Mel Smith
Encyclopedia
Melvin Kenneth "Mel" Smith (born 3 December 1952) is an English comedian, writer, film director, producer, and actor. He is most famous for his work on the sketch comedy shows Not the Nine O'Clock News
and Alas Smith and Jones
along with his comedy partner Griff Rhys Jones
.
, County Durham
, and worked at a coal mine in the Second World War looking after the pit ponies
. After the war he moved to London
, and married Smith's mother, whose parents owned a greengrocer
's store in Chiswick
, west London
. When the government legalised high street betting, he turned the shop into the first betting shop in Chiswick.
Smith was born and brought up in Chiswick, over the shop. He was educated at Hogarth Primary School, Chiswick and the private Latymer Upper School
in Hammersmith
and New College
, Oxford
.
, and this led to his joining the Royal Court Theatre
production team in London, and then Bristol Old Vic
. He was also associate director of Sheffield's
Crucible Theatre
for two years. Later, he directed a theatre production of "Not in Front of the Audience".
Also at Oxford, he performed at the Edinburgh Fringe
with the Oxford University Dramatic Society
. One year they shared a venue with the Cambridge Footlights, directed by John Lloyd
. Lloyd later got the opportunity to develop the idea that became the satirical
BBC
television
series Not the Nine O'clock News
. Lloyd rang Smith to ask if he wanted to do it, and Smith agreed for £100 an episode. This was followed briefly by Smith and Goody
(with Bob Goody) and then the comedy sketch series Alas Smith and Jones
, co-starring Griff Rhys Jones
, its title being a pun on the name of the American TV series Alias Smith and Jones
. He also starred as property dealer Tom Craig in ITV drama Muck and Brass, and guest starred on The Goodies
episode "Animals
".
In 1981, Smith and Griff Rhys Jones
founded TalkBack Productions
, a company that has produced many of the most significant British comedy shows of the past two decades, including Smack the Pony
, Da Ali G Show
, I'm Alan Partridge
and Big Train
. In 2000, the company was sold to Pearson
for £62 million.
Smith co-wrote and took the lead role in the space comedy Morons from Outer Space
but the film failed to make much impact. His next cinema effort was better received as director of The Tall Guy
, giving Emma Thompson
a major screen role. Perhaps his best-known motion picture in America is Brain Donors
, the 1992 update of the comedy classic A Night at the Opera
, starring Smith as a cheeky, opportunistic cab driver turned ballet promoter. Paramount Pictures
considered this film the outstanding comedy of the year, but when the producers left Paramount for another studio, Paramount withdrew its support for the movie.
In 1987, he recorded a single with Kim Wilde
for Comic Relief: a cover of the Christmas song "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree
" with some extra comedy lines written by Smith and Jones. It reached number 3 in the UK charts.
Smith and Jones were reunited in 2005 for a review/revival of their earlier TV series in "The Smith And Jones Sketchbook". Smith joked that "Obviously, Griff's got more money than me so he came to work in a Rolls-Royce and I came on a bicycle. But it was great fun to do and we are firmly committed to doing something new together, because you don't chuck that sort of chemistry away. Of course, I'll have to pretend I like Restoration
"
Smith returned to the theatre stage after some 20 years in August 2006, appearing at the Edinburgh Fringe
festival in Irish journalist and author Mary Kenny
's play about Churchill's
encounter with the Irish nationalist leader Michael Collins
in 1921. The play initially caused some controversy, with Smith proposing to flout the Scottish ban on smoking in public places, but the scene was quickly adapted after gaining the required amount of publicity. The play was directed by Brian Gilbert and produced by Daniel Jewel
.
In Autumn 2006, Smith starred opposite Belinda Lang
in a tour of a new comedy "An Hour and a Half Late" by French playwright Gérald Sibleyras, which was adapted by Smith. He will then direct a West End revival of "Charley's Aunt" starring Stephen Tompkinson
. From October 2007 to January 2008, he played the role of Wilbur Turnblad in the London production of Hairspray
at the Shaftesbury Theatre
.
and Durham
, and the couple have houses in St John's Wood
, Oxfordshire and Barbados.
Smith ended up seriously ill in hospital in 1999 after consuming more than 50 Nurofen Plus tablets; these contain the opiate drug Codeine
, which is known to be addictive. His hospitalization was a culmination of a growing addiction to the pills. He said at the time that the pressures of film work were a contributing factor, along with a desperate need to ease the pain caused by gout
. Partly as a result, he agreed to sell Talkback, but Smith admitted to restlessness: "I said to my wife that I needed to do something to get me out of the house".
The actor has had a long time love of Rolls Royce
cars, buying his first Silver Shadow
at Brighton Racecourse
from an advert in Sporting Life
for £5000. At present he drives a Rolls Royce Corniche
.
On 31 December 2009, Smith appeared on Celebrity Mastermind
whilst suffering from severe pharyngitis
.
Not the Nine O'Clock News
Not the Nine O'Clock News is a television comedy sketch show which was broadcast on BBC 2 from 1979 to 1982.Originally shown as a comedy "alternative" to the BBC Nine O'Clock News on BBC 1, it featured satirical sketches on current news stories and popular culture, as well as parody songs, comedy...
and Alas Smith and Jones
Alas Smith and Jones
Alas Smith and Jones is a British comedy sketch television series featuring Mel Smith and Griff Rhys Jones. It was broadcast on the BBC from 1984 to 1998...
along with his comedy partner Griff Rhys Jones
Griff Rhys Jones
Griffith "Griff" Rhys Jones is a Welsh comedian, writer, actor, television presenter and personality. Jones came to national attention in the early 1980s for his work in the BBC television comedy sketch shows Not the Nine O'Clock News and Alas Smith and Jones along with his comedy partner Mel Smith...
.
Early life
Smith's father, Kenneth, was born in Tow LawTow Law
Tow Law is a town and civil parish in County Durham, England. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 1,952. It is situated a few miles to the south of Consett. Tow Law Town football team are based in the town. The town constituted an urban district from 1894 until 1974...
, County Durham
County Durham
County Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in north east England. The county town is Durham. The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington...
, and worked at a coal mine in the Second World War looking after the pit ponies
Pit pony
A pit pony was a type of pony commonly used underground in coal mines from the mid 18th up until the mid 20th century.-History:Ponies began to be used underground, often replacing child or female labour, as distances from pit head to coal face became greater...
. After the war he moved to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, and married Smith's mother, whose parents owned a greengrocer
Greengrocer
A greengrocer or fruiterer is a retail trader in fruit and vegetables; that is, in green groceries. Greengrocer is primarily a British and Australian term, and greengrocers' shops were once common in suburbs, towns and villages...
's store in Chiswick
Chiswick
Chiswick is a large suburb of west London, England and part of the London Borough of Hounslow. It is located on a meander of the River Thames, west of Charing Cross and is one of 35 major centres identified in the London Plan. It was historically an ancient parish in the county of Middlesex, with...
, west London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. When the government legalised high street betting, he turned the shop into the first betting shop in Chiswick.
Smith was born and brought up in Chiswick, over the shop. He was educated at Hogarth Primary School, Chiswick and the private Latymer Upper School
Latymer Upper School
Latymer Upper School, founded by Edward Latymer in 1624, is a selective independent school in Hammersmith, West London, England, lying between King Street and the Thames. It is a day school for 1,130 pupils – boys and girls aged 11–18; there is also the Latymer Preparatory School for boys and girls...
in Hammersmith
Hammersmith
Hammersmith is an urban centre in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in west London, England, in the United Kingdom, approximately five miles west of Charing Cross on the north bank of the River Thames...
and New College
New College, Oxford
New College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom.- Overview :The College's official name, College of St Mary, is the same as that of the older Oriel College; hence, it has been referred to as the "New College of St Mary", and is now almost always...
, Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
.
Career
While at Oxford University he produced The TempestThe Tempest
The Tempest is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in 1610–11, and thought by many critics to be the last play that Shakespeare wrote alone. It is set on a remote island, where Prospero, the exiled Duke of Milan, plots to restore his daughter Miranda to her rightful place,...
, and this led to his joining the Royal Court Theatre
Royal Court Theatre
The Royal Court Theatre is a non-commercial theatre on Sloane Square, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. It is noted for its contributions to modern theatre...
production team in London, and then Bristol Old Vic
Bristol Old Vic
The Bristol Old Vic is a theatre company based at the Theatre Royal, King Street, in Bristol, England. The theatre complex includes the 1766 Theatre Royal, which claims to be the oldest continually-operating theatre in England, along with a 1970s studio theatre , offices and backstage facilities...
. He was also associate director of Sheffield's
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
Crucible Theatre
Crucible Theatre
The Crucible Theatre is a theatre built in 1971 and located in the city centre of Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. As well as theatrical performances, it is home to the most important event in professional snooker, the World Snooker Championship....
for two years. Later, he directed a theatre production of "Not in Front of the Audience".
Also at Oxford, he performed at the Edinburgh Fringe
Edinburgh Fringe
The Edinburgh Festival Fringe is the world’s largest arts festival. Established in 1947 as an alternative to the Edinburgh International Festival, it takes place annually in Scotland's capital, in the month of August...
with the Oxford University Dramatic Society
Oxford University Dramatic Society
The Oxford University Dramatic Society is the principal funding body and provider of theatrical services to the many independent student productions put on by students in Oxford, England...
. One year they shared a venue with the Cambridge Footlights, directed by John Lloyd
John Lloyd (writer)
John Hardress Wilfred Lloyd CBE is a British comedy writer and television producer. He is the great nephew of John Hardress Lloyd.-Early life and career:...
. Lloyd later got the opportunity to develop the idea that became the satirical
Satire
Satire is primarily a literary genre or form, although in practice it can also be found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement...
BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
series Not the Nine O'clock News
Not the Nine O'Clock News
Not the Nine O'Clock News is a television comedy sketch show which was broadcast on BBC 2 from 1979 to 1982.Originally shown as a comedy "alternative" to the BBC Nine O'Clock News on BBC 1, it featured satirical sketches on current news stories and popular culture, as well as parody songs, comedy...
. Lloyd rang Smith to ask if he wanted to do it, and Smith agreed for £100 an episode. This was followed briefly by Smith and Goody
Smith and Goody
Smith and Goody was a children's sketch show on ITV shown for one series in 1980. It was made for the ITV network by Thames Television. It starred, and was written by Mel Smith and Bob Goody, with music provided by Peter Brewis. As well as being a comedy, the series had tried to advocate literature...
(with Bob Goody) and then the comedy sketch series Alas Smith and Jones
Alas Smith and Jones
Alas Smith and Jones is a British comedy sketch television series featuring Mel Smith and Griff Rhys Jones. It was broadcast on the BBC from 1984 to 1998...
, co-starring Griff Rhys Jones
Griff Rhys Jones
Griffith "Griff" Rhys Jones is a Welsh comedian, writer, actor, television presenter and personality. Jones came to national attention in the early 1980s for his work in the BBC television comedy sketch shows Not the Nine O'Clock News and Alas Smith and Jones along with his comedy partner Mel Smith...
, its title being a pun on the name of the American TV series Alias Smith and Jones
Alias Smith and Jones
Alias Smith and Jones is an American Western series that originally aired on ABC from 1971 to 1973. It stars Pete Duel as Hannibal Heyes and Ben Murphy as Jedediah "Kid" Curry, a pair of Western cousin outlaws trying to reform...
. He also starred as property dealer Tom Craig in ITV drama Muck and Brass, and guest starred on The Goodies
The Goodies (TV series)
The Goodies is a British television comedy series of the 1970s and early 1980s. The series, which combines surreal sketches and situation comedy, was broadcast by BBC 2 from 1970 until 1980 — and was then broadcast by the ITV company LWT for a year, between 1981 to 1982.The show was...
episode "Animals
Animals (Goodies episode)
Animals is an episode of the British comedy television series The Goodies— a BAFTA-nominated series for Best Light Entertainment Programme.This episode is also known as "Animal Liberation"...
".
In 1981, Smith and Griff Rhys Jones
Griff Rhys Jones
Griffith "Griff" Rhys Jones is a Welsh comedian, writer, actor, television presenter and personality. Jones came to national attention in the early 1980s for his work in the BBC television comedy sketch shows Not the Nine O'Clock News and Alas Smith and Jones along with his comedy partner Mel Smith...
founded TalkBack Productions
Talkback Productions
Talkback Productions was formed in 1981 by Mel Smith and Griff Rhys Jones. The company is one of the UK’s leading production companies and part of the RTL Group, a major European broadcast and content company....
, a company that has produced many of the most significant British comedy shows of the past two decades, including Smack the Pony
Smack the Pony
Smack the Pony is a British sketch comedy show that ran from 1999 until 2003 on Channel 4. Its title was intended to sound like a euphemism for female masturbation; the working title was Spot the Pony. The main performers and writers on the show were Fiona Allen, Doon Mackichan and Sally Phillips...
, Da Ali G Show
Da Ali G Show
Da Ali G Show is the name of two related satirical TV series created by and starring British comedian Sacha Baron Cohen and featuring the character Ali G....
, I'm Alan Partridge
I'm Alan Partridge
I'm Alan Partridge is a BBC situation comedy starring Steve Coogan, of which two series of six episodes each were produced — the first in 1997 and the second in 2002...
and Big Train
Big Train
Big Train is a surreal British television comedy sketch show created by Arthur Mathews and Graham Linehan, writers of the successful sitcom Father Ted...
. In 2000, the company was sold to Pearson
Pearson PLC
Pearson plc is a global media and education company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is both the largest education company and the largest book publisher in the world, with consumer imprints including Penguin, Dorling Kindersley and Ladybird...
for £62 million.
Smith co-wrote and took the lead role in the space comedy Morons from Outer Space
Morons from Outer Space
Morons from Outer Space is a 1985 comedy/science-fiction film directed by Mike Hodges.-Plot:The story begins on a small spaceship docking with a refueling station. On board are a group of four aliens, Bernard, Sandra, Desmond, and Julian...
but the film failed to make much impact. His next cinema effort was better received as director of The Tall Guy
The Tall Guy
The Tall Guy is a 1989 romantic comedy and the feature film debut of screenwriter Richard Curtis and director Mel Smith. It was produced by London Weekend Television for theatrical release and stars Jeff Goldblum, Emma Thompson, and Rowan Atkinson...
, giving Emma Thompson
Emma Thompson
Emma Thompson is a British actress, comedian and screenwriter. Her first major film role was in the 1989 romantic comedy The Tall Guy. In 1992, Thompson won multiple acting awards, including an Academy Award and a BAFTA Award for Best Actress, for her performance in the British drama Howards End...
a major screen role. Perhaps his best-known motion picture in America is Brain Donors
Brain Donors
Brain Donors is an American comedy movie released by Paramount Pictures, loosely based on the Marx Brothers comedy, A Night at the Opera...
, the 1992 update of the comedy classic A Night at the Opera
A Night at the Opera (film)
A Night at the Opera is a 1935 American comedy film starring Groucho Marx, Chico Marx and Harpo Marx, and featuring Kitty Carlisle, Allan Jones, Margaret Dumont, Sig Ruman, and Walter Woolf King. It was the first film the Marx Brothers made for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer after their departure from...
, starring Smith as a cheeky, opportunistic cab driver turned ballet promoter. Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
considered this film the outstanding comedy of the year, but when the producers left Paramount for another studio, Paramount withdrew its support for the movie.
In 1987, he recorded a single with Kim Wilde
Kim Wilde
Kim Wilde is an English pop singer, author and television presenter who burst onto the music scene in 1981 with the number 2 UK Singles Chart new wave classic "Kids in America". In 1987 she had a major hit in the United States when her version of The Supremes' classic "You Keep Me Hangin' On"...
for Comic Relief: a cover of the Christmas song "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree
Rockin' around the Christmas Tree
"Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" is a Christmas song written by Johnny Marks and recorded by Brenda Lee in 1958 on Decca 9-30776.-Background:...
" with some extra comedy lines written by Smith and Jones. It reached number 3 in the UK charts.
Smith and Jones were reunited in 2005 for a review/revival of their earlier TV series in "The Smith And Jones Sketchbook". Smith joked that "Obviously, Griff's got more money than me so he came to work in a Rolls-Royce and I came on a bicycle. But it was great fun to do and we are firmly committed to doing something new together, because you don't chuck that sort of chemistry away. Of course, I'll have to pretend I like Restoration
Restoration (TV series)
Restoration, Restoration, Restoration is a set of BBC television series where viewers decided on which listed building that was in immediate need of remedial works was to win a grant from Heritage Lottery Fund...
"
Smith returned to the theatre stage after some 20 years in August 2006, appearing at the Edinburgh Fringe
Edinburgh Fringe
The Edinburgh Festival Fringe is the world’s largest arts festival. Established in 1947 as an alternative to the Edinburgh International Festival, it takes place annually in Scotland's capital, in the month of August...
festival in Irish journalist and author Mary Kenny
Mary Kenny
Mary Kenny is an Irish author, broadcaster, playwright and journalist. She was a founder member of the Irish Women's Liberation Movement, though she has modified her radical past, but not rejected feminist principles....
's play about Churchill's
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
encounter with the Irish nationalist leader Michael Collins
Michael Collins (Irish leader)
Michael "Mick" Collins was an Irish revolutionary leader, Minister for Finance and Teachta Dála for Cork South in the First Dáil of 1919, Director of Intelligence for the IRA, and member of the Irish delegation during the Anglo-Irish Treaty negotiations. Subsequently, he was both Chairman of the...
in 1921. The play initially caused some controversy, with Smith proposing to flout the Scottish ban on smoking in public places, but the scene was quickly adapted after gaining the required amount of publicity. The play was directed by Brian Gilbert and produced by Daniel Jewel
Daniel Jewel
Daniel Jewel is a London based film producer and director. A graduate of Bristol University and Oxford University he has worked with British film directors such as Stephen Poliakoff, Charles Sturridge and Brian Gilbert. In 2006 he produced the play Allegiance at the Edinburgh Festival, which...
.
In Autumn 2006, Smith starred opposite Belinda Lang
Belinda Lang
Belinda Lang is an English actress, best known in the United Kingdom for her role as Bill Porter in the long running BBC sitcom 2point4 children .-Television:...
in a tour of a new comedy "An Hour and a Half Late" by French playwright Gérald Sibleyras, which was adapted by Smith. He will then direct a West End revival of "Charley's Aunt" starring Stephen Tompkinson
Stephen Tompkinson
Stephen Tompkinson is a British actor. He is best known for his work in comedy and drama productions such as Drop the Dead Donkey, Ballykissangel, Grafters, In Deep, Wild at Heart and DCI Banks....
. From October 2007 to January 2008, he played the role of Wilbur Turnblad in the London production of Hairspray
Hairspray (musical)
Hairspray is a musical with music by Marc Shaiman, lyrics by Scott Wittman and Shaiman and a book by Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan, based on the 1988 John Waters film Hairspray. The songs include 1960s-style dance music and "downtown" rhythm and blues...
at the Shaftesbury Theatre
Shaftesbury Theatre
The Shaftesbury Theatre is a West End Theatre, located on Shaftesbury Avenue, in the London Borough of Camden.-History:The theatre was designed for the brothers Walter and Frederick Melville by Bertie Crewe and opened on 26 December 1911 with a production of The Three Musketeers, as the New...
.
Personal life
Smith is married to Pam, a former model who grew up in EasingtonEasington, County Durham
Easington is a town in eastern County Durham, England. It comprises the ancient village of Easington Village and the ex-mining town of Easington Colliery, which are separate civil parishes. It is located at the junction of the A182 leading north-west to Hetton-le-Hole. Seaham Harbour and...
and Durham
Durham
Durham is a city in north east England. It is within the County Durham local government district, and is the county town of the larger ceremonial county...
, and the couple have houses in St John's Wood
St John's Wood
St John's Wood is a district of north-west London, England, in the City of Westminster, and at the north-west end of Regent's Park. It is approximately 2.5 miles north-west of Charing Cross. Once part of the Great Middlesex Forest, it was later owned by the Knights of St John of Jerusalem...
, Oxfordshire and Barbados.
Smith ended up seriously ill in hospital in 1999 after consuming more than 50 Nurofen Plus tablets; these contain the opiate drug Codeine
Codeine
Codeine or 3-methylmorphine is an opiate used for its analgesic, antitussive, and antidiarrheal properties...
, which is known to be addictive. His hospitalization was a culmination of a growing addiction to the pills. He said at the time that the pressures of film work were a contributing factor, along with a desperate need to ease the pain caused by gout
Gout
Gout is a medical condition usually characterized by recurrent attacks of acute inflammatory arthritis—a red, tender, hot, swollen joint. The metatarsal-phalangeal joint at the base of the big toe is the most commonly affected . However, it may also present as tophi, kidney stones, or urate...
. Partly as a result, he agreed to sell Talkback, but Smith admitted to restlessness: "I said to my wife that I needed to do something to get me out of the house".
The actor has had a long time love of Rolls Royce
Rolls-Royce (car)
This a list of Rolls-Royce motor cars and includes vehicles produced by:*Rolls-Royce Limited *Rolls-Royce Motors , which was owned by Vickers between 1980 and 1998, and after that by Volkswagen...
cars, buying his first Silver Shadow
Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow
The Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow is a luxury car that was produced in Great Britain in various forms from 1965 to 1980. It was the first Rolls-Royce to use a monocoque chassis, a response to concerns that the company was falling behind in automotive innovation....
at Brighton Racecourse
Brighton Racecourse
Brighton Racecourse is a horse racing course at Brighton, East Sussex in England, for flat races of up to about one and a half miles. The course is one of three courses in Britain which is not a circuit and forms a figure like three sides of a square, sloping, with wide left-hand turns and an...
from an advert in Sporting Life
Sporting Life (newspaper)
The Sporting Life was a British newspaper published between 1859 and 1998 that was best known for its coverage of horse racing. Latterly it has continued as a multi-sports website....
for £5000. At present he drives a Rolls Royce Corniche
Rolls-Royce Corniche (2000)
The Rolls-Royce Corniche is a two-door, four-seater luxury car with a cabriolet body, made in the United Kingdom from 2000 to 2002. Rolls-Royce's flagship car, it was the fifth model to bear the Corniche name on its debut in January 2000. At the time of its release, it was the most expensive...
.
On 31 December 2009, Smith appeared on Celebrity Mastermind
Mastermind (TV series)
Mastermind is a British quiz show, well known for its challenging questions, intimidating setting and air of seriousness.Devised by Bill Wright, the basic format of Mastermind has never changed — four and in later contests five contestants face two rounds, one on a specialised subject of the...
whilst suffering from severe pharyngitis
Pharyngitis
Pharyngitis is an inflammation of the throat or pharynx. In most cases it is quite painful, and is the most common cause of a sore throat.Like many types of inflammation, pharyngitis can be acute – characterized by a rapid onset and typically a relatively short course – or chronic....
.
Performer
- Not the Nine O'Clock NewsNot the Nine O'Clock NewsNot the Nine O'Clock News is a television comedy sketch show which was broadcast on BBC 2 from 1979 to 1982.Originally shown as a comedy "alternative" to the BBC Nine O'Clock News on BBC 1, it featured satirical sketches on current news stories and popular culture, as well as parody songs, comedy...
(1979) - Smith and GoodySmith and GoodySmith and Goody was a children's sketch show on ITV shown for one series in 1980. It was made for the ITV network by Thames Television. It starred, and was written by Mel Smith and Bob Goody, with music provided by Peter Brewis. As well as being a comedy, the series had tried to advocate literature...
(1980) - Fundamental Frolics (1981)
- Alas Smith and JonesAlas Smith and JonesAlas Smith and Jones is a British comedy sketch television series featuring Mel Smith and Griff Rhys Jones. It was broadcast on the BBC from 1984 to 1998...
(1982) - Weekend In WallopWeekend In WallopWeekend in Wallop was a made for TV documentary of the First Nether Wallop International Arts Festival. The premise was the creation of a new arts festival to compete with the world renowned Edinburgh Festival. It was broadcast on Channel4 in 1984....
(1984) - Comedians Do It On Stage (1986)
- The Home-made Xmas Video (1987)
- The World According To Smith And Jones (1987)
- Colin's SandwichColin's SandwichColin's Sandwich was a late 1980s/early 1990s BBC2 sitcom starring Mel Smith as Colin Watkins, a British Rail clerk who aspired to be a horror writer. The show was written by Paul Smith and Terry Kyan and ran for two series of six episodes...
(1988) - Smith and JonesAlas Smith and JonesAlas Smith and Jones is a British comedy sketch television series featuring Mel Smith and Griff Rhys Jones. It was broadcast on the BBC from 1984 to 1998...
(1989) - WiltWilt (film)Wilt is a 1989 movie adaptation by LWT of the Tom Sharpe novel of the same name. The story follows the comic misadventures of the eponymous Henry Wilt as he is accused of the murder of his wife when she suddenly goes missing after a party at a friend's house where they have a very public...
(1989) - Amnesty International's Big 30 (1991)
- Comic Relief (1991)
- The Night Of Comic Relief (1995)
- A Gala Comedy Hour (Best Of The Prince's Trust) (1996)
- The Smith and Jones Sketchbook (2005)
- The Sittaford Mystery, an episode of MarpleMarple (TV series)Marple is a British television series based on the Miss Marple and other murder mystery novels by Agatha Christie. It is also known as Agatha Christie's Marple. The title character was played by Geraldine McEwan from the first to third series, until her retirement from the role. She was replaced...
(2006) - HustleHustle (TV series)Hustle is a British television drama series made by Kudos Film and Television for BBC One in the United Kingdom. Created by Tony Jordan and first broadcast in 2004, the series follows a group of con artists who specialise in "long cons" – extended deceptions which require greater commitment, but...
(2006) - Celebrity MastermindMastermind (TV series)Mastermind is a British quiz show, well known for its challenging questions, intimidating setting and air of seriousness.Devised by Bill Wright, the basic format of Mastermind has never changed — four and in later contests five contestants face two rounds, one on a specialised subject of the...
(2008) - Rock & Chips (2 episodes, 2010–2011)
Writer
- Not The Nine O'clock News (1979)
- Smith And Goody (1980)
- Fundamental Frolics (1981)
- Alas Smith And Jones (1982)
- Weekend In Wallop (1984)
- Comedians Do It On Stage (1986)
- Smith And Jones (1989)
- Amnesty International's Big 30 (1991)
- A Gala Comedy Hour (Best Of The Prince's Trust) (1996)
Director
- The Tall GuyThe Tall GuyThe Tall Guy is a 1989 romantic comedy and the feature film debut of screenwriter Richard Curtis and director Mel Smith. It was produced by London Weekend Television for theatrical release and stars Jeff Goldblum, Emma Thompson, and Rowan Atkinson...
(1989) - Radioland MurdersRadioland MurdersRadioland Murders is a 1994 black comedy mystery film directed by Mel Smith and co-written/produced by George Lucas. Radioland Murders is set in the 1939 atmosphere of old-time radio and pays homage to the screwball comedy films of the 1930s...
(1994) - BeanBean (1997 film)Bean, also known as Mr. Bean: The Movie and Bean: The Ultimate Disaster Movie is a 1997 British-American comedy film based on the popular ITV comedy Television series Mr. Bean, which was written by and starring Rowan Atkinson as the title character...
(1997) - High Heels and Low LifesHigh Heels and Low LifesHigh Heels and Low Lifes is a 2001 action comedy-drama film starring Minnie Driver, Mary McCormack, Kevin McNally, Mark Williams, Danny Dyer and Michael Gambon. It was directed by Mel Smith and written by Kim Fuller and Georgia Pritchett...
(2001) - BlackballBlackball (film)Blackball is a 2003 British comedy sports film, borrowed from the Australian film, Crackerjack about Cliff Starkey , a fictional rebellious young bowls player. His dream is to play for his country, but always preferred to play by his own rules, much to the disapproval of the local bowls club...
(2003)
Actor
- BabylonBabylon (film)Babylon is a 1980 film that depicts the struggles of a Black British working class musician. It stars Brinsley Forde of the reggae band, Aswad. It was co-written by Martin Stellman and Franco Rosso who also directed it. It also starred Karl Howman and Trevor Laird...
(1980) - Alan - BullshotBullshot (film)Bullshot is a 1983 film, based on the stage play "Bullshot Crummond". The name comes from a parody of the 1929 film, on which it is loosely based, Bulldog Drummond....
(1983) - Crouch - Slayground (1983) - Terry Abbatt
- MinderMinder (TV series)Minder is a British comedy-drama about the London criminal underworld. Initially produced by Verity Lambert, it was made by Euston Films, a subsidiary of Thames Television and shown on ITV...
(1984) - Cyril Ash - Restless NativesRestless NativesRestless Natives is a 1985 comedy film directed by Michael Hoffman and starring Vincent Friell, Joe Mullaney, and Ned Beatty.Filmed in Scotland, the story follows the adventures of two young men who don masks and hold up tourist coaches in the Highlands...
(1985) - Pyle - The SupergrassThe SupergrassThe Supergrass is a 1985 British comedy film written and directed by Peter Richardson. Film starred Richardson, Adrian Edmondson, Jennifer Saunders, Dawn French, Keith Allen, Nigel Planer, Alexei Sayle, Ronald Allen and Robbie Coltrane. After returning from a holiday in the West Country he...
(1985) - Morons from Outer SpaceMorons from Outer SpaceMorons from Outer Space is a 1985 comedy/science-fiction film directed by Mike Hodges.-Plot:The story begins on a small spaceship docking with a refueling station. On board are a group of four aliens, Bernard, Sandra, Desmond, and Julian...
(1985) - Bernard; also co-wrote the script with Griff Rhys Jones - National Lampoon's European VacationNational Lampoon's European VacationEuropean Vacation is a 1985 comedy film. The second film in National Lampoon's Vacation film series, it was directed by Amy Heckerling and stars Chevy Chase and Beverly D'Angelo. Dana Hill and Jason Lively replace Dana Barron and Anthony Michael Hall as Griswold children Audrey and Rusty...
(1985) - London Hotel Receptionist - The Princess BrideThe Princess Bride (film)The Princess Bride is a 1987 American film based on the 1973 novel of the same name by William Goldman, combining comedy, adventure, romance, and fantasy. The film was directed by Rob Reiner from a screenplay by Goldman...
(1987) - The Albino - The Wolves of Willoughby ChaseThe Wolves of Willoughby ChaseThe Wolves of Willoughby Chase is a children's novel by Joan Aiken, first published in 1963. Set in an alternate history of England, it tells of the adventures of cousins Bonnie and Sylvia and their friend Simon the goose-boy as they thwart the evil schemes of their governess Miss Slighcarp.The...
(1988) - Mr. Grimshaw - Wilt (from a novel by Tom SharpeTom SharpeTom Sharpe is an English satirical author, best known for his Wilt series of novels.Sharpe was born in London and moved to South Africa in 1951, where he worked as a social worker and a teacher, before being deported for sedition in 1961...
) (1989) - Inspector Flint - Brain DonorsBrain DonorsBrain Donors is an American comedy movie released by Paramount Pictures, loosely based on the Marx Brothers comedy, A Night at the Opera...
(aka Lame Ducks) (1992) - Rocco Melonchek - Twelfth Night: Or What You WillTwelfth Night: Or What You Will (1996 film)Twelfth Night or What You Will is a 1996 British film adaptation of William Shakespeare's play, directed by Trevor Nunn and featuring an all-star cast. The adaptation is given a northern Central European feel, set in the late 19th century, with Orsino and his followers shown wearing Czapka...
(1996) - Sir Toby Belch
External links
- Rockin' around the Christmas tree at kimwildetv.com.