555 Comic Roots

First  viewed : Uncertain

This  was  a  series  which  asked  comedians  or  comic  acts  to  revisit  their  old  neighbourhood  and  explain  its  influence  on  their  humour.

I  didn't  see  much  of  it  but  I  remember  the  first  one  which  had  Les  Dawson  roaming  the  streets  of  Collyhurst. For  those  not  familiar  with  Manchester's  social  geography  it's  not  the  best. The  moment  that  stuck  with  me  was  when  he  was  talking  to  this  younger  guy  in  the  street  about  the  Cissie  and  Ada  double  act  with  Roy  Barraclough. The  other  guy  said  "That  woman  you  do  - it's  me  mam !"  and  I  recall  thinking  it's  to  be  hoped  she's  not  watching  this !

Not  all  the  participants  took  the  brief  as  conscientiously  as  Dawson. Alexei  Sayle  turned  his episode   into  an  extended  rant  at  middle  class  values  that  left  you  having  to  guess  what might  have  fuelled  such  virulent  resentment.  

The  programme  ran  for  two  seasons  with  four  episodes  in  each.  It  proved  to  be  a  useful  schedule  filler  in  subsequent  years  with  repeats  in  1984, 1987  and  1991. In  fact  I'm  wondering  if  I  saw  the  Dawson  episode  in  1987  as   August  1982  does  seem  a  little  early.