A battered old van bearing the legend 'B.B.C. T.V.' stops alongside the Thames Television studio at Teddington Lock, London. The rear doors open, and two figures in raincoats and flat caps are flung out. As it speeds off, they regain their composure, and are greeted by a camp-sounding producer. "Welcome to Thames!".
The new arrivals - Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise - look at one another. "This is just like the B.B.C.!", says Ernie, to which Eric responds: "Only quicker!".
Yes, after ten years, the unthinkable had happened. Morecambe and Wise had jumped ship, leaving the B.B.C. to join Thames T.V. They would not be the first comedians to do this, of course, Benny Hill took the same route a decade before. But Eric and Ernie had seemed so at home on the B.B.C., so much a part of it, that a move to the commercial channel looked as likely as Granada surrendering production of 'Coronation Street' to B.B.C. Wales. Indeed Eric had decisively ruled out the possibility of such a move a year before it actually happened. "There's no way we're going over to I.T.V.!", he had stated.
The first show they did for Thames went out on 24th October 1978. As it was their first since their record breaking Christmas Show the year before - watched by a staggering 28 million people - a lot was expected of it.
Eddie Braben, their regular writer ( and arguably the man behind their greatest television triumphs ) was still under contract to the B.B.C., hence new writers needed to be found. Or rather a pair of old ones. John Junkin and Barry Cryer had written at least one of Eric and Ernie's B.B.C. Christmas shows, and seemed the right men for the job ( like their predecessors Dick Hills and Sid Green, they made brief appearances as themselves ).
That first show contained all the familiar ingredients - songs, sketches ( including one of Ernie's legendary dreadful plays ), and guest stars. Continuing the tradition of great British actresses appearing alongside the lads ( such as Glenda Jackson and Diana Rigg ), Judi Dench ( before she was made a Dame ) joined the club. Donald Sinden ( then appearing as stuffy 'Robert' in the sitcom 'Two's Company' ) did a sketch entitled 'Butler Of The Year', before singing ( if that's the right word ) 'You've Either Got Or You Haven't Got Style'. Old favourites Ann Hamilton and Peter Cushing ( still after his money ) returned. Leonard Sachs, chairman of 'The Good Old Days', made a fun cameo in a spoof version of 'Dr.Jekyll & Mr.Hyde'. Amongst the musical numbers was a fabulous recreation of 'I Want To Talk Like You' from Disney's 'Jungle Book' with Eric and Ernie miming to the soundtrack.
In short, it was every bit as good as their earlier B.B.C. shows. So why hasn't history been kinder to their Thames work? Possibly due to massive public affection for the former.
When it went out originally, what do you think B.B.C.-1 were showing at the same time? It was 'Morecambe & Wise At The B.B.C.'. Yes, you read it correctly. To act as a spoiler, Bill Cotton Junior scheduled a repeat to overlap with the start of their first Thames special. The continuity announcer was even instructed to describe it as 'the best years of Morecambe & Wise', cattily implying that the new show would in some way be inferior.
Many agreed - the Thames shows never got the high ratings as those of the B.B.C. - but even so I do not think they were anywhere near as bad as chroniclers of Morecambe and Wise's history have liked to make out. The decline in their fortunes only came about when Eric suffered a second major attack, necessitating the need for a scaling down of their act, meaning that their later work came across as tired and flat. Even Braben's return did not help matters. They really should have called it a day. Instead they ploughed on, their shows continuing until the end of 1983. Eric died a few months later.
Now that the Thames shows are available on D.V.D., we can see that they are a lot better than they have been given credit for. Morecambe and Wise continue to bring us sunshine after all these years.
The new arrivals - Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise - look at one another. "This is just like the B.B.C.!", says Ernie, to which Eric responds: "Only quicker!".
Yes, after ten years, the unthinkable had happened. Morecambe and Wise had jumped ship, leaving the B.B.C. to join Thames T.V. They would not be the first comedians to do this, of course, Benny Hill took the same route a decade before. But Eric and Ernie had seemed so at home on the B.B.C., so much a part of it, that a move to the commercial channel looked as likely as Granada surrendering production of 'Coronation Street' to B.B.C. Wales. Indeed Eric had decisively ruled out the possibility of such a move a year before it actually happened. "There's no way we're going over to I.T.V.!", he had stated.
The first show they did for Thames went out on 24th October 1978. As it was their first since their record breaking Christmas Show the year before - watched by a staggering 28 million people - a lot was expected of it.
Eddie Braben, their regular writer ( and arguably the man behind their greatest television triumphs ) was still under contract to the B.B.C., hence new writers needed to be found. Or rather a pair of old ones. John Junkin and Barry Cryer had written at least one of Eric and Ernie's B.B.C. Christmas shows, and seemed the right men for the job ( like their predecessors Dick Hills and Sid Green, they made brief appearances as themselves ).
That first show contained all the familiar ingredients - songs, sketches ( including one of Ernie's legendary dreadful plays ), and guest stars. Continuing the tradition of great British actresses appearing alongside the lads ( such as Glenda Jackson and Diana Rigg ), Judi Dench ( before she was made a Dame ) joined the club. Donald Sinden ( then appearing as stuffy 'Robert' in the sitcom 'Two's Company' ) did a sketch entitled 'Butler Of The Year', before singing ( if that's the right word ) 'You've Either Got Or You Haven't Got Style'. Old favourites Ann Hamilton and Peter Cushing ( still after his money ) returned. Leonard Sachs, chairman of 'The Good Old Days', made a fun cameo in a spoof version of 'Dr.Jekyll & Mr.Hyde'. Amongst the musical numbers was a fabulous recreation of 'I Want To Talk Like You' from Disney's 'Jungle Book' with Eric and Ernie miming to the soundtrack.
In short, it was every bit as good as their earlier B.B.C. shows. So why hasn't history been kinder to their Thames work? Possibly due to massive public affection for the former.
When it went out originally, what do you think B.B.C.-1 were showing at the same time? It was 'Morecambe & Wise At The B.B.C.'. Yes, you read it correctly. To act as a spoiler, Bill Cotton Junior scheduled a repeat to overlap with the start of their first Thames special. The continuity announcer was even instructed to describe it as 'the best years of Morecambe & Wise', cattily implying that the new show would in some way be inferior.
Many agreed - the Thames shows never got the high ratings as those of the B.B.C. - but even so I do not think they were anywhere near as bad as chroniclers of Morecambe and Wise's history have liked to make out. The decline in their fortunes only came about when Eric suffered a second major attack, necessitating the need for a scaling down of their act, meaning that their later work came across as tired and flat. Even Braben's return did not help matters. They really should have called it a day. Instead they ploughed on, their shows continuing until the end of 1983. Eric died a few months later.
Now that the Thames shows are available on D.V.D., we can see that they are a lot better than they have been given credit for. Morecambe and Wise continue to bring us sunshine after all these years.