]

I feel like this describes a lot of Mitchell and Webb sketches.

[@BikesAndBatallas]

It's so good that it's painful to watch.

[@ilanelovitz8988]

This is probably their best "look" sketch. It's so simple, but so ridiculous.

[@rayaqin]

@9teen8efore am I wooshed here? their show is the mitchell and webb look, which is why this is a look

[@rayaqin]

@9teen8efore oh, my bad then, didnt know about that

[@zelnidav]

They were going for both simplicity and flair...

[@Smash_252]

But this isn't Look it's Situation

[@weswheel4834]

@@zelnidav Well that certainly came across.

[@Aquascape_Dreaming]

This was like pulling teeth, but finding pulling teeth uproariously hilarious at the same time 😂😆 How many times I said 'this is so stupid!' but splitting my sides with laughter at the same time, I have no idea 😂

[@15peanutbuttercups]

This sketch is perfect.

[@FurEngel]

Its sketches like this that show how Mitchell and Webb were geniuses ahead of their time.

[@Aquascape_Dreaming]

I don't know about being ahead of their time, but they are definitely comedic geniuses. A bit of Fry and Laurie kinda helped pave the way for them. I would say a bit of Fry and Laurie was ahead of it's time in many regards.

[@AmericanMysticDegenerate]

The end killed me. "Tricky isn't it?"

[@Kenazzle]

Should be renamed "UK Parliament addressing voter concerns"

[@meapantz1983]

Yes!

[@nathangamble125]

@Brain Davison Because they can't understand simple concepts which people ask for.

[@TheBloodsuger150]

@@nathangamble125 "simple"

[@allyw7405]

That would imply they care

[@sean..L]

You see what they need is a comically large spoon.

[@tunadoomshitpost]

Only a spoonful?

[@grendelum]

Reminds me of the Simpsons sketch when Homer arrives at the chili cook-off with his own spoon and someone says “they say he carved it from a slightly bigger spoon” 🤣😂

[@capitalb5889]

I was expecting him to create the bigger spoon, just with a massive arm and a tiny head. He didn't need to - the sketch was perfect as it was.

[@4ur3n]

that is how business management works these days

[@daemonL]

This video is exactly what I feel like when explaining English words/grammar to English language learners. I can't explain, they can't understand and everything goes pear shaped!

[@frederickbottcher8019]

This is every meeting ever where supvervisors have no idea on the subject.

[@childofthesun32]

David's character under the mistaken impression that Robert's character is a moron. When the truth is Robert just bought a pack of spoons from the shop and doesn't actuallyeven know how to make spoons and he's just trying figure out a way of selling the fact that he only has two spoon sizes available.

[@simonblake1434]

This is the spoon version of Fathers Ted and Dougal talking about the sizes of cows - brilliant !

[@civpala]

I stumbled upon these guys about a week ago and checked out about 40+ of their sketches right away here on youtube (I am from Central-Europe, we don't have them on TV). This is probably the one I like the most: its almost metaphysical and transcendental. Hahaha, this is what human life is like, by the end I am almost scared. :-))) In any petty daily situation you would think is so easy and absolutely in your hand, and then you suddenly stare into something way beyond human comprehension... Hahaha, the bigger spoon as the devil laughing at you, its tricky isn't it... :-D

[@MrSpicyTits]

What have you been smoking!?

[@AwesomePhantomPig]

+Gábor Palásti Shoo! Get back in your cage!

[@businessbusiness9407]

Gábor Palásti Its great isnt it? One of their best acted sketches too. Thats a great character for David Mitchel

[@8DX]

Wow a racist and sexist immigrant joke. Congratulations on being so edgy. And nah, we have plenty of comedy in Central Europe, but you wouldn't get it because its the intellectual, philosophical kind.

[@ST1212100]

omfg Gabor high five we Hungarians will always be looked down on i wonder why.....

[@kekka88]

You'll only get this if you ever had meetings with professors in which they ask for features they don't even know how to explain.

[@lovelyxskinny]

Or a boss who tells you to do something when they can't even do it themselves

[@quineloe]

And if you didn't, this really seems weird and not funny at all

[@8DX]

Professors? What? Clients who want a feature.. but don't care about how it works.. only that it does.. what they want it to do? And they're not sure about that, just that it has to be *better* than what they've got.

[@userPrehistoricman]

There is an excellent web site for this. It's called clients from hell.

[@Septimus_ii]

I just got trapped on that site for hours :D

[@Ron-Ayres]

I'm trying to imagine selling this sketch on paper to a BBC commissioning producer.

[@L_Martin]

It feels very much like "conceived in the waiting room before the meeting with the BBC commissioning producer"

[@ss5ringo]

I can't explain it but this sketch broke me and had me in tears of laughter for a good minute. Even now I'm chuckling as I type this message.

[@miikavihersaari3104]

You've done a lovely set of tears of laughter. I was wondering if you could do more, but... bigger?

[@nicholek11]

As an artist, this sketch is my daily life. x_x

[@John_McDonnell]

+Dalton Fitzgerald You've not understood the joke.

[@chibichocofairy]

+Dalton Fitzgerald that's not what the joke is xD

[@blommen]

".... I understand what you're saying." Narrator: "He did not understand what he was saying."

[@gnarlestongnu637]

"Sorry, I'm explaining this very badly..."

[@AgiHammerthief]

„it’s tricky, isn’t it?“ 😂

[@samuelandrewclark4564]

I have no idea why I'm laughing so hard about this! it's absolute genius comedy, but i have no idea why!

[@GravitasZero]

That’s why when you don’t get something you just admit it. You “ego” would suffer the same damage either way and it saves a lot of time.

[@wyskass861]

How did I only just discover these guys a few days ago. Hilarious

[@TimBadger-w7d]

I worked with designers from a well known agency back in the 80s and this is 100% accurate.

[@Zacho789]

I would've thought he'd come back with a massive ladle or something.

[@Virolaxion]

A lesser comedy would have

[@rewrose2838]

@@Virolaxion yes exactly.

[@TheBrutalWaffle]

Back for my monthly viewing of this video

[@cassandra5322]

It's like learning proofs and logic, it's obvious and self evident but it's still confusing.

[@Scottish-Greg]

Yes, like the physics of water applied to a globe. Just doesn't work.

[@aDifferentJT]

Stationary Plane it works perfectly

[@codyheiner3636]

Was wondering how on earth they were going to end the skit. But they nailed it perfectly!

[@DominickvdHoff]

This all just builds up to him unable to draw a bigger spoon, brilliant!

[@abigailsepulveda492]

I just love this guys

[@craigspencer8219]

This is why I enjoy working/creating things alone

[@spockofdune8657]

I NEVER saw it coming ! You got me :) LOL ... I loved this !!!

[@mooshicks]

This video is a visual representation of my boss trying to give me art assignments.

[@Bearsca]

The drawing at the end is ridiculous! OMG And "Sorry, I'm explaining this very badly.". lol

[@hommhommhomm]

That's how meetings between the designer and client always go

[@nachoijp]

there is no spoon

[@gral3289]

No there is The Matrix aside there is a spoon in this case. ;)

[@noe9250]

I thought he was gonna come back in a third time with a fork

[@blazednlovinit]

***** LOL, this was nice icing on the cake after that sketch

[@kylenetherwood8734]

+FirenX951 Yet he doesn't know what bigger means

[@blazednlovinit]

Kyle Netherwood Some people wouldn't know wit if it came up and punched them in the face

[@InformationIsTheEdge]

+The Guy Your line about the fork made me roar with laughter! I could absolutely imagine that. Thank you for that.

[@DyllonSlaboda]

+InformationIsTheEdge I'm guessing you've not experienced much comedy before today

[@businessbusiness9407]

I keep coming back to this one. Imho it's Mitchell's best acting.

[@danmaftei7633]

That got pretty surreal at the end there, trippy.

[@0That_Guy0]

Simple comedy like this is simply brilliant!

[@darnell2000]

I have this same problem. I design things and sketch them out. Then I realise I needed it bigger to put in more detail, so I get a new page and draw it exactly the same! And this happens to me over and over! So funny!

[@MrSqurk]

This would be funny but I have sat through weeks of meetings like this

[@markseb2003]

That's why you need to be more specific in your instructions and give measurements.

[@MarketResearchReading114]

its a metaphor like wot, they do n' such to make ways between ideas an concepts an such to other thoughts and ideas in a sort of well, proportional like relationship. Its a bridge between concepts too foreign and complex to be compressed, but totally compressed in this form, in something like wot you'd call a representative conception of wot it must be like.

[@defaultuser00000]

wot wot

[@MazLad]

I always read this sketch differently to the comments here. Like it was mocking cutlery sets for not having a bigger spoon for serving, meaning your serving spoons were always different to a main cutlery set and that it was pretty unnecessary if they just included them by default.

[@EricScoles]

I have had this conversation with designers more times than I care to remember.

[@NoahSpurrier]

This would be funny if I hadn’t sat through so many meetings like this.

[@fairsaa7975]

I like how patient Mitchell's character is.

[@EvevanKaat]

I kept waiting for someone to show up with a comically large spoon.

[@stephaniecarrow4898]

The comments are as funny as the sketch ~ sometimes even moreso. Love when a video inspires more comedy and riffing. ☺

[@NeoN-PeoN]

Tell me how at 2:42 Mitchell manages to photocopy the drawn spoon just to his left. He couldn't do that shit again with 100 tries. I bet after they cut they all flipped their shit.

[@pjay3028]

I suspect this has just been precisely replicated in a lot of Track and Trace app development meetings over the last few months.....

[@Fakechilada]

I legit had this experience recently when I was comissioning some artwork. Wasn't even 'like' like this. It was exactly this. I just wanted the thing bigger! 😂

[@jeffitii]

This feels like how i take my architecture studios. EVERY TIME

[@Damontable]

This is how many design team meetings go. The frustration.

[@Mumbolian]

That's actually quite clever. I did maths at uni and I felt this way every time I spoke to a lecturer haha.

[@wimwiddershins]

...reminds me of nearly every design pitch I've ever been present in.

[@invisibules]

Absolute genius here. I laughed out loud.

[@PMX]

So many actual meetings that go like that 😖

[@Debtwarrior]

This illustrates perfectly why i end up doing so many 'delegated tasks' myself.. after spending three or four hours trying to get someone to do a three minute job. its like working in a local council.

[@nicolasbertin8552]

I've been to meetings like that, mainly in Australia when I was working there... In France, it's straight to the point, and saying "what ? Be more precise I don't get it" or "no that's not what I want" is perfectly fine. But in the Uk, Australia, and to a certain extent the US, the phrase "sorry, I'm explaining this very badly" illustrates this perfectly. They don't tell you when it's wrong, and you don't tell them when you don't understand. So in the end, nothing gets done, or very poorly. Also, they're good at saying "ok so we're all clear, yeah ?" and cutting the meeting short, not letting you answer. So the boss leaves, the employees then look at each other, and say "oh I haven't got a clue, mate". To be fair, in France they "seem" clear one day. But then the next day will say "oh I changed my mind let's try this" which isn't really better :D

[@shelbyvillerules9962]

“We hate to be rude, but we're French” - _Ratatouille_

[@hyun1141]

It's so absurd because it's a one on one conversation about such a simple concept but we do experience things like this every day

[@peepiepo]

This is my favourite sketch

[@MrJacobBartlett]

Didn't notice any of the cuts you mentioned. It's well edited, and a great sketch. Be proud :)

[@dandominare]

I have definitely had conversations like this at work.

[@smellyuglydork]

it's one of their older shows, they were still relatively unknown at the time I think. Somebody just thought it would be better without, but whatever it was, it was a great decision. Their humour doesn't need canned laughter, it's histerical on it's own.

[@ekuliyo]

Anyone who's been in a design meeting will love this sketch. Anyone who hasn't probably won't get it.

[@suzystar3]

...yeah I don't. Could you enlighten me?

[@boysha1868]

suzystar3 It's like being on a meeting that's bigger.

[@suzystar3]

***** Okay, I get that... But I don't see how that relates to the sketch... Thanks anyway :P

[@ekuliyo]

Design meetings always have a problem where the client has trouble communicating their vision to the designer. Generally the problem is the client has a very clear picture in their head of what they want, but can only describe it in vague language (trendy, youthful, grand) resulting in a lot of frustrating reworks. The joke here is that it's a very clear request being made but the designer still doesn't understand.

[@suzystar3]

Luke XD That makes sense. Thanks.

[@MoreGore]

There is a reason why this sketch does not have a laughter track.

[@bambi3845]

You mean because it is aimed at audiences who are intellectually competent enough to know when a joke has been made without the sound of a group of invisible people laughing and applauding every time someone so much as blinks? Basically, laughter tracks are implemented so that idiots know when they should laugh at something that they don't actually understand so as to appear to be capable of comprehending simplistic things when they are with company, but without inciting them to feel so utterly degraded and patronised as with the alternative method of having Barney the Dinosaur to hold their hand and walk them through it slowly, step by step. Seeing as this is not aimed at an audience of idiots and children it consequentially does not need a laughter track. That's what you meant, right?

[@HyperHardHead]

Holy Rhino Yeah, he sort of meant that. Well, he really just wanted a laughter track.... but bigger.

[@Mumfin]

Holy Rhino That's not really true though. It's supposed to give a certain atmosphere. The dialogue seems more witty when people are laughing.

[@krashd]

Mumfin So, more like the first one then? Not the bigger one?

[@krashd]

The joke is how a designer can tell an engineer what he wants, but can never seem to show them :/ You don't admit it when something flies over your head in real life - you just laugh or smile and carry on, so why people feel the need to "inform" others on the internet that they don't get what everyone else is laughing at is a complete mystery to me. I have no concept of gravity, but I don't pick up a fallen apple and show it off wildly to the people around me with childish glee...

[@markedgecliff7412]

God damn, just watching people make an absolute meal of something is the funniest shit

[@programmerqdev]

I just punched my laptop out of pure rage and frustration that a client can't explain properly or give constructive feedback. **AARRRGGHHHH***

[@fahadus]

@Noþhelm Blodcyning:"It's tricky, isn't it?"

[@me4901]

David Mitchell's hairdo is spectacular here.

[@me4901]

It's 2021 and I scrolled down to comment how awesomely fitting David Mitchell's hair is for this sketch and found I had already done that four years ago.

[@raresaturn]

they've reached Maximum Spoon