An alternative night out with Saturday Live
Published: Sunday 25th June 2023
Nobody can pin down the exact date when the movement that came to be known as alternative comedy came into being. The likes of Billy Connolly, Jasper Carrott and John Dowie, the latter of whom toured and wrote with Victoria Wood in 1977, were telling jokes and stories in folk clubs long before the phrase was coined, while The Tramshed in Woolwich ran a night called The Fundation, which served as a launchpad for Hale & Pace, amongst others.
All this is to say that while 19th May 1979 is undoubtably a pivotal moment - that was the date of the first performance at the now iconic Comedy Store in its original premises, the Gargoyle, a strip club in Dean Street, Soho - a group of performers were setting the stage quite some time beforehand.
A notable cohort had been in fringe and radical theatre groups long before The Store opened, including Tony Allen, Pauline Melville, Andy De La Tour, Alexei Sayle and Jim Barclay, who got together and called themselves Alternative Cabaret. They were a collection of comics, writers and performers who rallied against the sexist comedy commonly found in working men's clubs up and down the country at the time, and they set about performing at venues like The Elgin in Ladbroke Grove. Keith Allen adamantly refused to be an official member of the collective but could often be found performing on the same bills as them.
In 1980, Peter Richardson set up rival show The Comic Strip at the Raymond Revue Bar, putting on regular performances with a core troupe of talent including original Comedy Store compere Alexei Sayle, plus Nigel Planer, Rik Mayall, Adrian Edmondson, French & Saunders and Arnold Brown.
Paul Jackson is the man we have to thank for bringing alternative comedy to a mass audience. Perhaps best known for producing The Young Ones and Red Dwarf, he was also responsible for putting together the first ever showcase of alternative comedy on television, in the form of Boom Boom... Out Go The Lights. Originally, and somewhat optimistically, pitched as a 26 part series, two episodes were broadcast in a graveyard slot on BBC2.
The first episode, aired on 14th October 1980, showcased solo performers, including Sayle (who blasted his way through a version of what would become his hit single, Hello John, Got A New Motor?), Tony Allen, Keith Allen, Nigel Planer and Rik Mayall (appearing without double act partners Peter Richardson and Adrian Edmondson, respectively).
The second episode, broadcast seven months later, saw everybody except Keith Allen return, but added Pauline Melville and Andy De La Tour. It marked the television debut of Edmondson and Mayall's act, now called The Dangerous Brothers, while Peter Richardson joined Planer to perform as The Outer Limits. Thankfully, these shows finally received a home video release in 2022, as a special feature on The Young Ones boxset.
The Comic Strip came to television on 11th April 1981 in Julien Temple's half hour comedy of the same name. It saw them play heightened versions of themselves, getting into petty backstage squabbles before performing their acts. In the same year, A Kick Up The Eighties saw Mayall play Kevin Turvey, the eternal optimist who spoke in a thick Brummie accent. The Comic Strip Presents... film series then kicked off with Five Go Mad In Dorset, written by Richardson and Pete Richens, on 2nd November 1982, the opening night of Channel 4, while The Young Ones premiered just seven days later on BBC2, on 9th November.
While The Young Ones brought the anarchic sensibilities of alternative comedy to the BBC sitcom, by contrast Saturday Live, which aired from 1985 to 1988, retitled Friday Night Live for the final series, was a purer distillation of the spirit of the movement.
In the very early days of circuit, many alternative comedians truly lived up to their title. Take Chris Lynam, an anarchic clown whose act finished quite literally with a bang - he would place a firework up his backside and light the fuse. Then there was Anthony Irvine, AKA The Iceman: his act involved melting a block of ice onstage using any means necessary, occasionally throwing in an ice pun for good measure.
Andrew Bailey was a surreal performance artist of whom Paul Merton wrote in his autobiography, "in a better world, he would be revered as a national treasure, if that didn't conjure up an air of cosiness entirely inappropriate to his oeuvre".
Double act The Port Stanley Amateur Dramatic Society (Andy Linden and Cliff Parisi) were allegedly banned from legendary venue The Earth Exchange, a vegetarian restaurant, for throwing meat in to the audience. And who could forget The Greatest Show On Legs, in which three men would perform naked to the tune of Wheels by The String-Alongs, holding balloons over their private parts, which Martin Soan performed with Malcolm Hardee, among others.
Saturday Live premiered on Channel 4 in January 1985. The pilot was hosted by Lenny Henry, with Ben Elton taking over for the series. It was a time when Elton was hot property as a writer, from 1983 to 1985 he had written or co-written four series: The Young Ones (with Mayall and Lise Mayer), Blackadder (with Richard Curtis), There's Nothing To Worry About!, a Granada show aired in the North West which morphed into Alfresco (featuring Stephen Fry, Hugh Laurie, Emma Thompson, Siobhan Redmond and Robbie Coltrane, who replaced Paul Shearer from the first iteration) and Happy Families.
Elton helmed the show with his motormouth delivery, a style he developed whilst working as a compere at The Comedy Store. As a preventative measure against hecklers, he simply refused to leave them any gaps.
Randolph the Remarkable, AKA Philip Herbert, performed his act in one episode, which involved filling a washing up bowl with water and then using his considerable bulk to lay on it, the result being it stuck to his stomach. A mere description cannot do credit to how funny it is to watch. Herbert went on to perform as Julian Clary's right hand man Hugh Jelly for many years.
Clary too made his television debut, via Friday Live, performing as The Joan Collins Fan Club alongside his adorable, much missed pooch Fanny The Wonder Dog, while Clary's friend and frequent collaborator Paul Merton performed a brilliant routine about television detectives, capped with his trademark gag:
"I'm a topical comedian. During the Blitz, my dad used to say 'don't worry about the bombs. The only bombs you've got to worry about are the ones that have got your name written on them'. That really scared the next door neighbours - Mr and Mrs Doodlebug.
One of the standout sketches was The Dangerous Brothers, which brought Rik Mayall and Adrian Edmondson's Twentieth Century Coyote double act to the screen. A gloriously over the top explosion of energy, Rik and Ade pinched, punched and farted their way through ten sketches that showcased the magical, madcap chemistry they shared.
From the many, many crotch shots to violence with a variety of objects, including a crossbow, a cannon and even, in a sketch based around torture, a red hot genital pinch, this is pure, unfiltered Rik and Ade, without the supporting characters of The Young Ones or the Beckettian undertones of Bottom.
The How To Get Off With A Lady sketch sees Ade share the screen with real life wife Jennifer Saunders. The below exchange from that sketch perfectly encapsulates the sublime silliness of their comedy:
Jennifer: That was fantastic and now I'm pregnant!
Ade: What do you mean? I haven't touched you yet!
Jennifer: Try telling that to the judge you... what's the rudest thing I can say on television?
Rik and Ade: Bloody farty big jobs.
Jennifer: You try telling that to the judge you bloody farty big jobs!
A policeman runs on.
Policeman: Right, who said bloody farty big jobs?
Rik and Ade: YOU did!
Policeman: Did I? Right then, I'm nicked.
The policeman punches himself in the crotch and yanks himself from the frame by his collar.
Mayall, Edmondson and Elton went on to make Filthy, Rich And Catflap in 1986, before the double act found huge success with Bottom, which spawned three series, five live shows and a film adaptation, Guest House Paradiso.
Harry Enfield is arguably the breakout star of Saturday Live, his 'Loadsamoney!' character captured the cultural zeitgeist and came to perfectly encapsulate the excesses of the era. Enfield's other breakout character was Stavros, the Greek kebab shop owner.
The show serves as a vital document of stand-ups and double acts for whom their appearance on the show remains the only recorded footage of their live act. Stephen Frost and Mark Arden, who later became familiar faces in the 1990s after they appeared in a series of beer adverts proclaiming the legend "I bet he drinks Carling Black Label", honed their double act The Oblivion Boys in live venues, and while they co-starred in sitcom Lazarus & Dingwall (a kind of British take on Police Squad) in 1991, their sketches on Saturday Live remain the only record of their live act.
It's the same with sketch troupe The Wow Show, in which Arden and Frost appeared with Paul Mark Elliott and Lee Cornes. The latter was an early compere at The Comedy Store who was renowned for making his fellow comics laugh just as much as the audience - Sean Lock once cited Cornes as his favourite comedian.
Bing Hitler also made a very early television appearance on the show. Better known as Craig Ferguson, he went on to achieve huge success as one of the best late night talk show hosts America ever had.
Steve Rawlings made quite an impression during his spot, mixing a jittery, overexcited persona with an astonishing, virtuoso showcase of fire juggling.
A young Craig Charles made multiple appearances, exhibiting his considerable talents as a performance poet. It's a real shame he no longer performs as a poet, because the poems he delivers on the show, like The Occasional Guinness Drinker and the powerful, politically charged Subtle Policing, are bravura displays of the form. At the height of his Red Dwarf fame in the 1990s he released two live stand-up videos - Live On Earth and Sickbag - which are well worth tracking down. His future Dwarf co-stars also featured, with Chris Barrie performing a variety of impeccable impressions, perhaps most notably an uncanny Ronald Reagan, while Hattie Hayridge's deadpan delivery of her beautifully constructed one liners shows exactly why she was the perfect choice to replace Norman Lovett as Holly (Lovett appears in the Dangerous Brothers Torture sketch, where he has his legs cut off by Mayall).
While it is sadly true that comedy, especially in the 70s and 80s, was a male dominated affair, Saturday Live showcased many of the brilliant female comics on the scene. Jo Brand, who around that time performed under the moniker of The Sea Monster, made her television debut, as did Jenny Lecoat. One of just two solo female acts nominated for the prestigious Perrier award in the 1980s (the other was Sue Ingleton), she is now an author and screenwriter.
Josie Lawrence performed several characters in the show and there is rare footage of Helen Lederer performing stand-up. American Rita Rudner showcased her masterful deadpan delivery in one episode - she later teamed up with Stephen Fry, Hugh Laurie, Emma Thompson, Tony Slattery and Kenneth Branagh to make the wonderful Peter's Friends, a 1992 film she co-wrote with her husband Martin Bergman.
French & Saunders and Tracey Ullman appeared in the first series in 1986. Having just collaborated with Ruby Wax on the sitcom Girls On Top, the following year would see them both fronting their own series.
Many comics from across the pond appeared on the show, like Emo Philips, a cult comic with a surreal, childlike delivery. Future voice of Roger Rabbit, Charles Fleischer, performed a brilliant set based around improvising with the audience, while Sam Kinison, the ex-preacher with a legendary scream, made his sole UK television appearance via Saturday Live.
Droll comic Steven Wright, one of the greatest joke writers in the world, made several appearances. As a performer, Wright takes deadpan delivery to a whole new level, with jokes like:
I bought some powdered water, but I don't know what to add.
I put instant coffee into a microwave oven, I almost went back in time.
The show was revived for a single series in 1996, mixing acts from the original series with up-and-coming comics of the time, including Rhona Cameron, Junior Simpson and Brenda Gilhooly.
In October 2022, Friday Night Live was brought back for a one off special as part of Channel 4's 40th anniversary celebrations. Elton returned as host and compere, and there was a nice mix of comics - Julian Clary, Jo Brand and Harry Enfield (as Stavros) were stalwarts from the original, with the likes of Rosie Jones, Mawaan Rizwan, Sam Campbell and Jordan Gray representing the new wave of British comedy.
While Network released two disc highlights of each series, plus DVDs which collected the sketches of Fry & Laurie, Ben Elton and The Dangerous Brothers, the show has never been released in its entirety. This means that sadly we cannot revisit performances from other stalwarts of the scene who appeared on the show, like mime artist Les Bubb, the legendarily laconic Kevin McAleer, American comics Margaret Smith, Joy Behar and Paula Poundstone, Simon Fanshawe and Australian comic Wendy Harmer, to name but a few.
While straight stand-up has flourished on television in the years since, with shows like Live At The Comedy Store paving the way for Live At The Apollo, no other show has made quite the same impact. Viva Cabaret ran for two series on Channel 4 from 1993 to 1994, which served as a similar showcase for a variety of acts. Perhaps the closest example is Stewart Lee's Alternative Comedy Experience, with the likes of Bridget Christie, Simon Munnery, Eleanor Tiernan, Paul Foot and Josie Long making appearances.
But it is Saturday Live which paved the way, bringing contemporary comedy directly into people's living rooms. It made stars out of several acts and even now, almost forty years later, its influence is still being felt.
Where to start?
As the entire series hasn't been released, it isn't really possible to start with a specific episode. The best place to begin delving into the world of Saturday Live very much depends on your comedic tastes. If you can get hold of the DVDs, just letting them play through all the highlights will give a fantastic overview of the Eighties comedy scene in all its weird and wonderful variety.
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Love comedy? Find out moreSaturday Live - The Best Of Series Two
Created by leading comedy producer Paul Jackson (The Young Ones) and based on the format of American show Saturday Night Live, Saturday Live was broadcast on Channel 4 between 1985 and 1987 and brought the live alternative comedy circuit to a UK TV audience.
Some of comedy's most iconic characters made their name on and owe their success to the show, including Harry Enfield's Stavros. Saturday Live also made a huge star of Ben Elton as a performer - previously known for his writing, he started out as a guest host and then went on to become the permanent presenter.
So join Ben Elton, Harry Enfield, Stephen Fry, Hugh Laurie, Julian Clary, Craig Charles, Chris Barrie, Lenny Henry, Rowan Atkinson and the puppets of Spitting Image for a riotous trip down alternative comedy memory lane in this special DVD release which contains all the best moments from the second series.
First released: Monday 4th February 2008
DVD- Distributor: Network
- Region: 2
- Discs: 2
- Catalogue: 7952805
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Saturday Live - The Best Of Series One
Early 1980s standup show from ITV, featuring the era's "hot" comic talent.
The acts on the shows are:
Show 1: Ben Elton introduces Harry Enfield, Emo Phillips, Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie, Craig Charles and The Dangerous Brothers.
Show 2: Chris Barrie introduces acts including Tracey Ullman, Judy Tenuta, Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie, Hale & Pace, The Dangerous Brothers and Ben Elton.
Show 3: Steven Wright introduces acts including Ben Elton], Craig Charles, Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie, The Wow Show, Emma Thompson and The Dangerous Brothers.
Show 4: Pamela Stephenson introduces Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie, Harry Enfield, Denis Healey MP, Craig Charles, The Wow Show, Sam Knison, The Dangerous Brothers and Ben Elton
Show 5: Peter Cook introduces The Dangerous Brothers, Ben Elton, Dawn French & Jennifer Saunders, Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie, Louie Anderson and Raw Sex.
Show 6: Lenny Henry introduces The Dangerous Brothers, Ben Elton, Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie, Helen Lederer, The Oblivion Boys and Rita Rudner.
First released: Sunday 15th April 2007
DVD- Distributor: Network
- Region: 2
- Discs: 2
- Catalogue: 7952665
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Search for this product on eBay
BCG may earn commission on sales generated through the links above.