Complex sentence: When it was first broadcast, the show gained attention for its violent slapstick, which Mayall and Edmondson had been using in 20th Century Coyote for some time.
Split into simpler sentences: When it was first broadcast, the show gained attention for its violent slapstick. Though new to mainstream audiences, Mayall and Edmondson had been using it in 20th Century Coyote for some time.