There are no limits to what you can create in the world of sketch comedy. Here are a few selections

Sketch Comedy Varieties

By Samuel Van Wyk

Upcoming Sketch online class with Sam starts October 3. Click here for more info.

Political Sketches

These sketches shine a humorous light on the politics/politicians of the day. This has become the bread and butter for late night shows and SNL. They can be very effective, but also have a short shelf life as most political news moves quickly.

Example: SNL- Sarah Palin and Hillary Clinton 

Genre Parody

These sketches poke fun at the tropes of specific genres either by applying them to normal situations or heightening them to the level of absurdity. One example is the Scary Movie franchise which parodies Teen Scary movies. 

Example: College Humor: Who Got Me Sick

Commercial Parodies

These sketches parody commercials. It may parody a specific commercial or brand marketing strategy. 

Example: SNL -Kotex Classics 

Musical Parody

Changing the lyrics to an existing song to make it about something else. 

Example: Inside Amy Schumer- Girl, You Don’t Need Makeup 

Fish out of Water

A character is completely out of their element. The fun of the sketch is watching how they react to the new environment.

Example: Substitute Teacher: Key & Peele

Clash of Context

The set up of the scene makes it seem like things will go one way, but then it ends up going very differently. 

Example: Audition Mr. Show

Inappropriate Response

A character does not react like we expect them to. Instead they respond based on their particular perspective or idiosyncrasies. 

Example: Debbie Downer

Satire

One of the earliest forms of comedy. It holds a mirror up to society, often ridiculing a popular convention or idea. 

Example: Be Blacker- UCB 

Simple but Impossible Task

A character attempts to do something that seems simple, but proves to be impossible. The obstacles start small and quickly grow absurd.

Example: Monty Python- Accident Prone Man*

Blackout Sketch

A short sketch. Usually just a setup and a joke followed by a blackout. Usually used as a pallet cleanser in a sketch show.

Example: UCB- Wizard

Rolling Stones Top 40 TV Sketch Comedy Shows

 Samuel Van Wyk

MC, Teacher, Corporate Event Specialist. Member of EIGHT IS NEVER ENOUGH since 2017.Sam is a versatile actor based in New York City. He has a Bachelor’s Degree in Theatre from Northwestern College in Orange City, Iowa. Since moving to New York, he trained with the famous Upward Citizen’s Brigade Theatre where he completed their full curriculum in improvisation and sketch writing. With this training he has worked professionally as an improvisor in short form, long form, and interactive theatre. He has also lead hundreds of classes and workshops from kindergartners to senior executives. Additional credits include regional theater, commercials, and indy films.