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It's Online and It's Free, So Why Aren't You Watching 'Smack the Pony'?

by | March 13th, 2013

If you read Splitsider, you’ve probably got one or two favorite British comedy series that you’ve watched through and through, that you’re always eager to push on someone who hasn’t seen them. Mine is one that doesn’t come up often enough with comedy nerds, at least in my experience: It’s Smack the Pony, the female-led sketch series that ran on Channel 4 from 1999 to 2003. Popular during its run in England, Smack the Pony drew enthusiastic reviews and a handful of awards, but it doesn’t enjoy the reputation that other solid British series do. However, the entire series run is available on Hulu — that is, regular Hulu, not just fancypants Hulu Plus — and there’s a generous smattering available on YouTube. With this post, I’m hoping I can convince a few people to blow through all 22 episodes.

Smack the Pony stars Fiona Allen (Goodness Gracious Me, Comedy Nation), Doon Mackichan (The Day Today, Brass Eye) and Sally Phillips, who’s probably the most recognizable of the three for her roles on I’m Alan Partridge and Bridget Jones’s Diary. A few other actors appear frequently, and Sarah Alexander (Green Wing, Coupling and notably, for this audience, the wife of Peter Serafinowicz) shows up often enough that she’s basically the fourth lead. Together, they perform short sketches that range in comedic focus from ladies falling down to the strange ways humans interact with each other to sight gags about unkempt, shaggy muffs. What more could you want?

Here, then, is a sample of what makes Smack the Pony great. READ MORE

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