What was Morecambe and Wise's signature tune
"asked by the BBC to take part in ""Bring Me Sunshine: The Heart and Soul of Eric Morecambe"", which was shown on 23 December that year. He had agreed to do so, but then his health had begun to deteriorate further. Earlier that month, Wise suffered two heart attacks within a week while on holiday, and had to undergo a triple heart bypass in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on 22 January 1999. In March 1999, he was flown back to RAF Northolt, in London, by air ambulance and taken directly to the Nuffield Hospital at Wexham, Buckinghamshire. Ernie Wise died from"
"Morecambe and Wise Eric Morecambe (John Eric Bartholomew, 14 May 1926 – 28 May 1984) and Ernie Wise (Ernest Wiseman, 27 November 1925 – 21 March 1999), known as Morecambe and Wise (and sometimes as Eric and Ernie), were an iconic English comic double act, working in variety, radio, film and most successfully in television. Their partnership lasted from 1941 until Morecambe's death in 1984. The show was a significant part of British popular culture, and they have been described as ""the most illustrious, and the best-loved, double-act that Britain has ever produced"". In a list of the 100 Greatest"
"his ""Band Waggon"" radio show, billed as Britain's Mickey Rooney. Gradually, Wise and Morecambe formed a close friendship, and, in 1941, they began their comedy double act, which was to last until Morecambe's death in 1984. They made their debut together as ""Bartholomew and Wise"" on Thursday 28 August 1941, at the Liverpool Empire. A change of name followed in the autumn: after agreeing that the combination of their respective places of birth—Morecambe and Leeds—would make the act sound too much like a cheap day return, they settled on ""Morecambe and Wise"" During World War II, Morecambe was a Bevin"
"Eric Morecambe John Eric Bartholomew, (14 May 1926 – 28 May 1984), known by his stage name Eric Morecambe, was an English comedian who together with Ernie Wise formed the award-winning double act Morecambe and Wise. The partnership lasted from 1941 until Morecambe's death in 1984. Morecambe took his stage name from his home town, the seaside resort of Morecambe in Lancashire. He was the co-star of the television series ""The Morecambe & Wise Show"", which for one Christmas episode gained UK viewing figures of over 27 million people. One of the most prominent comedians in British popular culture, in"
"by ""You Are The Sunshine Of My Life"" which was followed by the big entrance of Ernie Wise who first spoke, and then sang the duo's signature tune. This was an emotive moment for Wise and one that showed how big a part Morecambe had played in his life. Other stars that appeared over the course of the evening were: There was also a sequence in which the guests of honour were announced and appeared on stage, these included the following guest stars, fans and celebrities: The programme was filmed live and televised on ITV on Christmas Day of that"
"Morecambe and Wise, Ken Dodd and Spike Milligan. The programme was hosted by Leonard Sachs. The show eventually became so popular that the waiting list for tickets had to be closed, when it rose to a total of 25,000 people. Colehan was also involved in other major television successes. Colehan had the idea in 1963 of making a TV version of Jimmy Savile's popular Radio Luxembourg show ""Teen and Twenty Disc Club"". He produced the pilot which later became ""Top of the Pops"". In August 1966, Colehan brought ""It's a Knockout"" to the screen which ran for 16 years under"
"Ernie Wise Ernest Wiseman, (27 November 1925 – 21 March 1999), known by his stage name Ernie Wise, was an English comedian, best known as one half of the comedy duo Morecambe and Wise, who became a national institution on British television, especially for their Christmas specials. Ernest Wiseman, born in Bramley (a district of Leeds) to Harry and Connie Wiseman (née Wright) who married in St Thomas Stanningley, was the eldest of five children, and changed his surname (as did his future partner) to go into show business. He attended Thorpe Infant and Junior School, and then East Ardsley"
"Triangle"". Morecambe and Wise are considered by many to be one of the UK's all-time favourite comedy acts. John Ammonds was also central to the duo's most successful period in the 1970s. As the producer of the BBC TV shows, it was his idea to involve celebrity guests. He also perfected the duo's familiar dance, which was based on a dance performed by Groucho Marx in the film ""Horse Feathers"". Ernest Maxin started choreographing the musical numbers in 1970, and succeeded John Ammonds as producer of the BBC TV shows in 1974. Maxin, who won a BAFTA for the Best"
"The Morecambe & Wise Show (1968 TV series) The Morecambe & Wise Show was a 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 BBC2, specifically because it was then the only channel broadcasting in colour, following the duo's move to the BBC from ATV, where they had made ""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"
"the BBC ran another 3-part tribute, also titled Bring Me Sunshine. Lyrics to the song were also read at Morecambe's funeral by Ernie Wise. Wise went on to declare it his favourite song during his appearance on the BBC radio programme, Desert Island Discs in Oct 1990. On the same programme three months later, the song was also a choice of jazz singer Adelaide Hall, and has since been the choice of several other guests including Dawn French and Rankin. It has also been used for the title of several books about the pair. When Morecambe & Wise defected from"
"Morecambe and Wise: In Their Own Words Morecambe and Wise: In Their Own Words is a television documentary introduced and narrated by Jonathan Ross. It aired on BBC One on New Year's Day 2008, featuring clips telling the story of the rise to fame of the comedy double act Morecambe and Wise. It featured many previously unseen archive clips of the double-act from their days in variety as separate acts, through to their final shows for Thames Television prior to Eric Morecambe's untimely death at the age of 58 in 1984. Included within the show was one of his last"
"principal address delivered by Dickie Henderson. There was a private cremation service at Garston. His ashes were later returned to the church for burial in the Garden of Remembrance. Eric Morecambe John Eric Bartholomew, (14 May 1926 – 28 May 1984), known by his stage name Eric Morecambe, was an English comedian who together with Ernie Wise formed the award-winning double act Morecambe and Wise. The partnership lasted from 1941 until Morecambe's death in 1984. Morecambe took his stage name from his home town, the seaside resort of Morecambe in Lancashire. He was the co-star of the television series ""The"
"the partnership who had entertained them every Christmas Night since 1969. The programme was made up from highlights of their 1976 and record-breaking 1977 shows and has since been repeated under the title of ""Morecambe & Wise At The BBC"" for subsequent broadcasts. The Best of Morecambe & Wise The Best of Morecambe & Wise was a compilation programme broadcast on BBC1 on Christmas Night in 1978 in direct competition to the duo's brand new show which was being shown at the same time on Thames Television. Prior to its broadcast the BBC had publicised the programme heavily as ""the"
"The Morecambe & Wise Show (1978 TV series) The Morecambe & Wise Show was a comedy sketch show originally produced by Thames Television and broadcast on the ITV network. The second show to be broadcast under the title, it was the fourth and final television series by English comedy double-act Morecambe and Wise, and saw their return to ITV after their successful nine-year association with the BBC. In January 1978, Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise, just over four weeks after the broadcast of their successful 1977 Christmas Show on BBC1, which attracted an audience of just over 28m, announced that"
"Light Entertainment Show for the Morecambe and Wise 1977 Christmas Show, was also responsible for devising and choreographing many of their great musical comedy routines including ""The Breakfast Sketch"", ""Singin' in the Rain"", and the homage to South Pacific, ""There is nothing like a dame"" featuring BBC newsreaders in an acrobatic dance routine. The other writers were Barry Cryer, John Junkin, Dick Hills and Sid Green during the ATV ""Two of a Kind"" series, Mike Craig and Lawrie Kinsley. Much of the material of the Morecambe and Wise shows consisted of their well-worn catch phrases that recurred like motifs throughout"
"and Aunt Bessie's Yorkshire Puddings. Eric and Ernie often cited the earlier comedy team Flanagan and Allen as influences on their own work; although Morecambe and Wise never imitated or copied Flanagan and Allen, they did sometimes work explicit references to the earlier team into their own cross-talk routines and sketches. In the mid-1970s they recorded a tribute album, ""Morecambe and Wise Sing Flanagan and Allen"" (Phillips 6382 095), in which they performed some of the earlier team's more popular songs in their own style, without attempting to imitate the originals. Morecambe and Wise Eric Morecambe (John Eric Bartholomew, 14"
"of Morecambe & Wise's career written by Victoria Wood. This told the duo's story up to their return to variety following their first television series, and featured recreations of several scenes from ""Running Wild"". Running Wild (1954 TV series) Running Wild was a comedy sketch show originally broadcast by BBC television, the first TV series by English comedy double-act Morecambe and Wise. The first attempt by the pair at a television series, it aired for a single series of six episodes in 1954. ""Running Wild"" was Morecambe & Wise's first collaboration with Ernest Maxin, who subsequently worked with the duo"
"The Best of Morecambe & Wise The Best of Morecambe & Wise was a compilation programme broadcast on BBC1 on Christmas Night in 1978 in direct competition to the duo's brand new show which was being shown at the same time on Thames Television. Prior to its broadcast the BBC had publicised the programme heavily as ""the very best of"" and ""at their peak"" in an effort to win viewers from the commercial station. Their departure from the BBC had been greatly publicised and allegiances were tested to their limits with the general public feeling very much in ""ownership"" of"
"British Television Programmes drawn up by the British Film Institute in 2000, voted for by industry professionals, ""The Morecambe and Wise Show"" was placed 14th. In September 2006, they were voted by the general public as number 2 in a poll of TV's 50 Greatest Stars. Their early career was the subject of the 2011 television biopic ""Eric and Ernie"", and their 1970s career was the subject of the television biopic ""Eric, Ernie and Me"" in 2017. In 2013, the two were honoured with a blue plaque at Teddington Studios where their last four series were recorded. Morecambe and Wise's"
"town of Morley, West Yorkshire where he won a talent contest in 1936. The statue was commissioned by the Morley Murals Committee and funded by Doreen. Ernie Wise Ernest Wiseman, (27 November 1925 – 21 March 1999), known by his stage name Ernie Wise, was an English comedian, best known as one half of the comedy duo Morecambe and Wise, who became a national institution on British television, especially for their Christmas specials. Ernest Wiseman, born in Bramley (a district of Leeds) to Harry and Connie Wiseman (née Wright) who married in St Thomas Stanningley, was the eldest of five"
"Morecambe & Wise: Greatest Moments Morecambe & Wise: Greatest Moments was a compilation programme originally aired on 2 December 2007 on the UKTV network channel UKTV Gold and featured clips, interviews and home move footage, culminating in the showing of the ""best"" sketch from their programmes. It featured contributions from several of their guest stars such as Cliff Richard, Edward Woodward, Bruce Forsyth, Francis Matthews, Michele Dotrice and Elton John whom Eric always referred to as ""Elephant John"" as well as interviews with both Joan Morecambe and Doreen Wise, the latter's first appearance on a show of this kind. There"
"water would be dangerous)—but Morecambe and Wise found a way to turn the lack of water into a comic asset. The sketch was devised and choreographed by Ernest Maxin. This 1976 sketch has become one of the duo's most familiar, and is a parody of a stripper routine where Eric and Ernie are seen listening to the radio at breakfast time. This sketch was not an original but was adapted from an earlier one Benny Hill performed on his own show during the mid-1960s. David Rose's tune ""The Stripper"" comes on and the duo perform a dance using various kitchen"
"in distinctive costumes. Charlesworth's group sported pin stripes and bowler hats, and had a Latin motto, Dum vivimus vivamus, (“While we live, let us enjoy life”). Their only chart single was ""Billy Boy"",which reached 41 in the UK Singles Chart in May 1961. The City Gents often appeared on television including ""The Morecambe and Wise Show"" and ""Sunday Night at the London Palladium"". Charlesworth sang the title song of a comedy film, ""In the Doghouse"", starring Leslie Phillips and featured in his own 15 minute musical short in 1963. However the British pop scene changed significantly in the early sixties"
"facing stage-left with their arms out. However, the guest would enter from stage-right. Also, at the end of several shows, the duo would exit the stage by skipping while putting alternate hands behind their heads and backs. The duo were featured in a comic book in 1977. Typical Morecambe and Wise programmes were effectively sketch shows crossed with a sitcom. The duo would usually open the show as themselves on a mock stage in front of curtains emblazoned with an M and W logo. Morecambe and Wise's comic style varied subtly throughout their career, depending on their writers. Their writers"
"concerns until after his first heart attack. At the time, Morecambe was smoking 60 cigarettes a day and drinking heavily. He suffered a near-fatal heart attack on 8 November 1968 at the age of 42, after a show, while driving back to his hotel outside Leeds. Morecambe had been appearing with Wise during a week of midnight performances at the Variety Club in Batley, Yorkshire. Morecambe and Wise appeared there in December 1967 for a week, making £4,000. After that, they were booked to play a New York City nightclub, the Royal Variety Performance and then eight weeks in pantomime"
"Thames Television. 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, these increasingly lavish affairs provided some of the most memorable moments in the series. For example, ""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"
"the BBC to Thames Television in 1978, directly after their record-breaking Christmas Special the previous year, the signature tune was dropped. It was however used in later installments of these shows. In 2011, the BBC used the song in a promotional clip for the 75th anniversary of its main channel, beginning with the familiar opening shot of Morecambe & Wise before leading into a montage of other famous moments from the channel's history, most of which were edited so as to lip-sync with the song. The 30 Nov 1968 edition of Billboard magazine predicted that Willie Nelson's version of ""Bring"
"Morecambe was recuperating from a heart attack, Hills and Green, who believed that Morecambe would probably never work again, quit as writers. Morecambe and Wise were in Barbados at the time and learned of their writers' departure only from the steward on the plane. John Ammonds, the show's producer, replaced Hills and Green with Eddie Braben. Theatre critic Kenneth Tynan stated, Braben made Wise's character a comic who was not funny, while Morecambe became a straight man who was funny. Braben made them less hostile to one another. Morecambe and Wise did annual BBC Christmas shows from 1968 to 1977,"
"duo's split from Dick Hills and Sid Green. The first Braben-penned ""Morecambe & Wise Show"" was broadcast in July 1969, and he wrote most of their BBC shows after that, including many of the Christmas specials. In 1980, he joined Thames Television to continue writing for the duo following their move back to ITV two years previously. Braben, along with Morecambe and Wise, won the Society of Film Television Artists 1973 award for Outstanding Contribution to Television. He also won the Best British Light Entertainment Script award from the Writer's Guild of Great Britain in 1969, 1970, 1971 and 1973."
"Boy, working down a coal mine at Accrington and Wise served in the Merchant Navy, from the end of 1943. They reunited after the war and made their name in radio, transferring to television in April 1954, in their first series, ""Running Wild"", which was unsuccessful. In 1961, they gained their own series on ATV, which was a success and raised their profile. They transferred to the BBC in 1968. Over a period of more than twenty years, Morecambe and Wise had regular series with both ITV and BBC. In 1976, they were both appointed OBEs. Wise was commonly regarded"
"club were the British comedy team of Morecambe and Wise. In 1975 the song ""We Are The Ovaltineys"" came back to a new audience when it was used by Ovaltine in a TV advertisement and released as a single record. Theme Tune introduction We are the Ovaltineys Happy girls and boys, Make your request we'll not refuse you We are here just to amuse you. Would you like a song or story Will you share our joys? At games and sports we're more than keen, Mo merrier children could be seen, Because we all drink Ovaltine, We're happy girls and"
"utensils and food items, including Ernie catching slices of toast as they popped out of the toaster, and finally opening the fridge door to be bathed in light, as if on stage, while they pull out strings of sausages which they whirl around to the music. The sketch was choreographed and produced by Ernest Maxin. In December 2007, viewers of satellite channel Gold voted the sketch the best moment of Morecambe and Wise's shows. Propellerheads parodied the sketch in the video for their 1998 single ""Crash!"" and it was parodied in two UK television commercials in 2008, for PG Tips"
"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"" in the 1950s. 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"