Alternative comedy and sketch comedy, consisted of Manchester University and Royal Central School graduates Ade Edmondson, Rik Mayall, Nigel Planer, Dawn French, and Jennifer Saunders, who began to aim their talents at television. As "The Comic Strip Presents", the group made over 40 television films for both Channel 4 and BBC. Ben Elton, who had by then become the Comedy Store's next MC, was invited by Rik Mayall to join him as co-writer of BBC2's TV hit sitcom "The Young Ones". However, it was as MC of Channel 4's new comedy show "Saturday Live" that Elton found fame in his own right.
Horrible Histories (2009 TV series) will return in limited roles. The cast members were recruited from sketch and character comedy, having previously had roles in "Gavin & Stacey", "Peep Show", "The Thick of It" and "The Mighty Boosh" TV series among others. Several of the writers and researchers also occasionally appeared in front of the camera, including Punt, Jenner, George Sawyer and Susie Donkin, while actors Mathew Baynton and Ben Willbond sometimes contributed to the writing. Laurence Rickard was recruited solely as a writer, but found himself part of both the senior writing staff and starring cast after creating the character of Bob Hale, whose