Victoria Wood (I)

The secret to Victoria Wood's popularity was that her humour allowed her to be "inoffensive and yet quite naughty." There may be comedians who were sharper or funnier, but they couldn't claim the huge affection Victoria Wood had. She was loved by so many because she'd never resort to shocks, sex or scandal to grab attention, finding the right tone by being a tiny bit "naughty" but never cruel.

Julie Walters, Barry Cryer, Celia Imrie, Alison Steadman, Michael Ball and others offer funny anecdotes and warm memories of her and if you begin to feel it's perhaps getting too sweet and sad, clips of Victoria Wood elbow their way in, being a little bit "naughty" to correct the balance. You can't be melancholy when she pops up on screen to discuss ageing women visiting the doctor, some with pelvic floors dangling and another holding her cervix in a margarine tub.

We also learn of Wood's Lancashire childhood and how she saw Joyce Grenfell's act as a girl, and became fascinated with the image of a lone woman on a stage who could make everyone laugh.

A tribute to Victoria Wood

So very sad to hear of the death of Victoria Wood at the comparatively early age of 62.

Victoria Wood's funeral was 'full of laughter'

The star died last month aged 62 and her family and friends reportedly remembered her with a "light-hearted and celebratory" service.

Geoff Posner remembers Victoria Wood

There were three of us sat on the floor in a little cottage in North West England - Victoria, Julie Walters and myself. It was 1984; I was a young producer, having just made The Young Ones and the pilot of Blackadder, and had seen Victoria in a play called Good Fun. When I heard she'd been signed up to the BBC, to make a series called As Seen On TV, I asked if I could work on it.

This bird has flown: elegy to Victoria Wood

A great British comedian, Victoria Wood knew we weren't bad. We didn't mind her either. 19 May 1953-20 April 2016.

Susan Calman: without Victoria Wood, I'd be nothing

After the sad death of the comedy legend who inspired so many female standups, Susan Calman tells us what she meant to her.

Sarah Millican: email from Victoria Wood

2016 continues to be a dick and now we've had to say goodbye to the brilliant Victoria Wood. Sarah Millican recalls a very special message.

Gold's latest archive trolley-dash offers a retrospective of Edgbaston's biggest star. Despite plaudits for her dramatic roles, it's Walters' comic turns alongside Victoria Wood that first brought her to national attention. Her story is covered here via archive interview footage, from her challenging introduction to academia at the hands of ruler-wielding nuns to her most celebrated roles. These include Acorn Antiques' expertly inept charlady Mrs Overall, a role requiring Walters to unlearn her hard-earned acting expertise.

Young people don't own comedy - and nor should they

How dull would our lives be if we, in effect, introduce a mandatory retirement age for wisecracks?