View source for The Morecambe & Wise Show (1968 TV series)

{{Short description|BBC comedy sketch show}}
{{about|the version shown on BBC TV from 1968 to 1977|the versions shown on ITV|The Morecambe & Wise Show (1978 TV series)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2021}}
{{Infobox television
| name = The Morecambe & Wise Show
| image = The Morecambe & Wise Show (1968 TV series).jpg
| genre = [[Sketch show]]
| starring = {{Plainlist|
* [[Eric Morecambe]]
* [[Ernie Wise]]
}}
| producer = {{Plainlist|
* [[John Ammonds]] (1968–74)
* [[Ernest Maxin]] (1975–77)
}}
| writer = {{Plainlist|
* [[Dick Hills and Sid Green]] (1968)
* [[Eddie Braben]] (1969–77)
}}
| country = United Kingdom
| language = English
| endtheme = ''[[Bring Me Sunshine]]''{{Efn|Although ''Bring Me Sunshine'' is regarded as Morecambe and Wise's signature tune, there were a number of songs that they used to close their shows, including ''Positive Thinking'' ([[Tony Hatch]] & [[Jackie Trent]]), ''We Get Along So Easily'' (Ray Davies/[[Al Stillman]]) and ''Following You Around'' (Sylvan Whittingham).}}
| theme_music_composer       = [[Arthur Kent (songwriter)|Arthur Kent]] and [[Sylvia Dee]]
| num_series = 9
| num_episodes = 71 (4 missing)
| list_episodes = List of The Morecambe & Wise Show (1968 TV series) episodes
| runtime = 30–65 minutes
| company = [[BBC]]
| distributor =  
| network = {{Plainlist|
* [[BBC Two|BBC2]] (1968–71)
* [[BBC One|BBC1]] (1971–77){{Efn|The series from 1968 to 1971 were originally broadcast on BBC2 and repeated on BBC1}}
}}
| picture_format = [[PAL]]
| first_aired = {{Start date|1968|9|2|df=y}}
| last_aired = {{End date|1977|12|25|df=y}}
| preceded_by = ''[[Two of a Kind (UK TV series)|Two of a Kind]]''
| followed_by = ''[[The Morecambe & Wise Show (1978 TV series)|The Morecambe & Wise Show]]'' (ITV)
}}

'''''The Morecambe & Wise Show''''' is a [[British comedy|comedy]] [[sketch show]] originally broadcast by [[BBC television]] and the third TV series by English comedy double-act [[Morecambe and Wise]]. It began airing in 1968 on [[BBC Two|BBC2]], specifically because it was then the only channel broadcasting in colour, following the duo's move to the [[BBC]] from [[Associated TeleVision|ATV]], where they had made [[Two of a Kind (UK TV series)|''Two of a Kind'']] since 1961.

''The Morecambe & Wise Show'' was popular enough to be moved to [[BBC1]], with its Christmas specials garnering prime-time audiences in excess of 20 million, some of the largest in British television history.

After their 1977 Christmas show, Morecambe and Wise left the BBC and signed with [[Thames Television]], marking their return to the [[ITV (TV network)|ITV network]]. ''[[The Morecambe & Wise Show (1978 TV series)|The Morecambe & Wise Show]]'' title (or close variations thereof) continued to be used for many of these ITV shows.

==History==
In early 1968, [[Eric Morecambe]] and [[Ernie Wise]] were due to begin negotiations over a new contract with [[Associated Television|ATV]]. The duo had starred in their successful television series, ''[[Two of a Kind (UK TV series)|Two of a Kind]]'', since 1961, which had proven a significant ratings success for [[ITV (TV network)|ITV]]. However, the series was still broadcast in [[black and white]], as ITV had yet to begin [[colour television|colour]] transmissions.

The managing director of ATV, [[Lew Grade]], made Morecambe and Wise an offer totalling £39,000 over three years, in return for three series of thirteen 25-minute episodes.<ref name=McCann195>McCann, p. 195</ref> However, the duo determined that, in order to improve the quality of their product, they would not only need more money, but also access to colour production facilities.<ref name=McCann195 /> Grade's refusal to grant them a series in colour led to their agent, [[Michael Grade]] (who happened to be Lew Grade's nephew{{Efn|Michael Grade was an associate of Morecambe and Wise's agent, [[Billy Marsh]], who was unavailable at the time of the negotiation}}) contacting [[Bill Cotton]], the Head of Variety at [[BBC television]].<ref>McCann, p. 196</ref> In a short period of time, a three-year deal was negotiated for Morecambe and Wise to move to the BBC. This deal not only encompassed more money than they had been receiving from ATV (and than had been offered by Lew Grade), but also the opportunity to broadcast in colour. At the time, [[BBC2]] was the only station in Britain transmitting in colour, and so the agreement was that the new series would initially be transmitted on BBC2, before receiving a [[rerun|repeat showing]] in black and white on [[BBC1]].<ref name=biog2>{{cite web |url=http://www.televisionheaven.co.uk/morecambe_and_wise_2.htm|title=Biography: Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise – 2 |last=Marcus |first=Laurence |date=2005 |website=Television Heaven |access-date=11 March 2018 }}</ref>

As part of the deal agreed with the BBC, the duo's regular writers, [[Dick Hills and Sid Green|Hills and Green]], were brought in to deal with the scripts. Meanwhile, Cotton recruited [[John Ammonds]] to serve as the new show's producer. Ammonds was an experienced producer/director of light entertainment on the BBC, and had worked with Morecambe and Wise on their radio series, ''[[You're Only Young Once (UK radio series)|You're Only Young Once]]'' in the 1950s.<ref>McCann, p. 198</ref>

The first episode of ''The Morecambe & Wise Show'' was broadcast on BBC2 on 2 September 1968 and, initially, showed little difference to their previous series on ITV. Bill Cotton's plan was to allow Morecambe and Wise to become comfortable with their new surroundings before implementing his plan to extend the show by an additional twenty minutes per episode.<ref name=McCann201>McCann, p. 201</ref> By the conclusion of the first series, on 21 October, there was a degree of satisfaction at the finished product, and a welcome anticipation for the next series.<ref name=McCann201 /> But, on 7 November, just over two weeks after the transmission of the final episode, Eric Morecambe had a serious [[heart attack]] while returning to his hotel following a show at the [[Batley Variety Club]].<ref name=biog2 /> This immediately put any thoughts of a new series on hold; while Bill Cotton said that the BBC would fully honour the contract that they had signed with Morecambe and Wise, with the only proviso that Morecambe take as long as required to fully regain his strength, Hills and Green were less sure that Morecambe would be able to return. While Wise was flying to [[Barbados]] for a short holiday, he was stunned to hear from one of the cabin crew that the writing pair had elected to end their association with Morecambe and Wise and return to ATV.<ref name=biog2 />

The loss of Hills and Green could have ended up being a terminal problem for the duo, but Bill Cotton then suggested that the duo talk to [[Eddie Braben]], who had recently stopped working with [[Ken Dodd]]. Although Braben was a very different writer to Hills and Green, with the three all vaguely unsure that any collaboration would work, after a meeting between them and Bill Cotton, the writer submitted first a sample piece for the duo, before writing a full 45-minute script.<ref>McCann, p. 210</ref> In his interpretation, he moved away from how Morecambe and Wise had been presented by Hills and Green, instead creating characters that he perceived as exaggerated versions of their own personas as he had observed them.<ref>{{cite news|url= https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/tvandradioblog/2013/may/21/eddie-braben-saved-morecambe-and-wise|title=How Eddie Braben saved Morecambe and Wise's careers|access-date=12 January 2018}}</ref>

The second series eventually began in July 1969 and, unlike the previous one, consisted of just four episodes. The opening of the first episode, which would feature the duo in front of the [[Theater drapes and stage curtains|tabs]], was particularly memorable as, after Morecambe and Wise came forward, Morecambe pulled open his jacket and told his heart to "keep going you fool".<ref>McCann, p. 211</ref>

A tradition that had begun with ''[[Two of a Kind (British TV series)|Two of a Kind]]'' was the invitation to special guests and the subsequent "insulting" of them, and this was stepped up a gear with the BBC shows. The horror film actor [[Peter Cushing]] was one of the first to be so treated beginning the long-running in-joke that he had never been paid. The shows became more structured, with an opening "spot" in front of the curtains in a mock-theatre set-up that they insisted upon having, guest singers and groups, a sketch with the two in their flat, either in the lounge or in bed together, a lavish play "wot Ern wrote" and the final theme song, over the credits.

Over the following years, the success of the show increased, particularly in regard to the Christmas special. The first of these was broadcast in 1969 and, as time went on, proved to be a source of concern in ensuring that each successive show topped the last; indeed, in some years, there would be no series so that the full attentions of writer, producer and stars could be focused on the Christmas show.<ref>McCann, p. 245</ref> By 1977, Morecambe and Wise were the most important parts of the BBC's entertainment schedule. That year, they had again not done a series to focus on the Christmas show, which ended up gaining just over 28m viewers.<ref name=biog2 /> However, just over a month later, in January 1978, an announcement was made that the duo had elected to leave the BBC, having signed a contract with [[Thames Television]].<ref name=biog2 />

==List of episodes==

{{main|List of The Morecambe & Wise Show (1968 TV series) episodes}}

==The Christmas Shows==
So enormous became Morecambe and Wise's popularity that their Christmas shows were essential viewing in the United Kingdom. Always broadcast at peak time on Christmas Day,<ref name="morecambeandwiseEpGuide">{{cite news |url=http://www.morecambeandwise.com/showbase.aspx|title=Morecambe and Wise episode guide|access-date=1 January 2012}}</ref> these increasingly lavish affairs provided some of the most memorable moments in the series. For example, [[Morecambe and Wise#Grieg's Piano Concerto by Grieg|''Grieg's Piano Concerto'']] with [[André Previn]], ''[[Smoke Gets in Your Eyes]]'' with [[Shirley Bassey]] and [[Glenda Jackson]]'s medley of Hollywood tunes all came from the same Christmas Show in 1971.

The show was known for introducing newsreader [[Angela Rippon]]'s legs to the world in 1976. This (along with the 1972 special) were the only Christmas shows of the BBC years not to be penned by [[Eddie Braben]], when writing duties transferred to [[John Junkin]] and [[Barry Cryer]] among others.

The 1977 show saw the ratings reach more than 28 million viewers, making it one of the 25 all-time most watched programmes on British television, as of April 2012.<ref>''[[The Guinness Book of Records]]''.</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.morecambeandwise.com/viewpage.aspx?pageid=331|title=Eric and Ern – The Morecambe & Wise Show: Series 8|work=Morecambeandwise.com|access-date=2011-08-24}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/5900988/Ernie-Wise.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100325200559/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/5900988/Ernie-Wise.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=25 March 2010|title=Ernie Wise|newspaper=[[The Daily Telegraph]]|date=22 March 1999|access-date=2011-08-24}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Barfe|first=Louis|date=22 November 2008|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/celebritynews/3503100/How-John-Sergeant-revived-did-you-see-TV.html|title=How John Sergeant revived did-you-see TV|newspaper=The Daily Telegraph|access-date=2011-08-24}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Bushby|first=Helen|date=30 December 2010|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-11768311|publisher=BBC News|title=Victoria Wood tells all about Eric and Ernie|access-date=2011-08-24}}</ref><ref>[[ITV Network|ITV]] and the [[British Film Institute|BFI]] quote a figure of 21.3 million. {{cite web|url=http://www.bfi.org.uk/features/mostwatched/1970s.html|title=Features &#124; Britain's Most Watched TV &#124; 1970s|publisher=BFI|date=4 September 2006|access-date=2012-04-28|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051122221511/http://www.bfi.org.uk/features/mostwatched/1970s.html|archive-date=22 November 2005}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Moran|first=Joe|date=22 March 2011|url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2010/dec/20/christmas-show-one-nation-television?INTCMP=SRCH|title=One nation Christmas television|newspaper=[[The Guardian]]|access-date=2011-08-24}}</ref>

The 1977 special included a version of "[[There Is Nothing Like a Dame]]", performed by a chorus line of male BBC presenters, including [[Barry Norman]], [[Michael Aspel]] and [[Peter Woods (journalist)|Peter Woods]].<ref>{{cite web|title=The Morecambe and Wise Christmas Show 1977 (December 20, 2014)|url=https://archivetvmusings.wordpress.com/2014/12/20/the-morecambe-and-wise-christmas-show-1977/|website=Archive TV Musings|publisher=Wordpress|access-date=24 April 2017}}</ref>

There was no Christmas Show in 1974, when [[Mike Yarwood]] filled the peak time slot. Instead, a special edition of [[Michael Parkinson]]'s show was aired late at night in which he interviewed Eric and Ernie, interspersed with clips of their previous shows.<ref name="UKChristmasTV">{{cite news|url=http://sites.google.com/site/ukchristmastv/|title=UK Christmas TV|access-date=1 January 2012}}</ref>

==Theme tunes==
By far the most fondly remembered of the duo's signature tunes was "[[Bring Me Sunshine]]" which was written by Arthur Kent, but it was not the only tune the pair used. The other songs used were "Positive Thinking", "We Get Along So Easily (Don't You Agree?)", "Following You Around" and "Just Around The Corner".

"Bring Me Sunshine" was used as the title of the tribute show at the [[London Palladium]] after Eric Morecambe's death. The BBC made several compilation programmes and "best of" editions in recent years and favoured "Bring Me Sunshine" as the most popular song they used. As a result, it is more consciously associated with them than the other tunes.

==Running jokes and in-gags==
==="The lady who comes down at the end"===
There were several items that overran into other shows and series; the first was the "lady who comes down at the end" ([[Janet Webb]]) who, despite having no involvement in the 50-minute programme would stride onto the stage at the very end of the show (after all the guest stars had taken their curtain-call) and take a bow. In later series, this was accompanied by her following speech: "I'd like to thank all of you for watching me and my little show here tonight; if you've enjoyed it, then it's all been worthwhile. So, until we meet again, goodbye – and I love you all!" after which she would be showered with gifts of champagne, boxes of chocolates, etc. Her presence was never explained on the programme. In one episode she "marries" [[Arthur Lowe]] who claims he only agreed to appear on the understanding he could meet her. She does also appear in one of Ern's plays with [[Robert Morley]] as "Tutantessie" a clear reference to comedian [[Tessie O'Shea]] who went by the name "Two-Ton Tessie".

==="He's Frankie Vaughan's son"===
The recurring character, originally billed as Frankie Vaughan's son, appeared regularly in the earlier series and was played by [[Rex Rashley]] who also appeared variously as "John Wayne" and "Bob Pope" in a sketch which involves Little Ern thinking he's going to be [[Bob Hope]]'s script writer, only for the ageing figure of Rashley to appear through the drapes. Again, he also appeared in several of the plays at the end of each show, as a sailor in "Monty on the Bonty", and variously as a butler, etc., in other shows and hilariously as Robin Hood in one episode from the third series.

===Des, short for Desperate===
The first few series saw singer [[Frankie Vaughan]] as the butt of all jokes (on one memorable occasion a decrepit be-suited character shuffled on stage only to be announced as "Frankie Vaughan's Son") and the singer began to take exception to being treated in this way and had a lawyer's letter drawn up addressed to the [[BBC]] (Vaughan however soon made up his differences with the duo, and made a guest appearance in their final BBC series, made in 1976). The answer to this turned out to be very simple; the premise of the joke was simply transferred over to Morecambe's friend [[Des O'Connor]] who memorably was the butt of many unkind jokes for several years, culminating in his appearance on both the 1975 and 1976 Christmas Specials to much acclaim. O'Connor did however have an excellent relationship with the pair, and delivered the tribute to [[Eric Morecambe]] at the 1984 [[Bring Me Sunshine (1984)|Bring Me Sunshine]] tribute concert in aid of the [[British Heart Foundation]] which took place at the London Palladium after Eric's death.

==="Not now, Arthur"===
The veteran harmonica player [[Arthur Tolcher]], an old friend of Morecambe and Wise from their earliest days in variety, effectively replaced the [[Janet Webb]] role in later series, by appearing when least expected or needed and bursting into the first few bars of a harmonica tune fully dressed in concert attire with white tie and tails; he would usually appear after the titles had rolled, the credits had appeared on-screen and the snatch of a bar would be heard before the screen faded to black. He also enjoyed some bit parts in plays but was never permitted to perform his entire act on the show. He appeared (in this guise) at the ''[[Bring Me Sunshine (1984)|Bring Me Sunshine]]'' tribute to [[Eric Morecambe]] after a break of several years not having been associated with the duo.

==Archive status==
The entirety of ''The Morecambe & Wise Show'' from Series 2 onwards has been preserved in the BBC's archives. However, the bulk of Series 1, the only BBC series written by Hills and Green, is missing. A total of 20 minutes of footage from the sixth episode of Series 1 was included on the DVD release of Series 2. This was purchased by a film collector named Tim Disney and subsequently returned to the BBC archive to allow a copy to be made. This copy was a [[telerecording]] that had been produced for sale overseas, which had some edits from the original BBC broadcast version.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.morecambeandwise.com/viewpage.aspx?pageid=13 |title=The Lost Footage |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=2007 |website=morecambeandwise.com |access-date=11 March 2018 }}</ref>

In 2011, professional film researcher [[Philip Morris (archivist)|Philip Morris]], on an expedition on behalf of the BBC to find missing BBC programmes, encountered a film store in the [[Nigeria]]n city of [[Jos]]. In this, he discovered previously missing episodes of a number of programmes, including episode 2 from the first series of ''The Morecambe & Wise Show''. This copy however was in critically poor condition owing to severe decay of the film stock, and was unable to be used. However, new techniques developed in conjunction with the BBC's archives have seen the footage from this film begun to be restored in 2017.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/rd/blog/2017-12-morecambe-wise-video-film-archive-restoration |title='You Can't See the Join!' – Recovering Morecambe and Wise (Part 1) |last=Norton |first=Charles |date=29 December 2017 |website=BBC Research and Development |access-date=11 March 2018 }}</ref>

On 5 October 2018, Morris announced on ''[[The One Show]]'' the recovery of 16mm black and white telerecordings of episodes 5 and 7, from a disused cinema in [[Sierra Leone]].<ref>{{Citation|title=Phil Morris on The One Show, Friday 5th October 2018|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOmNrrYOzAM|language=en|access-date=2021-12-25}}</ref> These prints had been kept in good condition and were subsequently restored and converted back to full colour via the [[colour recovery]] process, utilising the colour sub-carrier present on the film prints. The restored episodes were aired on [[BBC Two]] on 26 December 2018.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.express.co.uk/showbiz/tv-radio/1050916/morecambe-wise-eric-ernie-lost-shows-50-years-discovered-sierra-leone-cinema|title=Morecambe & Wise: Comedy duo's 'lost' shows found after 50 years hidden in Sierra Leone |last=Pilditch |first=David |date=27 November 2018 |access-date=14 December 2018}}</ref>

Additionally, the episode classed as Series 4 (6) that was broadcast on [[BBC One|BBC1]] on 8 October 1970 was also missing from the archive, with only audio recordings existing.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.tvbrain.info/tv-archive?showname=morecambe+and+wise&type=lostshow |title=Morecambe and Wise – Lost Shows |author=<!--Not stated--> |website=Kaleidoscope Search Engine |access-date=21 March 2018 }}</ref> However, in 2020, while searching through his father's papers, Gary Morecambe discovered a previously unknown film copy of the episode.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.comedy.co.uk/tv/news/6458/morecambe-and-wise-episode-found/ |title=Morecambe & Wise's wiped BBC1 debut found |author=<!--Not stated--> |date= 20 July 2021|website=British Comedy Guide |access-date=21 July 2021 }}</ref> The episode's picture and soundtrack was also restored, and went through a colour recovery process by the BBC. The episode aired on 25 December 2021.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.comedy.co.uk/tv/news/6616/lost-morecambe-and-wise-episode-on-bbc2/ |title=BBC Two to air recoloured lost episode of The Morecambe & Wise Show |author=<!--Not stated--> |date= 23 November 2021|website=British Comedy Guide |publisher= |access-date=28 November 2021 |quote=}}</ref>

==Awards and nominations==
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:90%"
|- style="text-align:center;"
! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Year
! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Award
! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Nominee
! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Category
! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Result
! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Reference
|-
|rowspan=2|1970
|[[British Academy Television Awards|BAFTA TV Awards]]
|[[Eric Morecambe]]<br>[[Ernie Wise]]
|Best Light Entertainment Personality
|{{won}}
|<ref name=BAFTA>{{cite web |url=http://awards.bafta.org/keyword-search?keywords=Morecambe%20and%20Wise |title=BAFTA Awards Search – Morecambe and Wise |author=<!--Not stated--> |website=BAFTA Awards |access-date=13 March 2018 }}</ref>
|-
|[[Writer's Guild of Great Britain|Writer's Guild of Great Britain Awards]]
|[[Eddie Braben]]
|Best Light Entertainment Script
|{{won}}
|<ref>{{cite web |url=https://writersguild.org.uk/writers-guild-awards-1969/ |title=Writer's Guild Awards 1969 |author=<!--Not stated--> |website=Writer's Guild of Great Britain |access-date=13 March 2018 }}</ref>
|-
|rowspan=3|1971
|rowspan=2|[[British Academy Television Awards|BAFTA TV Awards]]
|[[John Ammonds]]
|Best Light Entertainment Programme
|{{nominated}}
|rowspan=2|<ref name=BAFTA />
|-
|Eric Morecambe<br>Ernie Wise
|Best Light Entertainment Performance
|{{won}}
|-
|[[Writer's Guild of Great Britain|Writer's Guild of Great Britain Awards]]
|Eddie Braben
|Best Light Entertainment Script
|{{won}}
|<ref>{{cite web |url=https://writersguild.org.uk/writers-guild-awards-1970/ |title=Writer's Guild Awards 1970 |author=<!--Not stated--> |website=Writer's Guild of Great Britain |access-date=13 March 2018 }}</ref>
|-
|1972
|[[Writer's Guild of Great Britain|Writer's Guild of Great Britain Awards]]
|Eddie Braben
|Best Light Entertainment Script
|{{won}}
|<ref>{{cite web |url=https://writersguild.org.uk/writers-guild-awards-1971/ |title=Writer's Guild Awards 1971 |author=<!--Not stated--> |website=Writer's Guild of Great Britain |access-date=13 March 2018 }}</ref>
|-
|1973
|[[British Academy Television Awards|BAFTA TV Awards]]
|Eric Morecambe<br>Ernie Wise
|Best Light Entertainment Performance
|{{won}}
|<ref name=BAFTA />
|-
|rowspan=3|1974
|rowspan=2|[[British Academy Television Awards|BAFTA TV Awards]]
|John Ammonds
|Best Light Entertainment Programme
|{{nominated}}
|rowspan=2|<ref name=BAFTA />
|-
|Eric Morecambe<br>Ernie Wise
|Best Light Entertainment Performance
|{{won}}
|-
|[[Writer's Guild of Great Britain|Writer's Guild of Great Britain Awards]]
|Eddie Braben
|Best Light Entertainment Script
|{{won}}
|<ref>{{cite web |url=https://writersguild.org.uk/writers-guild-awards-1973/ |title=Writer's Guild Awards 1973 |author=<!--Not stated--> |website=Writer's Guild of Great Britain |access-date=13 March 2018 }}</ref>
|-
|1977
|[[British Academy Television Awards|BAFTA TV Awards]]
|[[Ernest Maxin]]
|Best Light Entertainment Programme
|{{nominated}}
|<ref name=BAFTA />
|-
|rowspan=2|1978
|rowspan=2|[[British Academy Television Awards|BAFTA TV Awards]]
|Ernest Maxin
|Best Light Entertainment Programme
|{{won}}
|rowspan=2|<ref name=BAFTA />
|-
|[[Penelope Keith]]{{Efn|Penelope Keith was jointly nominated for her performance in the 1977 Christmas Show and the sitcom ''[[The Good Life (1975 TV series)|The Good Life]]''}}
|Best Light Entertainment Performance
|{{nominated}}
|}

==DVD releases==
In June 2007 [[2 Entertain]] began releasing ''The Morecambe and Wise Show'' on DVD in region 2.<ref name="2007dvd">{{cite web|title=Get Wise!  ...and Morecambe, 29 May 2007|url=http://www.chortle.co.uk/about/2007/05/29/5370/get_wise!|publisher=Chortle.co.uk|access-date=24 April 2017}}</ref> The first series of the show was wiped from the BBC archives and only 25 minutes of one episode then survived; this was included on the DVD release of the complete second series on 4 June 2007.<ref name="2007dvd"/> The complete third series including the ''Golden Rose of Montreux'' episode was released on 6 August 2007. The complete set of Christmas Shows was released as a three-disc set on 12 November 2007. The fourth series was released on DVD on 3 April 2008 but does not include the sixth episode of the series, which no longer existed at the time. The fifth series was released on 4 May 2009. The sixth series was released on 3 August 2009. The seventh series was released on 3 May 2010. The eighth series was released on 5 July 2010, and the ninth series was released on 23 August 2010. A complete box-set containing all nine series and eight Christmas specials (not included was the 1974 Michael Parkinson Christmas programme) was released on 4 October 2010. A special HMV exclusive version with updated box art is also available.{{citation needed|date=September 2020}} The series 1 episodes found in Sierra Leone and the series 4 episode found by Gary Morecambe have not yet been released on DVD. The series 1 episodes are rebroadcast annually and are also available to view at the BFI. The recovered episodes and all of the remastered material are due for release on DVD on 6 June 2022 titled ''Morecambe & Wise - The Lost Tapes''<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.co.uk/Morecambe-Wise-Lost-Tapes-DVD/dp/B09Z746V8B/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2X3EIOHHH75A2&keywords=morecambe+and+wise+the+lost+tapes&qid=1651533627&s=dvd&sprefix=morecambe+and+wise+the+lost+tapes+%2Cdvd%2C1029&sr=1-1|title=Morecambe & Wise - The Lost Tapes DVD|date=1 May 2022|access-date=3 May 2022}}</ref>

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
*{{cite book |last=McCann |first=Graham |date=1999 |title=Morecambe & Wise |url=https://archive.org/details/morecambewise0000mcca |location=London |publisher=Fourth Estate |isbn=9781857029116 |url-access=registration }}
*{{cite book |last1=Morecambe |first1=Gary |last2=Sterling |first2=Martin |date=2001 |title=Morecambe & Wise: Behind the Sunshine |location=London |publisher=Robson Books |isbn=9781861054623 }}

==External links==
*{{British Comedy Guide|tv|the_morecambe_wise_show|The Morecambe and Wise Show}}
*{{IMDb title|id=0063930|title=Morecambe and Wise}}
*[http://www.morecambeandwise.com/ Eric And Ern – Keeping The Magic Alive **Book, Film, TV Reviews, Interviews**]
*[http://www.headington.org.uk/adverts/themes/m.htm The ''Morecambe and Wise Show'' theme songs]
*[http://laughterlog.com/2009/03/14/eric-morecambe-ernie-wise/ Laughterlog.com] Biography plus complete list of radio, television, film, book and record appearances
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJw7uuINd_4 Video clip of Eric and Ern in an advert for the Atari 2600 computer games console]
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDG2A8jX6Ds Video clip of Eric and Ern in an advert for Texaco with racing driver James Hunt]
*[http://www.timdisneyvoiceactor.com/findaclip/?p=142 Video clip of Eric and Ern in their 1968 BBC2 series]
*[[André Previn]] site has video clip of extracts from ''Morecambe & Wise'' Grieg Piano Concert Sketch

{{Morecambe and Wise}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Morecambe and Wise Show, The}}
[[Category:1968 British television series debuts]]
[[Category:1977 British television series endings]]
[[Category:1960s British television sketch shows]]
[[Category:1970s British television sketch shows]]
[[Category:BBC television sketch shows]]
[[Category:English-language television shows]]
[[Category:Lost BBC episodes]]
[[Category:Morecambe and Wise]]
[[Category:Musical comedy television shows]]