There are very few comedians today that I can watch over and over again and still laugh out loud like it was the first time. That’s the feeling I get whenever I watch an episode of The Morecambe & Wise Show. It doesn’t matter how many times I’ve seen them I still find myself in fits of laughter at their silliness.
Eric and Ernie were, and in my opinion still are, Britain’s greatest double act. A friendship formed on the stages of vaudeville theatres up and down the country, carefully honing their routine before the bright lights of radio and television called to them.
They made their name in radio before transferring to television in their now infamous first series for the BBC, Running Wild. This sketch show wasn’t well received. Following the first episode Kenneth Bailey, writing for The People, said of the programme:
“Definition of the Week: TV set: the box in which they buried Morecambe and Wise”
Such was the impact of this one review, Eric is said to have carried it in his wallet for the rest of his life. The series ran for six episodes before disappearing without a trace. Disheartened by the experience, the pair returned to the variety circuit where they knew they could control the output.
After treading the comedy boards for a while, they were soon invited back as guests on various radio and television shows. Upon their return from a tour of Australia they realised that live variety was dying and being replaced by the much more popular television. They decided to concentrate on getting themselves another shot at a TV series which they soon received in the shape of Two of a Kind for ATV.
Two of a Kind saw Eric and Ernie team up with writers Sid Green and Dick Hills and, following a lucky break involving an actors strike, the show found a rhythm and, more importantly, an audience. This series saw the beginning of some of the gags and catchphrases that the pair became famous for, not to mention the humiliating of their celebrity guests. Running for six series, in 1968 Lew Grade began negotiating for the pair to return for a further three years but, unable to offer the technological advances of his competitors (producing the show in colour!), Grade’s attempts failed as Eric and Ernie accepted an offer to return to the BBC.
On September 2nd 1968 the first episode of The Morecambe & Wise Show was broadcast on BBC2. As part of the deal, Sid and Dick were brought across to write the scripts with John Ammonds coming on board as producer with Ernest Maxin taking over the reins from 1975. Satisfied with the finished product, the new team were looking forward to preparing for the next series when, on November 2nd, just over two weeks after the last episode of the series aired, Eric suffered a massive heart attack while driving to his hotel in Batley. Immediately, plans for the next series were put on hold with Bill Cotton, head of BBC, allowing whatever time was needed for a full recovery. Sid and Dick, however, were less convinced that Eric would return to work and thus decided to quit and return to ATV.
Enter Eddie Braben. Ken Dodd‘s gag writer, Braben brought a warmth and love to the duo’s act that had previously been missing based on his own observations of the pair. The shows became more structured, the opening ‘spot’ in front of curtains that added to the live theatre feel of the show along with guests, scenes set in their flat, the play ‘wot Ernie wrote’ and, of course, the song at the end. It gave the audience the feel that they had actually spent the night out at the theatre and, gradually, the numbers increased. Viewing figures rose, especially for the Christmas specials, with the 1977 Christmas show reaching peak audience of 28 million. But, early the next year, the pair announced that they would once again be leaving the BBC for a new life at Thames Television.
The lure of the Thames years was the promise of more films. They had made three films in the sixties for the Rank Organisation – The Intelligence Men (1965), That Riviera Touch (1966) and The Magnificent Two (1967) – but neither of these movies set the world alight. Thames offered the opportunity to make another film alongside their usual television work. Unfortunately, the dream BBC team didn’t follow the duo to ITV – Maxin declined the move while Braben was under an exclusive contract to write for the BBC. Barry Cryer and John Junkin were brought on as writers but, by 1979 Eric had suffered another heart attack, this time requiring bypass surgery. Their first, full series for Thames came in 1980 once Eric had fully recovered. By this time John Ammonds had come back on board and had successfully lobbied for Braben to return once his BBC contract had ended. However, the reduced running time and added commercial breaks restricted Braben’s creativity and the show found itself reusing old gags. After four series for Thames and the pair becoming less enamoured with the process as well as a poorly-received (and downright terrible) film – Night Train To Murder (1984) – the pair brought the series to an end.
By 1984 Eric was happy in semi-retirement, concentrating on his writing while still fulfilling the odd work commitment, like the one he had with old friend Stan Stennett. The show was a light-hearted Q&A that soon turned into a one-man show with Eric delighting at the audiences reaction to seeing him. It was following this event that Eric suffered his third, and fatal, heart attack, eventually succumbing early in the morning of 28th May, 1985.
Ernie, meanwhile had kept on working, returning to the stage. He also wrote his autobiography and became a regular guest on What’s My Line? and Countdown. After a number of health problems, Ernie officially announced his retirement from showbusiness on his 70th birthday, 27th November 1995. While enjoying his retirement in Florida, Ernie had two heart attacks which resulted in a triple bypass operation. He was later flown home and taken to Nuffield Hospital where, on 21st March, he passed away.
The legacy of Eric & Ernie is immeasurable. Countless comics and writers have followed, each learning from their extensive back catalogue of comedy. Much has been written about them in the years since, with most of the attention focussed on Eric while Ernie has been largely forgotten as one of the driving forces of the duo. Both were hugely talented, funny and much-loved by millions of viewers. Their sketches and gags have become part of the British way of life. How many of us hear a police siren and utter those immortal words: “He’s not going to sell much ice-cream going at that speed” or, indeed, imagine ourselves dancing along to The Stripper while making breakfast?
Morecambe & Wise provided the world with pure family entertainment, a little bit of sunshine in our lives and a song in our hearts. It is testament that, over thirty years since their last television show went out, that they are still as big a part of the landscape as they ever were with repeats of their shows on at least every Christmas and countless stage plays and television dramas written about them, ensuring that their memories, and those of their shows, live on forever.
TV Heroes: Morecambe & Wise
“I’d like to thank all of you for watching me and my little show here tonight. If you’ve enjoyed it, then it’s all been worthwhile. So, until we meet again, good night, and I love you all!”
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