Morecambe and Wise: record-breaking TV favourites

Iconic comedy duo Morecambe and Wise reached their peak of popularity in Britain in the 1970s, having discovered the winning formula for combining theatrical variety and celebrity involvement with prime time family televison. This led to them drawing a record TV programme viewing audience of 28 million, and becoming a Christmas TV tradition.

A comedy double act, the pair originally worked in variety, radio, film, before their hugely successfully television career. Their partnership lasted from 1941 until Morecambe's death in 1984. Widely considered the best-loved double-act that Britain has produced, their popularity peaked with the 1977 Christmas Show, when a phenomenal 28 million viewers sat down to watch, the most watched comedy programme in British television history.

In September 2006, the duo were voted by the general public as number 2 in a poll of TV's 50 Greatest Stars (the winner was David Jason). More recently, in 2017, BBC researchers asked UK viewers the programmes they “most clearly remember watching over Christmas” within their lifetime. Morecambe and Wise topped the list, with the Queen’s speech coming second.

Eric Morecambe was born John Eric Bartholomew in 1926, growing up as an only child in the Lancashire seaside town of Morecambe. His mother, Sadie, worked as a waitress to pay for his dancing lessons, and was the force behind his early show business career. Ernie Wise (originally Wiseman) was born in 1925 in Leeds. He performed as a child with his father and later joined Jack Hylton's revue Youth Takes a Bow at the Nottingham Empire Theatre. Here he met Eric Morecambe and the two teenagers became friends and, at Sadie's suggestion, began working on a double act.

They made their debut in August 1941 at the Liverpool Empire. War service broke up the act but they reunited by chance at the Swansea Empire in 1946. They made their name in variety, appearing in a variety circus, the Windmill Theatre, the Glasgow Empire and many venues around Britain.

Their debut TV show in 1954, Running Wild, was not well received, but they developed and honed their act, and by 1968, where they were to be teamed up on the BBC with the long-term writer Eddie Braben.

The introduction of celebrity guests was an idea suggested by their BBC producer. Actors and actresses, musicians, TV newsreaders and documentary presenters were all persuaded to be made fun of. Celebrities with a serious image and great dignity were particularly favoured, the best known probably being conductor and composer Andre Previn, in a very famous sketch.

Eric Morecambe collapsed from a heart attack as he left the stage of the Roses Theatre in Tewkesbury, following a performance in 1984; and died a few hours later. Ernie Wise continued solo, but had less fame. He died in 1999.

Both men have statues in their honour in their respective home towns of Morecambe and Leeds.