Comic Roots

All Episodes 1982 - 1983

  • Ended
  • 1982-08-02T00:00:00Z
  • 30m
  • 3h 52m (8 episodes)
  • Comedy, Documentary
A series of films in which comic stars dig up the roots of their humour.

8 episodes

Series Premiere

1982-08-02T00:00:00Z

1x01 Les Dawson's Lancashire

Series Premiere

1x01 Les Dawson's Lancashire

  • 1982-08-02T00:00:00Z29m

1982-08-09T00:00:00Z

1x02 Roy Hudd's Croydon

1x02 Roy Hudd's Croydon

  • 1982-08-09T00:00:00Z29m

1982-08-16T00:00:00Z

1x03 Irene Handl's London

1x03 Irene Handl's London

  • 1982-08-16T00:00:00Z29m

1982-08-16T00:00:00Z

1x04 Paul Shane's Rotherham

1x04 Paul Shane's Rotherham

  • 1982-08-16T00:00:00Z29m

Season Premiere

1983-08-12T00:00:00Z

2x01 Michael Palin

Season Premiere

2x01 Michael Palin

  • 1983-08-12T00:00:00Z29m

Michael Palin looks back in languor at his meteoric rise to stardom from Sheffield (full address withheld), through Bnghtside and Carbrook Co-operative players, Brasenose Revisited, to Edinburgh's famed Parks and Burials Department, with the help of his Mum, his old geography teacher, Spike Milligan, Terry Jones, the boy next door and D. P. Gumby (full address withheld). But whether the roots of comedy are in nature or nurture is best left to the sociologists to decide...

1983-08-19T00:00:00Z

2x02 Billy Dainty

2x02 Billy Dainty

  • 1983-08-19T00:00:00Z29m

1983-08-26T00:00:00Z

2x03 Alexei Sayle

2x03 Alexei Sayle

  • 1983-08-26T00:00:00Z29m

Alexei Sayle was one of the founders of what has come to be known as 'alternative comedy'. His roots aren't in the traditional theatre but in the pubs and clubs more associated with the world of rock music. He started drinking in Liverpool when he was 14. "I never had any trouble getting served 'cos I've looked like this since I was three." At 17 he exchanged the pints of the northern pubs for the 'G and Ts' of London clubs. Alexei takes us on a memorable journey round the places which feed his imagination. We start at opening time and end ... well, in the early hours.

1983-09-02T00:00:00Z

2x04 Kenneth Williams

2x04 Kenneth Williams

  • 1983-09-02T00:00:00Z29m

Kenneth Williams explores his roots in and around St Pancras where he grew up. Architecture, poetry, art and music were the formative influences on Kenneth Williams: the slum architecture of St Pancras where he grew up; the liquid poetry of his gran's fruity anecdotes; the art of the Marcel wave practised by his hairdresser father; and the musical knees-up of The Boot.

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