the best sketch comedy show

[NEON MERCURY]

[grand theft sparrow]

For longevity and sheer volume of laughs, SNL is untouchable.  But for quality of laughs, I would have to go with Monty Python with Kids in the Hall being a not-too-distant second.  Python rarely repeated characters and, when they did, never for very long.  Each episode played like a stream of consciousness which fit the complete insanity of the sketches better than having them exist separately.  They utilized every second of every show to the fullest.  That kind of thing just doesn't happen anymore.

And as for KITH, their brilliance is best summed up for me in a cold opening they did once:

[Dave Foley is at a table, drinking a beer. Kevin McDonald enters with his golf bag on his back. He walks by Dave.]

Dave: How's golfin' out there?

Kevin: Good.

Dave: The wind? How is it? How's the wind?

Kevin: Oh good, good. Mm, you gonna play today?

Dave: Oh God no! Hate the game. Hate the people that play it even more.

Kevin: Then why'd you ask me?

Dave: Oh, I'm just not good at small talk ya prick.

Genius.

And next time, separate The State from Stella.  As great as The State was, Stella beats it by a mile.

[RegularKarate]

I prefer watching Mr. Show (who very rarely repeated characters as well)over Python, but I have to give Python props.

I think my list goes:

Monty Python's Flying Circus  
Mr. Show  
The Kids in the Hall    
Saturday Night Live
The State/ Stella (I need to see more Stella stuff, it's great, I just haven't seen enough.. loved the State)  
The Ben Stiller Show    
The Upright Citizens Brigade (granted, I still haven't watched all of them because there is a real problem with those dvds and my player.  They might be better than Stiller)
Chapelle's Show  
SCTV      
In Living Color    
Laugh In
You Can't Do that on Television
Hee Haw
MADtv

[Ravi]

Monty Python
Kids in the Hall
Mr. Show
UCB
SNL
Chapelle's Show
In Living Color
Mad TV

Not too familiar with the others, either by not watching them or watching them a very long time ago.

[Jeremy Blackman]

Here's a short clip from Mr. Show (not at all meant to influence the results).

[Stefen]

Bob and David.

[03]

my favorite is a japanese one: vermillion pleasure night.
does anyone remember SheTV?

[classical gas]

so, was 'you can't do that on television' that show with the slime and alanis morrisette?  or some racy late night sketch show that i'm not aware of?  

oh, mr. show for me.  if nothing else but for 'coupon: the movie'

[MacGuffin]

so, was 'you can't do that on television' that show with the slime and alanis morrisette?

Yep. It was on Nickelodeon. The slime was dumped everytime someone said, "I don't know."

[classical gas]

yes!  thank you.  i knew my memory wasn't quite so bad.

[NEON MERCURY]

hahaha.. you cant do that on television.
damn , i used to watch that shit..that and double dare were my nick favorites.  as a young'n

i also remeber that they dumped water and then they would have these lame jokjes mid-show when each character would open up a locker and say a stupid joke to each other...when you are young that stuff is funny..that explains why when people were young they like to eat mud and their own feces as a kid.  its all relative.

[life_boy]

For longevity and sheer volume of laughs, SNL is untouchable.  But for quality of laughs, I would have to go with Monty Python with Kids in the Hall being a not-too-distant second.  Python rarely repeated characters and, when they did, never for very long.  Each episode played like a stream of consciousness which fit the complete insanity of the sketches better than having them exist separately.  They utilized every second of every show to the fullest.  That kind of thing just doesn't happen anymore.

I completely agree except I would give the slight favoring to Kids in the Hall only because I've seen more of them.  Not for long, however, as I have not yet had the opportunity to watch the Complete Monty Python's Flying Circus Box Set Santa left me this year.  After that, we'll see if I'm still saying the same thing.  

And I've heard Mr. Show is great but I've just never had the opporunity to see it.  Judging from the response so far, it seems to be well-liked among Xixaxers.

[cron]

does anyone has the full list of that poll about the best comedians EVER?  
i read the first 20 in the morning and i remember that peter cook was #1,  john cleese was second, woody allen third, and eddie izzard nineteenth.