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Melvyn Kenneth Smith (3 December 1952 – 19 July 2013) was an English comedian, actor and director. Smith worked on the
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 ...
shows ''
Not the Nine O'Clock News ''Not the Nine O'Clock News'' is a British television sketch comedy show which was broadcast on BBC2 from 1979 to 1982. Originally shown as a comedy alternative to the '' Nine O'Clock News'' on BBC1, it features satirical sketches on then-curren ...
'' and ''
Alas Smith and Jones ''Alas Smith and Jones'' is a British comedy sketch television series starring comedy duo and namesake Mel Smith and Griff Rhys Jones that originally ran for four series and two Christmas specials on BBC2 from 1984 to 1988, and later as ''Smi ...
'' with his comedy partner,
Griff Rhys Jones Griffith Rhys Jones (born 16 November 1953) is a Welsh comedian, writer, actor, and television presenter. He starred in a number of television series with his comedy partner, Mel Smith. Rhys Jones came to national attention in the 1980s for h ...
. Smith and Jones founded
Talkback Talkback or talk back may refer to: * ''Talkback'' (album), a 1983 album by the Canadian band the Spoons * ''Talk Back'' (Kembe X album), 2016 *Talkback, an alternate name for Marvel Comics superhero Chase Stein * Talkback (recording), an audio ...
, which grew to be one of the United Kingdom's largest producers of television comedy and light entertainment programming.


Early life

Smith's father, Kenneth, was born in
Tow Law Tow Law is a town and civil parish in County Durham, England. It is situated a few miles to the south of Consett and 5 miles to the north west of Crook. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 1,952, increasing to 2,138 at the 2011 ...
,
County Durham County Durham ( ), officially simply Durham,UK General Acts 1997 c. 23Lieutenancies Act 1997 Schedule 1(3). From legislation.gov.uk, retrieved 6 April 2022. is a ceremonial county in North East England.North East Assembly â€About North East E ...
, and worked at a coal mine during the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
; looking after the
pit ponies A pit pony, otherwise known as a mining horse, was a horse, pony or mule commonly used underground in mines from the mid-18th until the mid-20th century. The term "pony" was sometimes broadly applied to any equine working underground.English ...
. After the war ended, he moved to
London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
and married Smith's mother, whose parents owned a
greengrocer A greengrocer is a person who owns or operates a shop selling primarily fruit and vegetables. The term may also be used to refer to a shop selling primarily produce. It is used predominantly in the United Kingdom and Australia. In the United ...
s in
Chiswick Chiswick ( ) is a district of west London, England. It contains Hogarth's House, the former residence of the 18th-century English artist William Hogarth; Chiswick House, a neo-Palladian villa regarded as one of the finest in England; and Full ...
. When the government legalised high street betting with the
Betting and Gaming Act 1960 The Betting and Gaming Act 1960 was a British Act of Parliament that legalised additional forms of gambling in the United Kingdom. It was passed on 1 September 1960 and came into effect on 1 January 1961. The Act Based on the recommendations of ...
, he turned the shop into the first
betting shop In the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand, a betting shop is a shop away from a racecourse ("off-course") where one can legally place bets in person with a licensed bookmaker. Most shops are part of chains including William Hill, ...
in Chiswick. Smith was born and brought up in Chiswick. He was educated at Hogarth Primary School, Chiswick, and at
Latymer Upper School (Slowly Therefore Surely) , established = , closed = , sister_school = Godolphin and Latymer School , type = Public schoolIndependent day school , head_label = H ...
, an
independent school An independent school is independent in its finances and governance. Also known as private schools, non-governmental, privately funded, or non-state schools, they are not administered by local, state or national governments. In British Eng ...
in
Hammersmith Hammersmith is a district of West London, England, southwest of Charing Cross. It is the administrative centre of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, and identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London. ...
. He studied Experimental Psychology at
New College, Oxford New College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1379 by William of Wykeham in conjunction with Winchester College as its feeder school, New College is one of the oldest colleges at th ...
.


Career

Whilst at Oxford University, Smith produced '' The Tempest'', and performed at the
Edinburgh Fringe The Edinburgh Festival Fringe (also referred to as The Fringe, Edinburgh Fringe, or Edinburgh Fringe Festival) is the world's largest arts and media festival, which in 2019 spanned 25 days and featured more than 59,600 performances of 3,841 dif ...
with the
Oxford University Dramatic Society The Oxford University Dramatic Society (OUDS) is the principal funding body and provider of theatrical services to the many independent student productions put on by students in Oxford, England. Not all student productions at Oxford University a ...
. One year they shared a venue with the
Cambridge Footlights Cambridge University Footlights Dramatic Club, commonly referred to simply as the Footlights, is an amateur theatrical club in Cambridge, England, founded in 1883 and run by the students of Cambridge University. History Footlights' inaugural ...
, directed by John Lloyd. His extra-curricular activities while at university led to his joining the
Royal Court Theatre The Royal Court Theatre, at different times known as the Court Theatre, the New Chelsea Theatre, and the Belgravia Theatre, is a non-commercial West End theatre in Sloane Square, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, Englan ...
production team in London, and then
Bristol Old Vic Bristol Old Vic is a British theatre company based at the Theatre Royal, Bristol. The present company was established in 1946 as an offshoot of the Old Vic in London. It is associated with the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, which became a fin ...
. He was also associate director of
Sheffield Sheffield is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in South Yorkshire, England, whose name derives from the River Sheaf which runs through it. The city serves as the administrative centre of the City of Sheffield. It is Historic counties o ...
's
Crucible Theatre The Crucible Theatre (often referred to simply as "The Crucible") is a theatre in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England which opened in 1971. Although it hosts regular theatrical performances, it is best known for hosting professional snooker's m ...
for two years. Later, he directed a theatre production of ''Not in Front of the Audience''. John Lloyd later gained the opportunity to develop the idea that became the
satirical Satire is a genre of the visual, literary, and performing arts, usually in the form of fiction and less frequently non-fiction, in which vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, often with the intent of shaming or e ...
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
television Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertisin ...
series ''
Not the Nine O'Clock News ''Not the Nine O'Clock News'' is a British television sketch comedy show which was broadcast on BBC2 from 1979 to 1982. Originally shown as a comedy alternative to the '' Nine O'Clock News'' on BBC1, it features satirical sketches on then-curren ...
''. This was followed briefly by ''
Smith and Goody ''Smith and Goody'' is a children's sketch show on ITV from the 1980s. It was made for the ITV network by Thames Television. It starred, and was written by Mel Smith (at the time, part of the ''Not The Nine O'Clock News'' show on BBC2) and Bob ...
'' (with
Bob Goody Robert Goody (born 16 April 1951) is a British actor, librettist, writer and former member of the Royal Shakespeare Company. Theatre work Bob Goody trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (1973-1975). He was a founder member of the acclaime ...
) and then the comedy sketch series ''
Alas Smith and Jones ''Alas Smith and Jones'' is a British comedy sketch television series starring comedy duo and namesake Mel Smith and Griff Rhys Jones that originally ran for four series and two Christmas specials on BBC2 from 1984 to 1988, and later as ''Smi ...
'', co-starring
Griff Rhys Jones Griffith Rhys Jones (born 16 November 1953) is a Welsh comedian, writer, actor, and television presenter. He starred in a number of television series with his comedy partner, Mel Smith. Rhys Jones came to national attention in the 1980s for h ...
, its title being a pun on the name of the American television series ''
Alias Smith and Jones ''Alias Smith and Jones'' is an American Western series that originally aired on ABC from January 1971 to January 1973. The show initially starred Pete Duel as Hannibal Heyes and Ben Murphy as Jedediah "Kid" Curry, outlaw cousins who are tryin ...
''. In 1982, he starred as the lead role in ITV drama ''Muck and Brass ''where he played Tom Craig, a ruthless property developer. In 1984, he appeared in the ''
Minder A minder is the person assigned to guide or escort a visitor, or to provide protection to somebody, or to otherwise assist or take care of something, i.e. a person who " minds". Government-appointed persons to accompany foreign visitors are of ...
'' episode "A Star Is Gorn" playing the character Cyril Ash, a record producer. He also guest-starred on ''
The Goodies The Goodies were a trio of British comedians: Tim Brooke-Taylor (17 July 1940–12 April 2020), Graeme Garden (b. 18 February 1943) and Bill Oddie (b. 7 July 1941). The trio created, wrote for and performed in their eponymous television comed ...
'' episode "
Animals Animals are multicellular, eukaryotic organisms in the biological kingdom Animalia. With few exceptions, animals consume organic material, breathe oxygen, are able to move, can reproduce sexually, and go through an ontogenetic stage in ...
". At the end of the 1980s, he played the title role in the sitcom ''
Colin's Sandwich ''Colin's Sandwich'' is a British sitcom that was broadcast on BBC2 in 1988 and 1990. It starred Mel Smith as Colin Watkins, a British Rail administrator who aspired to be a horror writer. The show was written by Paul Smith and Terry Kyan and ra ...
'' (1988–90), playing a
British Rail British Railways (BR), which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was a state-owned company that operated most of the overground rail transport in Great Britain from 1948 to 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the Big Four British rai ...
employee with aspirations to be a writer. In 1981, Smith and
Griff Rhys Jones Griffith Rhys Jones (born 16 November 1953) is a Welsh comedian, writer, actor, and television presenter. He starred in a number of television series with his comedy partner, Mel Smith. Rhys Jones came to national attention in the 1980s for h ...
founded
TalkBack Productions Talkback is a British television production company established in 1981 by comedy duo Mel Smith and Griff Rhys Jones. History Talkback was sold to Pearson Television in 2000. The company merged with Thames Television in 2003 and the combined en ...
, a company that produced many of the most significant British comedy shows of the following decades, including ''
Smack the Pony ''Smack the Pony'' is a British sketch comedy show that was originally broadcast between 1999 and 2003 on Channel 4. The main performers on the show were Fiona Allen, Doon Mackichan and Sally Phillips. There were also regular appearances from S ...
'', ''
Da Ali G Show ''Da Ali G Show'' is a British Satire, satirical television series created by and starring English comedian Sacha Baron Cohen. In the series, Baron Cohen plays three unorthodox journalists: faux-streetwise poseur Ali G, Kazakh reporter Borat Sag ...
'', ''
I'm Alan Partridge ''I'm Alan Partridge'' is a British sitcom written by Steve Coogan, Peter Baynham and Armando Iannucci. Coogan stars as Alan Partridge, a tactless and inept radio DJ and television presenter who has been left by his wife and dropped from the BB ...
'' and ''
Big Train ''Big Train'' is a British television sketch show created by Arthur Mathews and Graham Linehan. The first series was broadcast on BBC Two in 1998, while the second, in which Linehan was not involved, aired in 2002. Overview The series starr ...
''. In 2000, the company was sold to
Pearson Pearson may refer to: Organizations Education *Lester B. Pearson College, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada *Pearson College (UK), London, owned by Pearson PLC *Lester B. Pearson High School (disambiguation) Companies *Pearson PLC, a UK-based int ...
for ÂŁ62 million. Dressed as
bobbies In many countries, particularly those with a federal system of government, there may be several law enforcement agencies, police or police-like organizations, each serving different levels of government and enforcing different subsets of the appli ...
, Smith and Jones introduced
Queen Queen or QUEEN may refer to: Monarchy * Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom ** List of queens regnant * Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king * Queen dowager, the widow of a king * Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mother ...
on stage at
Live Aid Live Aid was a multi-venue benefit concert held on Saturday 13 July 1985, as well as a music-based fundraising initiative. The original event was organised by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to raise further funds for relief of the 1983–1985 fami ...
in July 1985, with Smith removing his helmet before shouting into the microphone, "her majesty, Queen!" Smith co-wrote and took the lead role in the space comedy ''
Morons from Outer Space ''Morons from Outer Space'' is a 1985 British comedy-science fiction film directed by Mike Hodges and starring Griff Rhys Jones, Mel Smith, Joanne Pearce, Jimmy Nail and James B. Sikking. Plot The story begins on a small spaceship docking with ...
'' (1985), but the film failed to make much impact. His next cinema effort was better received as director of ''
The Tall Guy ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...
'' (1989), giving
Emma Thompson Dame Emma Thompson (born 15 April 1959) is a British actress. Regarded as one of the best actresses of her generation, she has received numerous accolades throughout her four-decade-long career, including two Academy Awards, two British A ...
a major screen role. Perhaps his best-known film in America is ''
Brain Donors ''Brain Donors'' is a 1992 American comedy film directed by Dennis Dugan and released by Paramount Pictures, loosely based on the Marx Brothers comedies ''A Night at the Opera (film), A Night at the Opera'' and ''A Day at the Races (film), A Day ...
'', the 1992 update of the
Marx Brothers The Marx Brothers were an American family comedy act that was successful in vaudeville, on Broadway, and in motion pictures from 1905 to 1949. Five of the Marx Brothers' thirteen feature films were selected by the American Film Institute (AFI) ...
film '' A Night at the Opera'', starring Smith as a cheeky, opportunistic cab driver turned ballet promoter.
Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film and television production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the main namesake division of Paramount Global (formerly ViacomCBS). It is the fifth-oldes ...
considered this film the outstanding comedy of the year, but when the producers left Paramount for another studio, Paramount withdrew its support for the film. In 1987, Smith recorded a single with
Kim Wilde Kim Wilde (born Kim Smith, 18 November 1960) is an English pop singer, DJ and television presenter. She first saw success in 1981 with her debut single "Kids in America", which peaked at No. 2 in the UK. In 1983, she received the Brit Award f ...
for
Comic Relief Comic relief is the inclusion of a humorous character, scene, or witty dialogue in an otherwise serious work, often to relieve tension. Definition Comic relief usually means a releasing of emotional or other tension resulting from a comic episo ...
: a cover of the Christmas song "
Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" is a Christmas song written by Johnny Marks and recorded by Brenda Lee in 1958; it has since been recorded by numerous other music artists. By the song's 50th anniversary in 2008, Lee's original version had s ...
" with some additional comedy lines written by Smith and Jones. The pairing of Smith and Wilde was a comic allusion to the duo
Mel and Kim Mel and Kim (stylized as MÓ—L & KIM) were an English pop duo, consisting of sisters Melanie and Kim Appleby. Originally managed by Alan Whitehead, they achieved success between 1986 and 1988, before Melanie died of cancer in January 1990 at t ...
. The song reached number three in the UK charts. The same year he appeared in ''
The Princess Bride The Princess Bride may refer to: * ''The Princess Bride'' (novel), 1973 fantasy romance novel by American writer William Goldman William Goldman (August 12, 1931 – November 16, 2018) was an American novelist, playwright, and screenwriter. He ...
'' as the Albino. Smith and Jones were reunited in 2005 for a review/revival of their earlier television series in ''The Smith And Jones Sketchbook''. Smith joked: "Obviously, Griff's got more money than me so he came to work in a Rolls-Royce and I came on a bicycle. But it was great fun to do and we are firmly committed to doing something new together, because you don't chuck that sort of chemistry away. Of course, I'll have to pretend I like ''Restoration''." In August 2006, Smith returned to the theatre stage after some 20 years, appearing at the
Edinburgh Fringe The Edinburgh Festival Fringe (also referred to as The Fringe, Edinburgh Fringe, or Edinburgh Fringe Festival) is the world's largest arts and media festival, which in 2019 spanned 25 days and featured more than 59,600 performances of 3,841 dif ...
festival in ''Allegiance'', Irish journalist and author
Mary Kenny Mary Kenny (born 4 April 1944) is an Irish journalist, broadcaster and playwright. A founding member of the Irish Women's Liberation Movement, she was one of the country's first and foremost feminists, often contributes columns to the ''Irish I ...
's play about Churchill's encounter with the Irish nationalist leader
Michael Collins Michael Collins or Mike Collins most commonly refers to: * Michael Collins (Irish leader) (1890–1922), Irish revolutionary leader, soldier, and politician * Michael Collins (astronaut) (1930–2021), American astronaut, member of Apollo 11 and Ge ...
in 1921. The play initially caused some controversy, with Smith proposing to flout the Scottish ban on smoking in public places, but the scene was quickly adapted after gaining the required amount of publicity. The play was directed by Brian Gilbert and produced by
Daniel Jewel Daniel Jewel is a London-based film producer and director. A graduate of Bristol University and Oxford University he has worked with British film directors such as Stephen Poliakoff, Charles Sturridge and Brian Gilbert. In 2006 he produced the p ...
. In 2006, he also appeared in Hustle as Benjamin Frasier, a pub landlord who was scammed by the Hustle team when his on-screen son Joey tried to launch a rap career. In autumn 2006, Smith starred opposite
Belinda Lang Belinda Lucy Lange (born 23 December 1953), known professionally as Belinda Lang, is an English actress. She is known for playing Liza in the ITV sitcom '' Second Thoughts'' (1991–94), and Bill Porter in the BBC sitcom '' 2point4 Children'' ...
in a tour of a new comedy ''An Hour and a Half Late'' by French playwright
Gérald Sibleyras Gérald Sibleyras is a French dramatist. PLAYS 2000 : Le Béret de la tortue, co-written with Jean Dell, théâtre du Splendid Saint-Martin 2002 : Un petit jeu sans conséquence, co-written avec Jean Dell, théâtre La Bruyère 2003 : Le Vent d ...
, which was adapted by Smith. He then directed a West End revival of ''
Charley's Aunt ''Charley's Aunt'' is a farce in three acts written by Brandon Thomas. The story centres on Lord Fancourt Babberley, an undergraduate whose friends Jack and Charley persuade him to impersonate the latter's aunt. The complications of the plot inc ...
'' starring
Stephen Tompkinson Stephen Phillip Tompkinson (born 15 October 1965) is an English actor, known for his television roles as Marcus in '' Chancer '' (1990), Damien Day in ''Drop the Dead Donkey'' (1990–1998), Father Peter Clifford in ''Ballykissangel'' (1996–9 ...
. From October 2007 to January 2008, he played the role of Wilbur Turnblad in the London production of ''
Hairspray Hairspray may refer to: * Hair spray, a personal grooming product that keeps hair protected from humidity and wind * ''Hairspray'' (1988 film), a film by John Waters ** ''Hairspray'' (1988 soundtrack), the film's soundtrack album ** ''Hairspray ...
'' at the
Shaftesbury Theatre The Shaftesbury Theatre is a West End theatre, located on Shaftesbury Avenue, in the London Borough of Camden. Opened in 1911 as the New Prince's Theatre, it was the last theatre to be built in Shaftesbury Avenue. History The theatre was d ...
.


Personal life

Smith was married to Pamela (née Gay-Rees), a former model, who grew up in Easington and Durham. The couple had houses in
St John's Wood St John's Wood is a district in the City of Westminster, London, lying 2.5 miles (4 km) northwest of Charing Cross. Traditionally the northern part of the ancient parish and Metropolitan Borough of Marylebone, it extends east to west from ...
,
London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
, and the hamlet of
Great Haseley Great Haseley is a village and civil parish in South Oxfordshire, England. The village is about southwest of Thame. The parish includes the hamlets of Latchford, Little Haseley and North Weston and the house, chapel and park of Rycote. The pa ...
,
Oxfordshire Oxfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the north west of South East England. It is a mainly rural county, with its largest settlement being the city of Oxford. The county is a centre of research and development, primarily ...
, as well as a property in
Barbados Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies, in the Caribbean region of the Americas, and the most easterly of the Caribbean Islands. It occupies an area of and has a population of about 287,000 (2019 estimate). ...
.


Health

Smith was hospitalised in 1999 with Peptic ulcer disease, stomach ulcers, following an accidental overdose of over 50 Ibuprofen, Nurofen Plus tablets in one day, after previously admitting an addiction to Hypnotic, sleeping pills. Smith said at the time that the pressures of film work were a contributing factor, along with a desperate need to ease the pain caused by gout. Partly as a result, he agreed to sell Talkback (production company), Talkback Productions. On 31 December 2008, Smith appeared on ''Mastermind (British game show), Celebrity Mastermind'' whilst suffering from severe pharyngitis.


Death

On the morning of 19 July 2013, the London Ambulance Service was called to Smith's home in NW postcode area, north-west London. Smith was confirmed dead by the ambulance crew, with a later post-mortem confirming death from a Myocardial infarction, heart attack.


Television shows


Producer

* 2000 ''Too Much Sun'' television series, six episodes * 1995 ''Tough Target'' television series, one episode


Director

* 1994 ''Dream On (TV series), Dream On'', one episode


Performer

* 1979–1982 ''
Not the Nine O'Clock News ''Not the Nine O'Clock News'' is a British television sketch comedy show which was broadcast on BBC2 from 1979 to 1982. Originally shown as a comedy alternative to the '' Nine O'Clock News'' on BBC1, it features satirical sketches on then-curren ...
'' * 1980 ''
Smith and Goody ''Smith and Goody'' is a children's sketch show on ITV from the 1980s. It was made for the ITV network by Thames Television. It starred, and was written by Mel Smith (at the time, part of the ''Not The Nine O'Clock News'' show on BBC2) and Bob ...
'' * 1981 ''Fundamental Frolics'' * 1982–1998 ''Alas Smith and Jones, Alas Smith and Jones/Smith and Jones'' * 1982 ''Muck and Brass'' * 1984 ''Weekend in Wallop'' * 1984 ''The Young Ones (TV series), The Young Ones'' * 1985 ''
Live Aid Live Aid was a multi-venue benefit concert held on Saturday 13 July 1985, as well as a music-based fundraising initiative. The original event was organised by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to raise further funds for relief of the 1983–1985 fami ...
'' (comedy sketch and intro to rock band
Queen Queen or QUEEN may refer to: Monarchy * Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom ** List of queens regnant * Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king * Queen dowager, the widow of a king * Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mother ...
) * 1986 ''Comedians Do It on Stage'' * 1987 ''Alas Smith and Jones#The World According to Smith and Jones (1987–1988), The World According to Smith and Jones'' * 1987 ''Filthy Rich & Catflap'' * 1987 ''The Grand Knockout Tournament'' * 1988–1990 ''
Colin's Sandwich ''Colin's Sandwich'' is a British sitcom that was broadcast on BBC2 in 1988 and 1990. It starred Mel Smith as Colin Watkins, a British Rail administrator who aspired to be a horror writer. The show was written by Paul Smith and Terry Kyan and ra ...
'' * 1989 ''Alas Smith and Jones#Smith and Jones in Small Doses (1989), Smith and Jones in Small Doses'' * 1991 ''Amnesty International's Big 30'' * 1991 ''
Comic Relief Comic relief is the inclusion of a humorous character, scene, or witty dialogue in an otherwise serious work, often to relieve tension. Definition Comic relief usually means a releasing of emotional or other tension resulting from a comic episo ...
'' * 1995 ''The Night of Comic Relief'' * 1996 ''A Gala Comedy Hour (Best of the Prince's Trust)'' * 2005 ''Comic Relief#2005 event, Comic Relief 2005'' * 2006 ''Alas Smith and Jones#The Smith and Jones Sketchbook (2006), The Smith and Jones Sketchbook'' * 2006 ''The Sittaford Mystery'', an episode of ''Agatha Christie's Marple, Marple'' * 2006 '' Hustle'' * 2008 ''Mastermind (British game show), Celebrity Mastermind'' * 2010–2011 ''Rock & Chips'' (two episode) * 2012 ''The Ones: Series 1: The One Griff Rhys Jones'' * 2013 ''Dancing on the Edge (TV series), Dancing on the Edge''


Writer

* 1979-1982 ''
Not the Nine O'Clock News ''Not the Nine O'Clock News'' is a British television sketch comedy show which was broadcast on BBC2 from 1979 to 1982. Originally shown as a comedy alternative to the '' Nine O'Clock News'' on BBC1, it features satirical sketches on then-curren ...
'' * 1980 ''
Smith and Goody ''Smith and Goody'' is a children's sketch show on ITV from the 1980s. It was made for the ITV network by Thames Television. It starred, and was written by Mel Smith (at the time, part of the ''Not The Nine O'Clock News'' show on BBC2) and Bob ...
'' * 1984 ''
Alas Smith and Jones ''Alas Smith and Jones'' is a British comedy sketch television series starring comedy duo and namesake Mel Smith and Griff Rhys Jones that originally ran for four series and two Christmas specials on BBC2 from 1984 to 1988, and later as ''Smi ...
'', two episodes * 1984 ''Weekend in Wallop'' * 1986 ''Comedians Do It on Stage'' * 1991 ''Amnesty International's Big'' 30 * 1994 ''Smith and Jones: One Night Stand'' * 1996 ''A Gala Comedy Hour (Best of the Prince's Trust)''


Filmography


Executive producer

* 2003 ''Blackball (film), Blackball''


Director

* 1989 ''
The Tall Guy ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...
'' * 1994 ''Radioland Murders'' * 1997 ''Bean (film), Bean'' * 2001 ''High Heels and Low Lifes'' * 2003 ''Blackball (film), Blackball''


Writer

* 1985 ''
Morons from Outer Space ''Morons from Outer Space'' is a 1985 British comedy-science fiction film directed by Mike Hodges and starring Griff Rhys Jones, Mel Smith, Joanne Pearce, Jimmy Nail and James B. Sikking. Plot The story begins on a small spaceship docking with ...
'' co-written with Griff Rhys Jones


Actor

* 1980 ''Bloody Kids'' as Disco Doorman * 1980 ''Babylon (1980 film), Babylon'' as Alan * 1983 ''Bullshot (film), Bullshot'' as Crouch * 1983 ''Slayground'' as Terry Abbatt * 1984 ''
Minder A minder is the person assigned to guide or escort a visitor, or to provide protection to somebody, or to otherwise assist or take care of something, i.e. a person who " minds". Government-appointed persons to accompany foreign visitors are of ...
'' as Cyril Ash * 1985 ''Restless Natives'' as Pyle * 1985 ''
Morons from Outer Space ''Morons from Outer Space'' is a 1985 British comedy-science fiction film directed by Mike Hodges and starring Griff Rhys Jones, Mel Smith, Joanne Pearce, Jimmy Nail and James B. Sikking. Plot The story begins on a small spaceship docking with ...
'' as Bernard * 1985 ''National Lampoon's European Vacation'' as London Hotel Receptionist * 1987 ''
The Princess Bride The Princess Bride may refer to: * ''The Princess Bride'' (novel), 1973 fantasy romance novel by American writer William Goldman William Goldman (August 12, 1931 – November 16, 2018) was an American novelist, playwright, and screenwriter. He ...
'' as The Albino * 1988 ''The Wolves of Willoughby Chase (film), The Wolves of Willoughby Chase'' as Mr. Grimshaw * 1989 ''Wilt (film), Wilt'' as Inspector Flint * 1991 ''Father Christmas (1991 film), Father Christmas'' as Father Christmas * 1992 ''
Brain Donors ''Brain Donors'' is a 1992 American comedy film directed by Dennis Dugan and released by Paramount Pictures, loosely based on the Marx Brothers comedies ''A Night at the Opera (film), A Night at the Opera'' and ''A Day at the Races (film), A Day ...
'' (aka ''Lame Ducks'') as Rocco Melonchek * 1994 ''Art Deco Detective'' as Porno Movie Director * 1996 ''Twelfth Night (1996 film), Twelfth Night: Or What You Will'' as Sir Toby Belch


References


External links

* * ''Rockin' around the Christmas tree'' a
kimwildetv.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Mel 1952 births 2013 deaths 20th-century English male actors 20th-century English writers 21st-century English male actors 21st-century English writers Alumni of New College, Oxford British male television writers Businesspeople from London Comedians from London Comedy film directors English comedy writers English company founders English film producers English male comedians English male film actors English male musical theatre actors English male Shakespearean actors English male stage actors English male television actors English male voice actors English television producers English television writers English theatre directors Film directors from London Male actors from London People educated at Latymer Upper School People from Chiswick People from St John's Wood Television personalities from London Writers from London 20th-century English businesspeople