The Les Dawson Show
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''The Les Dawson Show'' was a
variety show Variety show, also known as variety arts or variety entertainment, is entertainment made up of a variety of acts including musical theatre, musical performances, sketch comedy, magic (illusion), magic, acrobatics, juggling, and ventriloquism. It is ...
that aired on
BBC1 BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's flagship network and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television bulletins, ...
intermittently from 1978 through 1989. The show starred comedian
Les Dawson Leslie Dawson Jr. (2 February 1931 – 10 June 1993) was an English comedian, actor, writer, and presenter, who is best remembered for his deadpan style, curmudgeonly persona and Mother-in-law joke, jokes about his mother-in-law and wife. Earl ...
(1931–1993), who had previously starred in the
ITV ITV or iTV may refer to: ITV *Independent Television (ITV), a British television network, consisting of: ** ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network covering the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islan ...
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 ...
programme ''
Sez Les ''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. Les Dawson and Roy Barraclough (who was a cast member from series four onward) regularly perfor ...
'' (1969–76), followed by ''Dawson and Friends'' (1977). ''The Les Dawson Show'' also featured sketch comedy, as well as
stand-up comedy Stand-up comedy is a comedy, comedic performance to a live audience in which the performer addresses the audience directly from the stage. The performer is known as a comedian, a comic or a stand-up. Stand-up comedy consists of One-line joke ...
, guest appearances, dance numbers, and musical performances.


Overview


Series 1–2

In the first series, transmitted in 1978, Dawson co-hosted the show with Scottish singer-songwriter
Lulu Lulu may refer to: Companies * LuLu, an early automobile manufacturer * Lulu.com, an online e-books and print self-publishing platform, distributor, and retailer * Lulu Hypermarket, a retail chain in Asia * Lululemon Athletica or simply Lulu, a C ...
. In addition to comedy sketches and songs by Dawson, Lulu, and guests artists, each episode featured performances by the Dougie Squires Dancers, with choreography by
Dougie Squires Douglas William Squires (born 1932) is an English choreographer, known best for his work in television from the mid-1950s. He was born in Nottingham. Choreography The groups he has choreographed for television include: *The Young Generation *The ...
. The musical director at this time was John Coleman, and the arranger was Alan Roper. Episodes of this first series aired fortnightly rather than weekly. No new episodes of the show aired for more than three years. Then, in May 1981, BBC1 transmitted a bank holiday special that reunited Dawson with his longtime comedy compatriot
Roy Barraclough Roy Senior Barraclough (12 July 1935 – 1 June 2017) was an English comic actor. He was best known for his role as Alec Gilroy, the devious, mournful landlord of the Rovers Return in the long-running British TV soap '' Coronation Street'', a ...
, and ''
Sez Les ''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. Les Dawson and Roy Barraclough (who was a cast member from series four onward) regularly perfor ...
'' writer Terry Ravenscroft. It also replaced the Dougie Squires Dancers with Kids International, a multi-ethnic singing and dancing group assembled by the show's producer,
Ernest Maxin Ernest Maxin (22 August 1923 – 27 September 2018) was a British television producer, director, dancer and choreographer. He is best known for his work in the 1960s and 1970s with Kathy Kirby, Dick Emery, Dave Allen, Les Dawson, and Morec ...
. Maxin, Barraclough, and Kids International stayed with the show through its second series—which premiered eight months later, in January 1982. For series two,
Alyn Ainsworth Alyn Ainsworth (24 August 1924 – 4 October 1990)
was a British musician, singer and conductor of light e ...
joined-on as bandleader, and musical arrangements were handled by some new contributors to the programme, including
Ivor Raymonde Ivor Raymonde (born Ivor Pomerance; 22 October 1926 – 4 June 1990) was a British musician, songwriter, arranger and actor, best known for his distinctive rock-orchestral arrangements for Dusty Springfield and others in the 1960s. Life and care ...
and Max Harris. Roy Barraclough wrote and/or performed. Later that year, Kids International got their own 30-minute Christmas special. ''The Kids International Show'' aired on 24 December 1982; Maxin produced and directed, while Alyn Ainsworth and orchestra provided music.


Series 3–4

For the third series, which aired in 1983, Maxin remained as producer, but
Ronnie Hazlehurst Ronald Hazlehurst (13 March 1928 – 1 October 2007) was an English composer and conductor who, having joined the BBC in 1961, became its Light Entertainment Musical Director. Hazlehurst composed the theme tunes for many well-known Britis ...
became the show's musical director, and comedian
Eli Woods Eli Woods (born John Casey; 11 January 1923 – 1 May 2014) was an English comedian and comic actor, born in Stockton-on-Tees, County Durham, possibly best known for his work with stage comedian Jimmy James (in reality his uncle), and particu ...
joined the cast. Kids International, however, were becoming so popular there was a threat that they would upstage Dawson. Dawson said that he advocated for their removal until Maxin and Jim Moir (the BBC's head of variety) finally relented. To replace of Kids International, Maxin conducted auditions to assemble a
tap-dancing Tap dance is a form of dance characterized by using the sounds of tap shoes striking the floor as a form of percussion. Two major variations on tap dance exist: rhythm (jazz) tap and Broadway tap. Broadway tap focuses on dance; it is widely perfo ...
act named the Roly Polys. When the selection process was complete, the troupe had seven dancers: Marie Ashton, Bea Aston, Sue Cadman, Audrey Leybourne, Thea Macintyre, Ann Stephanie, and lead dancer Mo Moreland. As a matter of BBC policy, Maxin himself was obligated to retire when he turned 60 in 1983. Dawson was not happy with Maxin's replacement,
Robin Nash Robert Henry Douglas Drane (10 March 1927 – 18 June 2011), known professionally as Robin Nash, was a British television producer and executive, who was probably best known as producer of ''Top of the Pops'' from 1973 to 1980. At the BBC, he beca ...
. Nash was the former head of variety at the BBC, and had also served as head of comedy. Even so, Dawson and (show co-writer) Terry Ravenscroft found the man to lack an innate sense of comedy. Nash's tenure as the show's producer lasted for one series. After BBC1 transmitted the fourth series of ''The Les Dawson Show'' in 1984, Dawson took over
Terry Wogan Sir Michael Terence Wogan (; 3 August 1938 – 31 January 2016) was an Irish radio and television broadcaster who worked for the BBC in the UK for most of his career. Between 1993 and his semi-retirement in December 2009, his BBC Radio 2 weekd ...
's role as host of ''
Blankety Blank ''Blankety Blank'' is a British comedy game show which started in 1979 and is still running today, albeit with some sizeable gaps. The original series ran from 18 January 1979 to 12 March 1990 on BBC1, hosted first by Terry Wogan from 1979 un ...
'', a comedy game show on the same channel. Meanwhile, Dawson's wife Margaret was gravely ill. She had been diagnosed with
breast cancer Breast cancer is cancer that develops from breast tissue. Signs of breast cancer may include a lump in the breast, a change in breast shape, dimpling of the skin, milk rejection, fluid coming from the nipple, a newly inverted nipple, or a re ...
years earlier, and finally succumbed in April 1986. After her death, Dawson swore off the "wife jokes" for which he had become known. No new episodes of ''The Les Dawson Show'' were produced until a Christmas special in 1987. Comedy writers
David Nobbs David Gordon Nobbs (13 March 1935 – 8 August 2015"C ...
and
Barry Cryer Barry Charles Cryer (23 March 1935 – 25 January 2022) was an English writer, comedian, and actor. As well as performing on stage, radio and television, Cryer wrote for many performers including Dave Allen, Stanley Baxter, Jack Benny, Rory ...
were recruited for the special, but much of the content was material rehashed from Dawson's earlier sketch comedy series, ''
Sez Les ''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. Les Dawson and Roy Barraclough (who was a cast member from series four onward) regularly perfor ...
''. BBC1 repeated the special on 21 December 1988.


Series 5

Dawson was still host of ''Blankety Blank'' when ''The Les Dawson Show'' resumed for a fifth series in 1989, and he was optimistic about the show's return. He recalls taping the series premiere at the BBC's Television Centre in London: "We had a twenty-five piece orchestra under the baton of John Coleman,
John Nettles John Vivian Drummond Nettles, OBE, (born 11 October 1943) is an English actor and author. He is best known for his starring roles as detectives in the crime drama television series '' Bergerac'' (1981–1991) in the title role, and ''Midsomer M ...
to partner me in the sketches, and, as a special guest,
Shirley Bassey Dame Shirley Veronica Bassey (; born 8 January 1937) is a Welsh singer. Best known for her career longevity, powerful voice and recording the theme songs to three James Bond films, Bassey is widely regarded as one of the most popular vocalists ...
". Roy Barraclough was among the scriptwriters, and the show had a new producer: Stewart Morris. When the 1989 series aired, however, the ratings disappointed Dawson greatly. He ascribed the failure to a decision made by BBC1 to premiere the show during the broadcast run of ''Blankety Blank'', rather than after. The final episode of ''The Les Dawson Show'' was a Christmas special that aired on 30 December 1989—five weeks after the series five finale, and a few days after the ''Blankety Blank'' Christmas special. ''Blankety Blank'', too, was soon cancelled; the 1989–1990 series was its last until BBC1 revived the programme in 1998, with
Paul O'Grady Paul James O'Grady Order of the British Empire, MBE Deputy Lieutenant, DL (born 14 June 1955) is an English comedian, broadcaster, actor, writer and former drag queen. He achieved notability in the London gay scene during the 1980s with his d ...
as host. Dawson died of a heart attack in 1993.


Episodes

In addition to five series of six episodes, there were three Christmas specials and a bank holiday special. A comedy sketch was also featured in a 1982 Christmas special called ''
The Funny Side of Christmas ''The Funny Side of Christmas'' is a Christmas special broadcast by BBC1 on 27 December 1982. Presented by Frank Muir, it comprised one comedy sketch each from 10 contemporaneous BBC comedy series: ''Butterflies (TV series), Butterflies'', ''Th ...
''.Perry et al. (2014)
p. 232
/ref>


Series 1 (1978)


Spring bank holiday special (1981)


Series 2 (1982)


Series 3 (1983)


Series 4 (1984)


Christmas special (1987)


Series 5 (1989)


Christmas special (1989)


See also

* ''
Sez Les ''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. Les Dawson and Roy Barraclough (who was a cast member from series four onward) regularly perfor ...
'' (1969) * ''
The Funny Side of Christmas ''The Funny Side of Christmas'' is a Christmas special broadcast by BBC1 on 27 December 1982. Presented by Frank Muir, it comprised one comedy sketch each from 10 contemporaneous BBC comedy series: ''Butterflies (TV series), Butterflies'', ''Th ...
'' (1982) *
Cissie and Ada Cissie and Ada, in full Cissie Braithwaite and Ada Shufflebotham (or Sidebottom),Ada's surname is recorded both as Sidebottom and as Shufflebotham in various sources. ''The Guardian'' records it as Shufflebotham in "The Guide: Hard as Males" (9 ...


Notes


References

* *


External links


''The Les Dawson Show''
at the BFI Film & TV Database * {{DEFAULTSORT:Les Dawson Show, The 1978 British television series debuts 1989 British television series endings 1970s British television sketch shows 1980s British television sketch shows British variety television shows English-language television shows BBC television comedy