''Harry & Paul'' (originally titled ''Ruddy Hell! It's Harry & Paul'') is a British

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 starring Harry Enfield and Paul Whitehouse. It was first broadcast on

BBC One 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, p ...

on 13 April 2007. Prior to broadcast it was trailed as ''The Harry Enfield Show''. The show reunites the pair, who had success with '' Harry Enfield's Television Programme'' in the 1990s. The second series of the programme began on BBC One on 5 September 2008. This was the last TV series from the comedy producer

Geoffrey Perkins Geoffrey Howard Perkins (22 February 1953 – 29 August 2008) was a British comedy producer, writer and performer. Best known as the BBC head of comedy (1995–2001), he produced the first two radio series of ''The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galax ...

, who died shortly before transmission. A third series was commissioned and began on 28 September 2010, this time on

BBC Two BBC Two is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It covers a wide range of subject matter, with a remit "to broadcast programmes of depth and substance" in contrast to the more mainstream an ...

, where the show had been moved to because of falling ratings. The fourth series was broadcast in 2012.

First series

The first series' opening sequence is a parody of a skin care advertisement, and shows the two main female cast members (

Morwenna Banks Tamsin Morwenna Banks (born 20 September 1961) is a British comedy actress, writer and producer. She appeared in the Channel 4 comedy sketch show '' Absolutely'', and wrote, produced, and appeared in the British ensemble film ''The Announcemen ...

and Laura Solon) being given a pint of lager before the footage speeds rapidly as the women have make-up removed and hair cut, and are given cigarettes and hamburgers, followed by noodles and more cigarettes. As the make-up and hair are removed, it becomes clear the two women were Harry Enfield and Paul Whitehouse.

Second series

In the opening sequence of the second series, Enfield and Whitehouse appear as two ageing

Soviet The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...

-style dictators reviewing a parade. They wave grimly down at the procession, supposedly an example of an ancient and outdated means of politics, whilst a lyric concerning how they are "both incredibly handsome and tall" and "not even beginning to look old" is sung. The melody is based on the

Russian national anthem The "State Anthem of the Russian Federation" is the national anthem of Russia. It uses the same melody as the "State Anthem of the Soviet Union", composed by Alexander Alexandrov, and new lyrics by Sergey Mikhalkov, who had collaborated with ...

. They also appear picking up three television awards – a National Television Award, a Bafta and a British Comedy Award. Visitors to the

British Comedy Guide British Comedy Guide or BCG (formerly the British Sitcom Guide or BSG) is a British website covering all forms of British comedy, across all media. At the time of writing, BCG has published guides to more than 7,000 individual British comedies ...

website voted it the Best British TV Sketch Show of 2008 in ''The Comedy.co.uk Awards''. According to Enfield and Whitehouse, the title sequence is a self-referential joke at the fact that the pair are "a pair of old-timers out of touch with the modern world", while, they claim, sketch comedy is a "young man's game". The second series used fewer celebrity characters than the first.

Third series

A third series was confirmed by Paul Whitehouse on the TV sketch show ''

Horne & Corden ''Horne & Corden'' is a British sketch show written by Jon Brown, Steve Dawson, Andrew Dawson, Tim Inman and the cast, script edited by Sam Ward, and starring Mathew Horne and James Corden. It aired on BBC television in 2009. The first episode ...

''. It had a new producer as the producer

died in 2008, shortly before the second series was broadcast. Series 3 ran between 28 October and 2 December 2010, once again for 6 episodes. Unlike the first two series, it contained no audience laugh track. Enfield and Whitehouse won a BAFTA for the second time in 2011, following the third series.

Fourth series

Whilst appearing on ''

The Alan Titchmarsh Show ''The Alan Titchmarsh Show'' is a British daytime chat show presented by Alan Titchmarsh. It was first broadcast on ITV on 3 September 2007 until 14 November 2014 and aired on weekday afternoons. The show's main focus is the "Best of British" them ...

'' on 1 April 2011, Paul Whitehouse confirmed that the show had been recommissioned despite reports suggesting it had been cancelled earlier in the year. It began broadcasting on Sunday nights from 28 October 2012.

Specials

Story of the 2s

Enfield and Whitehouse reunited for a one-hour special, which aired on 25 May 2014 as part of celebratory programmes marking the 50th anniversary of BBC Two entitled "Harry & Paul's Story of the 2s". The title is a parody of Simon Schama's 2013 BBC Two documentary '' The Story of the Jews''. It featured various parodies and sketches based on BBC Two programmes joined together in a mockumentary format looking at the history of the channel, including: *'' The Great War'' *''Night News'' ('' Newsnight'') and Naughty Nightie News (''

Late Night Line-Up ''Late Night Line-Up'' was a pioneering British television discussion programme broadcast on BBC2 between 1964 and 1972. Background From its launch in April 1964, BBC2 began each evening's transmission with a programme called ''Line-Up'', a ten- ...

'') *'' The Forsyte Saga'' *'' The Likely Lads'' *''Keep Still'' (

Test Card F Test Card F is a test card that was created by the BBC and used on television in the United Kingdom and in countries elsewhere in the world for more than four decades. Like other test cards, it was usually shown while no programmes were being ...

broadcast for 8 hours per day) *'' Pot Black'' with competitors attempting to pick up female members of the audience, drinking heavily, smoking and taking drugs. *''The Pottering About of Man'' ('' The Ascent of Man'') *''

Monty Python's Flying Circus ''Monty Python's Flying Circus'' (also known as simply ''Monty Python'') is a British surreal sketch comedy series created by and starring Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, Michael Palin and Terry Gilliam, who became known ...

'' *''One Clavdivs'' ('' I, Claudius'') *''The Old Grey Wrinkly Testicle'' (''

The Old Grey Whistle Test ''The Old Grey Whistle Test'' (sometimes abbreviated to ''Whistle Test'' or ''OGWT'') is a British television music show. The show was devised by BBC producer Rowan Ayers, commissioned by David Attenborough and aired on BBC2 from 1971 to 1988. ...

'') *''Speech Impediment'' ('' Call My Bluff'') *''Men from the Mersey'' (a pro-

Tory A Tory () is a person who holds a political philosophy known as Toryism, based on a British version of traditionalism and conservatism, which upholds the supremacy of social order as it has evolved in the English culture throughout history. Th ...

version of '' Boys from the Blackstuff'') *''

40 Minutes ''40 Minutes'' was a BBC TV documentary strand broadcast on BBC Two between 1981 and 1994. Some documentaries in the original series were revisited and updated in a 2006 version, ''Forty Minutes On''. See also * Sixty Minutes (British TV prog ...

'' *''Not Monty Python's Nine O'Clock News'' ('' Not the Nine O'Clock News'') *''

Blackadder ''Blackadder'' is a series of four period British sitcoms, plus several one-off instalments, which originally aired on BBC One from 1983 to 1989. All television episodes starred Rowan Atkinson as the antihero Edmund Blackadder and Tony Robins ...

'' with a fictional pilot episode based on the abdication of Edward VIII *''Talking Heads of State'' (''

Talking Heads Talking Heads were an American rock band formed in 1975 in New York City and active until 1991.Talkin ...

'' portraying leaders such as

Josef Stalin Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (born Ioseb Besarionis dze Jughashvili; – 5 March 1953) was a Georgian revolutionary and Soviet political leader who led the Soviet Union from 1924 until his death in 1953. He held power as General Secretar ...

) *''

Arena An arena is a large enclosed platform, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theatre, musical performances, or sporting events. It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectators ...

'' *'' Top Gear'' in its 2002 incarnation *''Harry Emery & Chums'' (''

Harry Enfield & Chums ''Harry Enfield & Chums'' (originally titled ''Harry Enfield's Television Programme'') is a British sketch show starring Harry Enfield, Paul Whitehouse and Kathy Burke. It first broadcast on BBC2 in 1990 in the 9 pm slot on Thursday night ...

'') *''Dennis from Heaven'' ('' Pennies from Heaven'' and '' The Singing Detective'') *'' The Fast Show'' *''Is Your Child An Idiot?'' (''

The Weakest Link ''Weakest Link'' (also known as ''The Weakest Link'') is a television game show which The Weakest Link (British game show), first appeared in the United Kingdom on BBC Two on 14 August 2000 and originally ended on 31 March 2012 when its host ...

'') *''

The Office ''The Office'' is a mockumentary sitcom created by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, first made in the United Kingdom, then Germany, and subsequently the United States. It has since been remade in ten other countries. The original series of ...

'' *''Grumpy Old Bores''/''Grumpy Old Bags'' ('' Grumpy Old Men'') *''Smarmnite'' ('' Newsnight Review'') *''I'm Better Than You'' (''

The Apprentice ''The Apprentice'' is a Reality competition, reality talent game show franchise originally aired in 2004 in the United States. Created by U.S.-based British producer Mark Burnett, the show depicts contestants from around the country with variou ...

'') *''Earlier with Jools Holland'' (a

breakfast television Breakfast television (Europe, Canada, and Australia) or morning show (United States) is a type of news or infotainment television programme that broadcasts live in the morning (typically scheduled between 5:00 and 10:00a.m., or if it is a ...

version of ''

Later With Jools Holland ''Later... with Jools Holland'' (also known as ''Even Later... with Jools Holland'', and previously known as ''Later Live... with Jools Holland'' and ''...Later with Jools Holland'') is a contemporary British music television show hosted by Jo ...

'' where all the musicians are still asleep) *''Miserabel'' (various Nordic noir series) *''Panel Show'' – a parody of panel game shows including '' Have I Got News For You'', ''

Never Mind The Buzzcocks ''Never Mind the Buzzcocks'' is a British comedy panel game show with a pop music theme. It has aired on Sky Max since September 2021, having originally aired between November 1996 and January 2015 on BBC Two. The original series was first hoste ...

'', '' Mock The Week'' and '' QI'' *''The War to End All Wars'' ( BBC World War I centenary season)

An Evening with Harry Enfield and Paul Whitehouse

This one-hour special was broadcast in August 2015. Harry and Paul took questions from an audience of celebrities (played mostly by Harry and Paul themselves) and showed clips from '' Harry Enfield and Chums'', '' Harry Enfield's Television Programme'', '' The Fast Show'' and ''Harry & Paul''. Celebrities played by Harry and Paul included Rob Brydon, Harry Hill,

Ricky Gervais Ricky Dene Gervais ( ; born 25 June 1961) is an English comedian, actor, writer, and director. He co-created, co-wrote, and acted in the British television sitcoms ''The Office'' (2001–2003), '' Extras'' (2005–2007), and '' An Idiot Abroad' ...

, Stephen Fry,

Melvyn Bragg Melvyn Bragg, Baron Bragg, (born 6 October 1939), is an English broadcaster, author and parliamentarian. He is best known for his work with ITV as editor and presenter of ''The South Bank Show'' (1978–2010), and for the BBC Radio 4 documenta ...

Mark Rylance Sir David Mark Rylance Waters (born 18 January 1960) is a British actor, playwright and theatre director. He is known for his roles on stage and screen having received numerous awards including an Academy Award, three BAFTA Awards, two Laurenc ...

and Stephen Hawking. Enfield also revived his fictional character Dave Nice.

The Love Box in Your Living Room

This was a 1-hour special in October 2022 parodying the documentary style of

Adam Curtis Adam Curtis (born 26 May 1955) is an English documentary filmmaker. Curtis began his career as a conventional documentary producer for the BBC throughout the 1980s and into the early 1990s. The release of ''Pandora's Box (British TV series), ...

to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the BBC.

Characters (main series only)

Series 1

Series 2

Series 3

Series 4

Filipina maid controversy

Philippines foreign secretary

Alberto Romulo Alberto Gatmaitan Romulo (born August 7, 1933) is a Filipino politician and diplomat. He served in the Philippine in various capacities as Executive Secretary, Finance Secretary, Foreign Affairs Secretary, and Budget Secretary. His most recent o ...

complained to the British Embassy about a "Clive the Geordie" sketch in the fourth episode of the second series, in which the character is urged by his "owner" to mate (unsuccessfully) with a neighbour's Filipina maid. An online petition started by the "Philippine Foundation" condemned the sketch as "completely disgraceful, distasteful and a great example of gutter humour... inciting stereotyped racial discrimination, vulgarity and violation of the maid's human rights". The Embassy issued a statement stressing the BBC's editorial independence of the British government, while a spokesman for Tiger Aspect stated that: "''Harry & Paul'' is a post-watershed comedy sketch series and as such tackles many situations in a comedic way. Set in this context, the sketch is so far beyond the realms of reality as to be absurd – and in no way is intended to demean or upset any viewer." In a 10 October 2008 letter,

BBC #REDIRECT 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 ex ...

Director General Mark Thompson formally apologised to Philippine Ambassador to the

Court of St James's The Court of St James's is the royal court for the Sovereign of the United Kingdom. All ambassadors to the United Kingdom are formally received by the court. All ambassadors from the United Kingdom are formally accredited from the court – & ...

Edgardo Espiritu: "Please accept my sincere apologies, on behalf of the BBC, for the offence that this programme caused you." Earlier, Chief executive of Harry and Paul producer, Tiger Aspect Productions, Andrew Zane, stated: "We're sorry to anyone who was in any way offended by the programme. This certainly was not our intention." British ambassador to Manila, Peter Beckingham, made a rejoinder: "Our relationship has never been stronger, and the prospects are excellent."
/ref> The portrayal of Clive the Geordie however remained unchallenged by the BBC. Pyjama clad Clive briefly returned home to Gateshead to work as Paul Gascoigne’s food taster before heading back south after ‘levelling up’ promises failed to materialise. He is currently believed to be living in temporary accommodation at Battersea Dogs Home.

DVD release

*Series 1 was released on DVD by 2entertain on 26 November 2007. No extras were included and music edits are noted on the packaging. *Series 2 was released on DVD on 27 October 2008. *Series 3 was released on DVD on 8 November 2010. *Series 4 was released on DVD on 10 December 2012. *All the DVDs offer English subtitles.

International broadcasters

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Harry and Paul 2007 British television series debuts 2012 British television series endings 2000s British television sketch shows 2010s British television sketch shows BAFTA winners (television series) BBC television sketch shows English-language television shows Harry Enfield Television series by Banijay Television series by Tiger Aspect Productions