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Santa's Workshop / The Ratings Man

Mr. Show with Bob and David 1997 Season 3 Episode 2

SKETCH-O-VISION

A VERY GOOD USE OF YOUR TIME.

The setup

Santa reveals he's been held hostage for 500 years by a man with a gun, forcing him to play jolly old Saint Nick—and also work as the Ratings Man.

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Community rating

– / 10

The premise

Here’s the bit.

In this surreal Christmas-themed sketch, Santa Claus confronts Bob and David with a shocking revelation: he's been held captive and forced to be Santa by an armed captor for the last 500 years. The sketch features Santa's dual role as both the jolly gift-giver and "The Ratings Man," blending absurdist humor with Mr. Show's signature style of subverting familiar cultural icons. The sketch also includes a memorable weather report segment. The absurd premise is heightened by the unexplained logic of the situation, particularly regarding the captor's warning to Santa to "never die see, or you'll get it!"

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