Writing
Points of View is a long-running British television series broadcast on BBC One. It started in 1961 and features the letters of viewers offering praise, criticism and purportedly witty observations on the television of recent weeks.
An American sketch comedy television program hosted by comedians Dan Rowan and Dick Martin.
Comedy Playhouse is a long-running British anthology series of one-off unrelated sitcoms that aired for 120 episodes from 1961 to 1975. Many episodes later graduated to their own series, including Steptoe and Son, Till Death Us Do Part, All Gas and Gaiters, The Liver Birds, Are You Being Served? and Last of the Summer Wine, which is the world's longest running sitcom, having run from January 1973 to August 2010.
Bootsie and Snudge is a British television situation comedy series written, in the early days, by Barry Took and Marty Feldman; later writers were John Antrobus, Jack Rosenthal, ventriloquist Ray Alan and Harry Driver. The plot follows Former Sergeant Major Claude Snudge meets up with Corporal Bootsie when they both start work at an exclusive Gentlemen's Club. Of the 104 produced episodes, 100 of these survive.
The story of the big names that have shaped the musical genres, plus an occasional stopgap for the new rock 'n' roll - comedy.
A monthly series of highly personal documentary films in which individuals are given a platform to discuss issues close to their heart.
A radio comedy sketch show, presented as a local variety show with Kenneth Horne as the host.
Marti Caine presents a star studded variety show in which she performs comedy material, sings and dances alongside special guests.
A quintessentially British comedy-of-manners. Based at the fictional Yeovil College of Lifemanship, Richard Briers plays Stephen Potter and is joined by Peter Jones as the snooty Gatling-Fenn and Frederick Jaeger, complete with monocle, playing Cogg-Willoughby. "The world is divided into two types of people," Potter says, "winners and losers, the one-up and the one-down. He who is not one-up is surely one-down".
The World of Beachcomber was a surreal television comedy show produced by the BBC, inspired by the Beachcomber column in the Daily Express newspaper. The show, like the column, consisted of a series of unrelated pieces of humour. Links between the items were provided by Spike Milligan, dressed in a smoking jacket and cap, as in the cartoon logo above the newspaper column. The other actors were a Who's Who of British comedy of the time, encompassing almost every supporting player seen or heard in comedy, not excluding people of diminutive stature.
Teddy works for a large advertising company. Given the seemingly impossible task of selling frozen porridge, he decides to produce commercials that make the product seem sexy. This leads him to confrontation with the "Keep Television Clean" movement, of which his wife is a senior member.
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A documentary about the legendary and influential comedian, actor and writer, who went out from the BBC to conquer Hollywood, but sadly the system quickly withdrew its support when they couldn't contain his talents. This portrait is spiked with many comments from people who knew Feldman privately or had dealt with him professionally. His early death sadly rendered him all but forgotten by the public. The compilation consists of interviews, some film clips and photos as well as various audio clips from him.
Maud has two men in her life - George and Errol. In an effort to decide which boyfriend to keep, she visits a clairvoyant who tells her that her ideal partner may, in fact, be a third person she has yet to meet. Recorded in a single studio, with minimalist sets.
A compilation of the many characters played by Leonard Rossiter.
Documentary and celebration of the life and career of British comedian Kenneth Williams.
John Cleese, Michael Palin and Terry Jones celebrate the Guinness Book of World Records.
Marty Feldman, for many years a successful comedy writer before turning to performing, explores humour through the people who create it, comparing their traditions, motivations and anxieties with his own. Among the people Marty talks to are Peter Sellers, Eric Morecambe, Peter Brough and Archie Andrews, Dudley Moore and Barry Took.
Outstanding raconteur Kenneth Williams regales his spellbound audience in typical fashion with a long look back at his career - from his time entertaining troops in the army, his radio work (including the Hancock shows), his work in theatre and - of course - the highly successful series of Carry On films. Playing wonderfully to his audience of celebrities (which include Michael Parkinson, Ned Sherrin, Gordon Jackson and Carry On cohorts Joan Sims and Bernard Bresslaw) he even finds time to answer a few of their questions.
