Parents' Guide to

Baroness von Sketch Show

By Jenny Nixon, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 16+

Absurd and witty sketches from Canadian comedians.

TV IFC Comedy 2016
Baroness von Sketch Show Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.

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What's the Story?

BARONESS VON SKETCH SHOW is a Canadian sketch comedy series created by and starring Carolyn Taylor, Meredith MacNeill, Aurora Browne, and Jennifer Whalen. The show started on CBC television, later landing a deal with IFC in the United States. Unlike many U.S.-made sketch and variety shows, there aren't a lot of celebrity impersonations to be seen. Instead, the show uses satirical humor to skewer a variety of timely topics and trends, from adult coloring books to "eating clean."

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say Not yet rated
Kids say (1):

It's incredibly refreshing to see a sketch comedy series created and performed entirely by women -- and more to the point, women who are all over 40. The show has definitely tapped into the needs of an overlooked viewer whose interests are not necessarily being served by shows like Inside Amy Schumer or Saturday Night Live. The overall tone is highly reminiscent (without seeming derivative) of their also-Canadian predecessors, the Kids in the Hall, the all-male comedy troupe whose show of the same name has delighted comedy fans since the late '80s/early '90s. The Baroness von Sketch Show cast/creators share a similarly absurd, and at times surreal, sense of humor and have the good sense to end a sketch while they're ahead -- a tactic that can't always be said about the sketches on SNL, which often stretch out a joke until it just isn't funny anymore.

Here, brevity really is the soul of wit, with most sketches clocking in at five minutes or less. The show offers a fresh, funny perspective on topics as serious as body image and sexual harassment to silly bits on a woman's over-reliance on dry shampoo and the holier-than-thou attitudes prevalent in hipster coffee culture. The humor is smart and feminist without feeling agenda-driven -- above all else, it's about the laughs.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the way Baroness von Sketch Show uses humor to talk about difficult or controversial topics. How can the use of humor lead to deeper conversations and understanding?

  • How does Baroness von Sketch Show differ from other sketch comedy shows you've seen? Do the age and gender of the creators inform the kind of comedy they perform? How is this apparent?

TV Details

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