Eddie Braben

Rob Gilroy: Making a stand #8

Sketch writing. It seems only fair that I discuss it this week, given the sad passing of the wonderful Eddie Braben - the man behind so many incredible Morecambe and Wise sketches.

Eddie Braben was Morecambe and Wise's secret weapon

Eddie Braben's work for Morecambe and Wise ranks among the best and funniest of any British comic writing because in many ways it defines it. Braben's rhythms are the quintessential rhythms of British comedy - the comedy of bathos.

How Eddie Braben saved Morecambe and Wise's careers

The comedy duo looked uncomfortable on television until Braben came on board. But how did he turn them into comedy legends?

Eddie Braben: Farewell to man who brought us sunshine

It was the clever scripts of Eddie Braben, who died this week, that made Morecambe and Wise such a lovable act.

Eddie Braben: man that wrote sketches & made us laugh

It's testament to the unassuming Liverpudlian's writing skills that Eric and Ernie were never quite as good before they teamed up with Braben, or after.

First in a new series in which contemporary stars profile the heroes of their youth. In this opener, Miranda Hart follows in the footsteps of her hero Eric Morecambe, from Morecambe beach to Luton Town and many points in between. Uncovering rarer footage than that found in most other Eric & Ern documentaries, and including interviews with former collaborators Eddie Braben, Barry Cryer and Ann Hamilton, this makes for a commendably off-piste look at the much-loved comic icon.

This is the first in an occasional series that sees celebs champion the people who inspired them. And I can imagine that there must have been quite the bunfight among stars all clamouring to claim Eric Morecambe as their hero.

After all, as the patronising voice-over tells us: "Morecambe and Wise were regarded by many as the greatest comedy double act ever." Gosh, really? It's amazing what you can learn from these documentaries, isn't it?

Miranda's quest to get closer to her hero starts, inevitably, at Eric's statue on Morecambe promenade. She also visits the house where he was born and the now dilapidated Winter Gardens where he would have watched his first shows. Sadly, she somehow neglects to visit the local Wetherspoons, the Eric Bartholomew, which bears his real name.

Elsewhere, we're treated to home movie clips of Miranda's early performances. They are universally terrible. "We all wondered 'how long is she going to keep this up?'" admits her sister Alice.

The best bits are Miranda's meetings with actress Ann Hamilton, who appeared in almost 100 of Morecambe & Wise's TV shows, and with long-time scriptwriter Eddie Braben, who wrote all their Christmas specials. His role in transforming them from an average music hall act into comedy legends really cannot be underestimated, making him the real unsung hero of this piece.

Ernie Wise's terrible plays and the A-listers they attracted to 70s staple The Morecambe and Wise Show are the focus of this week's raid on the sketch cabinet. There are marvellous clips of Arthur Lowe, Peter Cushing and Penelope Keith sending themselves up, but the icing on the guest-star cake was Oscar-winning Glenda Jackson. As M&W scriptwriter Eddie Braben says, "She brought out the best in them, as they did in her."

The Eric and Ern missteps aren't glossed over, however. One film - a deal-sweetener for the pair's migration to ITV and shown only once on telly - is fascinatingly terrible. But otherwise the deluge of punchlines will leave you satisfyingly soaked.

Gag writer Eddie Braben on helping Morecambe & Wise

As Morecambe and Wise's early years are dramatised, their gag writer Eddie Braben reveals: "How I made Britain love Eric and Ernie."