That Mitchell and Webb Look - Gentlemen

£2.70 for some lager, a paper, milk and a newspaper? I miss the 2000s.

I worked in a petrol station in the UK for a few weeks when I was about 18. There were two customers who did exactly this little charade, every day. One was an older gent who arrived exactly at the time we were allowed to start selling alcohol, every day. His whole thing was that he'd buy a half of cheap whiskey 'because buying a full liter would be mad, wouldn't it?' He'd be back for another half around midday, though. The other customer was even sadder as I'd been to high school with her daughter. She'd always come in and be really friendly, and walk around the store talking about what she was buying ('Oh yes I'd better buy some bananas, too!') Then once she was at thr checkout and I'd starting scanning her items, she'd 'suddenly remember' that she was 'having a party' and she needed two huge bottles of rotgut cider. Basically, this sketch absolutely nailed it.

That checking unsure glance at 2:08 where the character momentarily drops the facade and feels the shame is kinda brilliant acting Mr Mitchell.

Sadly, after working in a Wine store for several years, I can confirm that people like this do in fact exist. Same innocent act every day, but get the same bottle of rotgut every day.

Alcoholic here, three years sober now. Yes, I used to walk around the shop trying to calculate the highest concentration of alcohol per volume for the lowest cost. This is one of the most highly relatable videos I've seen.

I love how Hugh is constantly looking up at the cashier for any look of disapproval before immediately seeing it and then looking away. Not actually being deterred by his disapproval, just slightly ashamed. But then he realises that all of that shame will be gone in a few minutes by the end of the second can.

"Just in case one doesn't rid me of my perishing thirst..."

I love the costume design of David's character. The way he's wearing a suit but the scuffiness of it, the tie that's too small, the hair, the way he doesn't look like he's washed in a couple of weeks... Looks very much like a man who's trying to put on a charade of being an upstanding member of society but you can see how he's unravelling underneath.

David Mitchell’s acting in this one is spot on.

I know it's hammed up, but the acting here is really good - the little guilty glances that Mitchell gives - almost grateful to Webb for humouring his story and carrying on the pretence. Bravo.

This actually made me kind of sad.

This scene plays out in our village shop, almost word for word, every day. The customer is an ex school teacher who wears tweed, speaks very well and is highly intelligent but, sadly, has long been in the grip of alcoholism. He is what is euphimistically known as the village character.

I love how Hugh passes off his day drinking as "the contintental way."

having owned a small convenience store, this wasn't a comedy sketch, this was a documentary.

The most overlooked part of this sketch is when Hugh finally breaks out his charade right at the end with a nonchalant 'See you tomorrow John."

What really hits home for me is that, when I drank, I'd have a similar inner monologue to Hugh's excuses and explanations to the shopkeeper. "It's the continental way", etc. Paper thin excuses to sustain a horrendous and punishing lifestyle. I'm fit and healthy now so I pity this old caricature of myself.

To me, this is their best sketch - mainly because it's hardly a humourous piece, but a sad and depressing look into an alcoholic's mind. My mum was an alcoholic (in the end it killed her) and this is easily something I could see her do - put up a facade and make a grand charade whenever confronted with her issue. My oldest brother visited her a short time before she died in 1998. He said there were bottles EVERYWHERE in her flat. But she denied it all like "oh that's not mine, a friend will pick it up later" and such. Obvious to everyone she was lying, but I guess in her mind (and people with similar diseases) she thinks "If I just play along a little more, maybe they'll believe me (or leave me alone)". Mitchell's look at 2:07 as he grabs the second beer speaks for itself. As much as he tries to hide it, he's deeply ashamed of himself and he fears the judgemental look of the shop owner. Fantastic acting!

Maybe I’ll get TWO cans of this lager beer “THAT YOU RECOMMEND”. Lol, the shopkeeper never recommended anything.

This has to be one of the darkest sketches. The canned laughter adds to that darkness. Grim.

I work in a small general store and I've had almost exact conversation with various similar characters multiple times, as I sell them the alcohol which is quite obviously destroying them. I feel like an accessory to slow murder.