Canned Carrott
Encyclopedia
Canned Carrott was a comedy
stand-up
and sketch
-show by Jasper Carrott
. Two of the regular sketches were "Wiggy" and "The Detectives".
The first sketch, "Wiggy", followed the adventures of a man with a bad wig (played by Carrott). It was a slapstick
comedy in which the characters were silent except for the narrator. It was similar in style to Mr Bean or The Benny Hill Show
.
The second, and the more popular was "The Detectives", starring the police
officers Briggs and Louis (played by Carrott and Robert Powell
), who watched too many TV Police
drama
s, and unsuccessfully tried to emulate them. Such was the popularity of this sketch that it was transformed into its own television series, The Detectives
.
Due to their involvement in both Canned Carrott and the contemporary The Mary Whitehouse Experience
, Steve Punt
and Hugh Dennis
also got their own sketch show, called The Imaginatively Titled Punt & Dennis Show
, which ran for two series.
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
stand-up
Stand-up comedy
Stand-up comedy is a comedic art form. Usually, a comedian performs in front of a live audience, speaking directly to them. Their performances are sometimes filmed for later release via DVD, the internet, and television...
and sketch
Sketch comedy
A sketch comedy consists of a series of short comedy scenes or vignettes, called "sketches," commonly between one and ten minutes long. Such sketches are performed by a group of comic actors or comedians, either on stage or through an audio and/or visual medium such as broadcasting...
-show by Jasper Carrott
Jasper Carrott
Jasper Carrott OBE is a British comedian, actor, television presenter and personality.-Early life:...
. Two of the regular sketches were "Wiggy" and "The Detectives".
The first sketch, "Wiggy", followed the adventures of a man with a bad wig (played by Carrott). It was a slapstick
Slapstick
Slapstick is a type of comedy involving exaggerated violence and activities which may exceed the boundaries of common sense.- Origins :The phrase comes from the batacchio or bataccio — called the 'slap stick' in English — a club-like object composed of two wooden slats used in Commedia dell'arte...
comedy in which the characters were silent except for the narrator. It was similar in style to Mr Bean or The Benny Hill Show
The Benny Hill Show
The Benny Hill Show is a British comedy television show starring Benny Hill.There were various incarnations of the show between 1951 and 1991, and it aired in over 140 countries. The show is generally sketch-based with heavy use of slapstick, mime, parody and double-entendre...
.
The second, and the more popular was "The Detectives", starring the police
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
officers Briggs and Louis (played by Carrott and Robert Powell
Robert Powell
Robert Powell is an English television and film actor, probably most famous for his title role in Jesus of Nazareth and as the fictional secret agent Richard Hannay...
), who watched too many TV Police
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
drama
Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
s, and unsuccessfully tried to emulate them. Such was the popularity of this sketch that it was transformed into its own television series, The Detectives
The Detectives
The Detectives is a British comedy television series, starring Jasper Carrott, Robert Powell, and George Sewell. It was a spoof of police dramas, which were numerous in the 1990s, and it was aired on BBC One...
.
Due to their involvement in both Canned Carrott and the contemporary The Mary Whitehouse Experience
The Mary Whitehouse Experience
The Mary Whitehouse Experience was a British topical sketch comedy show produced by the BBC in association with Spitting Image Productions. It starred two comedy double acts - David Baddiel and Rob Newman, and also Steve Punt and Hugh Dennis, all of whom had graduated from Cambridge University...
, Steve Punt
Steve Punt
Stephen Punt is a British writer, comedian and actor, best known for his long-time comedy partnership with Hugh Dennis. Punt lives in Wimbledon with his girlfriend and two children.-Life and career:...
and Hugh Dennis
Hugh Dennis
Peter Hugh Dennis is an English actor, comedian, writer, impressionist and voice-over artist, best known for his work with comedy partner Steve Punt. He is also known for his position as a permanent panelist on the TV comedy show Mock The Week...
also got their own sketch show, called The Imaginatively Titled Punt & Dennis Show
The Imaginatively Titled Punt & Dennis Show
The Imaginatively Titled Punt & Dennis Show was a stand-up and sketch show by comedians Steve Punt and Hugh Dennis. They were a double act in The Mary Whitehouse Experience, and they also featured in Canned Carrott, so they had plenty of experience working together. Impressionists Alistair McGowan...
, which ran for two series.
Cast
- Jasper CarrottJasper CarrottJasper Carrott OBE is a British comedian, actor, television presenter and personality.-Early life:...
- Himself/Various Characters (including Bob Louis in "The Detectives" and Wiggy) - Hugh DennisHugh DennisPeter Hugh Dennis is an English actor, comedian, writer, impressionist and voice-over artist, best known for his work with comedy partner Steve Punt. He is also known for his position as a permanent panelist on the TV comedy show Mock The Week...
- Various Characters - Nosher PowellNosher PowellNosher Powell is known both as an actor and as a boxer.-Life and career:Powell was born in Camberwell, London, England...
- Robert PowellRobert PowellRobert Powell is an English television and film actor, probably most famous for his title role in Jesus of Nazareth and as the fictional secret agent Richard Hannay...
- Dave Briggs (segment "The Detectives") - Steve PuntSteve PuntStephen Punt is a British writer, comedian and actor, best known for his long-time comedy partnership with Hugh Dennis. Punt lives in Wimbledon with his girlfriend and two children.-Life and career:...
- Various Characters - Enn ReitelEnn ReitelEnn Reitel is a Scottish actor and impressionist who specialises in voice work.- Early life :Reitel's family arrived in Scotland as refugees from Estonia, German Empire...
- Narrator (segment "Wiggy") (voice) - George SewellGeorge SewellGeorge Sewell was an English actor.-Early life and early career:The son of a Hoxton printer and a florist; Sewell left school at age 14 and worked briefly in the printing trade before switching to building work, specifically the repair of bomb-damaged houses...
- Supt Cottam (segment "The Detectives")