Swimming Pool · Skit Evolution

The Swiming pool skit began life as 'The Wrong Response to... Drowning', a macabre subject but we saw the potential when played right for something very funny. The idea began life on a beach, there were three components which contributed to the skit.

The first one was the Lifeguard, we went from having him as a hunky Baywatch character, the crazy character of the skit, was scared of water, and/or failed to save the drowning victim in some way, suggests went from being unable to swim, to being scared by a shark fin, to trying to bail out the ocean with a bucket, to taking his time to blow up an inflatable boat. 

The problems began to arise when we thought more about the concept of having to create an environment using water. This forced us to consider more options, we had a good formula but it needed tweaking. It was then suggested that the Drowning person become the crazy person; in this scenario, the lifeguard was the serious character. Concepts then went from ideas of the character looking like a beautiful woman from behind only for the lifeguard to find out too late they were, in fact, a very hairy man instead. We then came up with the idea the victim could be looking for attention and putting on an act in order to get it from the lifeguard. This resulted in the idea of the victim being overly dramatic in a backyard paddling pool with a hunky neighbour ready to save them. 

Eventually, after coming up with a way to solve the problem of water, which we decided we would create a staging area with props shaped like waves, the characters are then free to be as dramatic as they like without the concept of actual physical drowning in shot. This also opened up the way for the idea that the victim could be looking for attention from the lifeguard; but instead of being hunky, they are in fact ropy, skinny and overly vain. As the victim desires attention they faint drowning, causing the lifeguard to attend them, to which point we find out the water is only knee deep.