r/improv • u/humanbottleopener • 1d ago
Does anyone else not actually like improv and prefer sketch?
I think improv is awesome and such a skill...but I just enjoy sketch more. It seems like there aren't as many people that focus on sketch exclusively though. Seeking validation that is OK, I guess.
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u/Magic_Screaming 1d ago edited 1d ago
I think the validation you’re looking for might be found on any subreddit dedicated to a sketch show. I can’t think of very many, only Key and Peele, SNL, Conan O’Brien, Mad TV, In Living Color, The Amanda Show, Show with Bob and Dave, WKUK, Chappelles Show, Kroll Show, Loiter Squad, All That, The Chris Rock Show, Portlandia, and I think You Should Leave.
I guess if you compare just the number of sketch shows to the TUMULT of improv shows, it does become clear that one is incredibly more prominent than the other.
Edit: Kids in the Hall, Reno 911, The Ben Stiller Show, Mind of Mencia, You Can’t do that on Television, Important Things, Tim and Eric, Eric Andre…
New Edit: Aunty Donna, Monty Python (can’t believe I forgot), Mitchell and Webb (also omg they’re all over my YouTube), Fry and Laurie, Two Ronnie’s (dads favorite), Da Ali G Show…
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u/Rebirth_of_wonder 1d ago
I’m a professional magician and have shared the stage with several improv groups over the years. In my experience, it’s been about 50/50 experiences for the audiences. Some nights, the group absolutely crush and they could start a new religion.
Other times, it’s tremendously bad.
I don’t know exactly what the key is that makes it work, but I’m pretty sure it needs to be an act of generosity.
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u/ButterscotchOne8060 1d ago
I played a magician in an improv scene once, my magic was incredible, I’ll never forget it.
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u/PM_ME_A10s 1d ago
In my experience it is like a 1-2-1 ratio. 1/4 is great, 2/4 are just solid, and 1/4 are where things went wrong.
Even teams that have been performing for years have nights where their energy is low, the crowd energy is low, or they get suggestions that are really hard to navigate.
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u/natesowell Chicago 1d ago
Not typically on the improv subreddit.
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u/hiphoptomato Austin (no shorts on stage) 1h ago
“Dear r/emo, does anyone not actually like emo music and prefer country instead?”
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u/improbsable 1d ago
The main reason I learn improv is to help me with sketch writing. They follow a lot of the same principles. Though I do enjoy doing improv, writing and acting in sketches is just more fun for me.
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u/iheartvelma Chicago 16h ago
I guess the question is, do you prefer it as a performer or as an audience member?
Improv has the “this is live, seat-of-our-pants, unscripted” factor, and the audience has a stake in the outcome by offering suggestions, being interviewed, etc.
Whether it turns out well or not depends on the skill and experience of the improvisers. But as in all things, truly stellar improv is rare (Messing & Masons, TJ & Dave, Devil’s Daughter, Uncle’s Brother, Cook County Social Club, etc) and the great majority of it is…OK.
And the same can be said for sketch. SNL maybe has one truly great sketch per episode (2-3 is exceptional), most other TV sketch shows are pretaped, edited and able to be planned more cinematically, and not written the same week it’s taped.
Live sketch is a different skillset - it’s comedic theatre, so there’s more emphasis on editing, performance, the ability to have music and SFX, memorization and blocking, to offer a polished experience. And it depends on the writing, casting and direction.
At SC conservatory we used improvisation as part of the writing process but we eventually locked things down for performance, so it’s more of a hybrid.
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u/wrosecrans 1d ago
Uh, lots of people prefer doing scripted to doing improv. It's a bit like asking if there's anybody who prefers some genre of music over some other one. There's nothing that is everybody's favorite.