The Imaginatively Titled Punt & Dennis Show
Encyclopedia
The Imaginatively Titled Punt & Dennis Show (1994–1995) was a stand-up
and sketch
show by comedian
s 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
and Ronni Ancona
were among the regular guests on the show. It only ran for two series, the second of which was more simply titled Punt and Dennis.
It never quite reached the popularity of its predecessors, likely due to the pre-watershed
timing of the show.
There were several character inventions in the sketches, such as "The Gullibles", who were always falling for scams, as well as a number of Punt and Dennis's characters from The Mary Whitehouse Experience, such as the milk-obsessed "Mr Strange". There were also spoofs from TV programs such as Baywatch
and The X-Files
.
The second series also featured performances by tribute bands, who impersonated groups like The Beatles
and The Rolling Stones
.
It was Produced by David Tyler (UK)
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 comedian
Comedian
A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience, primarily by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy...
s 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...
. They were a double act
Double act
A double act, also known as a comedy duo, is a comic pairing in which humor is derived from the uneven relationship between two partners, usually of the same gender, age, ethnic origin and profession, but drastically different personalities or behavior...
in 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...
, and they also featured in Canned Carrott
Canned Carrott
Canned Carrott was a comedy stand-up and sketch-show by Jasper Carrott. Two of the regular sketches were "Wiggy" and "The Detectives"....
, so they had plenty of experience working together. Impressionists
Impressionist (entertainment)
An impressionist or a mimic is a performer whose act consists of imitating the voice and mannerisms of others. The word usually refers to a professional comedian/entertainer who specializes in such performances and has developed a wide repertoire of impressions, including adding to them, often to...
Alistair McGowan
Alistair McGowan
Alistair McGowan is a British impressionist, stand-up comic, actor, singer and writer best known to British audiences for The Big Impression , which was, for four years, one of BBC1's top-rating comedy programmes - winning numerous awards, including a BAFTA in 2003...
and Ronni Ancona
Ronni Ancona
Ronni Ancona is a Scottish actress, impressionist and author. Ancona won the Best TV Comedy Actress award at the 2003 British Comedy Awards for her work in Big Impression.- Career :...
were among the regular guests on the show. It only ran for two series, the second of which was more simply titled Punt and Dennis.
It never quite reached the popularity of its predecessors, likely due to the pre-watershed
Watershed (television)
In television, the term watershed denotes the time period in a television schedule during which programs with adult content can air....
timing of the show.
There were several character inventions in the sketches, such as "The Gullibles", who were always falling for scams, as well as a number of Punt and Dennis's characters from The Mary Whitehouse Experience, such as the milk-obsessed "Mr Strange". There were also spoofs from TV programs such as Baywatch
Baywatch
Baywatch is an American action drama series about the Los Angeles County Lifeguards who patrol the beaches of Los Angeles County, California, starring David Hasselhoff. The show ran in its original title and format from 1989 to 1999, sans the 1990-1991 season, of which it was not in production...
and The X-Files
The X-Files
The X-Files is an American science fiction television series and a part of The X-Files franchise, created by screenwriter Chris Carter. The program originally aired from to . The show was a hit for the Fox network, and its characters and slogans became popular culture touchstones in the 1990s...
.
The second series also featured performances by tribute bands, who impersonated groups like The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
and The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
.
It was Produced by David Tyler (UK)
David Tyler (UK)
David Tyler is a British television and radio comedy producer, executive producer and director. He is also the co-founder of the independent production company Pozzitive Television, which he set up in 1992 with Geoff Posner....