Harry Enfield thinks sketch comedy has fallen out of favour with broadcasters because it's too expensive to make.
Harry Enfield
The 60-year-old comedian enjoyed success with 'Harry Enfield & Chums' on the BBC in the 90s, but he thinks financial concerns have led TV companies to move away from the format.
He explained on 'The Andy Jaye Podcast': "It’s much easier to do a panel show than have characters.
"When we were doing our show, if you’re filming five or six characters a day you’ve got all the make-up, all the costume changes, and that’s half your day filled. It’s about three times as expensive as making a normal comedy show and every year they cut the budgets.
"In the end it got to the stage where we just couldn’t afford to do it any more."
Harry previously admitted that the launch of 'The Office' in 2001 marked a turning point for himself and other similar comedians.
He explained how the hit series - which starred Ricky Gervais as office manager David Brent - transformed the landscape in British comedy.
Harry reflected: "It was the time 'The Office' had come out and it was so good, so accurate and I just thought, it makes me look unbearably uncool going round doing stupid characters. And a lot of people started aping 'The Office', doing things with no jokes. And I couldn't really think of a no-jokes sitcom so I just thought, well, I'm washed up."
At the same time, Harry was focused more on his family life than his career.
The comedy star - who has Nell, 18, Poppy, 22, and Archie, 24 - previously recalled: "I was happy just being at home looking after the kids. There was always plenty to do, and I didn't feel like doing any telly."
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