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Private Notes
This was the first of several highly successful festive editions made by the BBC. Ernie gets with it, Cleaning windows, Taking a bath, Monks feeding ducks, Large Xmas tree, Huge ventriloquist dummy, Monks playing pinball, Fenella's flat, Trafalgar
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. 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.
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.
After no regular shows at all in 1975 and no Christmas Show in 1974 the pair made 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. The show also features a parody of Big Spender with the two as dancers.
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. It was a fine finale to Morecambe and Wise's career that was never quite the same at Thames Television.
A collection of some of 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. And, most famous of all, Eric and Ernie making breakfast to the sound of stripper music
Night Train to Murder is a 1984 British comedy film directed by Joseph McGrath and starring Morecambe and Wise. It was the last work that Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise worked on together before Eric's death in 1984, Morecambe being in poor health at the time of filming. It was written as a pastiche of the works of various writers including Agatha Christie and Edgar Wallace and is set in 1946, featuring Morecambe and Wise ostensibly as 1940s versions of themselves.
Surviving footage from the first series, taken from show 6.
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.
Michael Aspel introduces two complete episodes of sketches and stand-up comedy from Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise from 1968, remarkably restored after being feared lost for decades.
Comprises two episodes, sketches and stand-up comedy from Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise from 1968, remarkably restored after being feared lost for decades. Eric and Ernie's guests include Michael Aspel, Chris Langford, Ronnie Carroll and regulars Kenny Ball and his Jazzmen.
Introduced by Ernie Wise. Two of the funniest men of their time in highlights from their shows in which they mix music with comedy. With guest stars Michael Aspel , Richard Baker , Shirley Bassey , Frank Bough , Robert Dougall , Glenda Jackson , Philip Jenkinson , Cliff Michelmore , Patrick Moore , Barry Norman , Michael Parkinson , Andre Previn , Cliff Richard , Eddie Waring , Richard Whitmore and Peter Woods. Script EDDIE BRABEN Choreography ERNEST MAXIN
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.
Highlights from some of the Morecambe and Wise Christmas Shows, introduced by Ernie Wise.
Featuring highlights from some of the most successful shows made by one of the greatest comedy duos of all time. Guest stars are Tom Jones, Des O'Connor, Cliff Richard and Diana Rigg.
Michael Parkinson looks back at his 1972 interview with comedy duo Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise, which sees the pair speaking about their pasts, their heroes and their friendship.
Guests: Sid Green, Dick Hills, Georgia Brown, Los Zafiros Sketches: Topical jokes. Old Mexican love song. Gibberish
Guests: Sid Green, Dick Hills, Acker Bilk, Roy Budd Sketches: Miming, Bodgers and Hammerhead. Booboo the stripper.
Guests: Sid Green, Dick Hills, Trio Athinee, Paper Dolls Sketches: Party at Harpenden, Boxing, Nudist camp
Guests: Sid Green, Dick Hills, Bruce Forsyth, Kenny Ball Sketches: Bruce Forsyth and the Commissionaries, Backing for Bruce
Guests: Sid Green, Dick Hills, Ronnie Carroll, Kenny Ball Sketches: Instant camera, Irish sketch, Old Donegal
Guests: Sid Green, Dick Hills, Edmund Hockridge, Kenny Ball Sketches: Teaching Eric golf, Shadowgraphs, The Desert Song
Guests: Sid Green, Dick Hills, Michael Aspel, Chris Langford, Kenny Ball Sketches: Sailing around the world, Eric and the pools, Hollywood musical
Guests: Sid Green, Dick Hills, Matt Munro, Kenny Ball Sketches: Wrong trousers, Road to Gateshead
Robin Catbush and Phyliss Ludicrous Table Tennis Lady Doctor Tortoise after hibernation Monks Frankie Vaughan Peter Cushing is King Arthur in the Ernie Wise play "Knights Of The Round Table".
Ernie's unseen facet Monks ice cream Crisps in bed Leaving the cinema Richard Wagner at work Elgar at work Birdwatching Complete works of Shakespeare
Palm reading Monks cutting wood Ern's Au Pair Marlene Deiatric tribute Rosie Morecambe and Fanny Wise Juliet Mills stars in the Ernie Wise play "The Tea Planter's Wife"
Lucky talisman Monks at the organ In the drawers of the flat Monks Hoopla Peter Cushing wants paying Danny La Rue unfrocked Monks down with drink Edward Woodward stars as the policeman in the Ernie Wise play "Murder at the Grange"
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
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
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
André Previn, Magnús Magnússon, 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
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
