Second that. Just listened to Tim Rice's tribute on I-Player. His music is quite sublimely beautiful. 'You and I' is my favourite. Met him at a concert interval at the Cliffs Pavilion theatre in Westcliff-on-Sea in 1987, and he signed my copy of his new LP, Lovelight. He has left us such wonderful songs and the tribute has some of the best names in entertainment paying homage to his great talents.
When Lovelight was first released it only came out on LP. Luckily I saw Peter live on the Lovelight tour and they were selling CD versions there. He signed it for me after the show.
I remember seeing this when it first came on. I think it was Xmas 83 and sadly their last. So many funny moments. 'Can he say 'funky'? No 'FUNKY' but you were close." And even to this day whenever I hear Peterborough I think of this sketch.
If you compare Morecambe and Wise to the Two Ronnies, it is sad to say that Morecambe and Wise had a very evident show in the drop of quality in their later years at Thames, with rehashed BBC routines and stale material. Two Ronnies really did keep their work very decent, with excellent material and high production values right up to their last show at Christmas 1987.
Another factor was that the Two Ronnie's were involved In other work outside the two Ronnie's Ronnie Corbett did sorry while Ronnie Barker had porridge open all hours and Clarence so the two Ronnie's were more versatile than Morecambe and wise who had just the one show especially when they restricted to just Xmas specials after Eric's heart attack in the late 70s.
Eric was very poorly,this show very nearly didn’t happen at all. This is why they needed to use previous sketches. Peter still felt it was the greatest honour to be involved with these two legends, but was anxious about hurting Eric when he had to shake him! 8:10
This is a nearly all rehashed material from the 1976 Christmas Special routine they did with Elton John. In the space seven years Eric and Ernie had to rehash this material. It showed just the lack of new material and ideas they had by 1983 when this was made.
It's true, their material has not aged well. The recently rediscovered tapes of their early BBC shows were simply dreadful and do not stand up in their own right, being broadcast, sadly, only because they were Morecambe and Wise.
It's true that some of their material was repeated for later shows but they are still as funny now as they were back then Not many comedians with there stature survived today's comedy..... These guys did 100 percent ♥️
2:15 - Eric mentions Ernie's watch here, and this seems to be another reused material from the 1976 Christmas show on the BBC, where Eric bought a crap useless watch for Ernie for Christmas. From the same 1976 Christmas show where they did this routine with Elton John.
Always worth watching M&W and Peter. Just a pity they were rehashing an old routine, originally done with Elton John. There heyday was with the BBC, during the 70's and lost it's sparkle after the move to ITV.
Yes John, that particular quote does come from that classic Andre Preview, Privet, Previn sketch. ;) The "counter melody" routine is lifted from an earlier show with Elton John. I'm sure it's on youtube some where.
Steve Thompson It was actually originally a Hills and Green routine. They were responsible for the line about the notes not being in the right order too.
This was the last ever M&W show. Eric was so poorly, I think that’s why there wasn’t a new sketch. I know it was the realisation of a life long ambition for Peter to be on their show. He was very frightened he was going to hurt Eric.
Eric certainly put on a lot of weight by 1983 when they were on Thames Television. You would think a man who had three heart attacks and life saving heart bypass surgery in 1979 would have ate more healthy, but here by 1983 he really has piled on the pounds compared to the seventies.
Not quite. Morecambe and Wise modelled their act on Reeves and Mortimer's early stage material in the 1950s. Reeves and Mortimer split up in 1967, and by the time they reformed in 1990, M&W had disappeared without trace, although it is believed they are still doing turns in northern clubs in the hope of getting another break, proving yet again the old showbiz adage, "Avoid inferior imitations."
When you watch this routine and compare it to the original they did with Elton John in 1976 you can see a hell of a difference. The 1976 version with Elton was far more relaxed and felt natural. This version from 1983 simply feels like Eric and Ernie going through the motions, with no care put into the routine.
I agree. The 1980's Eric and Ernie were basically a re-run. I remember seeing this series and thinking at the time: They are not as good. There was a new type of comedy coming through at the time. Benny Hill's new series suffered as I recall.
You have to recognise that Eric was very poorly Nevertheless, he always said doing the last ever show was the highlight of his career., and the show nearly didn’t happen at all.Eric could only attend one rehearsal, and Peter was terrified to shake him!
@@patriciamills2661 I have been reflecting on my comment about Ant & Dec and the Brooke Bond chimps, and I want to apologise for my remarks. I realise that what I said was completely uncalled for, and also deeply hurtful and completely unfair. To the Brooke Bond chimps. And all chimpanzees everywhere. Oh, and if Brooke Bond ever decide to remake the old adverts but are prevented by animal welfare regulations, I can recommend a couple of human stand-ins they could use, and no-one would know the difference, especially if some booze was left strategically around the set.
It’s really weird to watch this video only a couple of days after watching an upload of the sketch with Elton John from 1975 or so. The exact same sketch, word for word. Someone was very lazy in the writing department, or they were desperate to fill a few more minutes of air time.
Gary Morecambe, son of Eric spoke about this. When they went to Thames Television in 1978, they were confronted with the problem of coming up with new material. Eddie Braben didn't join them at Thames until early 1980. However even when he did arrive, he discovered that after over a decade of superb shows at the BBC, there was little left in the pot for him to use. They churned out so many routines, that he suddenly lost new ideas, and so they had to go back over old material. They were lucky, as in 1980 to 1983 many people had possibly forgotten some routines they had done, and video recorders were not in every home in the late 70s or early 80s. Eric and Ernie hated doing old material, but when you had seven 25 minute episodes per series and a 50 minute Christmas special to fill, they had no choice.
@@johnking5174 - thanks very much for the explanation. That makes complete sense. It was a different time, before DVD box sets and UA-cam that allow you to binge watch. In the old days, a sketch might have sounded a little familiar, but you would have never known for certain.
Eric was sometimes very tedious and annoying. To the point where I am surprised some guests did not punch him. Always going for the joke became very tedious. Many interviewers hated interviewing Eric, as he never settled into an interview, always trying to get a laugh when it was not needed. A bit like Peter Kay did in interviews.
@@nintendy I watched a clip of an interview Eric and Ernie did for Thames Television in the early seventies, Mavis Nicholson was the interviewer, and you can see her becoming very annoyed with Eric, who never answered her questions properly, always going for the joke. Tedious.
they are looking very old and tired in this! both mid 50's here, and watching this, i think how much better, they were in the old sid and dick days! they are just reusing and reheating old sketches.
Can't watch this and not smile. Thank you for posting.
Are you related to him? 😊
RIP. ALL THREE.
Peter Skellern. Still magic.... and always will be. RIP.
Well said - and how true! Lovely guy.
Humour that is sadly dying out. Peter born in my home town.
Wonderful Peter Skellern. RIP.
Second that. Just listened to Tim Rice's tribute on I-Player. His music is quite sublimely beautiful. 'You and I' is my favourite. Met him at a concert interval at the Cliffs Pavilion theatre in Westcliff-on-Sea in 1987, and he signed my copy of his new LP, Lovelight. He has left us such wonderful songs and the tribute has some of the best names in entertainment paying homage to his great talents.
When Lovelight was first released it only came out on LP. Luckily I saw Peter live on the Lovelight tour and they were selling CD versions there. He signed it for me after the show.
Enjoyed this. They did the exact same sketch with Elton John too.
"Not necessarily in the right order!"-a favorite punchline makes it's return.
Andrew 'Preview'!!??
Do think that punchline when Morecambe delivered it with Previn is the GREATEST LINE EVER UTTERED in comedy
@@dlamiss “I like him, he’s in”
Thanks for posting this.Wonderful.
Brilliant clip...thanks for posting.
Don't care they are still brilliant, And Peter Skellern is a great foil, even when he gets the giggles.
Just wonderful.
I remember seeing this when it first came on. I think it was Xmas 83 and sadly their last.
So many funny moments. 'Can he say 'funky'? No 'FUNKY' but you were close."
And even to this day whenever I hear Peterborough I think of this sketch.
il est magique !
So good to see this again, god bless them all. Looks as though they should have turned the heating up a bit though.
Comedy greats morcombe and wise still laugh them now there comedy never goes out of date
Thanks. So welcome.
If you compare Morecambe and Wise to the Two Ronnies, it is sad to say that Morecambe and Wise had a very evident show in the drop of quality in their later years at Thames, with rehashed BBC routines and stale material. Two Ronnies really did keep their work very decent, with excellent material and high production values right up to their last show at Christmas 1987.
Another factor was that the Two Ronnie's were involved In other work outside the two Ronnie's Ronnie Corbett did sorry while Ronnie Barker had porridge open all hours and Clarence so the two Ronnie's were more versatile than Morecambe and wise who had just the one show especially when they restricted to just Xmas specials after Eric's heart attack in the late 70s.
Eric was very poorly,this show very nearly didn’t happen at all. This is why they needed to use previous sketches. Peter still felt it was the greatest honour to be involved with these two legends, but was anxious about hurting Eric when he had to shake him!
8:10
@@dianaskellern5035 thank you for the insight! It adds a lot to the sketch.
I used to be Russ Conway's pianist.
Ah, takes me back to when the BBC entertained the nation and the world. Today's "entertainment" is reality shows : (
This routine was made by Thames Television at ITV and not the BBC
This is a nearly all rehashed material from the 1976 Christmas Special routine they did with Elton John. In the space seven years Eric and Ernie had to rehash this material. It showed just the lack of new material and ideas they had by 1983 when this was made.
It's true, their material has not aged well. The recently rediscovered tapes of their early BBC shows were simply dreadful and do not stand up in their own right, being broadcast, sadly, only because they were Morecambe and Wise.
@@Sootaroot You are entitled to your opinion, of course. I am equally entitled to point out to you that your opinion stinks.
It's true that some of their material was repeated for later shows but they are still as funny now as they were back then Not many comedians with there stature survived today's comedy..... These guys did 100 percent ♥️
2:15 - Eric mentions Ernie's watch here, and this seems to be another reused material from the 1976 Christmas show on the BBC, where Eric bought a crap useless watch for Ernie for Christmas. From the same 1976 Christmas show where they did this routine with Elton John.
yeah the watch sketch from 1976 Christmas show was remade as the opening of this last special
They did the same sketch with Elton John
Always worth watching M&W and Peter. Just a pity they were rehashing an old routine, originally done with Elton John. There heyday was with the BBC, during the 70's and lost it's sparkle after the move to ITV.
i thought it was with Andre Previn- #at least the notes in the wrong order was!
Yes John, that particular quote does come from that classic Andre Preview, Privet, Previn sketch. ;)
The "counter melody" routine is lifted from an earlier show with Elton John. I'm sure it's on youtube some where.
Steve Thompson It was actually originally a Hills and Green routine. They were responsible for the line about the notes not being in the right order too.
@@femaleanimal and the custard pie sketch later in the episode as well hardly anything new in this christmas special 1983 sadly
This was the last ever M&W show. Eric was so poorly, I think that’s why there wasn’t a new sketch. I know it was the realisation of a life long ambition for Peter to be on their show. He was very frightened he was going to hurt Eric.
Nothing could be finer? Than to have me "ham and eggs" in Carolina? Absolute filth.
Pardon me boys!
I remember Elton John
This is classic - but why is it in purple?
Being filmed on a video camera.
Eric certainly put on a lot of weight by 1983 when they were on Thames Television. You would think a man who had three heart attacks and life saving heart bypass surgery in 1979 would have ate more healthy, but here by 1983 he really has piled on the pounds compared to the seventies.
I have a 45 of Morecambe and Wise singing Twelve days of Christmas and Bingle Jells, does anyone know if these are on UA-cam?
No, nobody knows. There is simply no way to find out, unless you write to UA-cam, but don't forget to enclose a stamped addressed envelope.
they did the same sketch with Elton John.
Are the comidians called Reeves and Mortimer a sort of tribute act to these men , like you get with those old rock groups from the 1970s ?
Not quite. Morecambe and Wise modelled their act on Reeves and Mortimer's early stage material in the 1950s. Reeves and Mortimer split up in 1967, and by the time they reformed in 1990, M&W had disappeared without trace, although it is believed they are still doing turns in northern clubs in the hope of getting another break, proving yet again the old showbiz adage, "Avoid inferior imitations."
When you watch this routine and compare it to the original they did with Elton John in 1976 you can see a hell of a difference. The 1976 version with Elton was far more relaxed and felt natural. This version from 1983 simply feels like Eric and Ernie going through the motions, with no care put into the routine.
I agree. The 1980's Eric and Ernie were basically a re-run.
I remember seeing this series and thinking at the time: They are not as good.
There was a new type of comedy coming through at the time. Benny Hill's new series suffered as I recall.
You have to recognise that Eric was very poorly
Nevertheless, he always said doing the last ever show was the highlight of his career., and the show nearly didn’t happen at all.Eric could only attend one rehearsal, and Peter was terrified to shake him!
Purple
Which two comedians come close to M&W today their isnt anyone shame really
A colleague remarked that she thought Ant and Dec were the new Morcambe and Wise. I told her to wash her mouth out.
@@patriciamills2661 Nowhere close. Don't mention in the same sentence. Only thing they have in common is that they were childhood friends.
@@patriciamills2661 I have been reflecting on my comment about Ant & Dec and the Brooke Bond chimps, and I want to apologise for my remarks. I realise that what I said was completely uncalled for, and also deeply hurtful and completely unfair. To the Brooke Bond chimps. And all chimpanzees everywhere. Oh, and if Brooke Bond ever decide to remake the old adverts but are prevented by animal welfare regulations, I can recommend a couple of human stand-ins they could use, and no-one would know the difference, especially if some booze was left strategically around the set.
As others have said all the jokes rehashed even the reference to the watch which was on the BBC about 75-76
Not rehash - remix
Still funny
😂💛💛💛
It’s really weird to watch this video only a couple of days after watching an upload of the sketch with Elton John from 1975 or so. The exact same sketch, word for word. Someone was very lazy in the writing department, or they were desperate to fill a few more minutes of air time.
Gary Morecambe, son of Eric spoke about this. When they went to Thames Television in 1978, they were confronted with the problem of coming up with new material. Eddie Braben didn't join them at Thames until early 1980. However even when he did arrive, he discovered that after over a decade of superb shows at the BBC, there was little left in the pot for him to use. They churned out so many routines, that he suddenly lost new ideas, and so they had to go back over old material. They were lucky, as in 1980 to 1983 many people had possibly forgotten some routines they had done, and video recorders were not in every home in the late 70s or early 80s. Eric and Ernie hated doing old material, but when you had seven 25 minute episodes per series and a 50 minute Christmas special to fill, they had no choice.
@@johnking5174 - thanks very much for the explanation. That makes complete sense. It was a different time, before DVD box sets and UA-cam that allow you to binge watch. In the old days, a sketch might have sounded a little familiar, but you would have never known for certain.
I’d rather see the Elton John version, but I think that got removed.
Just before he died
Well not exactly, this was from the 1983 Christmas show which was recorded in late November 1983, and Eric did not die until 28th May 1984.
True there's nothing like Morcome and Wise, thank Goodness!! and I don't like modern comedy either most of it's just stupid.
Loved Peter - but couldn’t stand those two idiots; too silly to laugh at - really got on my nerves...
Eric was sometimes very tedious and annoying. To the point where I am surprised some guests did not punch him. Always going for the joke became very tedious. Many interviewers hated interviewing Eric, as he never settled into an interview, always trying to get a laugh when it was not needed. A bit like Peter Kay did in interviews.
@@johnking5174 Agreed. I like Comedians who can be serious when needing to be - like you say, in Interviews.
@@nintendy I watched a clip of an interview Eric and Ernie did for Thames Television in the early seventies, Mavis Nicholson was the interviewer, and you can see her becoming very annoyed with Eric, who never answered her questions properly, always going for the joke. Tedious.
@@johnking5174 I can well imagine!
As funny as toothache.Embarrassing.
Peter Skellern was good. M&W were boring.
I don't know why they just didn't let him sing. He had real talent.
You couldn't be more wrong about Eric and Ernie They are legendary
they are looking very old and tired in this! both mid 50's here, and watching this, i think how much better, they were in the old sid and dick days! they are just reusing and reheating old sketches.
They were better at the BBC when Braden started working for them after Hills and Green left following Morecambes first heart attack in 68