Sketch comedy Kevin and Perry from "Harry Enfield and Chums". The idea of running characters was taken a stage further with shows like "The Red Green Show" and "The League of Gentlemen", where sketches centered on the various inhabitants of the fictional towns of Possum Lake and Royston Vasey, respectively. In "Little Britain", sketches focused on a cast of recurring characters, including "Vicky Pollard", "Marjorie Dawes" and "Lou and Andy". In North America, contemporary sketch comedy is largely an outgrowth of the improvisational comedy scene that flourished during the 1970s, largely growing out of "The Second City" in Chicago and Toronto. Notable
The Comedy Company and had a cult following particularly on Australian youth. The word "bogan" was popularised by "The Comedy Company" character Kylie Mole, portrayed by Mary-Anne Fahey. This program should not be confused with a short-lived American sketch-comedy/variety series of the same name that ran 10 years earlier. In 1988, the Media Arts company was asked by Network Ten Australia to produce a one-hour-a-week comedy program. Within a few months, "The Comedy Company" became the most successful comedy program of the decade being the highest rated weekly television program, particularly of note it ran against the Nine Network popular current events show