Morecambe & Wise Show (1978) Episodes

The Morecambe & Wise Show (1978) is generally considered as the output of Morecambe & Wise after they parted company with the BBC

BBC

The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...

following their record-breaking 1977 Christmas Show.

Special 1978

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

BBC

shows had been, but with adverts. This opened with an amusing sequence whereby a lorry with a BBC

BBC

logo emblazoned on its side, appears at Thames Television

Thames Television

Thames Television was a licensee of the British ITV television network, covering London and parts of the surrounding counties on weekdays from 30 July 1968 until 31 December 1992....

's studios, the back doors are flung open, and Eric Morecambe

Eric Morecambe

John Eric Bartholomew OBE , known by his stage name Eric Morecambe, was an English comedian who together with Ernie Wise formed the award-winning double act Morecambe and Wise. The partnership lasted from 1941 until Morecambe's death of a heart attack in 1984...

and Ernie Wise

Ernie Wise

Ernest Wiseman OBE , known by his stage name Ernie Wise, was an English comedian, best known as one half of the comedy duo Morecambe and Wise, who became an institution on British television, especially for their Christmas specials.-Career:Ernest Wiseman was the eldest of five children, and changed...

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

Eddie Braben

Eddie Braben is a comedy writer and performer who has provided material for such figures as David Frost and Ronnie Corbett, and who is most famous for having written for Ken Dodd and Morecambe and Wise....

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. There is also a brilliant pet shop sketch with the memorable will he come out for a bit of kit kat? line, itself a nod to the fact the duo were now on commercial television. Overall, this is a pretty strong performance and is now available on DVD as part of a Thames TV set released in March 2008.

Broadcast: 18 October 1978

Guests: Donald Sinden

Donald Sinden

Sir Donald Alfred Sinden CBE is an English actor of theatre, film and television.-Personal life:Sinden was born in Plymouth, Devon, England, on 9 October 1923. The son of Alfred Edward Sinden and his wife Mabel Agnes , he grew up in the Sussex village of Ditchling, where their home doubled as the...

, Judi Dench

Judi Dench

Dame Judith Olivia "Judi" Dench, CH, DBE, FRSA is an English film, stage and television actress.Dench made her professional debut in 1957 with the Old Vic Company. Over the following few years she played in several of William Shakespeare's plays in such roles as Ophelia in Hamlet, Juliet in Romeo...

, Leonard Sachs

Leonard Sachs

Leonard Sachs was a British actor.-Early life and career:Sachs was born in South Africa in the town of Roodepoort, Transvaal...

, Peter Cushing

Peter Cushing

Peter Wilton Cushing, OBE was an English actor, known for his many appearances in Hammer Films, in which he played the handsome but sinister scientist Baron Frankenstein and the vampire hunter Dr. Van Helsing, amongst many other roles, often appearing opposite Christopher Lee, and occasionally...

, Derek Griffiths

Derek Griffiths

Derek Griffiths is a British actor who appeared in numerous British children's television series in the 1960s to 1980s and more recently has played parts in TV drama.- Career :...

, Syd Lawrence

Syd Lawrence

Syd Lawrence , was a British bandleader from Chester, England, who became famous in the UK for his orchestra's Big Band sound, which drew on the 1940s style of music of Glenn Miller and Count Basie amongst others....

, Ann Hamilton

Ann Hamilton (British actress)

Ann Hamilton is an English actress.Hamilton is known for her appearances on both incarnations of the Morecambe & Wise Show .-External links:*...

"Eric & Ernie's Xmas Show" 1978

The eyes of nation were waiting for their favourite double-act to deliver the goods having defected from the BBC

BBC

and they were not disappointed. With a strong line-up of guest stars, notably Leonard Rossiter

Leonard Rossiter

Leonard Rossiter was an English actor known for his roles as Rupert Rigsby, in the British comedy television series Rising Damp , and Reginald Iolanthe Perrin, in The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin...

fresh from success in The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin

The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin

The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin is a series of novels which developed into a British sitcom starring Leonard Rossiter in the title role...

who provided the third Andrews Sister (!) in a Fabulous Forties segment and a spoof This Is Your Life with the Royal Family opening the show the only let down was the fact that the press had leaked the fact that recently-resigned Prime Minister Harold Wilson

Harold Wilson

James Harold Wilson, Baron Wilson of Rievaulx, KG, OBE, FRS, FSS, PC was a British Labour Member of Parliament, Leader of the Labour Party. He was twice Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during the 1960s and 1970s, winning four general elections, including a minority government after the...

was to appear. The show was a success nonetheless but would have been more so if the appearance of the ex-premier had been kept quiet. There is one particularly amusing incident when Wilson manages to upset Morecambe who disappears to the back of the flat, returning with a Maggie Rules O.K. banner, a reference to Margaret Thatcher

Margaret Thatcher

Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...

who would soon become Prime Minister the following year.

Broadcast: 25 December 1978

Guests: Leonard Rossiter

Leonard Rossiter

, Frank Finlay

Frank Finlay

Francis Finlay, CBE is an English stage, film and television actor.-Personal life:Finlay was born in Farnworth, Lancashire, the son of Margaret and Josiah Finlay, a butcher. A devout Catholic, he belongs to the British Catholic Stage Guild. He was educated at St...

, Sir Harold Wilson, Eamonn Andrews

Eamonn Andrews

Eamonn Andrews, CBE , was an Irish television presenter based in the United Kingdom.-Life and career:...

"Christmas With Eric & Ernie" 1979

This was the only television programme the duo made in this year, with Morecambe's heart attack ensuing a lull in their activities. To a certain extent, the duo's output was seen to be "playing it safe" by bringing back safe and established guest stars and this edition saw the return of actress Glenda Jackson

Glenda Jackson

Glenda May Jackson, CBE is a British Labour Party politician and former actress. She has been a Member of Parliament since 1992, and currently represents Hampstead and Kilburn. She previously served as MP for Hampstead and Highgate...

and the inevitable Des O'Connor

Des O'Connor

Des O'Connor, CBE is an English comedian and singer. A former talkshow host, he was the presenter of the long-running Channel 4 gameshow Countdown for two years...

as well as newcomer to the show, David Frost

David Frost

Sir David Frost is a British broadcaster.David Frost may also refer to:*David Frost , South African golfer*David Frost , classical record producer*David Frost *Dave Frost, baseball pitcher...

who interviewed the duo about their long career. The show was more of an interview on the whole, but there was some newly-made material, the stand-out section being a mimed version of the novelty song I Tawt I Taw A Puddy Tat with Morecambe as the mischievous Sylvester the cat and Wise as Tweety Pie. Harking back to the duo's previous incarnation at the BBC

BBC

the programme also featured Arthur Tolcher

Arthur Tolcher

Arthur Tolcher , born Arthur John Stone-Tolcher in Bloxwich, Staffordshire, England, was a virtuoso British harmonica player and child star who started his career in the British Music halls in the 1930s. He appeared at the London Palladium at 15 and was an early friend and colleague of Morecambe...

(not now, Arthur!) and Janet Webb

Janet Webb

Janet Webb was an English actress. Born on 1 July 1930 as Janet Patricia Webster in Liverpool, she was most famous for appearing on The Morecambe & Wise Show where she made anonymous appearances and came to be known as "the lady who comes down at the end", first appearing in a non-speaking part...

who had appeared at the end of their show ten years previously as "the lady who comes down at the end. The show played heavily on the pair's previous success with their festive programmes, and further cemented their relationship with the viewing public by appearing despite Morecambe's poor health. As a joke on his recent heart by-pass operation, Morecambe was not permitted to descend the staircase in the studio and this duty was performed by Garfield Morgan

Garfield Morgan

Garfield Morgan was an English actor who appeared mostly on TV and occasionally in films.Born in Birmingham, Morgan was apprenticed as a dental mechanic before going to drama school. He started his acting career with the Arena Theatre, Birmingham...

. However, when Morecambe did appear, he ran up and down the same staircase several times to prove his fitness. When united with Wise the pair embraced and stated how good it was to be back together again. They returned to form the following year with another full series, their first since 1976.

Broadcast: 25 December 1979

Guests: David Frost

David Frost

Sir David Frost is a British broadcaster.David Frost may also refer to:*David Frost , South African golfer*David Frost , classical record producer*David Frost *Dave Frost, baseball pitcher...

, Glenda Jackson

Glenda Jackson

, Des O'Connor

Des O'Connor

Des O'Connor, CBE is an English comedian and singer. A former talkshow host, he was the presenter of the long-running Channel 4 gameshow Countdown for two years...

, Garfield Morgan

Garfield Morgan

, Janet Webb

Janet Webb

, Arthur Tolcher

Arthur Tolcher

Series One (1980)

Sources conflict as to the structure of the output of the double-act during their time at Thames Television

Thames Television

Thames Television was a licensee of the British ITV television network, covering London and parts of the surrounding counties on weekdays from 30 July 1968 until 31 December 1992....

, one of the reasons they had chosen to part company with the BBC

BBC

has been the stress of multiple shows, and the offer of making films via Euston Films

Euston Films

Euston Films was a British film and television production company. It was a subsidiary company of Thames Television, and operated from the 1970s to the 1990s, producing various series for Thames, which were screened nationally on the ITV network...

, Thames film-making branch had been another factor. This is at odds with a statement made by Bill Cotton, Jr, who had agreed with Morecambe & Wise that if they remained at the BBC, they could make as many or as few shows as they chose; for the same payment! No series had been made in 1978 or 1979 (Eric's heart problems were also a contributing factor to this however) but in 1980 work began on a further series. Often listed as occasional specials in a similar vein to the work by their contemporary Benny Hill

Benny Hill

Benny Hill was an English comedian and actor, notable for his long-running television programme The Benny Hill Show.-Early life:...

(Hill generally made four hour-long specials a year) these shows were shown in a generally consistent order and can therefore be considered as series rather than specials. However, whereas the BBC shows were a continuous fifty minutes of entertainment, these shows were half-hour format with advert breaks making them easily under half the length of the previous shows. Some elements were retained from their time with the BBC, notably the in-joke of Peter Cushing

Peter Cushing

not being paid for over a decade, and some good material was used, such as Hannah Gordon

Hannah Gordon

Hannah Cambell Grant Gordon is a Scottish actress who is well known in the United Kingdom for her television work, including Upstairs, Downstairs, Telford's Change, My Wife Next Door, Joint Account and an appearance in the final episode of One Foot in the Grave.-Early life:Gordon was born in...

's rendition of the Banana Boat Song and the flat sketch with Ernie's supposed au-pair and appearances by Alec Guinness

Alec Guinness

Sir Alec Guinness, CH, CBE was an English actor. He was featured in several of the Ealing Comedies, including Kind Hearts and Coronets in which he played eight different characters. He later won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role as Colonel Nicholson in The Bridge on the River Kwai...

and Peter Barkworth

Peter Barkworth

Peter Wynn Barkworth was an English actor.-Early life:Peter Barkworth was born at Margate, Kent. Soon after his birth, the family moved to Bramhall in Cheshire and Barkworth was educated at Stockport School. His headmaster wanted him to go to university but Barkworth had set his heart on a career...

. There were, however still re-hashes of BBC

BBC

material such as the visit of the fellow writer to the flat (this time Hugh Paddick

Hugh Paddick

Hugh William Paddick was an English actor, whose most notable role was in the 1960s BBC radio show Round the Horne in sketches such as Charles and Fiona and Julian and Sandy...

does the honours), the legionnaires sketch and another This Is Your Life Parody. This series, together with the first four specials, were released on DVD in March 2008. This has given fans a chance to reappraise the beginning of the Thames era; indeed, most of these programmes have fine moments and the production values are just as high as those of the BBC, and the duo appear to have been unfairly treated for their later output. This can possibly be attributed to the lack of repeat showings of these programmes, and heavy edits of any repeated shows.

Episode One

Broadcast: 3 September 1980

Content: the sketch featuring Terry Wogan

Terry Wogan

Sir Michael Terence Wogan, KBE, DL , or also known as Terry Wogan, is a veteran Irish radio and television broadcaster who holds dual Irish and British citizenship. Wogan has worked for the BBC in the United Kingdom for most of his career...

is largely a re-hash of a routine done with Cliff Richard

Cliff Richard

Sir Cliff Richard, OBE is a British pop singer, musician, performer, actor, and philanthropist who has sold over an estimated 250 million records worldwide....

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.

Episode Two

Broadcast: 10 September 1980

Content: the sequence that features Hannah Gordon

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

Hugh Paddick

Hugh William Paddick was an English actor, whose most notable role was in the 1960s BBC radio show Round the Horne in sketches such as Charles and Fiona and Julian and Sandy...

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.

Episode Three

Broadcast: 17the September 1980

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

Anthony Chinn

Anthony Chinn , the child of Chinese and Brazilian parents, was a supporting actor who appeared in over fifty films and television shows throughout a career which spanned more than four decades. His first film appearance was in the UK in 1957 when he was 27...

, Raymond Mason and Fiesta Mei Ling also star.

Episode Four

Broadcast: 24 September 1980

Contents: Deryck Guyler

Deryck Guyler

Deryck Guyler was an English actor, best known for his portrayal of officious, short-tempered middle-aged men in sitcoms such as Please Sir! and Sykes.-Early life:...

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

Gerald Case

-Selected filmography:* Museum Mystery * The Lion Has Wings * In Which We Serve * Jean's Plan * Night Boat to Dublin * Horrors of the Black Museum * Vampyres * The Elephant Man...

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.

Episode Five

Broadcast: 1 October 1980

Contents: With further reworkings from the BBC era Suzanne Danielle

Suzanne Danielle

Suzanne Danielle is an English film and television actress, the wife of the golfer Sam Torrance.Danielle is a stage name; while growing up she was Suzanne Morris.-Career:...

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

Tessa Wyatt

Tessa Wyatt is an English actress who first came to the public spotlight through her marriage to Tony Blackburn. She later starred in the sitcom Robin's Nest.-Early life:...

appear and she also performs the final song with Wise, whilst Morecambe again disappears only to re-appear and disrupt the proceedings.

Episode Six

Broadcast: 8 October 1980

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

Gemma Craven

Gemma Craven is an award-winning Irish actress.She is possibly best known for her role in the Irish TV drama The Clinic as Dr...

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.

Christmas With Morecambe & Wise 1980

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

Henry Cooper (boxer)

Sir Henry Cooper OBE KSG was an English heavyweight boxer known for the effectiveness of his left hook, "Enry's 'Ammer", and his knockdown of the young Muhammad Ali...

in a re-worked sketch, Jill Gascoigne visits the duo for dinner (previously Ann Hamilton

Ann Hamilton (British actress)

Ann Hamilton is an English actress.Hamilton is known for her appearances on both incarnations of the Morecambe & Wise Show .-External links:*...

had appeared in this sketch), a new Rolf Harris

Rolf Harris

Rolf Harris, CBE, AM is an Australian musician, singer-songwriter, composer, painter and television personality.Born in Perth, Western Australia, Harris was a champion swimmer before studying art. He moved to England in 1952, where he started to appear on television programmes on which he drew the...

sketch also features, Alec Guinness

Alec Guinness

is the doctor who sees two as one, and Peter Barkworth

Peter Barkworth

provides the butt for jokes in the Ernie Wise's Hamlet skit at the end. Some the reused material works very well; the timing in the Xmas dinner sketch is particularly strong with both Morecambe and Wise on top form. The Show closed with the signature tune Bring Me Sunshine. Overall, this Xmas show had some excellent moments but suffered from being a bit flat at times.

Broadcast: 25 December 1980

Guests: Peter Barkworth

Peter Barkworth

, Glenda Jackson

Glenda Jackson

, Jill Gascoigne, Hannah Gordon

Hannah Gordon

, Peter Cushing

Peter Cushing

, Alec Guinness

Alec Guinness

, Peter Vaughan

Peter Vaughan

Peter Vaughan is an English character actor, known for many supporting roles in a variety of British film and television productions. He has worked extensively on the stage, becoming known for roles such as police inspectors, Soviet agents and similar parts...

, Gemma Craven

Gemma Craven

Gemma Craven is an award-winning Irish actress.She is possibly best known for her role in the Irish TV drama The Clinic as Dr...

Series Two (1981)

Following the seasonal special a further series (or occasional specials) were produced and these still featured re-used ideas from the BBC

BBC

era; one thing to be said in defence of this action was that some of the re-used material was over ten years old and this was before the age of home-recording so many of the routines would be possibly forgotten. Highlights from this series include the return of The Connoisseurs who discuss British Rail's catering expertise, the pet shop sketch, miracle hair restore and Ern's bath time. Peter Bowles

Peter Bowles

-Early life:Bowles was born in London, England, the son of Sarah Jane and Herbert Reginald Bowles. His father was a chauffeur and butler at a stately home in Warwickshire; but, upon the outbreak of World War II, he was seconded to work as an engineer at Rolls-Royce and moved the family to Nottingham...

appeared in a re-done doctor's sketch and Suzanne Danielle

Suzanne Danielle

Suzanne Danielle is an English film and television actress, the wife of the golfer Sam Torrance.Danielle is a stage name; while growing up she was Suzanne Morris.-Career:...

joined the duo in their own interpretation of All That Jazz, the final episode featured Ern's production of The Barretts Of Wimpole Street starring Joanna Lumley

Joanna Lumley

Joanna Lamond Lumley, OBE, FRGS is a British actress, voice-over artist, former-model and author, best known for her roles in British television series Absolutely Fabulous portraying Edina Monsoon's best friend, Patsy Stone, as well as parts in The New Avengers, Sapphire & Steel, and Sensitive...

Episode Two

Broadcast: 8 September 1981

Guests: Richard Vernon

Richard Vernon

Richard Vernon was a British actor. He appeared in many feature films and television programmes, often in aristocratic or supercilious roles...

, Max Bygraves

Max Bygraves

Max Bygraves OBE is an English comedian, singer, actor and variety performer. He appeared on his own television shows, sometimes performing comedy sketches between songs...

Episode Four

Broadcast: 22 September 1981

Guests: Hannah Gordon

Hannah Gordon

, George Chisholm

George Chisholm (musician)

George Chisholm OBE was a Scottish jazz trombonist.Born in Glasgow to a family of musicians, Chisholm's musical career began in the Glasgow Playhouse orchestra. In the late 1930s he moved to London, where he played in dance bands led by Bert Ambrose and Teddy Joyce...

, Richard Vernon

Richard Vernon

Richard Vernon was a British actor. He appeared in many feature films and television programmes, often in aristocratic or supercilious roles...

Episode Five

Broadcast: 29 September 1981

Guests: Peter Bowles

Peter Bowles

, Suzanne Danielle

Suzanne Danielle

Suzanne Danielle is an English film and television actress, the wife of the golfer Sam Torrance.Danielle is a stage name; while growing up she was Suzanne Morris.-Career:...

Episode Six

Broadcast: 6 October 1981

Guests: Robert Hardy

Robert Hardy

Timothy Sydney Robert Hardy, CBE, FSA is an English actor with a long career in the theatre, film and television. He is also an acknowledged expert on the longbow.-Early life:...

, Ian Ogilvy

Ian Ogilvy

Ian Raymond Ogilvy is an English film and television actor.-Early life:He was born in Woking, Surrey, England, the son of advertising executive Francis Ogilvy and actress Aileen Raymond .He was educated at Sunningdale School, Eton College and at the Royal Academy of...

, Kay Korda

Episode Seven

Broadcast: 13 October 1981

Guests: Joanna Lumley

Joanna Lumley

, Richard Vernon

Richard Vernon

Richard Vernon was a British actor. He appeared in many feature films and television programmes, often in aristocratic or supercilious roles...

Christmas Show 1981

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

Ralph Richardson

Sir Ralph David Richardson was an English actor, one of a group of theatrical knights of the mid-20th century who, though more closely associated with the stage, also appeared in several classic films....

heading up a stellar list, Suzanne Danielle

Suzanne Danielle

Suzanne Danielle is an English film and television actress, the wife of the golfer Sam Torrance.Danielle is a stage name; while growing up she was Suzanne Morris.-Career:...

doing a Razzle Dazzle routine with the boys, a re-hash of the BBC

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

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. This show had more energy than the previous Xmas special and was something of a return to form. However, the re-using of old material was again evident and Morecambe, in particular, was unhappy at this. Indeed, he does respond better to the new material and these provide the real gems in this special.

Broadcast: 23 December 1981

Guests: Ralph Richardson

Ralph Richardson

, Robert Hardy

Robert Hardy

Timothy Sydney Robert Hardy, CBE, FSA is an English actor with a long career in the theatre, film and television. He is also an acknowledged expert on the longbow.-Early life:...

, Ian Ogilvy

Ian Ogilvy

, Susannah York

Susannah York

Susannah York was a British film, stage and television actress. She was awarded a BAFTA as Best Supporting Actress for They Shoot Horses, Don't They? and was nominated for an Oscar and Golden Globe for the same film. She won best actress for Images at the 1972 Cannes Film Festival...

, Alvin Stardust

Alvin Stardust

Alvin Stardust is an English pop singer and stage actor.-Career:...

, Suzanne Danielle

Suzanne Danielle

Suzanne Danielle is an English film and television actress, the wife of the golfer Sam Torrance.Danielle is a stage name; while growing up she was Suzanne Morris.-Career:...

Series Three (1982)

By the time the third series was made Eddie Braben

Eddie Braben

had returned to the fold since 1980, but the productions still lacked the spark of the BBC

BBC

shows, due in part to Morecambe's failing health; a reworking of the classic "claiming benefit for sixteen children" featured in the first show, and the play Captain Blood with Richard Briers

Richard Briers

Richard David Briers, CBE is an English actor whose career has encompassed theatre, television, film and radio.He first came to prominence as George Starling in Marriage Lines in the 1960s, but it was in the following decade when he played Tom Good in the BBC sitcom The Good Life that he became a...

concluded. The Ten Years Hence sketch was also redone, and fresh from her success with Larry Grayson

Larry Grayson

Larry Grayson , born William Sulley White, was an English stand-up comedian and television presenter of the 1970s and early 80s...

in The Generation Game

The Generation Game

The Generation Game was a British gameshow produced by the BBC in which four teams of two competed to win prizes...

was Isla St Clair

Isla St Clair

Isla St Clair , is a Scottish singer, actress and former game show co-host.-Early career:Isla St Clair was born in Grangemouth, central Scotland, in 1952. Her family came from North East Scotland and it was here that she spent her early years...

. The final episode of the series contained a new play, being Sherlock Holmes

Sherlock Holmes

Sherlock Holmes is a fictional detective created by Scottish author and physician Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The fantastic London-based "consulting detective", Holmes is famous for his astute logical reasoning, his ability to take almost any disguise, and his use of forensic science skills to solve...

with Nigel Hawthorne

Nigel Hawthorne

Sir Nigel Barnard Hawthorne, CBE was an English actor, perhaps best remembered for his role as Sir Humphrey Appleby, the Permanent Secretary in the 1980s sitcom Yes Minister and the Cabinet Secretary in its sequel, Yes, Prime Minister. For this role he won four BAFTA Awards during the 1980s in the...

taking the part of Professor Moriarty and Patricia Brake

Patricia Brake

Patricia Ann Brake is an English actress.Her first prominent television role was as Julie Pinfield in The Ugliest Girl in Town , a short-lived sitcom made for the American ABC network...

as Bertha the maid. This Holmes sketch was a tour-de-force and is full of wonderful moments and is one of the Thames era highlights.

Episode One

Broadcast: 27 October 1982)

Guests: Richard Briers

Richard Briers

, Diana Dors

Diana Dors

Diana Dors was an English actress, born Diana Mary Fluck in Swindon, Wiltshire. Considered the English equivalent of the blonde bombshells of Hollywood, Dors described herself as: "The only sex symbol Britain has produced since Lady Godiva."-Early life:Diana Mary Fluck was born in Swindon,...

Episode Two

Broadcast: 3 November 1982

Guests: Trevor Eve

Trevor Eve

Trevor John Eve is a British film and television actor. In 1979 he gained fame as the eponymous lead in the detective series Shoestring and is also known for his role as Detective Superintendent Peter Boyd in BBC television drama Waking the Dead.-Early life:Eve was born in Sutton Coldfield,...

, Wayne Sleep

Wayne Sleep

Wayne Philip Colin Sleep OBE is a British dancer, director, choreographer and panelist. He was a Principal Dancer with the Royal Ballet and has appeared as a Guest Artist with several other ballet companies.-Early life:...

, Jimmy Young

Jimmy Young (disc jockey)

Sir Jimmy Young CBE was a British singer, disc jockey and radio interviewer.-Early life:...

Episode Four

Broadcast: 17 November 1982

Guests: Colin Welland

Colin Welland

Colin Welland is a British actor and screenwriter. He won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for his script for Chariots of Fire ,,,....

, Isla St Clair

Isla St Clair

Episode Five

Broadcast: 24 November 1982

Guests: Patricia Brake

Patricia Brake

Patricia Ann Brake is an English actress.Her first prominent television role was as Julie Pinfield in The Ugliest Girl in Town , a short-lived sitcom made for the American ABC network...

, Royce Mills

Royce Mills

Royce Mills is an English television, stage and film actor.He attended Eastbourne College, then studied fine art for 5 years and qualified as a theatre designer before attending the Guildhall School where he was a prize winning student.He then joined in Bristol Old Vic and appeared in many theatres...

Episode Six

Broadcast: 1 December 1982

Guests: Alan Dobie

Alan Dobie

Alan Russell Dobie , is a British actor.Dobie was born in Wombwell, Yorkshire, England, to George Russell and Sarah Kate Dobie. His father was a mining engineer and his mother's family were farmers. He was married to actress Rachel Roberts from 1955-61 then married Maureen Scott in 1963...

, Marion Montgomery

Marion Montgomery

Marion Montgomery was a United States born jazz singer who lived in the United Kingdom.Born Maud Runnells in Natchez, Mississippi, she began her career in Atlanta working clubs, and then in Chicago where singer Peggy Lee heard her on an audition tape and suggested she should be signed up by...

Episode Seven

Broadcast: 8 December 1982

Guests: Nigel Hawthorne

Nigel Hawthorne

, Patricia Brake

Patricia Brake

Patricia Ann Brake is an English actress.Her first prominent television role was as Julie Pinfield in The Ugliest Girl in Town , a short-lived sitcom made for the American ABC network...

Eric & Ernie's Xmas Show 1982

Returning from the previous seasonal show was All Creatures Great & Small

All Creatures Great and Small (TV serial)

All Creatures Great and Small is a popular British television series, based on the books of the British veterinary surgeon Alf Wight, who wrote under the pseudonym James Herriot.-Background:...

star Robert Hardy

Robert Hardy

Timothy Sydney Robert Hardy, CBE, FSA is an English actor with a long career in the theatre, film and television. He is also an acknowledged expert on the longbow.-Early life:...

, joined by both Rula Lenska

Rula Lenska

Rula Lenska is an English actress. Best known for her work in the United Kingdom, she is remembered in the United States for a television advert that presented her as a celebrity, even though she was not widely known in the US at the time the advert was produced.She has appeared extensively on...

, Richard Vernon

Richard Vernon

Richard Vernon was a British actor. He appeared in many feature films and television programmes, often in aristocratic or supercilious roles...

who had appeared in previous shows; the opening routine perhaps prophetically discussed the retiring of the double act but this in itself was a further reworking of BBC

BBC

material but somehow the pace of the dialogue was becoming lost. In an update of several older sketches, the Video Shop was offered as well as a Lingere Shop and a Chatanooga Choo Choo routine. Notable of this and many other shows was the absence of the favourite signature tune over the end credits. It was a very small omission but one that did not go unnoticed by the viewing public. Again, this show was not broadcast on Christmas Night but two evenings later.

Broadcast 27 December 1982
Guests: Robert Hardy

Robert Hardy

Timothy Sydney Robert Hardy, CBE, FSA is an English actor with a long career in the theatre, film and television. He is also an acknowledged expert on the longbow.-Early life:...

, Rula Lenska

Rula Lenska

, Richard Vernon

Richard Vernon

Richard Vernon was a British actor. He appeared in many feature films and television programmes, often in aristocratic or supercilious roles...

, Wall Street Crash

Series Four (1983)

The fourth and what was to be final series on "the other side" had some strong material attributed largely to the return of Eddie Braben

Eddie Braben

but the pace of the act was not as it had been ten years previously, or even five. The comedy was still good, but in a way the public had come to expect the very best from Eric and Ernie, so if they delivered a "good" "solid" show it was still seen as average. That said there are some nuggets in the series, including Ghandi Morecambe, the Swiss Slapping Dance (resurrected from their live stage show), and a feature which is almost self-parodying called No Time For... which would be suffixed with a title each week, i.e. No Time For Robin Hood or Elvis, Long John Silver, etc., meaning that the show had over-run and the popular Ern masterpiece could not be performed as planned.

Episode One

Broadcast: 7 September 1983

Guests: Margaret Courtenay, Ann Dawson

Episode Five

Broadcast: 12 October 1983

Guests: Margaret Courtenay, Stutz Bear Cats, Peter & Jackie Firmani

Eric & Ernie's Xmas Show 1983

What was to be the duo's final festive offering was billed once again as Eric & Ernie's Xmas Show and some re-hashed material from earlier BBC

BBC

shows despite Eddie Braben

Eddie Braben

's continued input. The most notable re-used ideas was the Harpenden Hot-Shots and the final play "What Ern Wrote" was entitled The Planter's Wife and featured Nanette Newman

Nanette Newman

-Early life:Newman was born in Northampton, England. She was educated at Sternhold College, the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts stage school and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London.-Career:...

in the titular role. This sketch set in Malaysia has some good moments but the musical ending is done by some poorly realised puppets, perhaps a sign that Morecambe was no longer fit enough for an extended dance routine. The sketch that had aired originally in the 1976 seasonal show with Elton John

Elton John

Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...

("sounds like an exit on the motorway...") was thinly re-worked here with Peter Skellern

Peter Skellern

Peter Skellern is an English singer-songwriter and pianist.-Career:Skellern attended Derby Grammar School and studied piano at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. He later joined pop groups called 'Harlem' and 'March Hare'...

in the same role – although the timing here is off and Morecambe looks to be going through the motions. A song-and-dance number of 'Swinging Down The Lane' closes the proceedings but there's no signature tune to be heard.

Broadcast: 26 December 1983

Guests: Gemma Craven

Gemma Craven

Gemma Craven is an award-winning Irish actress.She is possibly best known for her role in the Irish TV drama The Clinic as Dr...

, Nigel Hawthorne

Nigel Hawthorne

, Derek Jacobi

Derek Jacobi

Sir Derek George Jacobi, CBE is an English actor and film director.A "forceful, commanding stage presence", Jacobi has enjoyed a highly successful stage career, appearing in such stage productions as Hamlet, Uncle Vanya, and Oedipus the King. He received a Tony Award for his performance in...

, Fulton Mackay

Fulton Mackay

Fulton Mackay OBE was a Scottish actor and playwright, best known for his role as prison officer Mr. Mackay in the 1970s sitcom Porridge.-Early life:...

, Nanette Newman

Nanette Newman

, Peter Skellern

Peter Skellern

, Patrick Mower

Patrick Mower

Patrick Mower , whose original name was Patrick Archibald Shaw, is an English actor well known for his many television and occasional film roles, often as a detective or secret agent.-Life:...

, Burt Kwouk

Burt Kwouk

Burt Kwouk OBE , born Herbert Kwouk, is an English actor of Chinese descent, known for many television appearances and for his role as Cato in the Pink Panther films.-Career:...

, Tony Monopoly

Tony Monopoly

Tony Monopoly was a popular Australian cabaret singer and actor who enjoyed success in the United Kingdom.Born Antonio Rosario Monopoli in Adelaide, Australia, he was a regular on the national radio show Kangaroos on Parade at the age of nine. At the age of sixteen he became a Carmelite monk and...

, Philip Elsmore

Philip Elsmore

Philip Elsmore in Stourport-on-Severn, Worcestershire) was a continuity announcer on Thames Television between its inception in 1968 and the station's demise in 1992, having made both the first and last continuity announcements for the station...

External links

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Special 1978

"Eric & Ernie's Xmas Show" 1978

"Christmas With Eric & Ernie" 1979

Series One (1980)

Episode One

Episode Two

Episode Three

Episode Four

Episode Five

Episode Six

Christmas With Morecambe & Wise 1980

Series Two (1981)

Episode Two

Episode Four

Episode Five

Episode Six

Episode Seven

Christmas Show 1981

Series Three (1982)

Episode One

Episode Two

Episode Four

Episode Five

Episode Six

Episode Seven

Eric & Ernie's Xmas Show 1982

Series Four (1983)

Episode One

Episode Five

Eric & Ernie's Xmas Show 1983

See also

External links