Disc jockey Kenny Everett was a busy fellow in 1970, with not one but three series on air ( not at the same time, naturally ). 'Ev', 'Making Whoopee', and 'The Kenny Everett Explosion' enjoyed cult status amongst the young, but mainstream success eluded him until 1978, when Jeremy Issacs of Thames T.V. commissioned 'The Kenny Everett Video Show'. It went out at 6.45 P.M. on Monday nights, the old 'Opportunity Knocks!' slot. In complete contrast to the ancient Hughie Green and his sick-making attempts at sincerity, Cuddly Ken was irrepressibly zany and lovable. He could read 'The Yellow Pages' and be funny.
Kenny presented the show from in front of a bank of television screens ( "let's push the button marked 'idiot' and see what comes out!" ). It had the same mindset as his radio work, only now the goggle box was finally able to do his wacky humour justice. It interspersed sketches by Barry Cryer and Ray Cameron ( father of Michael McIntyre ) with songs by pop acts of the day. Stars of the calibre of Freddie Mercury, Rod Stewart and Cliff Richard were happy to be ridiculed by Everett ( though he managed to tee Barry Gibb off one week by impersonating 'The Bee Gees'! ). Kenny's characters included biker 'Sid Snot', saucy Frenchman 'Marcel Wave', and 'Brother Lee Love', an evangelist with giant hands. Kenny would show clips of foreign programmes, anticipating Clive James' later L.W.T. series. There was no canned laughter, instead the cameramen's reactions were used. Then of course there was the dance troupe 'Hot Gossip' ( choreographed by Arlene Phillips ) whose erotic gyrations frequently had Mrs.Mary Whitehouse in need of smelling salts.
Animation played a big part in the show too. Cosgrove Hall's 'Captain Kremmen' was a spoof on 'Dan Dare' in which 'Captain Elvis Brandenburg Kremmen' travelled the cosmos with his sexy sidekick 'Carla'. Voiced by Kenny, these proved popular, and a movie version later hit the big screen.
When it first debuted, audience reaction was mixed. Two letters in 'The Sunday People' went as follows: 'The new Kenny Everett show is hysterical, and I congratulate I.T.V. for having the nerve to show it instead of the usual rubbish." and "What rubbish the much-heralded Kenny Everett show has turned out to be. He should stick to radio because his barmy antics ruin what has the makings of a decent pop show'. The former view became the prevailing one. Even Benny Hill tried to copy Kenny by bringing in his own version of 'Hot Gossip' - 'Hill's Angels'.
But, after three successful seasons, things started to go wrong. Firstly, as a cost-cutting measure, the Cosgrove Hall cartoons were dropped, and 'Kremmen' subsequently appeared in short, live action sketches with Kenny as the Captain and Anna Dawson making a fetching 'Carla'. It just was not the same. Secondly, Thames' decision to move the show to Thursday nights ( so that it clashed with 'Top Of The Pops' on B.B.C.-1 ) angered the star so much that, at a showbiz bash, he allegedly called Philip Jones ( Thames' head of light entertainment ) a rude name. The star then accepted an offer to join the B.B.C. The result was 'The Kenny Everett Television Show'. It reduced the music in favour of comedy, and was, if anything, even more successful.
Apart from some repeats on U.K. Gold back in the '90's and on the now-defunct 'Granada Plus', Kenny's Thames show has been totally forgotten. A D.V.D. compilation exists, but that's about all. Music rights would seem to be the main obstacle to a full release. Given how influential it was ( Kenny's jibes at celebrity culture were ahead of the alternative comedy brigade's by a couple of years ), it seems a great shame.
Kenny presented the show from in front of a bank of television screens ( "let's push the button marked 'idiot' and see what comes out!" ). It had the same mindset as his radio work, only now the goggle box was finally able to do his wacky humour justice. It interspersed sketches by Barry Cryer and Ray Cameron ( father of Michael McIntyre ) with songs by pop acts of the day. Stars of the calibre of Freddie Mercury, Rod Stewart and Cliff Richard were happy to be ridiculed by Everett ( though he managed to tee Barry Gibb off one week by impersonating 'The Bee Gees'! ). Kenny's characters included biker 'Sid Snot', saucy Frenchman 'Marcel Wave', and 'Brother Lee Love', an evangelist with giant hands. Kenny would show clips of foreign programmes, anticipating Clive James' later L.W.T. series. There was no canned laughter, instead the cameramen's reactions were used. Then of course there was the dance troupe 'Hot Gossip' ( choreographed by Arlene Phillips ) whose erotic gyrations frequently had Mrs.Mary Whitehouse in need of smelling salts.
Animation played a big part in the show too. Cosgrove Hall's 'Captain Kremmen' was a spoof on 'Dan Dare' in which 'Captain Elvis Brandenburg Kremmen' travelled the cosmos with his sexy sidekick 'Carla'. Voiced by Kenny, these proved popular, and a movie version later hit the big screen.
When it first debuted, audience reaction was mixed. Two letters in 'The Sunday People' went as follows: 'The new Kenny Everett show is hysterical, and I congratulate I.T.V. for having the nerve to show it instead of the usual rubbish." and "What rubbish the much-heralded Kenny Everett show has turned out to be. He should stick to radio because his barmy antics ruin what has the makings of a decent pop show'. The former view became the prevailing one. Even Benny Hill tried to copy Kenny by bringing in his own version of 'Hot Gossip' - 'Hill's Angels'.
But, after three successful seasons, things started to go wrong. Firstly, as a cost-cutting measure, the Cosgrove Hall cartoons were dropped, and 'Kremmen' subsequently appeared in short, live action sketches with Kenny as the Captain and Anna Dawson making a fetching 'Carla'. It just was not the same. Secondly, Thames' decision to move the show to Thursday nights ( so that it clashed with 'Top Of The Pops' on B.B.C.-1 ) angered the star so much that, at a showbiz bash, he allegedly called Philip Jones ( Thames' head of light entertainment ) a rude name. The star then accepted an offer to join the B.B.C. The result was 'The Kenny Everett Television Show'. It reduced the music in favour of comedy, and was, if anything, even more successful.
Apart from some repeats on U.K. Gold back in the '90's and on the now-defunct 'Granada Plus', Kenny's Thames show has been totally forgotten. A D.V.D. compilation exists, but that's about all. Music rights would seem to be the main obstacle to a full release. Given how influential it was ( Kenny's jibes at celebrity culture were ahead of the alternative comedy brigade's by a couple of years ), it seems a great shame.