It was as much a part of Christmas Day as the Queen's Speech and Turkey and Plum Pudding. The Morecambe and Wise Christmas Day Special was an event not to be missed - even the Queen as said to have delayed her official dinner to watch it.The legendary comedy duo's Christmas Specials began in 1969 but the phenomenon exploded in 1971 when the first lavish extended Christmas production was broadcast. Shirley Bassey sang in hobnail boots; Glenda Jackson was serenaded by an assortment of BBC Presenters and the Andre Previn sketch stole the show (I am playing all the right notes but not necessarily in the right order).From then on every subsequent year demanded new stars and great sketches. Diana Rigg played Nell Gwynne Elton John was sent the wrong way round Television Centre Vanessa Redgrave ('She's tall enough to play in goal!) starred in a Latin-American extravaganza and a leggy Angela Rippon emerged from behind the news desk to perform a legendary dance routine.In their last year at the BBC the show reached it's peak as a record 28 million people tuned in to see a chorus line of newsreaders acrobatically dance and sing 'There Ain't Nothing Like A Dame' Penelope Keith climb awkwardly from an unfinished stairway and an unexpected return for Elton John.
I am a huge Morecambe & Wise fan and was thrilled to learn I could play the PAL versions on my desktop Dell computer! I will be getting more in the future.
