Max and Ivan: Televisionaries

Working on the premise that TV programmers believe all their viewers have the attention span of a gnat (might be true), Max Olesker (the one with long hair) and Ivan Gonzalez (the one with the beard) have programmed a set-top box of sketches that flip through the channels non-stop.

No theme is spared. In Toyland, Mr and Mrs Flobberdob fall into a domestic dispute over infidelity, tonight’s Partly Political Broadcast is courtesy of unsavoury Nazis Neville Hatred and Brian, who dismally fail their own citizenship tests, while footballers get florid about soccer in The Beautiful Game culture show which goes back to back with Art of the Day, where artist Lucien Freud gormlessly reels off footballer cliches about his latest moves in painting. Music gets a look-in with the ‘Credit Crunk’ rap, as do video games with Super Mario and sibling Luigi in the gritty crime drama 16 Bit Streets.

Punctuating the live action are a flurry of ads, sketches and public announcements via videos and lo-tech animations projected behind the duo. Memorable are the commercials for spurious loans and the Russian Technologycoat, and the Spy Sport cloud race.

It may all seem a tad obvious, but Max and Ivan effortlessly find a different angle on their targets. And don’t let the cuddly delivery fool you – this can be close to the bone, as proved by the Chuckle Brother (‘singular’) and Eaters Anonymous (for models who inadvertently eat) episodes. With panto-like skill, the pair guide the hard stuff safely over the heads of any audience members who happen to be minors, making this one of the best all-round value shows of the festival.