Sez Les

Last updated

Sez Les
Sez Les (DVD cover).jpg
Starring
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series11
No. of episodes68
Production
Producer Yorkshire Television
Original release
Network ITV
Release30 April 1969 (1969-04-30) 
30 November 1976 (1976-11-30)

Sez Les is a British sketch comedy show that starred Les Dawson. It was produced by Yorkshire Television, and aired on ITV from 1969 to 1976. [1] Les Dawson and Roy Barraclough (who was a cast member from series four onward) regularly performed together as the characters Cissie and Ada. John Cleese appeared in a few sketches in series 3 and appeared regularly in series 8 and 9. Other cast members included Norman Chappell, Brian Glover, Brian Murphy, and Kathy Staff. Music for series 1-5 and 7-8 was provided by Syd Lawrence and his orchestra.

Contents

Cast

Cast memberSeries
1234567891011
Les Dawson Yes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svg
Brian Murphy Yes check.svgYes check.svgDark Red x.svgDark Red x.svgDark Red x.svgDark Red x.svgDark Red x.svgDark Red x.svgDark Red x.svgDark Red x.svgDark Red x.svg
Roy Barraclough Dark Red x.svgDark Red x.svgDark Red x.svgYes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svg
Brian Glover Dark Red x.svgDark Red x.svgDark Red x.svgDark Red x.svgYes check.svgYes check.svgDark Red x.svgDark Red x.svgDark Red x.svgDark Red x.svgDark Red x.svg
John Cleese Dark Red x.svgDark Red x.svgYes check.svgDark Red x.svgDark Red x.svgDark Red x.svgDark Red x.svgYes check.svgYes check.svgDark Red x.svgDark Red x.svg
Norman Chappell Dark Red x.svgDark Red x.svgDark Red x.svgDark Red x.svgDark Red x.svgDark Red x.svgDark Red x.svgDark Red x.svgDark Red x.svgDark Red x.svgYes check.svg
Kathy Staff Dark Red x.svgDark Red x.svgDark Red x.svgDark Red x.svgDark Red x.svgDark Red x.svgDark Red x.svgDark Red x.svgDark Red x.svgDark Red x.svgYes check.svg

Broadcast history

According to Barfe [2] and IMDb, [3] the broadcast episodes were as follows:

All of series 1 and episodes 1–5 of series 2 were made in black and white. All others were made in colour. Timings are given including advertising breaks: the actual running times are several minutes shorter.

Most episodes followed a 'variety' format, including musical and dance numbers with various musical guests. An exception is Series 6, which although treated by IMDb and video label Network as part of the series, bears a different title, Les Sez and consists only of comic sketches and standup. Series 11 also lacks musical and dance items.

Most episodes were directed by David Mallet, later a prominent director of music videos. The exceptions were Series 6, directed by Bill Hitchcock, and Series 10–11, directed by Vernon Lawrence.

A Christmas special aired in 1973, and a New Year special in 1976.

All episodes of series one and two are missing, and are believed to have been wiped. The remaining episodes survive in the archive and have been released on DVD by Network.

Video releases

Related Research Articles

<i>The Electric Company</i> American childrens television series (1971–1977)

The Electric Company is an American educational children's television series produced, made and owned by the Children's Television Workshop, and created by Joan Ganz Cooney. The series aired on PBS for 780 episodes over the course of its six seasons from October 25, 1971, to April 15, 1977. The program continued in reruns until October 4, 1985. The Electric Company later reran on Noggin, a channel co-founded by the CTW, from 1999 to 2003. Noggin also produced a compilation special for the show.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Les Dawson</span> English comedian

Leslie Dawson was an English comedian, actor, writer, presenter, and pianist. He was known for his deadpan style, curmudgeonly persona, musical routines, and jokes about his mother-in-law and wife.

<i>Rowan & Martins Laugh-In</i> American comedy television series

Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In is an American sketch comedy television program which ran for 140 episodes from January 22, 1968, to March 12, 1973, on the NBC television network, hosted by comedians Dan Rowan and Dick Martin. It originally aired as a one-time special on September 9, 1967, and was such a success that it was brought back as a series, replacing The Man from U.N.C.L.E. on Mondays at 8 pm (ET). It quickly became the most popular television show in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neil Innes</span> English writer, comedian, and musician (1944–2019)

Neil James Innes was an English writer, comedian and musician. He first came to prominence in the pioneering comedy rock group Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band and later became a frequent collaborator with the Monty Python troupe on their BBC television series and films, and is often called the "seventh Python" along with performer Carol Cleveland. He co-created the Rutles, a Beatles parody/pastiche project, with Python Eric Idle, and wrote the band's songs. He also wrote and voiced the 1980s ITV children's cartoon adventures of The Raggy Dolls.

The Kenny Everett Video Show is a British television comedy and music programme that was made by Thames Television for ITV from 3 July 1978 to 21 May 1981.

<i>The Two Ronnies</i> British television comedy sketch show (1971–1987)

The Two Ronnies is a British television comedy sketch show starring Ronnie Barker and Ronnie Corbett. It was created by Bill Cotton and aired on BBC1 from 10 April 1971 to 25 December 1987. The usual format included sketches, solo sections, serial stories and musical finales.

<i>The Carol Burnett Show</i> American variety/sketch comedy television show (1967–1978)

The Carol Burnett Show is an American variety/sketch comedy television show that originally ran on CBS from September 11, 1967, to March 29, 1978, for 279 episodes, and again with nine episodes in fall 1991. It starred Carol Burnett, Harvey Korman, Vicki Lawrence, and Lyle Waggoner. In 1975, frequent guest star Tim Conway became a regular cast member after Waggoner left the series. In 1977, Dick Van Dyke replaced Korman but it was agreed that he was not a match and he left after 10 episodes.

Hello Cheeky is a comedy series starring Barry Cryer, John Junkin and Tim Brooke-Taylor, broadcast on BBC Radio 2 between 1973 and 1979, and also broadcast on television - on the ITV network - in 1976. The format was short comedy sketches, often as short as one line, with occasional longer sketches.

<i>The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour</i> American variety show

The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour is an American variety show that starred American pop singers Sonny Bono and Cher, who were married to each other at the time. The show ran on CBS in the United States, and premiered in August 1971. The show was cancelled in May 1974, due to the couple's divorce, but the duo reunited in 1976 for the similarly formatted The Sonny & Cher Show, which ran for two seasons, ending August 29, 1977.

<i>The Dean Martin Show</i> American TV series or program

The Dean Martin Show is a TV variety-comedy series that ran from 1965 to 1974 for 264 episodes. It was broadcast by NBC and hosted by Dean Martin. The theme song to the series was his 1964 hit "Everybody Loves Somebody".

<i>Special Branch</i> (TV series) British television crime drama series (1969–1974)

Special Branch is a British television series made by Thames Television for ITV and shown between 1969-1970 and 1973-1974. A police drama series, the action was centred on members of the Special Branch anti-espionage and anti-terrorist department of the London Metropolitan Police. The first two series starred Derren Nesbitt, before the programme went through an overhaul, with George Sewell taking over as the new lead.

Damaris Ann Kennedy Hayman was an English actress, often cast in upper class or eccentric roles. She made numerous performance in films and television series from the 1950s onwards.

<i>In Loving Memory</i> (TV series) British TV series or programme

In Loving Memory is a British period sitcom set in an undertakers business that starred Thora Hird and Christopher Beeny. A pilot with Marjorie Rhodes in the Thora Hird role was transmitted in 1969 by Thames Television, who rejected the idea before it was finally accepted by Yorkshire Television nearly 10 years later, where it ran for a further five series between 21 May 1979 and 27 March 1986.

The Burke Special is a TV series broadcast on BBC1 in the United Kingdom from 15 June 1972 to 13 May 1976.

This is a list of British television related events from 1978.

This is a list of British television related events from 1969.

The Les Dawson Show was a variety show that aired on BBC1 intermittently from 1978 through 1989. The show starred comedian Les Dawson (1931–1993), who had previously starred in the ITV sketch comedy programme Sez Les (1969–76), followed by Dawson and Friends (1977). The Les Dawson Show also featured sketch comedy, as well as stand-up comedy, guest appearances, dance numbers, and musical performances.

All Star Comedy Carnival was an annual Christmas-special produced by ITV, containing new mini-episodes of popular British sitcoms and light entertainment programmes with some musical interludes. This was broadcast annually on 25 December on ITV, from 1969 to 1973. It was hosted by Des O'Connor in 1969, Max Bygraves in 1970, Mike and Bernie Winters in 1971 and Jimmy Tarbuck in 1972 and 1973, All Star Comedy Carnival was a direct competitor to the BBC's Christmas Night with the Stars. All had short five-minute sketches devised and produced for transmission within the festive period, written by the original writers of each comedy series.

References

  1. Lewisohn, Mark (2003). Radio Times Guide to TV Comedy, BBC Worldwide Publications.
  2. Barfe, Louis (2012). Les Dawson at Yorkshire Television - 1969-1977, booklet included with Sez Les DVD Volume 4, Network.
  3. IMDb. "Sez Les". Retrieved on 12 April 2020.