Mark Watson Makes The World Substantially Better

by Mark Watson

Mark Watson is not only a fantastic stand-up comedian, he may also be the best chance we have to overcome sin. He’s got a plan to teach us everything we need to know about the Six Deadly Sins (he knows it’s usually seven, but he’s doing Greed and Gluttony together as a special offer). In the space of six episodes the world should become a substantially better place, making this above all a public-spirited gesture. Mark Watson Makes the World Substantially Better is a mixture of stand-up, sketches and songs, with life-changing advice too and even if this turns out to be bad advice, it’ll still have good jokes in it.

1. Greed and Gluttony
2. Lust
3. Pride
4. Envy
5. Sloth
6. Wrath

Genres: Audiobook

1 pages, Audio CD

First published August 14, 2008

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Mark Watson is an English comedian, novelist, and producer whose career spans stand-up, radio, television, and literature. Born in Bristol to a Welsh mother and English father, he grew up with younger twin sisters and a brother. Educated at Bristol Grammar School, he went on to study English at Queens' College, Cambridge, graduating with first-class honours. At university, he became a member of the prestigious Footlights, performing alongside Stefan Golaszewski, Tim Key, and Dan Stevens, and contributing to a revue nominated for Best Newcomer at the 2001 Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
Watson first gained wider recognition through stand-up comedy, performing regularly at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, where he won the inaugural Panel Prize at the if.comeddies in 2006 and received a Perrier Comedy Award nomination in 2005. Known for inventive and often marathon performances, his shows have included 24-hour performances, collaborative audience-driven novels, and themed events like the “Earth Summit” and “Edit,” compiling his festival highlights. His comedy frequently incorporates unusual settings, from ferries and streams to vaccination queues, demonstrating his flair for unconventional experiences.
On television, Watson co-hosted the BBC Four panel show We Need Answers, appeared on series including Taskmaster, Richard Osman's House of Games, and Celebrity Mastermind, and starred in his own programs such as Mark Watson Kicks Off and the Channel 4 panel show The Mad Bad Ad Show. His appearances also extend to stand-up specials on Live at the Apollo, Michael McIntyre's Comedy Roadshow, and international comedy festivals in Australia and New Zealand.
In radio, he has hosted multiple series including Mark Watson Makes the World Substantially Better and Mark Watson Talks A Bit About Life, often collaborating with Tim Key, Tom Basden, and Flo & Joan. He has also contributed to BBC Radio 5 Live’s Fighting Talk and produced series exploring both comedy and broader cultural themes.
Watson is also a prolific author, publishing novels, non-fiction works, and graphic novels. His books include Bullet Points, Crap at the Environment, Eleven, The Knot, Dan and Sam, Hotel Alpha, The Place That Didn't Exist, Contacts, Mortification, and One Minute Away.
Beyond performing and writing, he co-runs Impatient Productions, producing radio shows, podcasts, and digital content, and hosts the World Snooker Tour podcast Snooker Club. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he innovated with livestreamed 24-hour charity events called “Watsonathon!” and co-created the YouTube series No More Jockeys.
Mark Watson is a lifelong supporter of Bristol City Football Club and continues to live in East London, balancing a career that blends comedy, literature, and experimental performance with a commitment to inventive, audience-focused storytelling and engaging entertainment.

Reviews

[Robyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Audible | Only ok, simply because of its age | This might have been funnier at the time, but at this point I've heard so many of the bits Mark does here in his stand-up routines that as soon as a bit starts I know where it's going. Instead of a laugh, I get awareness of how it doesn't really fit the context. This is also back when Mark was still doing his stand-up with an affected Welsh accent, and because I've heard him talk about the insecurity that started him doing that, and the lies he had to tell to keep up with being billed as a Welsh comedian, and how he felt as if he was sort of stealing from and disrespecting actual Welsh comedians, every time in this series that he's referred to as Welsh or is particularly heavy with the accent or Wales references, I cringed. Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy Mark now, I don't think he's a bad person, I just find that whole thing very uncomfortable, which saps the humor. Additionally, I don't think Key is well utilized, and while Minchin is pretty good in the first set, the musician in the second set is so nondescript that I can't recall his name, and I was never able to tell if he was vocalizing or if it was Key. Not really worth the credit, for me. Too bad.