A little bit of politics...
MARION McMULLEN looks at Channel 4’s alternative comedy showcase that introduced us to a new generation of stars
IT WAS fast, furious and anarchic and proved a showcase for the talents of many of Britain’s new generation of comedy stars.
Ben Elton set the tone as the motormouth presenter of Channel 4’s Eighties hit Saturday Live – later
Friday Night Live, when it moved night in 1988. Wearing his trademark black, sparkling jacket, he took no prisoners as he focused on the burning topics of the day and introduced the acts. There were no mother-in-law jokes in this celebration of the alternative comedians who were sweeping the country.
The Young Ones stars Rik Mayall and Adrian Edmondson appeared on the show as the Dangerous Brothers. They would later thrill viewers in as Richie and Eddie in slapstick hit Bottom.
Julian Clary appeared as the Joan Collins Fan Club, featuring Fanny the Wonder Dog, and Harry Enfield brought to life characters such as kebab shop owner Stavros and Cockney plasterer Loadsamoney, who loved to flaunt all the dosh he was making in the Thatcher era.
The show launched in 1985 and ran for three years, helping boost the popularity of now-household names including Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie, and it also introduced viewers to new faces like American comic Emo Phillips.
Dame Edna Everage was the special guest star on the final programme and the studio boasted a chandelier for the event. “I must say I’m a real mega-star not an alternative one,” she informed the audience.
Channel 4’s 40th anniversary brought Ben Elton back for a special one-off comedy special this month, with Harry Enfield, Jo Brand and Julian Clary also returning for a laugh.