It's time to get excited comedy fans, because the "best thing on telly" (at last, me and Ricky Gervais agree on something!), Peep Show, is back for a fourth series on Channel 4 on April 13. But that's not all Robert Webb and David Mitchell have been doing recently. They've made their first film, they've been writing another series of their sketch show for BBC Two, a radio version for Radio 4, a new radio sitcom, as well as appearing on panel shows, and in hilarious Apple Mac ads. Plus, they just managed to squeeze in some time to talk to us about all of it.

Robert Webb

Are you excited about your upcoming film The Magicians?
"We are, yeah, it's very exciting. We had a meeting with the marketing team this morning, and so we've seen the posters, and when it comes up with the Universal logo it all looks like a proper film. I shouldn't put myself down; it is a 'proper' film. It's definitely funny and exciting. It's a good film, it's got a little romance."

Who is the romantic element?
"It's Andrea Riseborough (who plays Labour researcher Kirsty MacKenzie in BBC Two's Party Animals). A fine actress. She's very good, very funny."

Did you have any involvement in the writing of the film (also created by Peep Show writers Jesse Armstrong and Sam Bain)?
"As with Peep Show, no. In Peep Show we sort of helped out in the early stages, with stories, what might happen with Mark and Jeremy."

Is the humour in the film fairly similar to Peep Show?
"It is, yeah, it's not quite so relentlessly dark, there are a few funnier and lighter [moments]."

Have you seen The Illusionist yet?
"No, I haven't, there are two [films about magicians] aren't there? [The other is The Prestige with Hugh Jackman] It's a crazy coincidence. Sam and Jesse were working on their script about four years ago. I haven't seen either of the more 'po-faced' takes on the magic world!"
 
And when is your sketch show That Mitchell and Webb Look coming back?
"Well, we start filming June, so probably finish the end of August, so it will probably [go on air] around autumn."

Any new characters?
"I hope so. We haven't really got around to writing very much of it yet!"

Will Numberwang be back?
"Numberwang will be back, a bit. I think some of the recurring things will be back, but not in every episode. The point of our sketch show was never so much to play on recurring characters, we just wanted to generate as many funny, interesting ideas as possible and play them in a funny way and write them with jokes."

Was the idea to that really took off the most?
"If an index of what took off is what people yell at you in the street, then it's 'Numberwang.' People go 'Numberwang' and so I go 'It's that's Numberwang, shout 'That's Numberwang!' instead."

 Where is the weirdest place someone has shouted it at you?
"I was queuing to go on my honeymoon at Gatwick Airport, and there were a couple of people there that you might describe as 'part of the demographic' and they were getting quite excited and so I said hello, and signed a few things. It's the last time you want to be in the middle of Gatwick. And on a Boxing Day, who knew, I didn't, it's like the busiest time of year."

Quite a few of the cast from Peep Show turned up in your sketch show. Was that a choice?
"Well, it was just because we know them and we love working with them. Especially in the case of Olivia (Colman, who plays Sophie), and Paterson (Joseph, who plays Mark's boss Alan Johnson). But we didn't use him as much, as he's been very busy. And James Bachman has always been on our radio show. They're our bitches, we just like working with them."