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| rdfs:comment | - A premise for a TV sketch that features several sets of characters who do nothing but re-hash their one joke in different ways. A lot of comedy shows use this technique without relying entirely on it, though there are a few that do, like The Fast Show. This trope can be employed for several reasons. For example:
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| abstract | - A premise for a TV sketch that features several sets of characters who do nothing but re-hash their one joke in different ways. A lot of comedy shows use this technique without relying entirely on it, though there are a few that do, like The Fast Show. This trope can be employed for several reasons. For example:
* Reusing the same characters allows you to subvert the audience's expectations.
* It saves money. Imagine how much it would cost to get new costumes, sets and make up for every sketch. Smack the Pony made lots of these dating video sketches which need minimal sets, lighting and costumes this probably helped stretch their budget much further.
* It saves time. When you have quite a fast turnover rate, recurring characters are very useful.
* You can make very short sketches to break up the pace of the show. The Jesse's Diets bits on The Fast Show were less than a minute long; they could get away with it because the viewer knows the character and knows the format.
* It can be good for the show's status. Catch phrases and characters such as "yeah but no but" and "scorchio!" can become institutions. They can grate and become annoying, but there's two sides to every coin.
* You can have a narrative within a Sketch Comedy, as in The League of Gentlemen. Examples of Recurring Joke Joke include:
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