EditSpotting — The Best Kept Secrets of British Comedy

An in-depth look at Editspotting, an obscure hobby for comedy enthusiasts. What truths hide behind the scenes of our favourite shows?

The world of British comedy is a rabbit hole you can lose yourself in for life. Just following a list of long-gone essentials would keep you busy with viewing. That doesn’t even mention the constant stream of new arrivals, who keep us restocked every year. There’s a reef of obscurity beneath the surface too, where the fourth wall is of no consequence. Editspotters, as they call themselves, have made it their solemn duty to explore this abundant vein of intrigue.

Editspotters keep a keen eye on the divine hand behind much-loved British comedies. According to them, many of our favourite shows have seen ruin at the hands of cynical editing techniques. It’s not hard to imagine how things could get chopped and changed en route to general syndication. Websites like Some of the Corpses are Amusing prove how enthralling that subject can be.

To an editspotter, outtakes and rushes are mana from heaven. Rushes are the reams of unedited footage you get from a day’s worth of filming. When it comes to comedy, rushes merit a closer look. Thanks to improvisation — and the tension that comes with a…