Smack the Pony

I will say that.

It reminds me of an old Smack the Pony sketch.

Oh, yeah.

Remember they used to have that dating, they were in a sort of dating booth.

She's best known for TV comedies, including I'm Alan Partridge, Jam & Jerusalem, Miranda, and Veep, the Bridget Jones films, and shows like Taskmaster and QI.

She began life in the Oxford Revue, and went on to co-write and develop the groundbreaking female-led sketch show, Smack the Pony, which won two International Emmys.

Her many credits include Green Wing, Friday Night Dinner, Breeders, Channel 4's Big Mood, and BBC's We Might Regret This, alongside Phil Ross's How to Please a Woman, Off the Rails, and Pride, Prejudice & Zombies.

Sally has three neurodivergent children.

And a bit of Gladiators on the telly.

Smack the Pony.

There you go.

Gladiators.

We've gone full circle.

Smack the Pony was good, actually, as well.

Smack the Pony.

Did you watch that, Smack the Pony?

You do this name.

So Dune McKeegan was a part of Smack the Pony, which was a sketch show that was a big thing.

It was the first all-female sketch show that hit British TV sometime in the 90s.

She performed with the likes of Alan Partridge.

All-female cast, incredibly hilarious.

Smack the Pony.

Oh, Smack the Pony.

Do you know what? I was looking back at this this morning and watching a couple of episodes again.

It's so good.

And Green Wing and The Fast Show and Harry Enfield and Charms and Father Ted.

And it was the forerunner of Black Books, Peep Show, The It Crowd.

But what I really loved about all of those shows was the element of... absurdist comedy it's just absurd and silly and Smack the Pony watching them back again today it's so silly the set up of every gag is technically almost identical It's it's set up, set up, set up.

And joining us in the shed this time is Fiona Allen.

Fiona co-wrote, starred in Emmy-winning and BAFTA-nominated TV sketch show Smack the Pony with Dune McKeegan and Sally Phillips.

The best of the best.

Best sketch show ever on TV.

just real life you know oh look

there's an amazon pass of course it's not for me because you know i've got to go and take it to the neighbor even though we pay for delivery it's that kind of thing so it's just a normal hectic day that I think we all live and yes why is it

taking you so long to start doing stand-up then because I mean yeah you were acting and Smack the Pony which was absolutely brilliant that we managed to get you all together last year oh we had a

great time here oh it was fantastic

You...

I think you'd just been in French & Saunders as well and of course, Smack the Pony, which was groundbreaking comedy women's series.

Fantastic.

Alan Partridge, of course.