Accidentally falling into a job with the likes of Sykes, Milligan, Galton, Simpson and Howerd, Beryl Vertue quickly became a one-woman powerhouse, transforming the British television industry with changes that remain to this day.
Having addressed Billy Connolly's knack for adaptation, Comedy Chronicles takes a look at another form of joke "theft": appropriation, and the secret story of US comedy on British radio.
Joke theft is generally perceived to be one of the worst acts any comic can commit. But there is a difference in execution between imitation and adaptation, and a certain Scotsman is a master of the latter.
The politics of the 1980s fuelled the alternative comedy scene, making stars for decades to come. But have you heard the one about the Prime Minister saving a sitcom great from an unjustly early demise?
The need to audition is a common obstacle in many a performer's career; but for comics hoping to secure BBC airtime from the 1940s onwards, they could be particularly demanding - and with little chance of success.
A once much-loved British comedy sketch has acclaimed cult status on the continent whilst fading into obscurity in its home nation. This is the story of Freddie Frinton and Dinner For One.
We've all seen André Previn on the 1971Morecambe & Wise Christmas special countless times. The recorded Grieg sketch, however, is but the tip of the iceberg.
