name	Arthur Askey
birth name	Arthur Bowden Askey
birth date	June 06, 1900
birth place	Liverpool, Lancashire, England
death date	November 16, 1982
death place	London, England
occupation	Comedian
spouse	Elizabeth May Swash (m. 1925, d. 1974)
parents	Samuel & Betsy Askey, née Bowden
children	Anthea
website	}}

Arthur Bowden Askey CBE (6 June 1900 – 16 November 1982) was a prominent English comedian.

Life and career

Askey was born at 29 Moses Street, Liverpool, Lancashire, the eldest child and only son of Samuel Askey (d.1958), secretary of the firm Sugar Products of Liverpool, and his wife, Betsy Bowden (d.1949), of Knutsford, Cheshire. Six months after his birth the family moved to 90 Rosslyn Street, Liverpool. Askey was educated at St. Michael's Council School (1905–11) and the Liverpool Institute for Boys (1911–16), where he was known for winning an egg and spoon race at a school sports day. He was very small at 5' 2" (1.58 m), with a breezy, smiling personality, and wore distinctive horn-rimmed glasses.

He served in the armed forces in World War I and performed in army entertainments. After working as a clerk for Liverpool Corporation, Education Department, he was in a touring concert party and the music halls, but he rose to stardom in 1938 through his role in the first regular radio comedy series, ''Band Waggon'' on the BBC, before which radio comedy had consisted of broadcast stand-up routines. Band Waggon began as a variety show, but had been unsuccessful until Askey and his partner, Richard Murdoch, took on a larger role in the writing. Askey's humour owed much to the playfulness of the characters he portrayed, his improvising, and his use of catchphrases, as parodied by the Arthur Atkinson character in ''The Fast Show''. His catchphrases included "Hello playmates!", "I thank you all" (pronounced "Ay-Thang-Yaw'll"), and "Before your very eyes".

In the early 1930s, Askey appeared on an early form of BBC television — the spinning disc invented by John Logie Baird that scanned vertically and had only thirty lines. Askey had to be heavily made up for his face to be recognisable at such low resolution. When television became electronic, with 405 horizontal lines, Askey was a regular performer in variety shows.

During World War II, Askey starred in several Gainsborough Pictures comedy films, including ''Band Waggon'' (1940), based on the radio show; ''Charley's (Big-Hearted) Aunt'' (1940); ''The Ghost Train'' (1941); ''I Thank You'' (1941); ''Back Room Boy'' (1942); ''King Arthur Was a Gentleman'' (1942); ''Miss London Ltd.'' (1943) and ''Bees in Paradise'' (1944); as well as the popular West End musical ''Follow the Girls''. When television arrived, he made the transition well. His first TV series was ''Before Your Very Eyes!'' (1952), named after his catchphrase. In 1957, writers Sid Colin and Talbot Rothwell revived the ''Band Waggon'' format for ''Living It Up'', a series that reunited Askey and Murdoch after 18 years. He also made many stage appearances as a pantomime dame.

His recording career included "The Bee Song", The Thing-Ummy Bob and his theme tune, "Big-Hearted Arthur", (which was also his nickname). During the 1950s and 1960s, he appeared in many sitcoms, including ''Love and Kisses'', ''Arthur's Treasured Volumes'' and ''The Arthur Askey Show''. However, in 1940, a song he intended to record, "It's Really Nice to See you Mr Hess" (after Hitler's deputy fled to Scotland), was banned by the War Office.

He continued to appear frequently on television in the 1970s, notably as a panellist on the ITV talent show ''New Faces'', where his usually sympathetic comments would offset the harsher judgments of fellow judges Tony Hatch and Mickie Most. He also appeared on the comedy panel game ''Joker's Wild''.

His last film was ''Rosie Dixon - Night Nurse'' (1978), starring Debbie Ash. Soon afterwards, he was forced to give up performing, and had both legs amputated owing to circulatory problems. Anthea, his daughter by his marriage to Elizabeth May Swash (m. 1925, d. 1974), was also an actress and often starred with him. For many years, he was an active member of the Savage Club (a London gentlemen's club).

''Private Eye'' magazine in the 1970s regularly made the comment that he and the Queen Mother had "never been seen in the same room together" — referring to the fact that they were both of about the same height, and suggesting that he was the Queen Mother in drag.

Askey is buried in Putney Vale Cemetery.

Selected filmography

''Calling All Stars'' (1937)

''Band Waggon'' (1940)

''The Ghost Train'' (1941)

''I Thank You'' (1941)

''Back-Room Boy'' (1942)

''King Arthur Was a Gentleman'' (1942)

''Miss London Ltd.'' (1943)

''Bees in Paradise'' (1944)

''The Love Match'' (1955)

''Ramsbottom Rides Again'' (1956)

''Make Mine a Million'' (1959)

''Friends and Neighbours'' (1959)

''Rosie Dixon - Night Nurse'' (1978)

See also

Radio comedy

Cinema of the United Kingdom

List of British actors and actresses

References

Biographies

Arthur Askey (autobiography). ''Before Your Very Eyes'' (London: Woburn Press, 1975) ISBN 0713001348

Kurt Ganzl. ''The Encyclopedia of the Musical Theatre'' (New York: Shirmer Books, 2001) pp. 75 ISBN 0028649702

External links

Arthur Askey Britmovie British movie community

The Radio Academy — Hall of Fame: Arthur Askey

TV Greats: Arthur Askey

Star Archive: Arthur Askey (1900–1982)

Category:1900 births Category:1982 deaths Category:Actors from Liverpool Category:Burials at Putney Vale Cemetery Category:Comedians from Liverpool Category:Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Category:English comedy musicians Category:English film actors Category:English radio personalities Category:People educated at Liverpool Institute High School for Boys Category:Music hall performers

es:Arthur Askey fr:Arthur Askey fi:Arthur Askey

bgcolour	orange
name	Gracie Fields
birth date	January 09, 1898
birth place	Rochdale, Lancashire, England
death date	September 27, 1979
death place	Il Canzone Del Mare, Capri, Italy}}

Dame Gracie Fields, DBE (born Grace Stansfield, 9 January 1898 – 27 September 1979), was an English-born, later Italian-based actress, singer and comedienne and star of both cinema and music hall.

Life and work

Early life

Grace Stansfield was born over a fish and chip shop owned by her grandmother, Sarah Bamford, in Molesworth Street, Rochdale, Lancashire. She made her first stage appearance as a child in 1905, joining children's repertory theatre groups such as 'Haley's Garden of Girls' and the 'Nine Dainty Dots'. Her two sisters, Edith and Betty and brother, Tommy, all went on to appear on stage, but Gracie was the most successful. Her professional debut in variety took place at the Rochdale Hippodrome theatre in 1910 and she soon gave up her job in the local cotton mill, where she was a half-timer, spending half a week in the mill and the other half at school.

She met comedian and impresario Archie Pitt and they began working together. Pitt gave Fields champagne on her 18th birthday, and wrote in an autograph book to her that he would make her a star. Pitt would come to serve as her manager and the two married in 1923 at Clapham Registry Office. Their first revue in 1915 was called ''Yes I Think So'' and the two continued to tour Britain together until 1924 in the revue ''Mr Tower of London'', with other reviews including ''By Request'', ''It's A Bargain'' and ''The Show's The Thing''.

Archie Pitt was the brother of Bert Aza, founder of the Aza agency, who were responsible for many talents of the day including the actor and comedian Stanley Holloway, who was introduced to Aza by Fields. Fields and Holloway first worked together on her film ''Sing As We Go'' in 1934 and the two remained close friends for the rest of their lives.

Fame

Fields came to major public notice when ''Mr Tower of London'' came to the West End. Her career rapidly accelerated from this point with straight dramatic performances and the beginning of a recording career.

One of her most successful productions was at the Alhambra Theatre in 1925. The show, booked by Sir Oswald Stoll, was a major success and toured for ten years, throughout the UK. She later said "One day I was in Plymouth's palace theatre and the next playing Blackpool!". She made the first of ten appearances in Royal Variety Performances in 1928, following a premiere stint at the London Palladium, gaining a devoted following with a mixture of self-deprecating jokes, comic songs and monologues, as well as cheerful "depression-era" songs all presented in a "no-airs-and-graces" Northern, working class style. She recorded her first record for HMV ''Because I Love You'' and ''My Blue Heaven'' in 1928.

At one point, Fields was playing three shows a night in London's West End. She appeared in the Pitt production she was working on, with Gerald Du Maurier in the straight play ''SOS'' at the Saint James Theatre, with also a cabaret spot at the Cafe De Paris following this.

Fields had a great rapport with her audience, which helped her become one of Britain's highest paid performers, playing to sold out theatre's across the country.

Her most famous song, which became her theme, "Sally," was worked into the title of her first film, ''Sally in Our Alley'' (1931), which was a major box office hit. She went on to make several films initially in Britain and later in the United States (for which she was paid a record fee of £200,000 for four films). Regardless, she never enjoyed the process of performing without a live audience, and found the process of film-making boring. She tried to opt out of filming, before director Monty Banks persuaded her otherwise, landing her the lucrative Hollywood deal. Fields demanded that the four films were to be filmed in Britain and not Hollywood, and this was the case.

Ironically, the final few lines of the song "Sally" were written by her husband's mistress, Annie Lipman, and Fields sang this song at nearly every performance she made from 1931 onwards - claiming in later life that she wanted to "Drown blasted Sally with Walter with the aspidistra on top!"

Charity work

The late 1930s saw her popularity peak and she was given many honours: the Officer of the Venerable Order of St. John (for charity work), the Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) (for services to entertainment) in 1938 and the Freedom of the Borough of Rochdale.

She donated her house, "Tower," 20, Frognal Way, Hampstead, London, NW3 6XE (which she had not much cared for and which she had shared with her husband Archie Pitt and his mistress) to a maternity hospital after the marriage broke down. In 1939, she became seriously ill with cervical cancer. The public sent over 250,000 goodwill messages and she retired to her villa on Capri. After she recovered, she recorded a very special 78rpm record simply called ''Gracie's Thanks'', in which she thanks the public for the many cards and letters she received while in hospital. During World War II, she paid for all servicemen/women to travel free on public transport within the boundaries of Rochdale.

Fields also helped Rochdale F.C. in the 1930s when they were struggling to pay fees and buy sports equipment.

In the late 1930s, she set up the Gracie Fields Children's Home and Orphanage at Peacehaven in Sussex for children of those in the theatre profession who could not look after their children. She kept this until the late 1960s, when the home was no longer needed. This was near her own home in Peacehaven, and Fields often visited, with the children all calling her 'Aunty Grace'.

World War II

World War II was declared while she was recovering in Capri, and Fields - still very ill after her operation, threw herself into her work and signed up for ENSA headed by her old film producer, Basil Dean. Fields travelled to France to entertain the troops in the midst of air-raids, performing on the backs of open lorries and in war-torn areas. She was the first artist to play behind enemy lines in Berlin.

In March 1940, she married Italian-born film director Monty Banks, following her divorce from Pitt.

However, because Banks remained an Italian citizen and would have been interned in the United Kingdom, she was forced to leave Britain for North America during the war, at the instruction of Winston Churchill, who told her to "Make American Dollars, not British Pounds," which she did in aid of the Navy League and the Spitfire Fund. She and her second husband Monty Banks moved to their home in Santa Monica, California. She did occasionally return to England to show she was not indeed a traitor, performing in factories and army camps around the country. After their initial argument, Parliament offered her an official apology.

Although she continued to spend much of her time entertaining troops and otherwise supporting the war effort outside Britain, this led to a fall-off in her popularity at home. She performed many times for Allied troops, travelling as far as New Guinea, where she received an enthusiastic response from Australian personnel. Late 1945 saw her tour the South Pacific Islands.

Post WWII

After the war, Fields continued her career less actively. She began performing in Britain again in 1948 headlining the London Palladium over Eartha Kitt who was also on the bill. The BBC gave her her own Radio Show in 1947 dubbed ''Our Gracie's Working Party'' in which 12 towns were visited by Fields, and a live show of music and entertainment was broadcast weekly with Fields compering and performing, and local talents also on the bill. This tour commenced in Rochdale.

In 1951, Fields opened the Festival of Britain celebrations. She proved popular once more, though never regaining the status she enjoyed in the 1930s. She continued recording, but made no more films, moving more towards light classical music as popular tastes changed, often adopting a religious theme. She continued into the new medium of LP records, and recorded new takes of her old favourite songs, as well as new and recent tracks to 'liven things up a bit'.

She lived on her beloved Isle of Capri for the remainder of her life, at her home ''La Canzone Del Mare'', a swimming and restaurant complex which Field's home overlooked. It was favoured by many Hollywood stars during the 1950s, with regular guests including Richard Burton, Elizabeth Taylor, Greta Garbo and Noel Coward.

Marriages

Monty Banks died in 1950 of a heart attack whilst travelling on the Orient Express.

Fields married Boris Alperovici, a Romanian radio repairman two years later. She claimed that he was the love of her life, and that she couldn't wait to propose to him -proposing on Christmas Day in front of friends and family. They married at the Church of St Steffano on Capri in a quiet ceremony before honeymooning in Rome.

Later years

After, she began to work less, but still toured the UK under the management of Harold Fielding, manager of top artists of the day such as Tommy Steele and Max Bygraves. Her UK Tours proved popular, and in the mid 60's, she performed farewell tours in Australia, Canada and America -the latter performance which was recorded and released years later.

In 1956, Fields played Miss Marple in a US TV production of Agatha Christie's ''A Murder is Announced''. The production featured Jessica Tandy and Roger Moore, and predates the Margaret Rutherford films by some five years. She also starred in television productions of ''A Tale of Two Cities'', ''The Old Lady Shows Her Medals,'' - for which she won a TV Award, and ''Mrs 'Aris Goes to Paris'', which was remade years later with Angela Lansbury as Mrs Harris, a charwoman in search of a fur coat. (A Chanel dress in Lansbury's case.)

In 1957, her single, "Around the World" peaked at #8 in the UK Singles Chart, with her recording of "Little Donkey" reaching #20 in November 1959.

Fields regularly performed in TV appearances, being the first entertainer to perform on Val Parnell's ''Sunday Night at the London Palladium''. Fields had two Christmas TV specials in 1960 and 1961, singing her old favourites and new songs in front of a studio audience. 1971 saw ''A Gift For Gracie,'' another TV special presented by Fields and Bruce Forsythe. This followed on from her popularity of Jess Yates's ''Stars on Sunday'' religious programme, the precursor to ''Songs of Praise'', in which celebrities sang religious hymns and read Bible readings. Fields was the most requested artist on the show.

In 1968, Fields headlined a two week Christmas stint at Yorkshire's prestigious Batley Variety Club. "I was born over a fish and chip shop - I never thought I'd be singing in one!" claimed Fields during the performance recorded by the BBC.

In 1975, her album, ''The Golden Years'', reached #48 in the UK Albums Chart. in a white marble tomb. Her coffin was carried by staff from her restaurant. Her husband Boris died in 1984.

Honours

In February 1979, she was invested as a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire seven months before her death at her home on Capri, aged 81. On Saturday 3 October 2009 the final train to run on the Oldham Loop before it closed to be converted to a tramway, a Class 156, was named in her honour.

Miscellaneous

The Rochdale Boroughwide Cultural Trust holds the 'Gracie Fields Archive'.

In 2009, Jane Horrocks took the lead in the BBC TV production ''Gracie!'', a drama portraying the life of Fields just before and during World War II and her relationship with Monty Banks (played by Tom Hollander).

Famous songs

"Sally"

"Sing As We Go" (later parodied by Monty Python as "Sit on My Face")

"Thing-Ummy-Bob (That's Gonna Win The War)"

"The Biggest Aspidistra in the World"

"I Took my Harp to a Party"

"Teddy Bears' Picknick"

"Only a Glass of Champagne"

"Angels Guard Thee"

"Nuns' Chorus"

"Now Is the Hour"

"The Isle of Capri"

"Walter, Walter, Lead Me to the Altar"

"Christopher Robin is Saying His Prayers"

"If I Had a Talking Picture of You"

"Wish Me Luck as You Wave Me Goodbye"

"When I Grow Too Old to Dream"

"If I Knew You Were Comin' I'd've Baked a Cake"

"The Twelfth of Never"

"Those Were The Days" (performed live at The Batley Variety Club in 1968)

Filmography

''Sally in Our Alley'' (1931)

''Looking on the Bright Side'' (1932)

''This Week of Grace'' (1933)

''Love, Life and Laughter'' (1934)

''Sing As We Go'' (1934)

''Look Up and Laugh'' (1935)

''Queen of Hearts'' (1936)

''The Show Goes On'' (1937)

''We're Going to Be Rich'' (1938)

''Young and Beautiful'' (1938) - short Jinx Falkenburg feature, in colour

''Keep Smiling'' (1938)

''Shipyard Sally'' (1939)

''Stage Door Canteen'' (1943) - cameo appearance

''Holy Matrimony'' (1943)

''Molly and Me'' (1945)

''Paris Underground'' (1945) aka ''Madame Pimpernel''

See also

References

Sources

''Sing As We Go, The Autobiography of Gracie Fields'' published in 1960 by Frederick Muller Limited

''Gracie Fields: The Authorised Biography'' (1995) by David Bret

"Gracie Fields" by Jeffrey Richards in the ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography''

Further reading

Paperback ISBN 978-0-253-22177-3 Paperback ISBN 0-7190-5841-4 Paperback ISBN 0-631-19875-X

External links

Gracie Fields: A Biography by Joan Moules

Photographs and literature

Nine digitally restored Gracie Fields recordings

Category:1898 births Category:1979 deaths Category:Actresses awarded British damehoods Category:Cancer survivors Category:Dames Commander of the Order of the British Empire Category:English Protestants Category:English comedy musicians Category:English comedians Category:English expatriates in the United States Category:English female singers Category:English film actors Category:English television actors Category:Music hall performers Category:People from Rochdale

de:Gracie Fields es:Gracie Fields fr:Gracie Fields ru:Филдс, Грейси sv:Gracie Fields

{{infobox television | show name

The Fast Show | format Sketch comedy | image | caption Front cover of the ''Ultimate Fast Show Collection'' DVD. | creator Paul Whitehouse and Charlie Higson | starring Paul Whitehouse Charlie Higson Arabella Weir John Thomson Caroline Aherne (1994–97) Simon Day Mark Williams Paul Shearer | runtime 30 minutes | num_episodes 25 | channel BBC |country United Kingdom | first_aired 1994 | last_aired 1997reunion special in 2000 }}

''The Fast Show'', known as ''Brilliant'' in the US, was a BBC comedy sketch show programme that ran for three series from 1994 to 1997 with a special ''Last Fast Show Ever'' in 2000. The show's central performers were Paul Whitehouse, Charlie Higson, Simon Day, Mark Williams, John Thomson, Arabella Weir and Caroline Aherne. Other significant cast members included Paul Shearer, Felix Dexter, Rhys Thomas, Jeff Harding, Maria McErlane, Eryl Maynard, Colin McFarlane and Donna Ewin.

The show produced two national tours, the first in 1998 with the cast of the BBC surrealist comedy quiz show ''Shooting Stars'' and the second being their 'Farewell Tour' in 2002. ''The Fast Show'' was loosely structured and relied on character comedy, recurring running gags, and many catchphrases. Its fast-paced "blackout" style set it apart from traditional sketch series because of the number and relative brevity of its sketches; a typical half-hour TV sketch comedy of the period might have consisted of nine or ten major items, with contrived situations and extended setups, whereas the premiere episode of ''The Fast Show'' featured twenty-seven sketches in thirty minutes, with some items lasting less than ten seconds and none running longer than three minutes. Its innovative style and presentation influenced many later series such as ''The Catherine Tate Show'' and ''Little Britain''.

It was one of the most popular sketch shows of the 1990s. The show has been released on VHS, DVD and audio CD. Some of its characters, Ron Manager, Ted and Ralph, Swiss Toni and Billy Bleach have had their own spin-off programmes.

Style and content

''The Fast Show'' was the brainchild of Paul Whitehouse and his writing partner and friend, Charlie Higson (who had previously enjoyed some success in the UK as a musician with the band The Higsons). After meeting through a mutual friend (Whitehouse's longtime flatmate, guitarist and writer David Cummings) comedian Harry Enfield invited Whitehouse to write for him and Whitehouse in turn asked Higson to help him out; soon after, Enfield got his break into TV with the series ''Harry Enfield and Chums'' and became nationally famous in the UK.

In the early 1990s Higson and Whitehouse worked extensively with Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer, writing for and performing in the series ''The Smell of Reeves and Mortimer'' and ''Bang Bang, It's Reeves and Mortimer'' (both of which Higson produced). These series also featured occasional appearances by future ''Fast Show'' cast members Caroline Aherne, Simon Day and Mark Williams. Higson made many appearances in minor roles, while Williams and Whitehouse had recurring roles (with Vic and Bob) in ''The Smell of Reeves and Mortimer'', parodying the members of rock group Slade in the popular "Slade in Residence" and "Slade on Holiday" sketches.

Inspired by a press preview tape of Enfield's show, compiled by producer friend Geoffrey Perkins and consisting of fast-cut highlights of Enfield's sketches, the pair began stockpiling material and developing the idea of a rapid-fire 'MTV generation' format based wholly on quick cuts and soundbites/catchphrases. After unsuccessfully trying to sell the series to ITV through an independent production company, Higson and Whitehouse approached the new controller of BBC2, Michael Jackson; fortunately, he was then looking for new shows to replace several high-profile series that had been recently lost to BBC1, and their show was picked up by BBC2.

Whitehouse and Higson, the co-producers and main writers, then assembled the original team of writers and performers, which included David Cummings, Mark Williams, Caroline Aherne, Paul Shearer, Simon Day, Arabella Weir, John Thomson, Graham Linehan and Arthur Mathews (of ''Father Ted'' fame), Vic Reeves, Bob Mortimer and Craig Cash (who went on to write and perform with Aherne in ''The Royle Family''). Musical director Philip Pope was also an established comedy actor with extensive experience in TV and radio comedy, and had previously appeared in series such as ''Who Dares Wins'' and ''KYTV''; he also enjoyed success as a comedy recording artist as part of the Bee Gees parody group The HeeBeeGeebees.

''The Fast Show'' was a working title disliked by both Whitehouse and Higson but it went unchanged through production and eventually remained as the final title.

The first series introduced many signature characters and sketches including Ted and Ralph, Unlucky Alf, The Fat Sweaty Coppers, Ron Manager, Roy and Renée, Ken and Kenneth (The Suit You Tailors), Arthur Atkinson, Bob Fleming, Brilliant Kid, Insecure Woman, Janine Carr, Denzil Dexter, Carl Hooper, Ed Winchester, the Patagonian buskers, "Jazz Club" and the popular parody "Chanel 9".

Many characters were never given any 'official' name, with their sketches being written to give their catchphrase as the punchline of each sketch. Examples include "Anyone fancy a pint?" (played by Whitehouse), "You ain't seen me, right!" (a mysterious gangster-like character played by Mark Williams), "I'll get me coat" (Williams) and "Ha!", a sarcastic elderly woman played by Weir.

Other long-standing running jokes in the programme included the fictitious snack food "Cheesy Peas" in various different forms, shapes and flavours, in satirical adverts presented by a twangy, Northern lad (Paul Whitehouse) who claims, "They're good for your teas!"and has since become a reality thanks to UK TV chef Jamie Oliver . The dire earnestness of the born-again Christian was parodied in another popular group of sketches where various characters responded to any comment or question by extolling the virtues of "Our Lord Jesus" and ended the sketch with the exclamation "He died for all our sins, didn't he?" or something similar; and most controversially, "We're from the Isle of Man", featuring a stereotype of weird, surreal, townsfolk in a setting portrayed as an abjectly impoverished and desolate cultural wasteland.

Some of the characters resembled parodies of well-known personalities: for example, Louis Balfour, host of "Jazz Club" was reminiscent of Bob Harris of ''The Old Grey Whistle Test'' and Ron Manager of football pundits Trevor Brooking and Graham Taylor. However, the parodic intent of this character is broader, and portrays how often football pundits have little to say of any real substance and sometimes waffle. Paul Whitehouse said that Ron Manager was based on ex-Luton Town & Fulham manager Alec Stock . Arthur Atkinson is a composite of Arthur Askey and Max Miller and Lord Ralph Mayhew is said to be based on film director John Boorman.

The show ended in 2000, with a three-part "Last Ever" show, in the first episode of which ''Fast Show'' fan Johnny Depp had a guest-starring role as a customer of The Suit You Tailors, after three series and a Christmas special.

The theme tune was "Release Me", a song which had been a hit for pop singer Engelbert Humperdinck. In the first series it was performed over the opening credits by Whitehouse in the guise of abnormally transfiguring singer Kenny Valentine. In subsequent series, the tune only appeared in the closing credits, played on the saxophone.

Major characters

The show featured many characters and sketches. Some of the more prominent recurring characters/sketches are:

'Unlucky' Alf, the lonely old pensioner living somewhere in northern England for whom nothing ever goes right. His hook is his resigned "Oh bugger!" as something terrible happens. He often predicts a bad event that is quite obvious, only to find something else occurs as he tries to avoid the first problem. (Paul Whitehouse, all series)

Anyone fancy a pint? A man (Whitehouse) who find himself in boring or bizarre situations, such as a dinner party where a woman is talking about how she was abandoned as a child and crying about everyone letting her down. Whitehouse then interrupts at the most insensitive moment asking "anyone fancy a pint?", before he and most of the men in the room leave. One early sketch featured Higson portraying an earnest claymation animator (a parody of Nick Park) who describes the animation process in excruciatingly tedious detail until Whitehouse's character sneaks away, whispering the punchline. According to the commentary in ''The Ultimate Fast Show'', Nick Park loved the sketch and sent copies of it to friends and family that year as a video Xmas card.

Archie the pub bore. Talks to people in the pub, and when they mention their profession, no matter what it is and however unlikely, he always claims to have had the same profession ("I used to be a single mother myself"), saying that it is the 'hardest game in the world. Thirty years, man and boy!' He has an obsession with Frank Sinatra, almost invariably steering the conversation towards the singer and weakly singing the title line of "High Hopes", after mentioning how he and his friend Stan fared on a recent fishing trip. (Whitehouse, series 3)

Arthur Atkinson, parody of 1940s music hall entertainers such as Max Miller and Arthur Askey, played by Paul Whitehouse, introduced by Tommy Cockles (Simon Day), himself a parody of presenters of TV history, especially Denis Norden (Whitehouse, all series)

Billy Bleach, tousle-mopped, interfering pub know-it-all who gets it all wrong, usually ending up with others losing money. This character starred in his own series, ''Grass'' which was shown on BBC Three, later shown on BBC Two. (Day, all series)

Bob Fleming, the ageing, incompetent West Country host of ''Country Matters'', who has an extremely bad cough. The character's surname is a pun on 'phlegm-ing.' (Higson, all series)

Brilliant Kid (possibly either a parody of British children's TV presenters or a 'take' on Alexei Sayle's commentary style in his one man TV show of the 1980s). In the first draft of the script for the pilot, the character was called Eric and was described as "a young Yorkshire man" but in the series he is never named. He delivers an edited monologue listing everyday things, all of which he declares to be 'brilliant!' or 'fantastic!' as he walks through a series of random backgrounds (filmed in widely varied locations ranging from the Tees Valley to Iceland) during which the quality and format of the images also randomly changes (e.g. from colour to b/w). In one episode it is shown that he isn't sure about whether everything really is 'brilliant' or not, and as he's walking through one solid background, an abandoned funfair, he debates with himself half heartedly ("Everything ''is'' brilliant...right? I mean...it might not be...nah, it is!") (Whitehouse, all series)

Carl Hooper, Australian presenter of ''That's Amazing'', a spoof of pop-science shows. Normally the person on his show was trying to pass off an everyday animal or object as something magical. The one occasion where a guest had a truly amazing story to tell was unbroadcastable due to the guest's inability to refrain from swearing excitedly while relating the tale (Day, all series)

Chanel 9, a low-budget television channel from a country known only as "Republicca", ruled by "El Presidente" who resembled a stereotypical Latin American dictator. Chanel 9 parodied the sort of programmes that British people end up watching on holiday around the Mediterranean. The stars, usually Paul Whitehouse, Paul Shearer and Caroline Aherne, speak a concocted language loosely based on Italian, Greek, Spanish and Portuguese, mashed together with nonsensical phrases (e.g. "sminky pinky") and incongruous English names and words (e.g. footballer Chris Waddle). Early segments featured the Chanel 9 news, read by anchormen Poutremos Poutra-Poutremos (Whitehouse) and Kolothos Apollonia (Shearer), followed by the weather forecast with meteorologist Poula Fisch (Aherne), invariably reporting a temperature for all locations of 45 °C (113 °F) while exclaiming "scorchio!" with apparent surprise. Sporting news was presented by Antonios Gubba - whose name is based on the commentator Tony Gubba - (Simon Day), seated at a much lower desk and talking with a low voice. Later Chanel 9 sketches consisted of several short segments, usually interspersed with parodic advertisements for the ubiquitous "Gizmo" a bizarre mechanical product which could be used with equal efficacy in the kitchen, garden or bedroom. Other Chanel 9 programmes, including a cartoon, a current affairs discussion, a quiz show, a soap opera ("El Amora Y El Passionna") and a variety series, were added in later sketches. Key catchphrases included the Republiccan greeting and farewell, "Bono estente" and "Boutros Boutros-Ghali" (the name of the then UN Secretary-General).

Chip Cobb, the deaf stuntman, a TV and film stuntman who, because of his hearing problems, always mishears his instructions and proceeds to carry them out wrongly before anyone can stop him, much to the despair of the film crew. (Thomson, series 3)

Chris the Crafty Cockney, claims to be an incurable kleptomaniac ("I'll nick anything, me"). He is left alone with something valuable and invariably steals it. Because of how up-front he is of his thieving nature, other people tend to believe he's joking. In one sketch, he even alludes to being an actual clinical kleptomaniac and involuntarily steals from his friend Dan after he trusts Chris to watch his newspaper stall, after extensively warning him of the risks involved in doing so. (Whitehouse, series 2–3)

Colin Hunt, unfunny and irritating office joker whose name gives an indication of his personality (Higson, series 2–3)

Competitive Dad, who is overcritical and demanding of his kids, and always has to get one up on them. (Day, series 2–3). Day explained in an interview that he had based the idea for the character from a man he noticed in a public swimming pool that challenged his two young children to a race. Day thought he'd let them win, but instead he took off and stood on the other end of the pool waiting for his toddler sons to struggle their way across the pool. He (Day) thought of it as "sick".

Dave Angel, Eco-Warrior, a classic Essex geezer who, despite his get-up and rather lavish lifestyle, is improbably concerned about saving the planet (though this is often undermined by his wife's behaviour), Mike Oldfield records, and swinging. A parody of a late-night magazine programme presented by Mike Reid. "Moonlight Shadow" by Mike Oldfield & Maggie Reilly is used as the theme tune to sketches featuring the character (Day, series 3)

Professor Denzil Dexter of the University of Southern California and his various bizarre scientific experiments, long-haired and highly laid-back. (Thomson, series 1–2)

The 13th Duke of Wymbourne, posh, rumpled dinner-jacketed, lecherous cigar smoker, reminisces about finding himself in wholly unsuitable places considering his 'reputation'. Based on the characters of Terry-Thomas. (Whitehouse, series 3)

Ed Winchester, an American reporter. He beams at the camera and says "Hi! I'm Ed Winchester!" in a very upbeat voice, before the camera cuts to another scene. In his last appearance in Series 2 he appears to have been cut off as he then mentions Jesus straight after introducing himself. (Jeff Harding).

Even Better Than That!, a slack-jawed, not too bright man who comes back from the shops with something ridiculously unnecessary instead of what his wife sent him for (Williams, series 3)

The Fat, Sweaty Coppers A squad of police officers who cannot do their job properly as they are extremely overweight due to their constant eating and drinking.(Thomson and Weir included, series 1-2)

Gideon Soames, white-haired, posh-talking architecture and history professor, possibly a cross between Simon Schama & Brian Sewell, with some elements of Bamber Gascoigne. Despite the serious tone of his speeches, the "history" of them becomes increasingly ridiculous. (Day series 2–3)

Giggly Woman, a woman who seems very confident until a man she likes enters the room, and then goes all childish, as if she fancies him. The character debuted in series 1 during a small segment in the credits, but only became a recurring character later on. (Weir, series 3)

The Historian, a jubilant, but emotionally imbalanced man who patrols the corridors of an historic boys academy alone whilst telling tall tales about former traditions both cruel and unreasonable. (Williams, series 3)

I'll Get Me Coat, a socially inept Brummie, who is unable to make any appropriate contribution to a conversation, and therefore disgraces himself with a faux pas before using the punchline and leaving (Williams, all series)

I'm not Pissed, a family - mother (Maria McErlane), father (Williams) and son (Day) - who are regularly pointing out that they are not drunk despite the fact they are taking regular swigs from gin bottles, beer cans etc. (series 2)

Insecure Woman, who appears in a variety of different locations, usually exclaiming, "Does my bum look big in this?" (Weir, all series)

Invisible Woman, who tries to converse with a group of men but is completely ignored, only for a man to repeat what she said and receive congratulations from the others for such a good idea. (Weir)

Jesse, a taciturn country bumpkin who exclaims his strange diets, fashion tastes and experiments, in a single sentence "This week, I 'ave been mostly..." - except for one sketch, where he said "This week, I 'aven't been 'ungry." (Williams, series 2–3)

John Actor, who plays Inspector Monkfish, the tough uncompromising cop who often exclaims to the nearest woman, "Put your knickers on and make me a cup of tea!" (Day, series 2–3). Loosely based on the BBC series ''Dangerfield''. There were variations on the show's format, two examples being Monkfish as a tough, uncompromising doctor in Monkfish M.D. and Monkfish as a tough, uncompromising vet in All Monkfish Great and Small. One Monkfish sketch even crossed over onto Chanel 9. Sometime between the end of series 3 and the last episode, John Actor died yet the series is apparently continuing in the manner of ''Taggart'' after the death of the lead actor.

Johnny Nice Painter, who is painting a scene and describing all the colours. Whenever he mentions the colour "black", however, he becomes more and more depressed, eventually going somewhat insane and shouting wildly about the despair of mankind, despite the best efforts of his wife Katie (Weir) to prevent him from doing so. His appearance is based on TV painter Alwyn Crawshaw (Higson, series 3)

Ken and Kenneth, two tailors in a men's formal wear shop, who bombard potential customers with sexually explicit innuendo about their private life, frequently interjecting the catchphrase "Ooh! Suit you sir!", much to the discomfort of the customer. They become confused and even frightened in two episodes; one when they get a customer who is gay, and another with a customer (played by Day) who is as willing to talk about sexual deviance as they are. (Whitehouse and Williams, all series)

Louis Balfour, pretentious and ultra laid-back presenter of ''Jazz Club'' (a parody of ''The Old Grey Whistle Test''), based on a blend of Bob Harris and Roger Moore. He also has a remarkable similarity to Geoffrey Smith, presenter of Jazz Record Requests on Radio 3. Seemingly having done his 'research', he introduces his guests by comparing them to avant-garde jazz musicians or describing their style/technique by using complex musical phraseology. These guests usually turn out to be utterly talentless 'experimentalists', much to his bemusement. His catchphrase "Nice!" was delivered by turning to a different camera for that word only. Later he delivered other words in a similar manner. (Thomson, series 2–3.) In the final series, a polar opposite, called Indie Club, presented by an obnoxious in-your-face Liam Gallagher type (Day) introducing what he describes as an equally obnoxious and rebellious group who are rewriting the musical rulebook, only for them to sing a wishy-washy cliché pop-song.

Luvvie an over-the-top thespian describes his character and mentions that he needs to spend hours being made up when he is actually done in a few seconds (Thomson, series 3)

Monster Monster, a vampire who creeps up to a sleeping woman and gives her betting advice (Whitehouse, series 3). The set-up is a parody of a scene from the 1922 German classic horror film Nosferatu, while the vampire's voice and catchphrase of "Monster, monster" are based on Eric Hall.

No Offence, a rude, orange-faced South African department store cosmetics saleswoman who has no qualms about informing women of their physical imperfections, seemingly oblivious to the fact that she looks like a dried-out old orange herself. (Weir, series 3)

"Our" Janine Carr, teenage mum with a unique world outlook. She refuses to reveal who the father of her baby is because "it's not fair to grass on your headmaster" (Aherne, series 1–2)

The Offroaders, Simon and Lindsey, despite their unusually high confidence and esteem, are useless at their hobby ("sorted!", "gripped!"). (Higson and Whitehouse, all series)

Patrick Nice, a man who tells far-fetched, sometimes odd stories followed by him calmingly saying his catchphrase, "Which was nice." (Williams, series 2–3)

Prawn Sandwich Man, a man who seems to talk a lot about football as if a true Arsenal supporter, but makes it glaringly obvious he knows nothing about the game (Thomson, series 3)

Ron Manager, a football commentator who speaks in incoherent sentence fragments on randomly divergent trains of thought. He usually appears with interviewer (Day) and fellow commentator Tommy (Williams), and whenever a question is posed to Tommy, Ron Manager often begins one of his nonsensical train-of-thoughts based on one of the words or names in the question. Based on former football manager from the 60s and 70s, Alec Stock. (Whitehouse, all series)

Rowley Birkin QC, a retired barrister, tells mostly unintelligible stories at the fireside. Occasionally, his speech becomes coherent for a short while, containing strange phrases such as "The whole thing was made completely out of matchsticks" or "Snake! Snake!". Almost always ends his stories with a sly "I'm afraid I was very, very drunk!" In the final episode of series 2, his rambling anecdote appeared to involve a woman for whom he had great affection and ended with a close-up of faint tears on his cheeks, while the usual "very drunk" line was delivered in an unexpectedly moving, sorrowful voice. (Whitehouse, series 2–3). The character is reprised as a working barrister in the spin-off feature ''Ted and Ralph''. Whitehouse revealed on the UK chatshow ''Parkinson'' that the character was based on Andrew Rollo whom he met on a fishing trip to Iceland; Rollo appeared in the Fast Show documentary, which revealed how closely Rowley's speech resembled that of his real-life inspiration. At the end of a Christmas episode the caption revealed that he died. "Rowley Birkin QC 1918 - 2000".

Roy & Renée, endless chattering from Renée and her quiet, submissive husband Roy, whom she expects to meekly agree with everything she says. Roy always embarrasses her at the end of every sketch, after which he gets a stinging reprimand from his wife. She makes her last appearance in the show during the 1996 Christmas Special, when Roy's mother finally gives in to holding back the resentment towards Renée's smug attitude. (Thomson and Aherne, series 1–2)

The Shags, a child-less couple who are seen in the midst of very graphic sexual intercourse, much to the discomfort of their neighbours. Among other things they were seen at it in a tent in a sports shop, in a tree in the park and even on a bed being carried by removal men as they moved into the neighbourhood.

Swiss Toni, a car salesman who compares everything to seducing and making love to a beautiful woman, usually in the presence of his bemused trainee Paul (Rhys Thomas). This was also the title of a short-lived spin-off sitcom, featuring Toni in the car dealership which he worked. Swiss is the only non-original character in the show. He had previously appeared in the second series of The Smell of Reeves and Mortimer in 1995, which was produced by Higson and featured cameos from many members of The Fast Show. (Higson, series 3)

Ted & Ralph – country squire Lord Ralph Mayhew attempts to strike-up an intimate relationship with his introverted Irish estate worker Ted, by way of subtle romantic/erotic subtexts in his conversations with him (Whitehouse and Higson, all series). This was also the title of a one-off, hour-long spin-off feature, reprising the characters, with cameos from a few other characters as well.

"You ain't seen me: right?" - An unknown traveller who is probably a criminal who says "You ain't seen me: right?" to some minor characters in the show and sometimes the viewer of the show. He comes up in the show in various locations and is at one point on Chanel 9 Neus sitting in the sports reporter's seat. He is also seen in the background when the "Brilliant" Kid walks past talking about the usual things.

Inept Zookeeper - a zookeeper who is frightened and/or disgusted by virtually every aspect of his job (cleaning up elephant dung, feeding the penguins, etc.) and is thus rendered unable to perform his tasks properly. (Williams, series 3)

In popular culture

When the programme was shown on BBC America it was renamed 'Brilliant' to avoid confusion with an American programme of the same name.

Arabella Weir later turned Insecure Woman into Jackie Payne, heroine of her novel ''Does My Bum Look Big in This''?

An American journalist called Ed Winchester was part of NBC's team at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. BBC reporter John Inverdale got him to say, 'Hi, I'm Ed Winchester' during rowing coverage on 11 August.

In ''Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl'', when Jack Sparrow is talking to the two soldiers and comments "And then they made me their chief", he is quoting Rowley Birkin. In the scene where Jack Sparrow is first captured by the pirates, he attempts to leave, saying "I'll get me coat", but this was later cut and can be found in the deleted scenes. He also repeatedly quotes Unlucky Alf by saying "Bugger". Johnny Depp is a fan of the show and had a cameo role as a customer browsing the Suit You tailors shop in the farewell special .

In 2009, the Scottish rock band Carnivores released the single 'John Actor Is Monkfish' in reference to the many faces of John Actor.

In 2010, chef Jamie Oliver advertised his forthcoming cookery series (examining the cuisine of several European/Mediterranean countries) speaking in the made-up language used by Chanel 9 news.

Filming locations

Unusually for a sketch show, a significant proportion of ''The Fast Show'' was shot externally. During the early series much of this filming was done around the Tees Valley, Yorkshire Dales and Newcastle upon Tyne in the North East of England. Locations include:

Ashington, Northumberland – at least two scenes involving Unlucky Alf and one involving Brilliant Kid were filmed on Station Road.

Aske Hall – Background in early Ted & Ralph scenes

Darlington – 'The Running Family' were shown around various locations in the town centre, including The Cornmill Centre. Darlington was the childhood home of Jim Moir (Vic Reeves) whose longterm comedy partner Bob Mortimer was one of the writers. The Cornmill and The High Street with scenes involving Brilliant Kid.

Durham – The market place with scenes involving Brilliant Kid

Hartlepool – One Unlucky Alf scene saw him sat in the empty Rink End Stand of Hartlepool United's ground, Victoria Park. Also, one Ed Winchester scene is in front of the Mill House Stand. Some of the Brilliant Kid scenes were also fimed at nearby Seal Sands.

Keld, North Yorkshire – The campsite used in a Dave Angel scene

Langley Park – Railway Street is used in Unlucky Alf scenes

Middlesbrough – docks used in 'hard of hearing stuntman' scenes, scene on Transporter Bridge as well as the Riverside Stadium

Newcastle upon Tyne – including the 'Shore Leave' sketch, the scene where Chris the Crafty Cockney steals the woman's suitcases (shot in Newcastle Central station), and some of the Sir Geoffrey Norman MP sketches, such as the one where he is pulled over by a policeman for speeding and the one where he refuses to pay the taxi driver after getting out of the car (shot outside the main entrance to Newcastle Central station), one Ed Winchester scene is near Monument station. One scene from the Brilliant Kid showed him in Exhibition Park in Newcastle upon Tyne. Many scenes involving Janine Carr, filmed in greyscale, used the backdrop of the concrete flyover and underpasses of the junction of the A167(M) and the B1318 of the Great North Road in Jesmond. A few scenes were filmed inside the Newcastle City Library (which has now been demolished and a new Library building has replaced it).

Richmond – The market place in Ted & Ralph's trip to the shops

Scotch Corner – Garage used in Swiss Toni's early scenes

Seaton Carew - One "You ain't seen me right?" scene sees the main character sat on a child's ride in one of the seafront amusement arcades.

The Spanish City, Whitley Bay, Tyne and Wear – a number of scenes involving Brilliant Kid

Stockton On Tees, Swiss Toni scenes, filmed at a car showroom on Norton Road.

Also for the third series the production extended abroad:

Iceland – Scenes with Brilliant Kid and Billy Bleach were shot with volcanic landscapes, waterfalls and hot springs in the background.

Where are the cast now?

Paul Whitehouse has appeared in two successful sitcoms since the end of the show, performed in the third Harry Potter film (although his role was cut), and voiced characters in the Tim Burton films ''Corpse Bride'' and ''Alice in Wonderland''. He also appeared in the BBC sketch show ''Harry and Paul'', starring alongside Harry Enfield once again.

Charlie Higson has continued to work as an award-winning author (having written a series of "Young Bond" spy novels), starred in the ''Fast Show'' spin-off sitcom ''Swiss Toni'', and remains enthusiastic about the show's success.

Caroline Aherne quit The ''Fast Show'' after the third series. With her then partner Craig Cash she co-created, co-wrote and co-starred in the BAFTA-award winning BBC comedy series ''The Royle Family'', which premiered in 1998. Her struggles with clinical depression and alcoholism have been widely covered in the UK tabloid press, and after the end of her relationship with Cash she briefly moved to Australia and announced that she would no longer appear on television. She has largely shunned the limelight and has made few TV appearances since 2000 but she returned to television comedy in October 2006, co-writing and starring in a one-off special episode of ''The Royle Family'', followed by three others annually from 2008 to 2010.

Arabella Weir co-starred in the 2003 comedy mini-series ''Posh Nosh'' with Richard E. Grant, continues to appear on the show ''Grumpy Old Women'' and has written two novels.

Simon Day appears in Powergen adverts as a decidedly Dave Angel, Eco-Warrior-like character. He has also appeared in ''Fast Show'' spin-offs ''Grass'' (featuring Billy Bleach) and ''Swiss Toni'', and also made an appearance in ''Run Fatboy Run''. He has recently appeared with Paul Whitehouse in the comedy show ''Harry and Paul''.

John Thomson continues to appear on British television, including major roles in ''Blackpool'' and ''Cold Feet''. He stated in October 2005 that he longed for a ''Fast Show'' movie. He is currently appearing in popular soap opera ''Coronation Street'' as a love interest for Eileen Grimshaw. In 2009, he appeared in 'Big Top' which was screened on BBC One, playing a clown.

Mark Williams has become internationally known thanks to his recurring role as Arthur Weasley in the ''Harry Potter'' films. He continues to act and write his own material and has presented a documentary series titled ''Mark Williams' Big Bangs'' on the history of explosives, a follow-on to previous series ''Mark Williams on the Rails'', and ''Industrial Revelations''.

in 2000 Charlie Higson, Arabella Weir, Simon Day and Fast Show supporting cast members Rhys Thomas (Paul in the Swiss Toni sketches) and Tony Way were reunited in the "Paranoia" episode of ''Randall & Hopkirk (Deceased)'', starring Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer

''Down the Line''

In 2006, Higson and Whitehouse produced and starred in ''Down the Line'', a spoof phone-in show for BBC Radio 4. The show also featured many of the regular ''Fast Show'' cast, including Simon Day, Arabella Weir, Rhys Thomas and Felix Dexter. Further series were broadcast in 2007, 2008 and 2011. A follow-on TV series, Bellamy's People, was broadcast in 2010.

The future

Speaking on the BBC Two show ''Something for the Weekend'' on 9 September 2007, Higson mentioned the upcoming DVD boxed set release and that a reunion of some sort to help promote it was being considered. This took place at The Dominion Theatre in London on Sunday 4 November, and was a collection of some new sketches, videos of cast favourites and performances of classic sketches (including the return of Ed Winchester). An announcement was made on stage by Charlie Higson that the cast had signed with the BBC for a new series of 'The Fast Show', but this was an elaborate set-up for a sketch featuring Unlucky Alf; the claim was withdrawn at the end of the evening by Higson. In addition he and Whitehouse were working on a film script which would feature the Fast Show team, but wouldn't have any of the characters from the show.

DVDs

Numerous ''Fast Show'' DVDs are available including :

''The Fast Show : Series 1'' (includes cast interviews with Paul Whitehouse, Charlie Higson, Arabella Weir and Mark Williams)

''The Fast Show : Series 2''

''The Fast Show : Series 3 and 1996 Christmas Special''

''The Fast Show : The Last Fast Show Ever, Part One''

''The Fast Show Live''

''The Fast Show Farewell Tour''

A 7 DVD box set, ''The Ultimate Fast Show Collection'', was released in the UK on 5 November 2007, which compiled nearly all their material, except the two live DVD releases and their spin-off series/specials.

''You Ain't Seen These, Right!''

''You Ain't Seen These, Right!'' was a one-off programme, shown during BBC Two's ''Fast Show Night'', featuring various sketches which were filmed but did not make it onto the final show. Some of these were:

An ensemble series of sketches made by the whole male team, as members of a golf club, in which Charlie Higson's character was dating a beautiful young woman. The rest of the team are initially dismissive of him as a sad old man, but cannot help gawking over her, until Paul Whitehouse's character blurts out to her similarly young and attractive friend "Can I come over your tits?"

A chain-smoking car driver played by Mark Williams who rants about anything and everything through his wound-down window. A study of road rage. "Shoe shop?! Shoe Shop?!". He drives around in Harlesden, London.

A medieval king played by Simon Day, who 'loves being king' because he gets to boss everyone about.

A middle aged man, played by John Thomson, who always finds an excuse to leave the room as soon as the conversation gets round to "women's things."

A Paul Whitehouse character who responds to almost every question, accusation and situation with the phrase "Sorry, but I was up all night, shagging."

These sketches are included in the UK edition of the boxed VHS videotape set of Series 3, and also on the 7 disc Ultimate Fast Show DVD box set.

References

External links

Category:1994 in British television Category:1994 British television programme debuts Category:2000 British television programme endings Category:1990s British television series Category:2000s British television series Category:BBC television comedy Category:British television sketch shows Category:The Fast Show

nl:The Fast Show no:The Fast Show fi:Ruuvit löysällä (televisiosarja) vls:The Fast Show

Evelyn Dall (January 8, 1918 – March 10, 2010) was an American singer and actress.

Career

Born in The Bronx, New York City Dall began her career in short films and in supporting roles on Broadway. In 1935, she was invited to become the female vocalist for Bert Ambrose and his Orchestra, in the UK, where she remained until 1946. She was known there as England's "Original Blonde Bombshell".

In 1946, she returned to the United States where she married and raised a daughter and son. Widowed in 1974, Dall moved to Jupiter, Florida in 1980, then to Arizona in 2002.

Musical films

1936 ''Soft Lights and Sweet Music''

1937 ''Calling All Stars''

1937 ''Sing as You Swing''

1938 ''Kicking the Moon Around''

1941 ''He Found a Star''

1942 ''King Arthur Was a Gentleman''

1943 ''Miss London Ltd.''

1944 ''Time Flies''

Theater musicals

1935 ''Parade'' (Broadway)

1940 ''Present Arms'' (London)

1944 ''Something for the Boys'' (London)

1945 ''Follow the Girls'' (London) production

Death

After suffering a broken hip due to a fall in 2006, Dall moved to a nursing home to recuperate. The home was close to her daughter. In early 2007, Dall suffered a heart attack; she also had ongoing arthritis and dementia.

She died on March 10, 2010 in Phoenix, Arizona after an extended illness, aged 92. She was survived by her children.

References

External links

Category:1918 births Category:2010 deaths Category:American expatriates in the United Kingdom Category:American female singers Category:American film actors Category:American musical theatre actors Category:American stage actors Category:People from the Bronx Category:People from Phoenix, Arizona Category:People from Palm Beach County, Florida Category:Disease-related deaths in Arizona

Max Bacon is the former lead singer for 1980s arena rock supergroup GTR as well as the frontman for lesser known bands like Moby Dick, Nightwing, Phenomena, and Bronz.

Bacon's one claim to fame in his own right is as the vocalist on the top 40 GTR single, "When the Heart Rules the Mind". GTR's self-titled debut went gold.

Bacon's 1996 solo album ''The Higher You Climb'' included GTR material, and Bacon later sang lead on "Going, Going, Gone" on Steve Howe's 1999 release, Portraits of Bob Dylan. There is also a CD of a Los Angeles GTR performance on King Biscuit Flower Hour, and even a bootleg floating around.

Bacon has also sung lead on Mike Oldfield's 1987 album ''Islands'' which, in the U.S. version, featured the minor hit "Magic Touch", and was co-produced by GTR-producer Geoff Downes. In 2002 another solo album, ''From The Banks Of The River Irwell'', was released, featuring some material composed by Downes previously performed by Asia during John Payne's tenure.

An interesting piece of GTR trivia concerns vocalist Max Bacon's almost surreal attempt to relaunch his career following the breakup with an appearance as a contestant on ITV's vintage talent show ''New Faces''. Relaunched in the late 1980s, the revamped ''New Faces'' was hosted by Marti Caine and featured judges such as Chris Tarrant (the nice one) and Nina Myskow (the nasty one). Max eventually reached the 1988 final and performed a version of "The Hunter", but he ultimately lost the competition. Interestingly, however, no mention was made on the show of his previous GTR success. Max also performed a number he had previously recorded with Mike Oldfield, again without the show mentioning his earlier career.

Bacon subsequently left the music business and took ownership of a pub called The Crown in Knaresborough, North Yorkshire, England.

No longer at the pub, Max is believed to have retired to Spain.

Discography

Moby Dick

''Can't Have My Body Tonight'' (single, Ebony Records 1982)

Solo Work

''The Higher You Climb'' (1996)

''From The Banks Of The River Irwell'' (2002)

Nightwing

''Stand Up And Be Counted'' (1983)

''My Kingdom Come'' (1984)

Bronz

''Taken By Storm'' (1984)

GTR

''GTR'' (1986)

''The King Biscuit Flower Hour: GTR'' (1997)

Phenomena

''Dream Runner'' (1987)

Mike Oldfield

''Islands'' (1987)

''Earth Moving'' (1989)

Steve Howe

''Portraits of Bob Dylan'' (1999)

References

Category:Living people Category:English male singers Category:English pop singers Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:Place of birth missing (living people)

cs:Max Bacon de:Max Bacon (Musiker)