British Comedy Guide
Paul Whitehouse's Sketch Show Years. Paul Whitehouse
Paul Whitehouse's Sketch Show Years

Paul Whitehouse's Sketch Show Years

  • TV documentary
  • Gold
  • 2024
  • 4 episodes (1 series)

A journey through Paul Whitehouse's favourite British sketch shows of the past 60 years.

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Episode menu

Series 1, Episode 3 - The 1990s

The maestro of the comedy sketch Paul Whitehouse continues his very personal tribute, looking at the 90s - the decade he fully landed on screen with The Fast Show, after earlier work with old pal Harry Enfield on the latter's shows, notably DJs Smashie & Nicey.

Further details

The decade of New Labour and Britpop was something of a re-tread musically and culturally, but comedy, by now being dubbed 'the new rock & roll' (by some fairly lazy journalists, admittedly), was genuinely a huge force, and still really evolving. In the sketch world, stalwarts of the 80s alternative scene French & Saunders really hit their stride as a TV duo, now totally mainstream and pulling in huge audiences, while newcomers like Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer were busily reinventing what on earth a sketch show could be, taking their cult stage show on screen, with a little help from their mates, including Paul and his college chum Charlie Higson.

And amidst the other great newcomers like Victoria Wood, The Real McCoy, Smack The Pony, Big Train and Goodness Gracious Me, The Fast Show would provide the biggest cast of names and characters, it's quickfire hit-rate proving a lasting favourite of UK viewers.

Broadcast details

Date
Thursday 11th July 2024
Time
10pm
Channel
Gold
Length
40 minutes

Catch-up

Cast & crew

Cast
Paul Whitehouse Narrator
Writing team
Paul Whitehouse Writer
David Cummings Writer (Additional Material)
Production team
Chris Hill Series Producer
Julia Hunter Producer
John Quinn Executive Producer
Helen Nightingale Executive Producer
Nicola Breadin Line Producer
Ben Cooper Development Producer
Rhys Barter Editor
Matt Loughlin Editor
Martyn Kilvert Graphics

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