Imagine That (sketch)

Imagine That is a series of sketches in the BBC Radio 4 comedy series That Mitchell and Webb Sound. It is notable due it being the only series of sketches to Appear in all three series, and the most successful of the recurring sketches not yet adapted for the television version of the show, That Mitchell and Webb Look.

Plot

Imagine That is a parody of arts programmes such as Front Row and Newsnight Review. Here, the host (James Bachman) presents a range of questions, most of them given by listeners, based on whether his panel can imagine the solutions to them. Examples of questions asked include, "Can the panel imagine a brand new sound?" and, "Can the panel imagine what it would be like to be a teenager again?" However, most of the responses tend to be totally bizarre, incomprehensible, and sometimes utterly impossible to implement in real life.

The show's panel is always the same. It consists of the journalist and broadcaster Mark Kendal (Robert Webb), the author June Falconer (Olivia Colman) and the Head of Physics at University College London Professor David Trussle (David Mitchell). Trussle is the most eccentric of the panel, not only coming up with the strangest IDeaS, but also seeming to suffer from delusions.

Sketches

Sketch 1 - Big Baked Potatoes and Tiny Horses

This sketch appeared in the second episode of the first series. In this sketch, Falconer has an Australian accent, therefore implying the character is based on Germaine Greer.

The first question is asked by Mr. Harry Cooper from Weston-SUPER-Mare asking, "What is the biggest baked potato you can imagine?"

Kendal claims he can imagine one as big a planet, but Falconer claims he is just imaging something the size of the Death Star from Star Wars, and superimposing a baked potato over it. She states the knob of butter must be the size of a mountain, and that Kendal cannot imagine that. Kendal later on states the Death Star is a space station. As big as a London bus, to which Kendal claims she is not even trying. Falconer claims that she trying to be realistic. Trussle imagines one AbOUT the size of a normal baked potato, but around 15-20% bigger. In other words, a large baked potato. Then he imagines one the size of Castle Howard. He then gets a GLIMPSE of the oven the baked potato was cooked in, which is about the size of Lake Geneva. Falconer claims this is impossible, but then Trussle imagines the oven door opening, and sees eight baked potatoes the size of Castle Howard, claiming that guests are coming around, though he cannot image how big they are.

The next question, from Mrs. Mary Watkins of Dunfermline asking, "Can the panel imagine a horse the size of a pin?"

Kendal and Falconer cannot. Trussle says he can, but then he would also be imagining jockeys the size of dust, and stirrups on the sub-atomic level, which he claims is unlikely.

The host claims there is no episode of Imagine That due to the cricket-snooker, a game which they imagined last year. But they said they would be back with a special episode, where the panel would be asked to imagine what it would be like to have a beard, despite the fact Kendal already has one.

Sketch 2 - Sounds

This sketch appears in episode two of series two.

The sketch begins with the host introducing Trussle, at which point, Trussle shouts as if someone is attacking him, but it turns out he was having a dream.

The only question comes from Miss Elmer Topper-Whaz from Stratford who asks, "Can the panel imagine a brand new sound?"

Kendal imagines a sound that is mauve, with a dash of crimson stippling, and sounds like the soft patter of an angels tears as they drip into a slurry pit, then he performs the sound. Falconer imagines a sound of two cats made of Velcro constantly fighting then being pulled apart over and over again, which she performs, although she first says he sound sounds like someone saying, "Ah-who-guards-the-guards?" Trussle continues his dream, but he claims he is sick of the host annoying him. He then says his sound very round, like a bell made out of beef, with a clapper made out of pastry. He then goes into a deep description of what the bell sounds like, but at the end, he claims it just makes a, "Bong," sound.

The host ends with a joke saying that he, "Can't imagine where the time's gone," but Trussle does not get it.

Sketch 3 - No Imagination, Armour and Measurements

This sketch was broadcast in episode four of series two.

The first question on the programme, from Mr. Ruben Champagne in Warwick asks, "Can the panel imagine what it would be like to have no imagination?"

Kendal claims this is tricky, and this results in the paradox alarm being set off, which prevents the panel thinking about things that may cause them to turn in on themselves.

The next question, from Mrs. Kerry Hutchins of Mould asks, "Can the panel imagine what I'm wearing?"

Trussle imagines her wearing a 16th century suit of armour, which has a visor with holes in it like a colander, so that you cannot see what she is thinking, although Trussle likes to think she is thinking about attacking him with a sword. Trussle then has an imaginary sword battle.

Falconer also imagines Mrs. Hutchins in a suit of armour, although she actually does have a colander instead of a visor. Kendal first thought about a suit of armour, but then imagines her wearing one of his shirts, and nothing else. Kendal then talks about her in [...] terms, but then goes back to thinking about her in a suit of armour.

The final question from 16-year-old Forest Bald of Kirkbride asks, "Can the panel imagine a new type of measurement?"

Falconer imagines a system of measurement using finches, and three finches would make a coot. The host wonders if she is just using birds that sound like, "Inches," and, "Foot." Kendal imagines a unit of distance based on how far a copy of Metro travels on the London Underground between 7-8am. Trussle is still pretending he is fighting an imaginary Mrs. Hutchins.

The show ends with Trussle defeating Mrs. Hutchins, and host saying the next show would be coming live from Birmingham, and the panel would be asked, "What would it be like not to be in Birmingham?"

Sketch 4 - Imagine Hat

This sketch was broadcast in episode five of series two.

The host announces that due to a printing error in the Radio Times, the show is entitled Imagine Hat. Therefore, he asks the panel to imagine a hat.

Kendal imagines a hat that is a ship, with a hole in the bottom where the head would go. Falconer imagines a beret, but with a grape in the middle, calling it a, "Graperet." She says the beret is mauve and the grape is red. Trussle imagines a sofa, but then imagines a hat made out of bismuth, but with ribbons. It started as a hemi-sphere, but is then manipulated into a series of plane surfaces at alternating oblique and obtuse angles, going into several dimensions. The hat also reflects light across the whole spectrum, apart from 40-70 megahertz. However, he then confesses he was just thinking of a squashed top hat with a baked bean on the rim.

Before the show ends, the host announces the winner of last week's competition. The question is not mentioned, but the winner answer given by Mr. Dennis Twiss from Wolverhampton who said, "Yes, it's like two purple matadors bending down and eating buttons."

Sketch 5 - Teenagers

This sketch appeared in episode three of series three.

The only question asked is by the entire village of Little Chimpington in Wiltsershire, and says, "Can the panel imagine what it would be like to be a teenager again?"

Kendal, in a strop, says, "No." Falconer says she would wear a, "Right-cool hoodie," an iPod and some sort of shiv or shank made out of biro and her mother's gardening trowel. If someone dissed her, she would stab them. Trussle imagines he would be tall, not spotty, be good at sport, fighting, have proper pubic hair, and would talk to girls this time. He also said that instead of physics, he would probably study, "Knobbing."