''The Real McCoy'' was a

BBC Television BBC Television is a service of the BBC. The corporation has operated a public broadcast television service in the United Kingdom, under the terms of a royal charter, since 1927. It produced television programmes from its own studios from 193 ...

sketch comedy Sketch comedy comprises a series of short, amusing scenes or vignettes, called "sketches", commonly between one and ten minutes long, performed by a group of comic actors or comedians. The form developed and became popular in vaudeville, and is ...

show that ran from 1991 to 1996 featuring an array of black and Asian comedy stars and featured many famous guest appearances, including

Leo Muhammad Leo or Léo may refer to: Acronyms * Law enforcement officer * Law enforcement organisation * ''Louisville Eccentric Observer'', a free weekly newspaper in Louisville, Kentucky * Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity Arts an ...

Ian Wright Ian Edward Wright (born 3 November 1963) is an English television and radio personality and former professional footballer. He works as a pundit for BBC Sport and ITV Sport. Wright enjoyed success with London clubs Crystal Palace and Arsenal ...

Linford Christie Linford Cicero Christie (born 2 April 1960) is a Jamaican-born British former sprinter. He is the only British man to have won gold medals in the 100 metres at all four major competitions open to British athletes: the Olympic Games, the World ...

and

Frank Bruno Franklin Roy Bruno, (born 16 November 1961) is a British former professional boxer who competed from 1982 to 1996. He had a highly publicised and eventful career, both in and out of the ring. The pinnacle of Bruno's boxing career was winning ...

Development

The producer of the first two series,

Charlie Hanson Charlie Hanson is a British producer and director. His award-winning work includes television shows such as ''Desmond's'', ''Chef!'', ''The Big Impression'', ''The Sketch Show'' and ''Whites'', and the 2003 feature film '' A Way of Life''. Car ...

, was the co-founder of the Black Theatre Co-operative (now

NitroBeat Nitrobeat is a British theatre company, founded in 1979 as the Black Theatre Co-operative by the playwright Mustapha Matura and the director Charlie Hanson. Early performers with the company included the actor Trevor Laird. The company's first ...

) and had produced '' No Problem!'' and ''

Desmond's ''Desmond's'' is a British television situation comedy broadcast by Channel 4 from 1989 to 1994. Conceived and co-written by Trix Worrell, and produced by Charlie Hanson and Humphrey Barclay, ''Desmond's'' stars Norman Beaton as barber Desmond ...

'' before creating ''The Real McCoy''. He was working with a double act named Curtis and Ishmael (

Curtis Walker Curtis Walker is a British actor, writer and stand-up comedian. He starred in BBC comedy shows ''Paramount City'', CBBC sitcom ''Kerching!'', ''The Real McCoy "The real McCoy" is an idiom and metaphor used in much of the English-speaking wo ...

and Ishmael Thomas) at the 291 Club at the

Hackney Empire Hackney Empire is a theatre on Mare Street, in the London Borough of Hackney. Originally designed by Frank Matcham it was built in 1901 as a music hall, and expanded in 2001. Described by ''The Guardian'' as ‘the most beautiful theatre in Lon ...

and suggested making a television version. However, the BBC opted for a totally new sketch series, launching ''The Real McCoy''.

Llewella Gideon Llewella Gideon (born 27 September 1967 in Peckham, South London) is a British actress, comedian and writer. She has appeared in a number of comedy series, including ''Absolutely Fabulous'', ''The Real McCoy'', ''The Crouches'', and ''The Deliv ...

and Collette Johnson, who were also the double act Short, Sharp and Shocking, made up the main initial quartet of writer-performers.

Soul II Soul Soul II Soul are a British musical collective formed in London in 1988. They are best known for their two major hits; 1989's UK number five and US number eleven " Keep On Movin'", and its follow-up, the UK number one and US number four " Back to ...

frontman

Jazzie B Trevor Beresford Romeo OBE, (born 26 January 1963) better known as Jazzie B, is a British DJ and music producer. He is the founder of Soul II Soul. Life and career Jazzie was born in London UK to parents of Antiguan descent in Hornsey, Londo ...

co-wrote the title theme.

Casting

Walker, Thomas, Gideon and Johnson were given top billing in the opening credits of the first series. Walker and Thomas were billed under their double act name "Curtis and Ishmael" in the closing credits. In addition to the main quartet,

Robbie Gee Robbie Gee (born 24 March 1970) is a British actor, best known for his ''Desmond's'' character "Lee Stanley", for appearing in Guy Ritchie's crime caper '' Snatch'', and for his comedy roles in TV series like ''The Real McCoy'' and ''The Crouc ...

and Leo Chester also appeared in every episode of series 1. Further recurring semi-regulars included

Meera Syal Meera Syal FRSL (born Feroza Syal; 27 June 1961) is a English comedian, writer, playwright, singer, journalist and actress. She rose to prominence as one of the team that created '' Goodness Gracious Me'' and portraying Sanjeev's grandmother, ...

Kulvinder Ghir Kulvinder Ghir (born 10 August 1965) is a British actor, comedian and writer. He is best known as one of the cast members in the BBC sketch show '' Goodness Gracious Me''. He is also known for playing Aslam in the 1987 Yorkshire-based film '' Ri ...

and

Perry Benson Perry Benson (born 9 April 1961) is a British character actor best known for his regular roles in British television sitcoms ''You Rang, M'Lord?'' (1988–1993), ''Oh, Doctor Beeching!'' (1995–1997) and ''Operation Good Guys'' (1997–2000). ...

Kathy Burke Katherine Lucy Bridget Burke (born 13 June 1964) is an English actress, comedian, writer, producer, and director. She achieved fame with her appearances on sketch shows such as ''French and Saunders'' (1988–1999) and her recurring role as Mag ...

and broadcaster Alan Towers also appeared in the series. For series 2, a new animated title sequence was used with a new theme by

Overlord X Overlord X (born Benjamin Balogun, in Hackney) was one of the earliest British hip hop artists to receive national acclaim in the UK, with his most well known song still being his second single release, "14 Days in May" (Westside Records, 1988) ...

. The main six performers again appeared in every episode (although Gideon was unable to attend the recording of the final episode). Syal and Benson also returned as semi-regulars, alongside newcomer Maureen Hibbert. Ghir did not appear in this series. Series 3, saw some big changes to the main line-up. Walker, Thomas and Johnson did not return. Meera Syal was promoted to a regular, with newcomers

Eddie Nestor Edward Augustus Matthew Christopher Nestor MBE (born 5 June 1964) is a British actor, stand up comedian, television and radio presenter, who is best known for his starring roles in ''The Real McCoy'' and ''Desmond's'', as well as playing a small ...

and

Judith Jacob Judith Jacob (born 13 December 1961) is a British actress best known for her role as the health visitor Carmel Roberts in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', a role she played from 1986 to 1989.Felix Dexter Felix Dexter (26 July 1961
Retrieved 22 October 2013

appeared each week, performing solo material from his repertoire of characters. In series 4, the same seven writer-performers returned to make up the main cast. Kulvinder Ghir also appeared in every episode of series 4. For series 5, Ghir was promoted to the main cast, which now made eight regulars. For this series,

Jo Martin Jo Martin (born 29 April) is a British actress. She played Natalie Crouch in the BBC One sitcom ''The Crouches'', which aired between 2003 and 2005. She joined the cast of ''Holby City'' in 2019 as neurosurgeon Max McGerry. Martin portrayed an ...

also appeared in every episode as Botney, controller of BBC universal intergalactic TV transmission, during the Rub A Dub sketches and in other roles.

Format

Although mainly a sketch comedy show, the dance troupe Danserious also performed short routines throughout the first series with longer routines to entire songs in series two. In series 3, the dance sections were replaced with studio performances from a different musical act each week including

The Real Thing The Real Thing or Real Thing may refer to: Film and television * The Real Thing (film), ''The Real Thing'' (film) or ''Livers Ain't Cheap'', a 1996 American film * ''The Real Thing'', a 1980 television documentary by James Burke (science historian) ...

Ruby Turner Francella Ruby Turner MBE (born 22 June 1958) is a British Jamaican R&B and soul singer, songwriter, and actress. In a music career spanning more than 30 years, Turner is best known for her album and single releases in Europe and North Americ ...

Junior Junior or Juniors may refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * ''Junior'' (Junior Mance album), 1959 * ''Junior'' (Röyksopp album), 2009 * ''Junior'' (Kaki King album), 2010 * ''Junior'' (LaFontaines album), 2019 Films * ''Junior'' (1994 ...

Mica Paris Michelle Antoinette Wallen (born 27 April 1969), known professionally as Mica Paris (), is an English singer, presenter and actress. Paris was born in Islington in North London, but moved to Brockley, South London, when she was nine. She rel ...

and

Macka B Christopher MacFarlane, better known as Macka B, (born 1966) is a British-born Jamaican reggae artist, performer and activist with a career spanning thirty years and one of Britain's most influential dancehall DJs. As a practicing Rastaman, Mac ...

. From Series 4, the music acts were replaced with stand-up routines from guests such as

Junior Simpson Junior Simpson is a British stand-up comedian of Jamaican descent. He was born in Leagrave, a suburb of Luton, and was educated at Beechwood Primary School and Challney High School for Boys. Simpson headlines at clubs across Britain as well as p ...

, Toju,

John Simmit John Simmit (born 13 December 1963) is a British actor and stand-up comedian, best known for playing Dipsy in BBC TV's global hit ''Teletubbies'' from 1997–2001. Career His many other TV credits include ''The Real McCoy'', ''The Gadget Show'' ...

and

Angie Le Mar Angie Le Mar (born 27 October 1965) is a British comedian, actor, writer, director, presenter and producer. Le Mar is married with three children. Early life Born in Lewisham, London, of Jamaican parentage, she grew up with four older brother ...

. In series 5,

Richard Blackwood Richard Clifford Blackwood (born 15 May 1972) is a British actor, presenter and rapper. Between 2015 and 2018, he played Vincent Hubbard in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. In 2020, he began portraying the role of Felix Westwood in the Channel ...

, Rudi Lickwood and Ian Edwards were amongst the stand-up guests.

Episodes

Most appearances

Excluding the four broadcast clip show episodes and the two VHS clip show episodes. 30 episodes (all regular episodes) * Robbie Gee * Leo Chester 29 episodes * Llewella Gideon 25 episodes * Meera Syal 18 episodes * Eddie Nestor * Judith Jacob * Felix Dexter * Kulvinder Ghir 12 episodes * Curtis Walker * Ishmael Thomas * Collette Johnson 9 episodes * Perry Benson 6 episodes * Leon Black 5 episodes * Maureen Hibbert

Reception

The show was very successful, quickly becoming a cult hit and reaching audiences of 5 million. Its popularity attracted many famous guests. In series 2,

John Virgo John Virgo (born 4 March 1946) is an English former professional snooker player who has since developed a career as a snooker commentator and TV personality. Snooker career Early professional career (1973–1978) Virgo's first notable appear ...

made a cameo in a snooker-themed sketch. From series 3, a recurring sketch was an ''

EastEnders ''EastEnders'' is a Television in the United Kingdom, British soap opera created by Julia Smith (producer), Julia Smith and Tony Holland which has been broadcast on BBC One since February 1985. Set in the fictional borough of Walford in the Ea ...

'' spoof called The Rub-A-Dub in which celebrities

Andi Peters Andi Eleazu Peters (born 29 July 1970) is a British television presenter, producer, journalist and voice actor, currently employed by ITV and known for presenting Children's BBC, roles on breakfast TV shows ''Live & Kicking'', ''GMTV'', '' Good ...

(with

Edd the Duck Edd the Duck (originally Ed the Duck) is a puppet duck which appeared on the CBBC interstitial programme ''The Broom Cupboard'' alongside presenters Andy Crane and Andi Peters. His movements were performed by Christina Mackay-Robinson, an assista ...

Colin McMillan Colin McMillan (born 12 February 1966) is an English former professional boxer who competed from 1988 to 1997. He fought his way to the British featherweight title in 1991. After successfully defending his British title, he added the Commonwe ...

, Mica Paris,

Tessa Sanderson Theresa Ione Sanderson (born 14 March 1956) is a British former javelin thrower. She appeared in every Summer Olympics from 1976 to 1996, winning the gold medal in the javelin throw at the 1984 Olympics. She was the second track and field ...

Norman Beaton Norman Lugard Beaton (31 October 1934 – 13 December 1994) was a Guyanese actor long resident in the United Kingdom. He became best known for his role as Desmond Ambrose in the Channel Four television comedy series ''Desmond's''. The writer S ...

appeared as themselves. In series 4, guests in the segment were

, Saracen from ''Gladiators'',

Carmen Munroe Carmen Esme Munroe, (born 12 November 1932)

Omar ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb ( ar, عمر بن الخطاب, also spelled Omar, ) was the second Rashidun caliph, ruling from August 634 until his assassination in 644. He succeeded Abu Bakr () as the second caliph of the Rashidun Caliphate o ...

and

Lennox Lewis Lennox Claudius Lewis (born 2 September 1965) is a former professional boxer and boxing commentator who competed from 1989 to 2003. He is a three-time world heavyweight champion, a two-time lineal champion, and the last heavyweight to hold ...

. In series 5,

John Barnes John Charles Bryan Barnes MBE (born 7 November 1963) is a former professional football player and manager. He currently works as an author, commentator and pundit for ESPN and SuperSport. Initially a quick, skilful left winger, he moved to cent ...

Saeed Jaffrey Saeed Jaffrey (8 January 1929 – 15 November 2015) was a British-Indian actor. His career covered film, radio, stage and television roles over six decades and more than 150 British, American, and Indian movies. During the 1980s and 1990s he wa ...

Lisa I'Anson Lisa I'Anson (born 31 May 1965) is a British radio presenter, television presenter, and VJ. Career I'Anson first started as a broadcaster on the then pirate radio station Kiss FM, and through to its legal licence, presenting the magazine sho ...

, Jazzie B,

Maxi Priest Max Alfred "Maxi" Elliott (born 10 June 1961), known by his stage name Maxi Priest, is a British reggae vocalist of Jamaican descent. He is best known for singing reggae music with an R&B influence, otherwise known as reggae fusion. He was one ...

and

Judy Simpson Judith Earline Veronica Simpson (née Livermore; born 14 November 1960) is a British former heptathlon, heptathlete who competed at three Olympic Games. She went on to appear as Nightshade in the TV show ''Gladiators (1992 British TV series), Gla ...

appeared in the segment. In December 1994, a short special aired as part of '' Fry and Laurie Host A Christmas Night with the Stars''. In November 1995, a 4-part

clip show A clip show is an episode of a television series that consists primarily of excerpts from previous episodes. Most clip shows feature the format of a frame story in which cast members recall past events from past installments of the show, depicte ...

series aired called ''The Best of the Real McCoy''.

Legacy

Following the show's success, Felix Dexter was given his own pilot sketch show ''Felix Dexter on TV'', as part of the ''Comic Asides'' series of pilots, which was broadcast on BBC Two in September 1995. Dexter also wrote and starred in the sitcom pilot ''Douglas'' broadcast on BBC Two in August 1996, based around his lawyer character from ''The Real McCoy''. Neither pilot was picked up for a full series, despite positive reception. ''Douglas'' was repeated on BBC Two in March 2021 under the name ''Felix Dexter in Douglas'' as part of the BBC's Festival of Funny. Meera Syal and Kulvinder Ghir went on to co-create ''Goodness Gracious Me'' for

BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history from the BBC' ...

in 1996, before adapting it for TV in 1998. Also in 1996, a 15-minute pilot was shot for ''The Rub-a-Dub'', which had been an ongoing black ''

'' spoof in the series (later becoming ''The Rub-a-Dub in Space''), with only some original cast members reprising their roles and with various character and setting changes. The pilot was never broadcast and not picked up for a series. Robbie Gee and Jo Martin went on to star in BBC One sitcom ''

The Crouches ''The Crouches'' is a sitcom that aired on BBC One between 2003 and 2005. It starred Rudolph Walker, Robbie Gee, Jo Martin and Mona Hammond. Plot Childhood sweethearts Roly Crouch (Robbie Gee) and Natalie (Jo Martin) have been married for 18 year ...

'' in 2003 which ran for two series, and in which Llewella Gideon also appeared. After spoofing ''EastEnders'' in the show, Robbie Gee went on to appear in the soap as

Dexter Mulholland ''EastEnders'' is a long-running BBC soap opera from the United Kingdom. This is a list of characters who first appeared on the programme during 2009, listed in order of their first appearance. They were all introduced by the show's executive p ...

in 2009. Stand-up guest Richard Blackwood also later appeared as

Vincent Hubbard Vincent Hubbard is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Richard Blackwood. He was introduced by executive producer Dominic Treadwell-Collins during the show's 30th anniversary celebrations, and was later reve ...

. Meera Syal and Jo Martin both went on to appear in the BBC comedy drama '' Back To Life''. Over the years, there have been various live reunion shows.

Availability

In 1994, a VHS simply titled ''The Real McCoy'' was released. It featured over 20 of the show's best sketches from series three, edited into two 45-minute episodes. Despite the show's popularity, it has never been released on

DVD The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kin ...

. Series one was made available for download on the short-lived

BBC Store BBC Store was a video on demand store that launched in the UK on 5 November 2015 and opened the BBC Archive to consumers, allowing them to buy episodes or series of a show and download them (using dedicated BBC Store apps). BBC Store was approve ...

. All five series were made available for streaming on the

BBC iPlayer BBC iPlayer (stylised as iPLAYER or BBC iPLAYER) is a video on demand service from the BBC. The service is available on a wide range of devices, including mobile phones and tablets, personal computers and smart televisions. iPlayer services del ...

from July 2020 for 12 months. All five series were made available for streaming on the UK version of BritBox from September 2022.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Real McCoy, The 1990s British television sketch shows 1991 British television series debuts 1996 British television series endings Black British television shows Asian-British culture BBC television sketch shows