The Mary Whitehouse Experience (BBC2, 1990-1992)
This is the comedy sketch show that was an early attempt by BBC Radio 1 to put a quartet of up-and-coming talents together to perform some sketches that were rather topical and edgy. This ran for 43 editions in four series from 1989-1990, and this managed to attract a rather young and trendy audience, that Radio 1 were usually struggling to gain the attention of at the time.
I never heard any of this when I was younger, but there was a repeat run a while ago on BBC7/BBC Radio 4 Extra, and after a few editions, it was definitely clear to me why all of this caused such a stir. The popularity of this meant that it soon became inevitable that this would transfer to TV. There was a pilot shown in 1990 before the fourth and final radio series, and then the first of two TV series launched in 1991.
This was produced by Spitting Image Productions, and maybe not too coincidently, this was a show in a similar style, offering sketches and opinions (and catchphrases as well, there always had to be some catchphrases), no-one was safe! And if they manage to slay a few sacred cows and bring down the government whilst doing so, then that simply proves that they got the job done.
The style of The Mary Whitehouse Experience reminds me of when Alan Partridge watched a show aimed at younger viewers, and he said that it was so fast-moving that he thought his TV was on the blink. And yes, what with that pesky Def II and now this, there was a rather big youth audience being catered for. Can you believe it, suddenly some people who were under 50 were now watching BBC2, it was that good.
The performers were the double-acts Steve Punt and Hugh Dennis, alongside Rob Newman and David Baddiel. Sometimes they worked together, and sometimes separately, but what they did have in common was offering their views on anything that was happening in the news, from politics to pop groups. After the two series ended, they went they then went off to further successes, having made comedy the hot thing at last.
In the mid-90s there were the sketch shows Newman And Baddiel In Pieces on BBC2, and The Imaginatively-Titled Punt And Dennis Show on BBC1. Punt and Dennis are still working together, and they haven’t lost their desire for making satire. In the late-90s they launched BBC Radio 4’s The Now Show, which has been a success, although this is planned to end later this year after about 709 series of lampoonery.
ADAM'S NOSTALGIC MEMORIES 