Eddie Large

Goodies + Little & Large reunite for Slapstick Festival

The Goodies and Little and Large were among the legendary comedians who have reunited as part of the latest Slapstick Festival in Bristol.

Little & Large reunite for Slapstick Festival

One of last century's most popular TV double acts - Little and Large - will be back on stage together for the first time in decades in Bristol in January as part of the extended 15th annual edition of the UK's biggest celebration of silent and classic screen comedy: SLAPSTICK.

Eddie Large opens up about his heart transplant

The comedian, 76, may be one of the oldest surviving heart transplant patients but he is strong and sprightly as he skips around his balcony overlooking the marina in Portishead, Somerset.

Eddie Large readmitted to hospital

The 72-year-old had spent a month in hospital before being released, only to suffer further complications.

Eddie Large left battling for his life

Eddie Large, one half of TV double act Little & Large, spent time in a high dependency unit as medics fought to save him. He broke four ribs after tripping over a road sign near his home. He was taken to hospital but took a turn for the worse when he contracted pneumonia and doctors discovered he had pancreatic problems and a collapsed lung.

Dappers, written by Catherine Johnson (who wrote the bits between the songs in Mamma Mia!), is set in Bristol with lots of lovely rolling accents.

Leonora Crichlow and Ty Glaser play young mums on benefit, who cart their toddlers everywhere as they try to make cash and keep their spirits up.

The plot wasn't great, with a dog-walking scheme resulting in the inevitable mix up of two identical pugs, but the characters and their world already felt rounded, from the endearing girls, to their ineffective baby-fathers, the smug yuppies next door who have everything they don't and Eddie Large as a peculiar neighbour. I could happily watch more, with a bit of development of the stories and a few funnier lines.

This comedy drama pilot has a lot going for it. Being Human's Lenora Crichlow in one of the main roles for one thing. And it's written by Catherine Johnson, who's best known for making the film Mamma Mia! such a massive hit. Single mums Ashley and Faye are the eponymous dappers (see above for this and other Bristolian sayings) who live - with their respective toddlers - in adjacent housing association flats and are always coming up with money-making scams. Or, as the fl ashy ex-boyfriend of Faye (Ty Glaser), puts it they're "like Del Boy and Rodders in thongs". It's nowhere near as filthy as Shameless, but there will inevitably be comparisons with Little Britain's Vicky Pollard. The comic clichés (such as the "odd couple neighbours" played by Gwen Taylor and Eddie Large) wouldn't be given house room in Little Britain, though. Its success will depend very much on whether you take to ballsy Faye and Ashley. Earlier, there's more bold new drama in Stanley Park.

Dappers is about a pair of single mothers in Bristol. The cast includes Lenora Crichlow and Tom Ellis, but be warned the latter sports a chinny-beard monstrosity that you may find negatively affects his attractiveness levels. It's a strong cast that inexplicably includes Eddie Large skulking around in the background, but a certain amount of Wacky!Editing! doesn't quite cover the fact that there's not really much there. I would say that despite its Skins knock-off elements, the first show was the one that should get commissioned; but since the Radio Times dedicates several articles to Dappers and about half a line to Stanley Park, and they're likely to have better insider knowledge than me, the Bristol single mums could well be given the nod.