Format

BBC Studios today announced that it has licensed Spirit Studios’ live comedy format The Stand Up Sketch Show to SVT, Sweden’s public television broadcaster.

The seven part series takes the funniest routines from award-wining local comedians and emerging talent such as Jesper Ronndahl, Petra Solange and Evelyn Mok, and brings them to life in side-splitting sketch form. The series is produced for SVT by Jarowskij (part of the Banijay group) and airs on SVT. The premiere episode saw an impressive increase in SVT’s 15-44 audience share by 60% in its timeslot and saw a 75% audience growth across catch up and on-demand viewing.

The Stand Up Sketch Show begins with each act telling their story in front of a live audience. As they continue their narration on stage, a surreal short-film reconstruction brings it to life. The comedians play the roles they were born to play – themselves. And as their voiceover describes the action, dialogue in the routines is lip-synced by the sketch performers. This is stand-up. But not as you know it. Winner of Best Comedy in the International Format Awards 2020, The Stand Up Sketch Show is created and produced by Spirit Studios. A third series will air in the UK for ITV2 from the 8th of February.

Jan Salling, Head of BBC Studios Nordics Formats and Production said “The best formats are the simple ones. With The Stand Up Sketch Show audiences can enjoy the best of comedy from talented comedians in a way that’s never been seen on television before. It has been fantastic to see Jarowskij make such an impressive version of the format under some really tough Covid restrictions and I am thrilled to see the success it is now having.”

Matt Campion, Founder and Creative Director of Spirit Studios said: “After winning Best Comedy at The International Format Awards and getting an increased order for its third series in the UK from ITV, I’m thrilled to see SUSS come to life in Sweden and to perform so well in a primetime slot. It’s a testament to the format’s simplicity and modern twist on stand up and sketch that makes the show so universal.”