
Comedy Chronicles Page 5
The life, art and anxieties of Mike Yarwood
Sunday 24th September 2023
"There were three basic stages in Yarwood's career. The first was as a turn; the second was as a star; the third was as a problem." Graham McCann looks back at the work of impressionist Mike Yarwood.
No ifs, no buts - and no ...ands: The star quality of June Whitfield
Sunday 10th September 2023
Despite remaining in the memory as one of British comedy's greatest comedy actors, as a woman June Whitfield was overlooked for the kind of superstar/starring chances of her male peers. Here we pay tribute to her brilliant talents.
An Englishman abroad: The hidden life of Derek Nimmo
Sunday 27th August 2023
Derek Nimmo was, for a long time, one of Britain's favourite character actors on television and radio - but then he just seemed to start to disappear. This is the story of what he was really up to during those wilderness years.
When Cary met Pastry: Cary Grant's friendship with Richard Hearne
Sunday 13th August 2023
The story of the perhaps unlikely-seeming friendship between Hollywood icon Cary Grant and English slapstick comic Richard Hearne, better known as the aged Mr Pastry.
The little Cannon that could: The clever cameos of Esma Cannon
Sunday 30th July 2023
A name you may not know, but if you've watched any amount of British comedy from the 1950s or 60s, a face you certainly will: this is a look at the life and career of the utterly marvellous Esma Cannon.
Pete and Club: Peter Cook's Establishment
Sunday 16th July 2023
The remarkable and little-told full story of the rise and fall of Peter Cook's famed satirical nightclub, The Establishment.
Well, really!: The crafty art of Richard Wattis
Sunday 2nd July 2023
Comedy Chronicles shines a light on one of British comedy's most reliable faces, prolific supporting actor Richard Wattis, known for a plethora of roles in officialdom.
It seemed a good idea at the time #4: The Bee Gees' Cucumber Castle
Sunday 18th June 2023
A look at the strange and exotic cultural creature that is Cucumber Castle, a one-off TV comedy special starring The Bee Gees. The story of its ill-fated creation involves commercial opportunism, professional naivety, musical differences, sibling tensions, a number of sudden misfortunes and a great deal of chaos and confusion.
The heart of the matter: The real battle of Hugh Carleton Greene
Sunday 4th June 2023
The BBC's story is long and varied, but its revolutionary free-thinking approach to television broadcasting in the 1960s is a story that is more often than not only half-told: enter Director-General Sir Hugh Carleton Greene.
The duo you don't know: Jimmy Jewel and Ben Warriss
Sunday 21st May 2023
Britain's favourite comedy double act before Morecambe & Wise found fame in the 1960s, cousins Jimmy Jewel and Ben Warriss are now largely forgotten - despite having a huge impact on radio and television comedy.