Yahoo News Eric and Ernie: A throwback to undemanding TV
The Drama channel brought us two British comedy icons last night, repeating this based-on-a-true-story drama from 2011: the meeting and breakout of one of our best loved comedy duos, Morecambe and Wise.
Created by and starring the much missed Victoria Wood, it told how they met as youngsters - and how Eric was less than impressed with Little Ern:
“Big head, short (fat hairy) legs, full of himself” - Eric on Ernie
A reluctant friendship at first, clever Ernie soon won over the more immature Eric to facilitate the blossoming of this touching, uplifting partnership which ran from 1941 to Eric’s death in 1984 - the first celebrity I ever cried over.
Eric’s mum, played with typical northern matter of factness by the incomparable Wood, was the driving force that kept them on track for superstardom. (Though Eric’s dad (Jim Moir) appeared to be responsible for some of their running gags - such as the catching something in an empty bag trick)!
“What do you think of it so far?”
It was an affectionate trip back to a less in-your-face-time, when people actually gathered in a living room to watch the TV together, instead of connecting anonymously via a hashtag. You can imagine though, that M&W would have been Kings of the Gifs had there been any such thing as the internet. And yes, they’re they are!
Favourite sketches popped into my head immediately: Singing in the Rain, with Eric’s sodden policeman; Shirley Bassey, still belting her heart out while having her high heels exchanged for a pair of Eric’s boots; Glenda Jackson in one of Ernie’s plays what he wrote:
“All men are fools and what makes them so is having beauty, like what I have got”:
News reader Angela Rippon’s (then) shocking display of legs as she joined the boys for a song and dance. The mickey taking of Des O’Connor and Andre Preview Previn. And who could forget the Breakfast Striptease? Unless, of course, you’re not old enough to remember it. In which case, the BBC has very kindly put a few of them on their website - see them here.
Simple, heartwarming and just plain funny.
“You said that without moving your lips!”
“I’m playing all the right notes … but not necessarily in the right order!”
It seems audiences are ready for a retro visit back to the beloved programmes of old - The Good Old Days got an airing on BBC 4 last Friday and Twitter users were quickly onto it - particularly impressed by The Equalizer’s (Edward Woodward) beautiful tenor.
The butt of so many Eric‘n’Ernie jokes, Des O’Connor made for a great (giggly) talk show host. Before Graham Norton, Des O’Connor Tonight was my must see chat show - there was always an American comedian, (for example, Jay Leno, or Kelly Monteith) - who would have me in hysterics.
“There’s only one thing wrong with Des O'Connor records. The hole in the middle isn’t big enough!”
We were maybe a little less sophisticated back then, or maybe a little less demanding, but not every programme had to have a message, or perfect role models or an agenda. Just bringing some sunshine and leaving a warm, fuzzy feeling was enough.
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