First viewed : 5 February 1988
After Live Aid and Sport Aid , it was the comedians' turn. Although the charity Comic Relief had been launched in 1985, this was its live TV debut. For better or worse, this was the start of the TV charity marathon becoming a regular event.
A Night of Comic Relief ran from 7.30 pm to around 4.00 am the next day. I remember our accounting lecturer coming in with a red nose on, that morning. I also recall my mum bleating on beforehand, "But you can't keep laughing for all those hours !" There wasn't much danger of that given some of the names on the bill and all the filmed inserts with celebs standing in the desert or pushing someone in a wheelchair to tug at your heartstrings. This aspect was perfectly summed up by Ricky Gervais on Room 101 some years later - " You get Robbie Coltrane and Dawn French telling you there's a world food shortage. Well I wonder why that is ".
The programme was anchored by Griff Rhys-Jones, Lenny Henry ( this might have been the start of his slide into the hectoring bore he is today ) and Jonathan Ross. I saw the beginning and the first set piece item, a Spitting Image Question of Sport which ended with the puppet David Coleman getting blown up by his real-life counterpart who very visibly wasn't amused by the sketch at all. I then went to the pub and unfortunately came in just in time to catch a routine from Cannon and Ball which seemed to consist of smashing a load of plates. The camera then panned to Ross who'd clearly enjoyed it as much as me and said "Woo ! A stonker from Cannon and Ball there" while signalling that wasn't quite what he was thinking at the time.
Comic Relief alternates with Sport Relief so it's a biennial retreat.
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