The Unforgettable TV - Andrew Lawrence -
[comment]: ‘She was a sexy girl. She had a very pretty face.’ The Unforgettable s1e1: Hattie Jacques, ITV 2000
Hattie Jacques, one of Britain’s best loved comedy actresses, died 20 years ago. Famous for her roles in The Carry On films and the popular sitcom Sykes, her career in showbusiness spanned over 35 years. iibid.
‘She had a wicked, a puckish sense of humour.’ ibid. Eric Sykes
Hattie started her career in the music hall, at the Players’ Theatre in London’s West End. ibid.
In 1947 Hattie met actor John le Mesurier. Within two years they were married. ibid.
Born in 1947 Richard Beckinsale was a Nottingham boy who failed to get into grammar school and was written off by his teachers. The Unforgettable s1e2: Richard Beckinsale
His only real ambition was to act. ibid.
‘They used to love him of course.’ ibid. Ronnie Barker
[Bernard Manning]: ‘All he needed was a spotlight like that and a microphone - away roaring with laughter.’ The Unforgettable s1e3: Larry Grayson
In 1923 an unmarried mother, Ethel White, took her newborn son to the Midlands mining town of Nuneaton for adoption. The baby william grew up to be Larry Grayson. ibid.
‘Larry walked around like a slightly disdainful headmaster, slightly disdainful camp headmaster.’ ibid. Terry Wogan
‘I’m never satisfied with my own performance.’ ibid. Larry
At the tender age of nineteen he landed his first gig as a DJ aboard a pirate ship. The Unforgettable s1e5: Kenny Everett
In 1967 a lifelong ambition was fulfilled as Kenny Everett signed up with the corporation he called the Beeb. ibid.
The BBC decided they should part ways. ibid.
Kenny’s Catholic education had a profound effect on his life. ibid.
Kenny died on April 4th 1995. ibid.
Leonard Rossiter’s diverse career spanned thirty years. Before achieving success in his television sitcoms, he appeared in a hundred and fifty stage productions, numerous television dramas and some of the most important films of the 1960s. The Unforgettable s2e2: Leonard Rossiter
Leonard Rossiter’s success in the theatre is less well recognised. ibid.
[wife]: ‘He enjoyed flirting. That never worried me in the slightest because I always knew he was coming home.’ The Unforgettable s2e3: Sid James
Although known for being the archetypal cheeky cockney, Sid was actually born to Jewish immigrant parents in Johannesburg, South Africa. ibid.
But with the success of the Carry-Ons came a reputation for Sid. ibid.
In 1966 he suffered a severe heart attack. ibid.
Frankie Howerd’s career had the ups and downs of a rollercoaster. But for forty-five years he was one of Britain’s funniest comedians. The Unforgettable s2e5: Frankie Howerd
1946 became a professional comedian. Within a year Frankie Howerd was a household name on BBC radio’s Variety Band Box. ibid.
At the end of the 1950s Frankie’s comedy career was in crisis. ibid.
Frankie’s resurrection came from BBC television and the early sixties craze for political satire: That Was the Week that Was. ibid.
Frankie Howerd had gone from has-been to headliner. ibid.
In the mid-eighties he was discovered by a new generation of teenagers and students. ibid.
[comment]: ‘He could step on the stage, and this huge person in these great big boots, and people would fall about, just laugh, at him. It was an indefinable quality.’ The Unforgettable s3e1: Tommy Cooper
‘His reputation for drinking was awesome.’ ibid. Bob Monkhouse
It was while he was stationed in Egypt that he began to develop his act, which would barely change throughout his career. ibid.
By the late 1960s he was recording his sixth television series. ibid.
‘Nothing affected the lunatic world in which he lived.’ ibid. Monkhouse
Throughout his career Tommy Cooper’s popularity never waned. ibid.
Yootha Joyce was born in London in 1927. Her father was a well known singer; her mother a concert pianist. The Unforgettable s3e4: Yootha Joyce
‘She was a very very good character actress.’ ibid. comment
‘Man About the House was the first series we did together.’ ibid. Brian Murphy
‘Be gentle with me, Mildred.’ ibid.
Benny Hill was born in Southampton on January 21st 1924, the second child of Helen and Alfred Hill. The Unforgettable s3e6: Benny Hill
In 1941, aged 17, Benny left Southampton for London, and began to perform in theatres and nightclubs. One of his co-stars at the time was comedian Bob Monkhouse. ibid.
Benny turned his attention to the new medium of television where he pioneered a style of comedy which paved the way for a whole new generation of comics. ibid.
‘He was the final arbiter of whatever went into the show.’ ibid.
Benny Hill remained a loner all his life. ibid.
Joan Sims was born Irene Joan Marian Sims in May 1930, the only child of an Essex Railway Station master. As a child, Joan loved to dress up and entertain the waiting passengers. The Unforgettable s3e7: Joan Sims
‘It’s nice to be loved by critics, and she was adored by them.’ ibid. comment
As well as wowing the London theatre scene Joan was reaching a wider audience through films and television. ibid.
By the early 60s Joan Sims was a household name. ibid.
The 1970s was the golden age of sitcom. And her comedic talents were suddenly very much in demand. The Unforgettable s4e3: Mollie Sugden
Are You Being Served: as Mrs Slocombe, Mollie Sugden was propelled to worldwide fame. The sitcom sensation started out as a pilot episode. ibid.
‘Captain Peacock, I do not respond to any man’s finger.’ ibid. Mrs Slocombe
Mollie and Bill were still very much in demand. Often working together in the theatre. ibid.
Mollie died 1st July 2009. She was 86. ibid.
Terry Scott was a stalwart of British farce on stage and screen. And became renowned as one of the great pantomime dames. But he reached the peak of his fame in the 1970s and 1980s playing the bumbling suburban husband in Terry & June. The Unforgettable s4e4: Terry Scott
His energy and enthusiasm for performing never flagged. ibid.
Terry’s child-like qualities found their natural home in pantomime where he became legendary as a dame. ibid.
Terry joined the Carry On team. ibid.
Happy Ever After ran for five years ... The first series of Terry & June went on air. ibid.