Great Comedy Classics
Encyclopedia
Great Comedy Classics is an Australian television programme compiled by the Seven Network
, which screens episodes of classic British comedies. It is hosted by former Hey Hey It's Saturday
comedian, Russell Gilbert
. It was first broadcast in October 2006 and still runs.
The show airs on Saturday and screens from two to four episodes of British comedy from the Seventies and Eighties, including shows like Are You Being Served?
, The Benny Hill Show
and most recently, an episode of Keeping Up Appearances
. A notable exception to the number is the extra long Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em
finale episode, and, after the death of John Inman
, a special double episode of Are You Being Served?. On the 8th of December, 2007, a special Comic Relief
episode was shown, which, along with an episode of Keeping up Appearances, On The Buses and The Benny Hill Show featured comedy by many famous people such as Tony Blair
. During this special a graphic of the Comic Relief phone number was displayed in the lower left corner of the screen.
Past shows shown on the programme include: George and Mildred
, Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em, and On the Buses
.
The set is simple, using pictures of show titles and cast on upright (usually) rectangular stands. Russell Gilbert usually gives a bit of information on the shows or culture at the time they were made.
Seven Network
The Seven Network is an Australian television network owned by Seven West Media Limited. It dates back to 4 November 1956, when the first stations on the VHF7 frequency were established in Melbourne and Sydney.It is currently the second largest network in the country in terms of population reach...
, which screens episodes of classic British comedies. It is hosted by former Hey Hey It's Saturday
Hey Hey It's Saturday
Hey Hey It's Saturday was a long-running variety television program on Australian television. It initially ran for 27 years , debuting on the Nine Network on 9 October 1971 and broadcasting its last episode on 20 November 1999. Its host throughout its entire run was Daryl Somers, who would later...
comedian, Russell Gilbert
Russell Gilbert
Russell Gilbert , is an Australian comedian and actor from Footscray, Victoria.-Television:He has appeared in several Australian TV comedies, first attracting notice as 'Russ the Postie' on The Comedy Company , which led to a nine year stint on Hey Hey It's Saturday...
. It was first broadcast in October 2006 and still runs.
The show airs on Saturday and screens from two to four episodes of British comedy from the Seventies and Eighties, including shows like Are You Being Served?
Are You Being Served?
Are You Being Served? is a British sitcom broadcast from 1972 to 1985. It was set in the ladies' and gentlemen's clothing departments of Grace Brothers, a large, fictional London department store. It was written mainly by Jeremy Lloyd and David Croft, with contributions by Michael Knowles and John...
, 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...
and most recently, an episode of Keeping Up Appearances
Keeping Up Appearances
Keeping Up Appearances is a British sitcom created and written by Roy Clarke for the BBC. Centred on the life of eccentric, social-climbing snob Hyacinth Bucket , the sitcom portrays a social hierarchy-ruled British society...
. A notable exception to the number is the extra long Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em
Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em
Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em was a BBC situation comedy, written by Raymond Allen and starring Michael Crawford and Michele Dotrice.The series followed the accident-prone Frank Spencer and his tolerant wife Betty through Frank's various attempts to hold down a job, which frequently end in...
finale episode, and, after the death of John Inman
John Inman
Frederick John Inman was an English actor best known for his role as Mr. Humphries in Are You Being Served?, a British sitcom in the 1970s and 1980s. Inman was also well known in the United Kingdom as a pantomime dame....
, a special double episode of Are You Being Served?. On the 8th of December, 2007, a special Comic Relief
Comic Relief
Comic Relief is an operating British charity, founded in 1985 by the comedy scriptwriter Richard Curtis and comedian Lenny Henry in response to famine in Ethiopia. The highlight of Comic Relief's appeal is Red Nose Day, a biennial telethon held in March, alternating with sister project Sport Relief...
episode was shown, which, along with an episode of Keeping up Appearances, On The Buses and The Benny Hill Show featured comedy by many famous people such as Tony Blair
Tony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
. During this special a graphic of the Comic Relief phone number was displayed in the lower left corner of the screen.
Past shows shown on the programme include: George and Mildred
George and Mildred
George and Mildred is a British sitcom produced by Thames Television that aired from 1976 to 1979. It was a spin-off from Man About the House and starred Brian Murphy and Yootha Joyce as an ill-matched married couple, George and Mildred Roper...
, Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em, and On the Buses
On The Buses
On the Buses was a British situation comedy created by Ronald Wolfe and Ronald Chesney which was broadcast in the UK from 1969 to 1973. The writers' previous successes with The Rag Trade and Meet the Wife were for the BBC, but the Corporation rejected On the Buses, not seeing much comedy potential...
.
The set is simple, using pictures of show titles and cast on upright (usually) rectangular stands. Russell Gilbert usually gives a bit of information on the shows or culture at the time they were made.