The Story Of Music Hall With Michael Grade

The first of the three programmes is The Story of Music Hall, which explores the history of music hall, presented by Michael Grade - something he has an interest in as his Uncle Lou had a music hall act, which consisted of dancing the Charleston on a table.

This documentary was a mixed bag. There were several nuggets about how the music hall led to the creation of modern comedy. The early comedians were comic songsters. Strange to think that the most traditional comedians in this sense today come in the form of performers like Bill Bailey and The Mighty Boosh.

Also it's interesting to know that music hall acts still had the same concerns about class as later generations had, and some might say still have. The acts were also sometimes political, although they had very little impact as not many people who attended music hall could vote. My particular favourite piece of information was that the vast majority of music hall entertainers and audiences were conservative. Considering that now just about every comedian tries to be left-wing and avoids anything that is remotely Tory, it's a big change to the way things were.

However, much of this programme was also quite dull. Rather than concentrating on the performers the programme was often looking at agents or the businessmen running things. Grade doesn't come across as a great TV presenter, either. Not that he was the worst person on it. That dishonourable title goes to Dr. Oliver Double, who is a professor of stand-up comedy. How much money would you pay to avoid someone with a title like that?

Michael Grade, an engaging guide to the world of variety six months ago, now delves further back to unearth its rougher, cruder parent in the halls. Grade has no illusions about showbusiness and tells us how his uncle Lew danced the Charleston on a table top. Now he explains how music hall grew out of the back rooms of pubs and comic songs were fleshed out with patter.

The story is interspersed with enjoyably vulgar songs and chats with Jo Brand and Alexei Sayle, plus a fine turn from Peter Sellers in 1970. There's some fun stuff, but the story of how music hall was tamed sags a little at 90 minutes.