Morecambe and Wise (Stay) At The BBC by Gary Rodger
Having joined the Corporation in 1968, Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise's BBC output – in particular, their celebrated Christmas shows – is regarded as some of the finest British television of its era. The programmes were the perfect combination of its star performers – Eric and Ernie's double act established in 1941 – the brilliance of script writer Eddie Braben and expert producers John Ammonds and Ernest Maxin, not the mention the combined talents of the BBC's production staff whose work on comedy, light entertainment, drama, current affairs et al throughout the decade ensured that the 1970s are, to this day, considered the golden age of the small screen.
Despite this success, however, Morecambe and Wise were considering a significant change in their professional routine. The pressure of work, coupled with the public's expectation that each new Christmas show would top the previous effort, was a pressing concern for Eric. In parallel with their comedic idols of yesteryear, Eric – as with Stan Laurel – would take great interest in every aspect of each new show, often remaining behind at rehearsals to discuss its progress with his producer and suggest script amendments; come recording day, Eric would observe post-production, keen to see the finished edit. He would contemplate the programme's perceived strengths and weaknesses up until the day of transmission and beyond. Meanwhile, Ernie – as with Oliver Hardy before him – was blessed with an ability to compartmentalise with working life; at 5pm, he could happily leave the day's work behind and enjoy social gatherings with a variety of show business friends.
This is not to suggest that Ernie was without his own concerns regarding the partnership; as he would frequently exclaim in media interviews, "I'm still on my way to Hollywood!" The child performer once billed as 'Britain's Mickey Rooney' had retained his stateside ambitions throughout his professional life, even after attaining the pinnacle of success in Britain. This was a significant point of difference between the pair; Eric had no interest in pursuing American stardom. Where the two did agree, however, was on the future direction of their act, with a nagging doubt that their television shows were becoming formulaic in their structure and appearance. Such concerns were occasionally revealed in newspaper interviews where the duo would float the idea of resuming their movie careers (M&W had starred in three films for the Rank Organisation in the 1960s, a process which the duo did not wholly enjoy).
Thus, in 1977, when the time came to determine their next contractual move, M&W were open to suggestions. Phillip Jones, head of light entertainment at Thames Television and a close friend of Ernie, approached the duo with a substantial offer to defect from the BBC; crucially, the deal – centered on the production of four television specials per year – also included a proposal for M&W to make a return to the big screen. Thames' subsidiary, Euston Films, had recently enjoyed box office success with the EMI-distributed movie version of
The Sweeney.
The appeal of the package was obvious; an opportunity to reinvigorate the duo's television output whilst offering a second chance for a fulfilling big screen production.
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Although Ernie would normally take the lead in the partnership's business arrangements, it was Eric who broke the news of Thames' offer to Bill Cotton, recently promoted to the position of Controller of BBC1, at a Corporation gathering in late 1977. Since 1968, Morecambe and Wise had completed nine series plus their celebrated yuletide offerings. Their forthcoming spectacular, once again scheduled for the 25th of December would be their eighth Christmas special; the success of that show, attracting half the entire UK population – in many ways, the culmination of thirty-six years' hard work – served to strengthen Eric and Ernie's resolve to embark on a new chapter in their story. Never so relevant was the old adage, 'once you've been to the top, there's only one way to go'.
Cotton successfully countered Thames' proposal with a two-year contract which radically altered the duo's forthcoming workload; Morecambe and Wise's future BBC output would transition from the established production line of series and festive specials to a more eclectic mix of newly-devised formats, appearances on panel games and – crucially – feature-length productions. Indeed, 1978 would be devoted entirely to the latter, with Eric and Ernie starring in
Morecambe and Wise Present: The Ernest Crown Affair, a narrative comedy without a studio audience laugh track and filmed – at the request of both Eric and Ernie – in 16mm. These changes allowed Morecambe and Wise to retain a somewhat similar content format whilst adopting a production style which did not draw direct comparisons with their television shows.
The Corporation having briefly dabbled with the format in
The Picnic, a one-off half-hour filmed outing for
The Two Ronnies screened in 1976, this was to be an eighty-minute production, the Corporation's most ambitious such project in the comedic genre. Previous film series such as
The Adventures Of Gabriel Baine (1973-77) and
Quiller, running since 1975, were dramas co-produced with Metromedia; with its more modest budget, but retaining one eye on the American market,
Crown was produced in association with Time-Life films, a division of Time-Life Television with whom the BBC had successfully syndicated
Doctor Who and
Monty Python's Flying Circus to American TV stations.
The result was a star-studded farce which preserved Eric and Ernie's on-screen personas, as crafted since 1968; scripted by Braben and produced by Maxin, Bob Kellett was recruited as director, having previously assumed the role for Ronnie Barker's silent comedy
Futtock's End, big screen adaptations of
Up Pompeii, Don't Just Lie There, Say Something! and
Are You Being Served? as well as Danny La Rue in
Our Miss Fred and, most recently,
Come Spy With Me for London Weekend Television. Ronnie Hazelhurst provided the film's uptempo soundtrack.
The nominal plot – effectively, an excuse for Morecambe and Wise to embark on an expedition around Television Centre – concerns the disappearance of Ernie's precious wig collection from his dressing room safe. As reports emerge of other hairpiece thefts, the boys commence their investigation in the manner of Holmes and Watson with Mr Wiseman adopting increasingly outlandish headgear as the story unfolds; this aspect of the performance was anticipated in the 1977 book
The Morecambe and Wise Special, a two-page photo spread featuring Ernie's absurd collection of perukes.
The cast was made up of various tiers; the principal supporting actors comprised a number of faces familiar to British audiences, not least from their appearances in past Morecambe and Wise sketches: series regulars Ann Hamilton and Janet Webb plus Alan Curtis, Allan Cuthbertson, Raymond Mason, Anthony Sharp and Michael Ward. Next were a plethora of notable
Morecambe and Wise Show guest stars, all of the whom made brief appearances: Ian Carmichael, Peter Cushing, Fenella Fielding, Glenda Jackson, Andre Previn and Edward Woodward. Frequent musical interruptions were provided by – who else – Arthur Tolcher.
Throughout proceedings, the screen also played host to a multitude of BBC stars, including Tony Blackburn, Robin Day, David Dimbleby, Noel Edmonds, Larry Grayson, Patrick Moore, Terry Wogan and the casts of
Citizen Smith and
Are You Being Served?. The film also included fleeting appearances from Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Marty Feldman and Elton John. Iain Cuthbertson reprised his role as The Doctor, shocking many a young viewer with the sight of the eminent Time Lord without his usual tonsorial covering.
from Morecambe & Wise: Their Story by Harwood Poehl
The cast was further bolstered by an ingenious method of peppering proceedings with a-list stars (uncredited in Radio Times to preserve the element of surprise) instantly recognisable to international audiences; at the behest of Bill Cotton himself and with the cooperation of his production team led by John Fisher, Michael Parkinson's eponymous chat show would play a key role in proceedings by providing the services of its guests; thus, blink-and-you'll-miss-them sightings of Peter Cook and Dudley Moore, Sammy Davis Jr, Barry Manilow, Sir Ralph Richardson, Rod Steiger and Shelley Winters were secured. Sadly, the tight recording schedule of these elements (all in the autumn of that year) did not allow for M&W to appear on-screen with these guests, aside from one exception: a delightful interaction with stage and screen veteran Stanley Holloway.
Finally, Eric and Ernie revealed their biggest surprise. As they continued their tour of TVC, the boys stop at Mike Yarwood's dressing room. "I like Mike Yarwood", says Ernie. "His Cagney's not as good as mine, but he's still very good." "He's rubbish.", replies Eric. "I saw him trying to do the Prime Minister the other day. He was nothing like him. Could have been anybody."
Ernie knocks on the door. "Mr Yarwood, can you help us, please?" The door opens to reveal the real Jim Callaghan. "Sorry, lads, I'm busy. I'm in the middle of makeup", says the Prime Minister. The door closes. "I suppose he's not bad," says Eric. "He did sound a bit like Cagney there."
Callaghan's guest appearance might have had more far reaching effects than on just the careers of Morecambe and Wise. Callaghan later implied that between takes conversation, in which the usually Conservative Morecambe and Wise expressed misgivings about the suitability of Margaret Thatcher, persuaded the Prime Minister to set an October date for the general election which Labour won with a small but comfortable majority. The makers of the film certainly anticipated the possibility of Callaghan going to the country as there exists an alternate take of Eric decrying Yarwood's impersonation of "Jim Whatisname" rather than "the Prime Minister".
The story concluded with the revelation of Reginald Bosanquet as the hairpiece bandit; the ITN newscaster and well-known toupee owner was friends with Eric through The Lord's Taverners cricket charity and enjoyed his brief turn as pantomime villain. (A novel substitution was devised for the American market, see below)
The broadcast, at 8.45pm on Christmas night, delighted audiences; whilst the rating of 22.6m failed to top the charts – that honour going to the premiere of
The Sound of Music earlier in the day with 26.5m viewers – the BBC's audience appreciation index registered a superb figure of 91. In response, ITV effectively waved the white flag, offering a heavily-edited TV version of the cut price Bond-style action film
No.1 of the Secret Service.
Despite the film's success, Eric's subsequent health problems would prevent any attempt at a sequel, such was the arduous recording schedule associated with a feature-length production.
Throughout 1979, with Eric unavailable for most of the year, Ernie frequently travelled to the States to assist with the BBC and Time-Life's attempts to syndicate
The Morecambe and Wise Show to local TV stations throughout America; as part of the promotional drive, he appeared on various CBS affiliate local talk shows over the summer. Meanwhile,
Crown debuted on PBS stations in November 1979; this version was re-edited for transmission in a seventy-five minute slot; most of the content which didn't make the USA cut featured the cameos from BBC talent.
For the conclusion of the plot, Bosanquet's appearance was substituted by the elder statesman of American comedy, George Burns; the entertainer was enjoying a renaissance in popularity following his appearance opposite Walter Matthau in
The Sunshine Boys; ironically, Burns had famously appeared in the film both with and without his hairpiece, thus his presence in Crown suited the plot perfectly. Burns' scenes were filmed in July 1979 on the New York set of his film
Going in Style; as with the
Parkinson cameos, M&W did not appear on-screen with Burns, careful editing being deployed to disguise this fact.
Sadly, the film has not received a commercial release due to contractual issues, though bootleg copies have circulated for years. Crown was something of a trendsetter for the BBC's future Christmas output, with Dick Emery and sitcoms including
Only Fools and Horses and
Just Good Friends earmarked for extended, 16mm productions; likewise, The Two Ronnies's 1982 film
By The Sea – originally, one hour, forty-five minutes in length – bears similarities in appearance.
Eric and Ernie's Christmas night show for the BBC in 1979 was a seasonal interview with Michael Parkinson, an uproarious affair featuring surprise appearances from Tommy Cooper and Arthur Askey. The nation's favourite comedy duo would remain at the Corporation for the remainder of their partnership, opting to sign one-year contracts which allowed them to pursue solo non-comedic/guest appearances across the BBC's television and radio network. In 1980, Eric made frequent turns sparring with Jimmy Hill on
Match of the Day whilst Ernie paired with Michael Barrett for a BBC North series on Yorkshire landmarks which was subsequently networked on BBC2.
The duo hosted three series of a Radio 2 panel game,
There's No Answer To That!, with a format similar to ITV's
Jokers Wild; running from 1980-82, the shows featured a mixture of established comedians such as Harry Worth and Ted Rogers coupled with emerging performers including Lenny Henry and Victoria Wood. The programme also included an early appearance by American comedian Garry Shandling.
1980 also saw a return to a traditional, studio-based
Morecambe and Wise Christmas Show, though the format was retooled with an absence of filmed sketches and the big musical numbers associated with the Ernest Maxin-era; in their place, Eric and Ernie were installed as 'joint Director Generals' of the BBC, overseeing the Corporation's output from their plush office (bearing some similarity with their flat and featuring a bookcase/bed device allowing the resumption of their nocturnal sketches). That year's show featured, as special guests, Marti Caine, Roy Hudd, Pamela Stephenson and Eddie Waring plus chart topper Kelly Marie.
Subsequently, 1981 featured an eight-part series with the same format; overseen by new producer Marcus Plantin, the show added Jonathan Cecil in the role of the perpetually harassed floor manager, Stephen Lewis as a jobsworth commissionaire and a weekly routine from The Teri Scoble Dancers. This was followed by a Christmas special featuring Bucks Fizz, Steve Davis and Alfred Burke, the latter in a pastiche of the BBC's production of The Borgias.
Latterly, Eric and Ernie fronted
Morecambe, Wise and Friends, a more traditional variety format (later retooled as The Main Attraction with a different host each week). While the format allowed for the duo to take light duties, linking routines by other performers, they still took opportunities to show the old magic hadn't left them. No compilation of BBC comedy goes by without at least an excerpt of the escalating confusion as the "adamant" Ernie meets pop star Adam Ant, a situation further unbalanced by the entrance of Gerald Harper.
Separately, Eric made regular appearances on the BBC's World Cup coverage; in the new year, Ernie assumed a new role as frequent newspaper reviewer on
Breakfast Time alongside his next-door neighbour Frank Bough.
When asked about the failed bid to bring Morecambe and Wise to Thames, Phillip Jones expressed little regret at being unable to secure the double act. "While I think they would have had a great time at Thames, what we wouldn't have been able to give them was the freedom they had at the BBC. A Thames contract would have had to have been for a set number of shows and as a new acquisition, we would have had to work them harder to prove the investment was worth it and that would risk an exhaustion that would have shown onscreen. The deal they had at the BBC where they could take it easy when they needed to was probably the better deal for them. Things probably worked out for the best."
Finally, the pair reunited in 1987 for
The Morecambe and Wise Scrapbook, a collection of clips from their output for both ATV and the BBC linked by newly written crosstalk routines set in Eric and Ernie's flat. A highlight of the series was a smidgen of audio from their debut BBC series, Running Wild, recovered from a reel-to-reel tape recording of the live broadcast made by Bob Monkhouse.
Gary Rodger is a freelance writer with a particular interest in the fields of pay-TV and streaming services. Along with a talented team of contributors, Gary also moderates two regular discussion podcasts: Jaffa Cakes For Proust on British popular culture and The Sitcom Club on situation comedy.