Original title
Morecambe & Wise
Released
10/12/1961
Origin country
GB
Genre
Comedy
Production companies
BBC, ITV, Thames Television
Status
Ended
Number of seasons
19
Number of episodes
170
The musical guests are Kenny Ball and His Jazzmen, The Pattersons, Nina van Pallandt and Frankie Vaughan. Ernie starts the show dressed as a hippy. Eric and Ernie visit Fenella Fielding who is to star in Ernie's play about Lord Nelson.
The second seasonal offering saw the return of recurring guest star Peter Cushing who still hadn't been paid (a joke that was to continue well into their Thames Television days); also starring was William Franklyn who, at the time, fronted an advertising campaign for Schweppes lemonade with his "Shhh, You Know Who..." tagline. Much comedy was drawn from this, especially in light of the fact that the BBC was forbidden to advertise products. He appears in one of the duo's legendary plays at the end of the show in which the Three Musketeers are parodied. Well-known actor Edward Woodward also sang The Way You Look Tonight rather than appearing within a sketch has he had done in previous appearances.
Considered by many to be their finest hour, the festive edition for 1971 contains several all-time classics such as Shirley Bassey singing Smoke Gets in Your Eyes whilst the boys re-arrange the scenery, with Bassey memorably ending with Eric's boots on, the Hollywood Melody with Glenda Jackson and the BBC newsreaders and, of course, André Previn conducting Eric's rendition of Greig's Piano Concerto (by Grieg!). The BBC's other headlining star Dick Emery also makes a brief but memorable cameo appearance in the opening spot of the show. Bassey also sang Diamonds Are Forever which of course had been the titular song to the James Bond film of the same years' release.
No series was produced in 1972 with the duo concentrating on a high-quality spectacular for Christmas Night, by this time their show had become a staple part of festive viewing and the pressure was on to deliver the goods. Braben had suffered a breakdown and was not producing material for some time, but they bounced back with another successful show. This show is a curious mix, showing that the by now established formula worked. For instance, the ridiculing of a guest singer by providing backing vocals and/or dancers is featured twice here, once with Vera Lynn and once with Jack Jones in what are basically similar routines. Also, there are two "plays", one with Pete Murray in the Great War epic Dawn Patrol and of course, the Prince Albert spoof at the conclusion of the show.
By this time, an established running gag was the fact that our intrepid duo could not get stars to work with them, and this show features four cameo appearances from Yehudi Menuhin, Rudolf Nureyev, Laurence Olivier and André Previn all making excuses not to appear. Perhaps the most memorable is Lord Olivier who pretends to be a Chinese Laundry attendant over the telephone! Vanessa Redgrave joins in the Latin American Extravaganza, and the Napoleon & Josephine play, with music (suitably interrupted!) by John Hanson. The other memorable scene from this show is Hannah Gordon's effort to sing the song The Windmills of Your Mind used in the film The Thomas Crown Affair against a wind generator with "help"...
This was the only year that the duo were with the BBC that no festive programme was made and there was a decrease in their output after this time. Instead of a brand new show the pair were instead interviewed by Michael Parkinson who also introduced some of their most memorable clips from previous shows. Again, the programme was broadcast on the evening on 25 December but, other than the interview, there was no new footage available. Their slot was filled by the Mike Yarwood Show and the interview shown at 11.20pm.
The musical guests are Diane Solomon, Brenda Arnau, Des O'Connor and Diana Rigg. Eric and Ernie go to the psychiatrist. Des O'Connor has trouble singing. Diana Rigg stars as Nell Gwynne in Ernie's latest play called 'Nell Gwynne'.
The only BBC show that Eric and Ernie made (save for series one) that wasn't penned exclusively by Eddie Braben. Instead, established writers Barry Cryer and John Junkin (among others) were drafted in to create what became another iconic show, with The Sweeney stars John Thaw and Dennis Waterman in the play, Elton John in the Won't You Play A Simple Melody? routine and, Angela Rippon's legs! The opening credits were a comic strip presentation, whilst closing credits had baby photographs of all the stars.
The final BBC Christmas Show attracted audience figures of 28.5 million, a record that has still to be broken; this was also the first time that Christian names were used in the opening titles, the "boys" having become something of a national institution by this stage. The following opening sequence features a parody of Starsky and Hutch, in which the comics star as 'Starkers' and 'Krutch', driving through the streets in a red Mini Clubman emblazoned with the same white vector stripe as seen on the TV crimefighters' Ford Torino. Boasting the longest guest list of all their shows, the casts of both Dad's Army (which by that time had finished its run) and The Good Life all appeared, as did Elton John (eventually!), and the classic There Is Nothing Like A Dame routine featuring a host of BBC news presenters. Angela Rippon also reprised her high-kicking role from the previous Christmas show and Angharad Rees struggled against the blizzards to duet with Ernie.
A collection of some oof your favourite sketches from an irreplaceable comedy partnership, including: Anthony and Cleopatra Monty on the Bounty The meeting of Byron and Keats Eric being well and Truely Laquered The classic Singing in the Rainn sketh.
This show marked in some ways the fact that Morecambe & Wise were no longer a prime asset; it was the first time in their television careers that their festive offering had not been broadcast on Christmas Night, the schedulers opting instead for 23 December. This was also because, until 1982, Thames Television only operated from Monday at 9.25am until Friday at 7pm; as Christmas Day fell on a Friday, London Weekend Television (LWT) held the franchise to broadcast that evening. The guest list was nonetheless impressive with Ralph Richardson heading up a stellar list, Suzanne Danielle doing a Razzle Dazzle routine with the boys, a re-hash of the BBC health food shop routine, now featuring Valerie Minfie, and the obligatory play, which was Julius Caesar, a thinly covered remake of the popular BBC sketch Antony & Cleopatra from ten years earlier. This show saw M&W use technology more to gain laughs with blue screen techniques being used in some sketches.
Penelope Keith throws a spotlight on Eric and Ernie's passion for music with a waltz through the archives, showcasing the most brilliant Morecambe & Wise routines and unearthing the stories behind them.
As a Christmas treat for comedy fans, this is a complete episode of The Morecambe and Wise Show, that had been considered lost for over 50 years. Eric’s son Gary Morecambe discovered the programme in an unmarked film can last year, and now it has been lovely restored and can be enjoyed in full for the first time since being broadcast on October 8th 1970. This remastered version was broadcast on 25 December 2021. The show, written by the legendary Eddie Braben, was episode one of Eric and Ernie’s first series to appear on BBC1, and was originally watched by over 14 million viewers. As well as some classic sketches from Eric and Ernie, the show also features songs and music from Paul Anka, Patricia Lambert, Kenny Ball and his Jazzmen, and the boys themselves rounding things off with a burst of Bring Me Sunshine.
Acker Bilk
--Joe Brown
--The King Brothers
--The King Brothers
--The King Brothers
--The King Brothers
--The Raindrops
Kenny Ball
--The Beatles - ""I Want To Hold Your Hand,"" ""All My Loving"" & ""This Boy"" --In a comedy segment, the Beatles sing ""Moonlight Bay"" with Morecambe and Wise.
The Viscounts
Guests: Acker Bilk Jackie Trent
Patsy Ann Noble
The King Brothers
Joe Brown & His Bruvvers
The Four Macs
Susan Maughan The Migil Five
--Lulu --Paul & Barry Ryan
--Jackie Trent
--Georgie Fame & The Blue Flames
--The Shadows
--Herman's Hermits - ""This Door Swings Both Ways""
Music: --The Kinks - ""Dandy"" & ""Well-Respected Man"" --Engelbert Humperdinck - ""Release Me"" and ""Country Girl"" --Millicent Martin - ""Call Me"" Comedy: --Morecambe and Wise take a flight in a model airplane. --Morecambe and Wise do a ventriloquist act. Aired 29-Jul-1967 (US - ""Piccadilly Palace"" ABC-TV, colour) Aired 1-Oct-1967 (UK - ""The Morecambe & Wise Show"" ATV, b/w)
Music: --The Small Faces - ""I Can't Make It"" & ""All or Nothing"" --Bobby Rydell - ""The Impossible Dream"" & ""The Joker"" --Millicent Martin - ""The Day the Circus Left Town"" (with the Paddy Stone Dancers) Morecambe and Wise comedy sketches: --A parody of Adagio dancers --A spoof of a popular soap opera Aired 03-Jun-1967 (US - ""Piccadilly Palace"" ABC, colour) Aired 22-Oct-1967 (UK - ""The Morecambe & Wise Show"" ATV, b/w)
Music: --The Hollies - ""On a Carousel"" & ""Stop, Stop, Stop"" --Tom Jones - ""That Old Black Magic"" and ""Detroit City"" --Millicent Martin - ""Fever"" and ""Eleanor Rigby"" Morecambe and Wise comedy sketches: --A pie throwing demonstration --The problems of the nearsighted Aired 27-May-1967 (US - ""Piccadilly Palace"" ABC-TV, colour) Aired 12-Nov-1967 (UK - ""The Morecambe & Wise Show"" ATV, b/w)
Music: --Manfred Mann - ""Ha Ha, Said the Clown"" & ""Just Like a Woman"" --George Maharis - ""Baby Has Gone Bye-Bye"" & ""All Right, OK, You Win"" --Millicent Martin - ""Singin' in the Rain"" & ""Make It Easy on Yourself"" Morecambe and Wise comedy sketches: --The duo play figures on a Greek vase --A look at English village life Aired 01-Jul-1967 (US - ""Piccadilly Palace"" ABC-TV, colour) Aired 10-Dec-1967 (UK - ""The Morecambe & Wise Show"" ATV, b/w)
Music: --Frankie Avalon - ""I Could Write a Book"" & ""What Is This Thing Called Love?"" --The New Vaudeville Band - ""If I Had a Talking Picture of You"" and ""Finchley Central"" --Millicent Martin - ""Window Wishin'"" Morecambe and Wise comedy segments: --A version of Grieg's Concerto in A Minor --Impressions of Samson and Delilah, Julius Caesar Aired 15-Jul-1967 (US - ""Piccadilly Palace"" ABC-TV, colour) Aired 31-Dec-1967 (UK - ""The Morecambe & Wise Show"" ATV, b/w)
Music: --The Moody Blues - ""Fly Me High"" & ""Really Haven't Got the Time"" --Tommy Leonetti - ""Once Upon A Time"" and ""This is the Life"" --Millicent Martin - ""Light Another Cigarette"" Comedy: --Morecambe and Wise spoof Hollywood westerns and musicals. Aired 22-Jul-1967 (US - ""Piccadilly Palace"" ABC-TV, colour) Aired 14-Jan-1968 (UK - ""The Morecambe & Wise Show"" ATV, b/w)
Music: --Peter Nero (pianist) - ""A Walk in the Black Forest"" & ""Variations on a Theme"" --The Tremeloes - ""Silence Is Golden"" & ""Here Comes My Baby"" --Millicent Martin - ""How Insensitive"" & ""Coronet Man"" Comedy: --Morecambe & Wise parody silent films --Eric Morecambe joins Peter Nero for a piano duet. Aired 12-Aug-1967 (US - ""Piccadilly Palace"" ABC-TV, colour) Aired 4-Feb-1968 (UK - ""The Morecambe & Wise Show"" ATV, b/w)
Music: --Eric Burdon & the Animals - ""When I Was Young"" & ""Good Times"" --Gene Pitney - ""Town without Pity"" & ""On the Street Where You Live"" --Millicent Martin - ""Something Missing Now"" --Millicent Martin (with the Paddy Stone Dancers) - ""Running Wild"" Comedy: --Gladys Whitred joins Morecambe and Wise for a selection of arias. --Millicent Martin does an apache dance with Morecambe and Wise Aired 5-Aug-1967 (US - ""Piccadilly Palace"" ABC-TV, colour) Aired 25-Feb-1968 (UK - ""The Morecambe & Wise Show"" ATV, b/w)
Music: --Georgie Fame - ""Sweet Thing"" & ""Funny How Time Slips Away"" --Bobby Vinton - ""Mr. Lonely,"" ""To Life"" and ""Sunrise, Sunset"" --Millicent Martin - ""You're Gonna Hear from Me"" Morecambe and Wise comedy: --An Arabian sheik's first impressions of London. --A parody of pop singing groups (with Morecambe & Wise and the show's writers) Aired 24-Jun-1967 (US - ""Piccadilly Palace"" ABC-TV, colour) Aired 17-Mar-1968 (UK - ""The Morecambe & Wise Show"" ATV, b/w)
Skit: The stag night, Eric wants to play shadow-grams on his stag night. The performance is Desert Song. Singing performers are Edmund Hockridge, Kenny Ball and his Jazzmen,
The musical guests are Kenny Ball and His Jazzmen, Bobbie Gentry and Vince Hill. Ernie is sick and then Eric and Ernie play tortoises. Peter Cushing stars as King Arthur in the final sketch "King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table".
Musical guests are Kenny Ball & His Jazzmen, Malcolm Roberts and Trio Athenee. Ernie reads some poetry and then Eric disrupts Ernie's sleep. They go bird watching but Ernie has an ulterior motive. Finally, Eric remembers D-day.
Musical guests are Kennyball & His Jazzmen, The Pattersons and Moira Anderson. Juliet Mills is the guest actor. The sketches include Eric reading Ernie's body, Ernie has an au pair, and Ernie's play is called "The Tea Planter's Wife".
In the opening, Eric has brought an Incan talisman from Peru to show Ernie. Kennyball and His Jazzman perform "I Wan'na Be Like You". Eric is bored again at home and reminisces with Ernie about their school days. The Pattersons sing "What Would You Do If You Married A Soldier?". Peter Cushing makes a cameo asking for his payment for his last appearance. Kenneth McKellar performs "I Will Wait for You". Edward Woodward is the guest actor and is in the role of a policeman in Ernie's play called "Murder at the Grange".
Guests: Frankie Vaughan, Nina, The Pattersons, Fenella Fielding, Sacha Distel
Ern the baggy pants comic Ticket clipper In bed: the secret of long life Monks smoking The world’s strongest man Lost voice Record shop Ernie is getting married
Ernie’s award, Ernie leaves, Passing the joke, Buskers, Monks: the epilogue, Routine with Nina, Ian Carmichael introduction, Frankenstein’s Monster
Ernie gets with it Playing in the park Ernie takes a bath Window-cleaning See you at seven Visiting Fenella Fielding Monks: feeding the birds Bowling Fenella Fielding stars in the Ernie Wise play "Nelson And Lady Hamilton"
Eric’s wig Meeting Diane Cilento for dinner At the cinema Soaking feet Play introduction Diane Cilento starts in the Ernie Wise play "The Barrats Of Wimpole Street"
The permissive show, Edward Chapman introduction, Trouble At Mill, A Shot In The Dark, Whistling at bus stop, Monks: shopping, Princess Anne
This episode was entered for the Golden Rose Of Montreaux. The opening spot see the duo attempting to exchange trousers, then Nina performs the Banana Boat Song with some backing and percussion from the duo; a powerful binoculars skit is followed by Eric's enormous ventriloquist doll "Oggy" closing the show with Bring Me Sunshine.
Ernie the scout The Nose Blowers Trying to sleep/Richard Greene Love In A Mist Pocket radio Monks: dancing Richard Greene introduction Richard Greene stars in the Ernie Wise play "The Lost Valley"
This Is Your Life, Moon landing, It’s over between us, Eric Porter’s dressing room, Tarzan’s last adventure, Six weeks to live, Bill-posting, The glove puppet, Monks: 007, Wuthering Heights
Fox hunting, Record shop: bird calls, Visiting Eric’s parents, Three in a bed, Boarding house, In the park with baby, Telephone clock, Barbers shop, Frankie Vaughan’s son, Monks: sign posts, Pregnant lady calls for Ernie
Health food, Contagious disease, Underwear shop, Miss Holiday resort, Nina’s cake, Monks: pay day, Writing in bed
Ernie’s ballet Accident, Christening, Fenella Fielding comes to the flat, Directions from a policeman, The big record, Monks: dice, Sing Something Simple, I’ll See You Again
The stool, The diet, Messing up Ernie’s plays/famous guest stars, Ticket collector, The drama critic, Monks: the organ, Barbara Murray introduction, There’s No Business Like Big Business, Politicians
Moustache seeds, Ernie in hospital, Ear specialist, Honeymoon couple next door. This episode of The Morecambe and Wise Show, had been considered lost for over 50 years. Eric’s son Gary Morecambe discovered the programme in an unmarked film can last year, and now it has been lovely restored and was broadcast on 25th December 2021 for the first time since its original broadcast in 1970. The show, written by the legendary Eddie Braben, was episode one of Eric and Ernie’s first series to appear on BBC1, and was originally watched by over 14 million viewers. As well as some classic sketches from Eric and Ernie, the show also features songs and music from Paul Anka, Patricia Lambert, Kenny Ball and his Jazzmen, and the boys themselves rounding things off with a burst of Bring Me Sunshine
The second seasonal offering saw the return of recurring guest star Peter Cushing who still hadn't been paid (a joke that was to continue well into their Thames Television days); also starring was William Franklyn who, at the time, fronted an advertising campaign for Schweppes lemonade with his "Shhh, You Know Who..." tagline. Much comedy was drawn from this, especially in light of the fact that the BBC was forbidden to advertise products. He appears in one of the duo's legendary plays at the end of the show in which the Three Musketeers are parodied. Well-known actor Edward Woodward also sang The Way You Look Tonight rather than appearing within a sketch has he had done in previous appearances.
Sketches: Piano: sixty seconds, Employment office, Shoes, Impressing Flora Robson, Flora Robson, Queen Elizabeth The First Of England part one, Draughts, Talking doll
Sketches: Arthur Lowe meets Janet Webb, Marriage guidance, Ernie Wise sings, Going up to the flat, The facts of life, Out with baby, Piano: whizzing creature, Pulpit: accordion, Play introduction, Monty On The Bonty
Sketches: Eric’s replacement, Monks; no talking, The Connoisseurs: antiques, Milk, Falling dream, Coming-and-going illness, Jewellery shop, Boarding ramp, The fellow writer
Sketches: Modelling Ern's body, Wind, Record shop, Love letters, Dracula books a room, Goodbye, Harmonicas and Arthur Tolcher, The Invisible Man, Nasty thing flu
Sketches: Ernie’s retirement, Train compartment full of vicars, No more lettuce, Glenda Jackson visits the flat, Felling safe, Antony & Cleopatra
Sketches: Ernie’s education - 23 A levels, The Return of Sherlock Holmes, Wig shop, Fed-up and listless, Police visit, Hands across the table, Jake The Peg, Ian Carmichael introduction, Murder In Mayfair
Sketches: Newspaper review, Piano: explodes, Multilingual Hotel, Pulpit: personal prayer, Fishing, The reversals, Going to Hollywood - Bobe Hope's scriptwriter
Eric's new tape recorder; the book shop: The Language Of Birds; The House Of Terror
Doom and disaster; Submarine; Whistling; Bobo the glove puppet; Accident at work; The Legion Of The Lost
Eric buys a painting; ten years hence - life in 1981; Record contract; Gardeners' world
Eric receives a threatening letter; Top Of The Form; Fruitcake; Autographed banana; Escape From Stalag 54
Great Men Of Our Time; Car accessory shop; The Brian Rix Trousers Down Competition; Leg rejuvenating machine; Milkman; Sunday papers and spot the ball
Family tree; Cement buckets; Wife's fancy man; Eric's dog; Dentist; Trying to work; Ernie's memoires
Considered by many to be their finest hour, the festive edition for 1971 contains several all-time classics such as Shirley Bassey singing Smoke Gets in Your Eyes whilst the boys re-arrange the scenery, with Bassey memorably ending with Eric's boots on, the Hollywood Melody with Glenda Jackson and the BBC newsreaders and, of course, André Previn conducting Eric's rendition of Greig's Piano Concerto (by Grieg!). The BBC's other headlining star Dick Emery also makes a brief but memorable cameo appearance in the opening spot of the show. Bassey also sang Diamonds Are Forever which of course had been the titular song to the James Bond film of the same years' release.
No series was produced in 1972 with the duo concentrating on a high-quality spectacular for Christmas Night, by this time their show had become a staple part of festive viewing and the pressure was on to deliver the goods. This show is a curious mix, showing that the by now established formula worked. For instance, the ridiculing of a guest singer by providing backing vocals and/or dancers is featured twice here, once with Vera Lynn and once with Jack Jones in what are basically similar routines. Also, there are two "plays", one with Pete Murray in the Great War epic Dawn Patrol and of course, the Prince Albert spoof at the conclusion of the show. Several guests from previous shows returned, as well as Vera Lynn singing Pass Me By with Eric and Ernie as backing, and Kenny Ball joining in the fun with the Cabaret finale to the Victoria & Albert play with Glenda Jackson.
The series opened with a visit from pop star Cliff Richard to the pair's fictional flat, interrupting Eric's painting of his model Spitfire; whilst Ernie tries valiantly to be "hip" and "with it" sporting a terrible purple-flared trouser suit and red kaftan, the scene concludes with the three appearing as sailors for one of their most memorable routines based on The Fleet's In Town ending with Morecambe stepping off the ship and notable for the Playschool parody mid-way through.
Respected thespian Robert Morley appears in The Curse Of Tutankhamen in which it is discovered that the mighty king took some unusual items to his grave including a fan belt and a packet of salt and vinegar crisps! It is also revealed that his had a sister (Tutantesi, a parody on Two-Ton Tessie) who is revealed to still be alive and played by none other than Janet Webb otherwise known as the lady who comes down at the end.
The inured bird, Getting a violin for the Harpenden String Quartet, The Harpenden String Quartet, Bully on the bench, Nelson, Lulu introduction, Dance routine with Lulu, Summer in the garden with Percy Edwards / bird calls
This show featured The Mighty Kong as the closing play and featured the actress Susan Hampshire as the love interest; the comedically crude special effects including a chimpanzee wreaking havoc on a terrible scale model city (complete with biplane on string!) is a memorable moment, and the blue-screened apes at the back of the set are also one of their most fondly-recalled scenes. Fame & Price sang You Are My Sunshine and the show closed in the familiar way, with Bring Me Sunshine and an appearance from the amply-proportioned lady who comes down at the end.
Fresh from his appearance in the BBC's own adaptation of Casanova in which he played the title role, Frank Finlay appears in the play Lust Of London which centres around the main characters of Casanova and (of course!) Moveova with long-time collaborator Ann Hamilton providing the love interest. With music from Design and Wilma Reading who sang I Don't Know How to Love Him the show concluded with the usual appearance by the guest stars and Janet Webb.
Not all the shows concluded with a play What Ern Wrote and this is one notable case; instead there is a riotous scenario with Ernie deciding to get healthy, appearing at the flat with a large box of supposed health foods which were in vogue at the time. Eric fishes out a tin of "Sugar-Raspa" which of course turns out to be an asparagus tin upside down (!) before they both visit the associated shop, run by Frank Williams, at the time famous for playing the vicar in Dad's Army.
Mr Memory, Soap advert, Pretty baby song, Greeting card poetry, Northwest frontier of India 1890 This programme was the subject of a documentary made by the BBC's Omnibus team entitled Fools Rush In which traced the production of a Morecambe & Wise show from its inception at the script read-through stage, through to the filming of the final product. It featured a scene set in 10 Downing Street which was closely followed in the documentary, with music from Anita Harris. The show was written by Eddie Braben, as was the majority of their output, and he is featured on the accompanying documentary being interviewed, as is producer John Ammonds among others.
Wilma Reading, Springfield Revival, Allan Cuthbertson, Ann Hamilton, Jan Rossini
Hannah Gordon, Mary Travers, Christopher Neil, Anthony Sharp, Raymond Mason, Christine Shaw, Hatti Riemer
Roy Castle, Pete Murray, Anne Murray, The Pattersons, Raymond Mason, Les Rawlings, Johnny Vyvyan, John East, Hugh Elton, Charles Finch, Eric French
Nana Mouskouri, The Black & White Minstrels, Sooty with Harry Corbett, George Hamilton IV, Grazina Frame, Constance Carling, Johnny Vyvyan
Peter Cushing, Bernie Winters, Wilma Reading, Alan Price, Georgie Fame
By this time, an established running gag was the fact that our intrepid duo could not get stars to work with them, and this show features four cameo appearances from Yehudi Menuhin, Rudolf Nureyev, Laurence Olivier and André Previn all making excuses not to appear. Perhaps the most memorable is Lord Olivier who pretends to be a Chinese Laundry attendant over the telephone! Vanessa Redgrave joins in the Latin American Extravaganza, and the Napoleon & Josephine play, with music (suitably interrupted!) by John Hanson. The other memorable scene from this show is Hannah Gordon's effort to sing the song The Windmills of Your Mind used in the film The Thomas Crown Affair against a wind generator with "help"...
André Previn, Magnus Magnusson, Wilma Reading, Mrs Mills
Ludovic Kennedy, Wilma Reading, Allan Cuthbertson, Gordon Gostelow, Anita Tibbles, Arthur Tolcher
The Syd Lawrence Orchestra, Wilma Reading, Jo Rowbottom, Aimee Delamain, Grazina Frame, Roy Sampson, Arthur Tolcher
Richard Baker, Wilma Reading, A.J. Brown, Raymond Mason, Arthur Tolcher, Frank Finlay, Susan Hampshire, Glenda Jackson, Francis Matthews
Hughie Green, David Dimbleby, Arthur Tolcher, Ann Hamilton, Wilma Reading
June Whitfield, Arthur Tolcher, Wilma Reading, John Quayle, Jenny Lee-Wright
The pair make a welcome return with a memorable festive offering penned by Eddie Braben; the opening routine which features the much maligned Des O'Connor is the most repeated piece of material still today, aside from Grieg's Piano Concerto from 1971. The show concludes with the historical romp Nell Gwynne which is a brilliant finale to the show and features the first location shots used for an end-of-show play with Diana Rigg in the title role and Gordon Jackson parodying his own character from Upstairs, Downstairs effectively. The show is interspersed with Robin Day who, over the course of the programme has his "friendly" discussion turned into a brawl, at the end of the programme, as Morecambe and Wise close with the song Positive Thinking, he is seen to stagger past with the aid of a walking stick.
Gilbert O'Sullivan, Dilys Watling, The Vernons, Peter O'Sullevan, Arthur Tolcher, Clare Russell, Eve Blanchard
Michele Dotrice, Frankie Vaughan, Patrick Moore, Tammy Jones, Jenny Lee-Wright, David Prowse
Lena Zavaroni, The Spinners, Ann Hamilton, Allan Cuthbertson
Jackie Darnell, Kenny Ball, Allan Cuthbertson, Ann Hamilton, The Geraldine Yates Dancers
The Karlins, Vincent Zarra, Ann Hamilton, Steven Payne, Norman Percival, The Geraldine Yates Dancers
Diane Solomon, Maggie Fitzgibbon, Champagne
The only BBC show that Eric and Ernie made (save for series one) that wasn't penned exclusively by Eddie Braben. Instead, established writers Barry Cryer and John Junkin (among others) were drafted in to create what became another iconic show, with The Sweeney stars John Thaw and Dennis Waterman in the play, Elton John in the Won't You Play A Simple Melody? routine and, Angela Rippon's legs! The opening credits were a comic strip presentation, whilst closing credits had baby photographs of all the stars.
The final BBC Christmas Show attracted audience figures of 28.5 million, a record that has still to be broken; this was also the first time that Christian names were used in the opening titles, the "boys" having become something of a national institution by this stage. The following opening sequence features a parody of Starsky and Hutch, in which the comics star as 'Starkers' and 'Krutch', driving through the streets in a red Mini Clubman emblazoned with the same white vector stripe as seen on the TV crimefighters' Ford Torino. Boasting the longest guest list of all their shows, the casts of both Dad's Army (which by that time had finished its run) and The Good Life all appeared, as did Elton John (eventually!), and the classic There Is Nothing Like A Dame routine featuring a host of BBC news presenters. Angela Rippon also reprised her high-kicking role from the previous Christmas show and Angharad Rees struggled against the blizzards to duet with Ernie.
No series was made in 1978 in an effort to make the Christmas Show stronger, but there was one hour-long offering (the same length as the BBC shows had been, but with adverts. This opened with an amusing sequence whereby a lorry with a BBC logo emblazoned on its side, appears at Thames Television's studios, the back doors are flung open, and Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise are thrown out, in a direct nod to the bad feeling that was present at the time the partnership had departed their previous employers. The format remained reasonably faithful to that used previously although Eddie Braben did not join them immediately. There's the familiar end-of-show play "What Ern Wrote", this time it is a pastiche of Dr Jekyll & Mrs Hyde: however, there is a more cinematic feel to the parody and it moves beyond the confines of being a single set stage piece.
Content: the sketch featuring Terry Wogan is largely a re-hash of a routine done with Cliff Richard some years earlier although there are updates, and the production number at the end is different. However, Morecambe appears to be in good health and he is clearly relishing the opportunity to be performing again. A good start to a fine series.
Content: the sequence that features Hannah Gordon re-uses material from her previous appearance on a BBC show, only the song at the end changes, and the sketch with Hugh Paddick as the "fellow writer" is directly copied from a previous BBC incarnation too. Only the nature of the comedy in this sketch have dated it somewhat, with stereotypical allusions to homosexuality – although Morecambe's jibes are good natured and largely inoffensive. Frank Coda also features.
Contents: the opening scene sees Dave Prowse as Ernie's bodyguard "Cosmo" fresh from his fame as Darth Vader in the Star Wars films, and also features a new sketch set in a Chinese Restaurant which is something of a return to form; Anthony Chinn, Raymond Mason and Fiesta Mei Ling also star.
Contents: Deryck Guyler appears in a flat scene as a local vicar who turns out to be a champion spoon and washboard champion; one suspects this routine was re-worked and written especially for Guyler who was himself a keen washboard player and percussionist. Gerald Case also stars and, in line with other programmes in this series, Guyler performs the signature tune Bring Me Sunshine with Wise, whilst Morecambe "goes and waits for the bus" only to disturb the song.
Contents: With further reworkings from the BBC era Suzanne Danielle appears as a budding writer (the BBC routine featured a character that Morecambe refers to as "Miss Flanagan & Allen", and there's also a travel agent sketch featuring Valerie Minfie as Morecambe's largely mute wife. The pay-off to the flat-based sketch sees sit-com star Tessa Wyatt appear and she also performs the final song with Wise, whilst Morecambe again disappears only to re-appear and disrupt the proceedings.
Contents: In another re-working of a popular BBC routine, Morecambe appears as a "Hell's Grandad" complete with three-wheeled bike. This had previously been a feature showing him as "Spick Sparkle" (the new singing sensation) and is re-used here to good effect. Harking back to the glory days of the BBC, Gemma Craven joins Little Ern in another Gene Kelly recreation, this time to a clever arrangement of "Bring Me Sunshine" whilst Morecambe interrupts the proceedings in usual riotous style.
Another outing sees further material re-used; the opening spot on-stage is however largely new and sees Eric presenting Ernie with a life-sized monogrammed wallet which he is at times. duly trapped inside; following this Mick McManus replaces Henry Cooper in a re-worked sketch, Jill Gascoigne visits the duo for dinner (previously Ann Hamilton had appeared in this sketch), a new Rolf Harris sketch also features, Alec Guinness is the doctor who sees two as one, and Peter Barkworth provides the butt for jokes in the Ernie Wise's Hamlet skit at the end.
This website uses TMDB and the TMDB APIs but is not endorsed, certified, or otherwise approved by TMDB.
