Little - Remenbered Comedy Shows

[beanheadmcginty]

No one mentions Surgical Spirit these days, despite it running for SEVEN series.

[j_u_d_a_s]

Alfresco - With big names like Fry and Laurie, Robbie Coltrane, Ben Elton, and Emma Thompson, you'd think this sketch show would have made more of an impact. Or, at least brought up with reference to the cast's background.

I think I must have caught it on repeat, because I remember seeing it late 80s/early 90s, rather than it's early 80s original airing.

The first series is an alltimer imo. Has kind of odd, nocturnal atmosphere throughout (and one of the greatest intros of the decade if you ask me). Second series is an odd beast, an attempt at doing big broad comedy that doesn't quite work. Always been a fan of the three pilots they did that were broadcast as There's Nothing to Worry About. Each episode has a totally different structure and feel but a great example of how not just the cast but the production company were willing to experiment (although perhaps sometimes to a shows detriment). And the production values for a new comedy troupe are really impressive, maybe following in the wake of Not the 9 O'Clock News and Granada were hoping to ride on the alternative comedy boom?

One of the most unappreciated sketch shows of all time, Canadian sketch group The Frantics TV show Four on the Floor. Shown on Channel 4 at some ridiculous hour on a Friday over here, there's an obvious Monty Python influence running throughout. Some really snappy sketches and excellent songs plus really interesting direction. Apparently the director came from doing music videos and you can see it throughout.

[Icehaven]

One of the most unappreciated sketch shows of all time, Canadian sketch group The Frantics TV show Four on the Floor. Shown on Channel 4 at some ridiculous hour on a Friday over here, there's an obvious Monty Python influence running throughout. Some really snappy sketches and excellent songs plus really interesting direction. Apparently the director came from doing music videos and you can see it throughout.

I've not seen it but I think it got a few mentions in the Kids In  The Hall book as they were near contemporaries and influenced them a lot by the sounds of it.

[kalowski]

Alfresco - With big names like Fry and Laurie, Robbie Coltrane, Ben Elton, and Emma Thompson, you'd think this sketch show would have made more of an impact. Or, at least brought up with reference to the cast's background.

I think I must have caught it on repeat, because I remember seeing it late 80s/early 90s, rather than it's early 80s original airing.

Loved it. I remember two series, one set in the Pretend Pub (with pretend barman Bob).
I often use Hugh Laurie's line "You can prove anything with facts."

[JaDanketies]

I often use Hugh Laurie's line "You can prove anything with facts."

Wonder if The Simpsons pinched it?

Homer: Facts are meaningless. You can use facts to prove anything even remotely true. Facts schmacts.

[Billy]

Speaking of Scottish comedy, City Lights was massive here but I've no idea how it fared south of the Border, and featured a lot of Scotland's best comic actors. It started as a mildly-amusing middle-class Glaswegian workplace comedy with Gerard Kelly, Jonathan Watson, and Dave Anderson's shiny pate, but seemed to find it was funnier having cliched Glaswegian drunks played by the likes of Andy Gray; I'm sure Elaine C Smith was in it, and possibly Gregor Fisher.

I had the pleasure of seeing Gerard Kelly live at this panto as a kid back in 1995, I was visiting some family in Aberdeen and had no idea who anyone was (the programme referenced such shows as Take The High Road, Mega Mag and the aforementioned City Lights that mystified me as a Londoner) but it was enjoyable stuff.



Bit depressing that the main two stars of that are already no longer with us.

No one mentions Surgical Spirit these days, despite it running for SEVEN series.

Made a random reappearance in commuting life in the late 2000s when they refurbished one of the main London train stations (Euston or Kings Cross) and a massive old poster advertising it got revealed for a few days while they replaced the wall tiles.

[Hand Solo]

Loved it. I remember two series, one set in the Pretend Pub (with pretend barman Bob).
I often use Hugh Laurie's line "You can prove anything with facts."

Stew-pot Lee uses that as from a real counter-argument in a conversation with a cab driver, doesn't he?

[kalowski]

Stew-pot Lee uses that as from a real counter-argument in a conversation with a cab driver, doesn't he?

I think so. I definitely remember the line from Alfresco. Also "That's sick, that is!"
"What is?"
"That orangey carrot stuff on the floor."

[Gulftastic]

Does anyone remember Watch This Space? Not the kids sci-fi comedy of the same name, I'm referring to a BBC comedy from 1980, set in an advertising agency. One series, and done. I can recall one episode was about branding a new washing up liquid, and someone came up with the idea of calling it WUL (Washing Up Liquid). To this day I refer to the stuff as WUL.
Oh yes. Magnus Pyke turned up to star in the commercial they made.

Stared Christopher Biggins, Liza Goddard, and Peter Blake.

I think I remember that one. I'm sure they made an advert for a product called 'Barbi-mate' which involved a bloke saying 'Barbecue with barbi-mate, followed by a small group of singers repeating it as a jingle, much to his chagrin.'

[paruses]

Was there a Carla Lane sitcom starring Prunella Scales? 

After Henry is the Prunella Scales sitcom that springs to. Mind for some reason despite the fact I can literally only remember her standing in a book shop. The others in my mental image date it to long before Men Behaving Badly though. I think at the time I only knew her from Fawlty Towers so obvs was disappointed and confused. (and not very old).

Dissolute ocelot said Lame Ducks was reminiscent of Carla Lane - that's who I thought might have written it.

I have a friend who hates her stuff so much that whenever it's mentioned he first asks "is she still dead?"

[Jockice]

After Henry is the Prunella Scales sitcom that springs to. Mind for some reason despite the fact I can literally only remember her standing in a book shop. The others in my mental image date it to long before Men Behaving Badly though. I think at the time I only knew her from Fawlty Towers so obvs was disappointed and confused. (and not very old).

Dissolute ocelot said Lame Ducks was reminiscent of Carla Lane - that's who I thought might have written it.

I have a friend who hates her stuff so much that whenever it's mentioned he first asks "is she still dead?"

it was called Searching. Search me. Although I have done my research. All I can remember is that it was on at the same time as Men Behaving Badly. Which I switched over to as soon as I realised that was what Iain next door was laughing at.

https://www.comedy.co.uk/tv/searching/

[paruses]

it was called Searching. Search me. Although I have done my research. All I can remember is that it was on at the same time as Men Behaving Badly. Which I switched over to as soon as I realised that was what Iain next door was laughing at.

https://www.comedy.co.uk/tv/searching/

"Carla Lane sitcom starring Prunella Scales as the head of Sunfield Voluntary Therapy Centre, a place for young women with special psychological needs"

I think I would like to watch one and exactly one episode of that.

[Phil_A]

How about Nice Day At The Office starring Timothy Spall, John Sessions and David Haig, co-written by Paul Shearer of "being one of the other actors on the Fast Show that no-one ever mentions" fame? Six episodes in 1994, never mentioned again. Workplace comedy with a slightly off-beat (for BBC1 at the time) feel to it.

Not so much little-remembered as not actually seen by anyone ever, but I'm become increasingly certain that Richard Blackwood vehicle Ed Stone Is Dead was completely invented by Blackwood's agent to fill out his CV, as there appears to be no-one who can verify it's existence or tell you anything about it another than the basic premise that Richard Blackwood plays a zombie. Even the usually reliable British Comedy Guide doesn't a synopsis for any episodes past the pilot.

https://www.comedy.co.uk/tv/ed_stone_is_dead/episodes/

[DrGreggles]

'Ghostbusters of East Finchley' from the mid 90s.

I remember nothing about it, but it just popped into my head.

[paruses]

Not so much little-remembered as not actually seen by anyone ever, but I'm become increasingly certain that Richard Blackwood vehicle Ed Stone Is Dead was completely invented by Blackwood's agent to fill out his CV, as there appears to be no-one who can verify it's existence or tell you anything about it another than the basic premise that Richard Blackwood plays a zombie. Even the usually reliable British Comedy Guide doesn't a synopsis for any episodes past the pilot.

https://www.comedy.co.uk/tv/ed_stone_is_dead/episodes/

I was going to mention that but then wondered if it counted or was just an insert in T4 as I do remember it but as a sort of dream; I think I saw a few bits of a few episodes early-ish on a Sunday morning.

Hadn't realised he was a zombie but I think the premise was that he couldn't leave his flat. Not sure why being a zombie or even a ghost prohibits that. There were a couple of friends who came round for some reason. A bit like Game On.

[paruses]

Also - why did Richard Blackwood die on his arse? He was meant to be the next big thing at one point and then nothing happened.

Richard Blackwood - whatwerealltha'abouteh?

[non capisco]

'Morris Minor's Marvellous Motors', because what viewers were hollering for in 1989 was a sitcom featuring those jeb ends that had a top 40 hit with an unfunny Beastie Boys parody two years ago. It was those three tits but they were car mechanics now and that's all I can give you. I remember the theme song went 'Morris Minor, gets you from A to B, nothing finer....' then I think my mum switched channels.

[DrGreggles]

'Morris Minor's Marvellous Motors', because what viewers were hollering for in 1989 was a sitcom featuring those jeb ends that had a top 40 hit with an unfunny Beastie Boys parody two years ago. It was those three tits but they were car mechanics now and that's all I can give you. I remember the theme song went 'Morris Minor, gets you from A to B, nothing finer....' then I think my mum switched channels.

Andy Serkis was one of them!

Their stab at a follow up hit (one which was less likely to cause the then stuttering little Greggles to be bullied at school), 'This Is The Chorus', was a genuinely good Stock, Aitken & Waterman parody.
Obviously it died on its arse.

[Phil_A]

Also - why did Richard Blackwood die on his arse? He was meant to be the next big thing at one point and then nothing happened.

Richard Blackwood - whatwerealltha'abouteh?

Short version is he had an agent who told him he could break him in America, but that he to completely clear his schedule in the UK so he wouldn't miss all the amazing stuff he was going to get offered. So he didn't do any work for about year, and then failed to get any American gigs either so he was totally fucked and ended up losing pretty much everything.

So basically a combination of probably being a bit naïve about the business and just getting terrible advice.

[Operty1]

A few comedy scraps clogging the deep fat fryer of my brain made me YouTube the following with the whispiest of whisps of comedy nostalgia

Up the elephant and round the castle - Jim Davidson, fucking horrific, YouTube comments seem to be liking this to Not Going Out, not sure if ironic.

Fresh/French Fields, i watched this as a kid but remember nothing about it. Watched a snippet of an episode called Middle Aged Dread, and people in comments complaining that a few seconds were cut where somebody had done a nazi salute. Quite how anybody remembers that I don't know? Even Fresh Fields has its hardcore fans.

A bit of a do, probably watched this because of David Jason and liking OFAH, not sure if this is a comedy or drama, skipped through an episode, nothing stood out.

All my little remembered comedy shows, none of which I'll ever revisit in my life ever again.

[Operty1]

2 more have just swirled to the surface. Jo Brand Like It Or Lump It. A series about backstage happenings on a tour with Jo Brand intercut with her stand up. The backstage story bits seemed adlibbed I think? The only thing I remember of this series was the Ricky Grover character telling another character (Malcolm Hardee?) that he had received a phone call saying that Malcolm's mother had died (she hadn't it was a joke) and Jo Brand pissing herself laughing at it. I may be wrong with bits of that, but I do remember thinking 'that's not funny'.

Noble and Silver, Get Off Me. I think this was ad-libbed to? Didn't like this, can't remember why.

[AnOrdinaryBoy]

Shoot The Writers

A late-night sketch show on ITV around 2004-05 in which budding sketch writers would send in scripts and they would be performed by the cast in a low-to-no-budget style. The writers who entered it would also send in little self-introductory videos prior to their sketches being aired. There might have been a viewer poll to determine a winner at the end of the series, but that's conjecture as I have little memory of the show.

[Blumf]

Packet of Three (later, Packing Them In), some early 90s thing that had Frank Skinner, Jenny Eclair, and Kevin Eldon. I remember it existed, and watching it, but not much more than that.

Kevin Eldon seems to be in lots of stuff that never quiet breaks through (except with us comedy spods) : Blue Heaven, Attention Scum, World of Pub, 15 Storeys High, I Am Not an Animal, Popetown, Hyperdrive, 1 Non Blonde, and It's Kevin.

(also, according to IMDB, he was in Fahrenheit 451!!!)

[Menu]

A few comedy scraps clogging the deep fat fryer of my brain made me YouTube the following with the whispiest of whisps of comedy nostalgia

Up the elephant and round the castle - Jim Davidson, fucking horrific, YouTube comments seem to be liking this to Not Going Out, not sure if ironic.

Fresh/French Fields, i watched this as a kid but remember nothing about it. Watched a snippet of an episode called Middle Aged Dread, and people in comments complaining that a few seconds were cut where somebody had done a nazi salute. Quite how anybody remembers that I don't know? Even Fresh Fields has its hardcore fans.

A bit of a do, probably watched this because of David Jason and liking OFAH, not sure if this is a comedy or drama, skipped through an episode, nothing stood out.

All my little remembered comedy shows, none of which I'll ever revisit in my life ever again.

A Bit Of A Do was really good. David Nobbs. Possibly went on a season too long but the first few were brilliant. Had the David Nobbs signature style - in which the episodes all seemed to have the same template and the characters maybe had their idiosyncratic stock phrases but there was a lot going on beneath the surface. I think it was quite sexy too. But maybe that's the 12 year old inside me. Pardon?

[jamiefairlie]

Dissolute ocelot said Lame Ducks was reminiscent of Carla Lane - that's who I thought might have written it.

I have a friend who hates her stuff so much that whenever it's mentioned he first asks "is she still dead?"

"Come on into my world, where everything is done without Carla Lane"

[kalowski]

When I was young my parents used to enjoy a David Jason vehicle called A Sharp Intake of Breath. I've never seen it and it doesn't seem to have garnered many repeats.

[Lisa Jesusandmarychain]

When I was young my parents used to enjoy a David Jason vehicle called A Sharp Intake of Breath. I've never seen it and it doesn't seem to have garnered many repeats.

That red haired woman who was in the filmed sketches on Dave Allen At Large, Jaqui somebody ( can't be arsed googling), and was on just about every other comedy series of the time was the Pre- Del Boy missus, and Alun " No, I'm * not* Peter Postlethwaite, fuck off" Armstrong played a different recalcitrant workman character ( who would usually take the titular sharp intake of breath) every week. Moderately amusing, at least to the 11 year old Lisa at the time.

[Lisa Jesusandmarychain]

Was Menu ' s " pardon?" at the end of their last post referring to top quirky Northern character populated sit- com I Didn't Know You Cared ? ' ( featuring the young Stephen " No, I'm Not A More Serious Version Of Rowland Rivron, Fuck Off" Rea as Carter Brandon, at least in the first two series) cos that was written by Peter Tinniswoood.

[Alternative Carpark]

Father Charlie? Lionel Jeffries as a worldly, wily monk stationed at a nunnery with a very starchy humourless Mother Superior - Anna Quayle - who obviously disapproved of him and thought him a bad influence on the other nuns. Circa 1982. Not sure anyone else remembers that one.

Union Castle, with Stratford Johns, Moray Watson and Wanda Ventham, Johns playing a trade union rep who'd come into money and lived in a castle somewhere. Also about 1982.

That red haired woman who was in the filmed sketches on Dave Allen At Large, Jaqui somebody ( can't be arsed googling), and was on just about every other comedy series of the time was the Pre- Del Boy missus

Jacqueline Clarke.

[Lisa Jesusandmarychain]

Union Castle, with Stratford Johns, Moray Watson and Wanda Ventham, Johns playing a trade union rep who'd come into money and lived in a castle somewhere. Also about 1982.

Jacqueline Clarke.

I really must track that comedy series down. Can any long memoried reader name the cult 70s comedy series in which La Ventham made a one- off appearance?

Jacqueline Carke in the 70s was the female comedy appearance version of Nick Wilton in the 80s.