As someone who grew up watching them it is hard to explain how much this duo were loved in Britain to those who were not around in the 60s, 70s and 80s. In the 70s their Christmas shows was watched by millions - it was probably the most eagerly anticipated show over the Christmas period.
The ice cream/police car joke has lived in my brain for over 40 years, and even now when a police car rushes by I still say " he's not going to sell any ice cream going at that speed".😆
Morcambe & Wise were an institution, on British TV for decades, with these skits, repeated situations over many years. This is just one small sketch in an hour long show, with only this short section 'in bed' together. I don't remember it ever being explained just why they did this, but no one ever questioned it or read into it anything sinister or strange. Eric Morcambe, in the glasses, was a naturally funny man, while Ernie Wise was more or less the straight man, & the but of many jokes. It was all very good humoured in those days, with only very slight smuttiness, but no swearing or political stuff. These 2 began in stand up in the north of England working man's social clubs, advanced to seaside summer shows, before becoming TV performers, in the 1960's, & by the 70's they were about the biggest stars on the screen, remaining there for the next 25-30 years, until Eric's death. It was a big transition from do your own stand up routine to weekly TV shows, with many sketch writers over the years, & it didn't always work. But there were threads than ran through their shows, like the bed scenes, that sort of worked over time like short episodes from long running soap operas, so you really had to see a series to get the point, though each skit had it's funny moments. There were repeated efforts by Ernie over the years to write plays etc which were always awful, as hinted at here, with Eric gently letting him know how bad they were, without cruelty, which led Ernie to keep trying etc. etc.
I can almost guarantee that most Brits, of a certain vintage, use that ice cream gag every time they hear an emergency vehicle siren! I know I do!! 🤣🤣🤣
Having been a kid in the 80s and 90s I remember a lot of scenes from various comedy duos in this style. I think Laurel and Hardy started it, but M & W made it a staple of understated humor and even sitcoms adopted it in homage later. Keeping Up Appearances and One Foot In The Grave used to have these scenes too. I seem to remember French and Saunders did a few in this style. I would definitely recommend checking out French and Saunders. They were pioneers of female-led sketch comedy in the 80s and into the 90s. Both remarkable women who created shows like Absolutely Fabulous and The Vicar of Dibley - legendary British comedy built from improv roots.
Eric and Ernie were like a comedy institution in the UK in the 1960-1980s. They span the grand old age of cabaret through to tv series. Much of the humour is contextual ... people of the time understood that Ernie was a very dubious author and that he was tight (e.g. the reference to the bank). It was aimed at the British audience with whom they shared cultural references of the 1970s/80s. Morecambe and Wise Christmas Shows were prime time tv and they had some of the greatest actors and musicians of our age as guests. One of the most famous is their show with Andre Previn, then conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra. Again, there are some gems amongst the guffaws ... the nature of much tv comedy series.
According to the documentary Morecambe and Wise didn’t want to do the bed sketches because of how it might look until their comedy writer pointed Laurel & Hardy done it, both Morecambe and Wise & Laurel & Hardy started out in the musical halls
A lot of the jokes come from the familiarity with the semi-biographical backstory of M & W being a northern comedy duo who grew up together and who had aspirations to the bright lights and (for Ernie) for 'legitimate' theatre. The original audience had the advantage of knowing that sharing a bed was a nod to their past as working comedians too poor to afford separate beds on tour, and knowing the running gags about Ernie's delusions of grandeur as a great writer.
These her sketches were usually a link to introducing a guest performance , Ernie - who was pompous considering himself a great playwright - would be writing his play which was often featured later in the show . In the seventies the jokes had to be family-friendly .Eric would wind him up , but never puncture his bubble .
Survivors of the last days of music hall, Eric & Ernie's first foray into television was the disastrous 1950s BBC show 'Running Wild' (which, in common with much of the corporation's early programmes, no longer exists). The critics were scathing. One newspaper reviewer described his TV as 'the box they buried Morecambe & Wise in last night'. Crushed by the response, the duo retreated to live performance, but with the theatre circuit in decline and the small screen in the ascendant, it was only a matter of time before they had to reconsider. Starting with the ATV series 'Two of a Kind' in the early 1960s, they transferred back to the BBC in 1968 - just before Eric Morecambe suffered a massive heart attack. This subtly changed the nature of their shows, but his extended convalescence also meant they ended up with a new writer: Eddie Braben. And it's his material that turned the pair into the biggest comedy stars in Britain. The boys were initially resistant to being shown in bed together until Braben said 'If it's good enough for Laurel & Hardy, it's good enough for you!'
It was family viewing, and everyone loved them. When eric died it was like losing an uncle. Christmas shows were brilliant. It is very very British humour. My brother now 63, still quotes morecambe and wise. Get out of that. Etc. This was in the 1970s, you have to remember. They were great shows. Just loved morecambe and wise. They were the first to do the credits at the end of a show and have pictures of the people. Ernest maxim was a gorilla dressed up, who was the producer. All tongue in cheek all family viewing. The stars that went on their show shirley bassey, tom jones, andre previn, chiff richards all british people.
Funny isn't it, that in a time when we are supposed to be more enlightened and acceptable to things like that, people are more hung up on something like that than in the '70's/early 80's when this was recorded. As I said in my comment, nobody at the time even questioned it or thought they were gay in the scene. It was just a comedy sketch where there was 2 men in bed together. If they did the scene now there would be uproar and they would be saying they were gay. In some ways we have gone backwards and not forwards in our attitudes.
@@paulmaxey6377 The difference is that people seem to feel the need to talk about such things, nowadays, when, back then, no-one particularly cared about it, or just accepted the fact that 2 men can possibly sleep in the same bed and there be no connotations attached to it. Almost as though it didn't matter one way or the other. That it was a trivial matter not even worth mentioning. The problem now is that people tend to go out of their way to look for things to be offended about, as though it's something they have to do in order to give meaning to their lives. It's all superficial nonsense, for the most part. Which is why such things weren't talked about years ago.
There are definitely some UK-specific allusions in this, e.g. "Co-op" = Cooperative Society (shop), a type of supermarket of that time, "divy" = dividend, which members of the Co-op received as a reward for shopping there. So "getting your divy" = getting a return on your investment. The siren passing the window was that used on police cars of the time, but ice-cream vans also used musical tunes to attract customers.
@@wallythewondercorncake8657 In context the Co-op is a proper noun, now short for the Co-operative Group, a UK business. It is currently the UK's fifth largest food retailer and largest funeral services provider. So certainly UK specific. It started with the Rochdale Equitable Pioneers Society which set out the Rochdale Principles. Those formed the basis of the International Co-operative Alliance's principles.
That reminds me of our dogs. One wanted his brother's bed so he went outside and barked. His brother went out to see what the barking was all about and he ran in and grabbed the bed.
They bombed at first on tv because the BBC employed a writing team who didn’t know them. They went home and Eric’s mom (I believe) told them they should do their own material and don’t get bullied! So they did and became the biggest comedy duo on British TV.
Eric and Ernie were of their time. I always preferred the Two Ronnie’s who were much cleverer, but the stand out Eric and Ernie for me was the sketch where they made breakfast….. worth a watch 👍🏻👍🏻
Like most current comedy it is contemporary to its time, with references to and acknowledgement of current shared social, political and economic perspectives. As Americans you have the added problem of not having shared in much of this, either directly or vicariously. This is the same for Brits (for example) trying to watch SNL where many of the gags are about situations or people we don’t know and therefore often fail with non American audiences. When the audience is laughing and you’re not, that is because they understand the references and you don’t. Trying to comment on something you don’t understand is a difficult ask.
When they interviewed Morecambe and Wise they asked about the two men in one bed sketches, and they said in the old days when two men were in a situation where they had to share a room it was quite common that they would share a bed like that. They said Laurel and Hardy did it lots of times in there movies. It's only these days that people may assume they are gay.
The dressing gown in bed was a mistake by Eric, so his add lib reply to Ernie was just pure Eric and so typical of his comic skills. It must seem strange to anyone just discovering m&m but they became like family to us all in the UK, they were genuinely loved. Just a simpler, more innocent and happier time. I still miss them both. RIP lads.
There seem to be a lot of Morecombe and Wise fans here, so I will share an apparently little known fact, I was delighted by it, and other people seem to enjoy it, so - People who watched it back in the day may remember that every now and again, at the end of the show a woman would appear behind them, push them aside and say things like "I hope you have enjoyed my little show, and if you have, its all been worthwhile", she would then proceed to bow or nod to the applause of the audience as the show finished. Her identity was never given, her presence never explained and they would both step aside and meekly et her take their applause. This was something they had done many times in music hall, and was actually a dig at George Formbys wife, who would stand offstage and then rush on to take the applause for her husband. It wasn't a happy marriage and she treated him like a performing dog, their having someone come on and do the same to them was mocking her - and George too I think? Im not sure that he was well liked by other acts
You must watch the classic sketch they did with Andre Previn, where they play Grieg's Piano Concerto (by Grieg). Much funnier than this. Make sure you get the whole sketch though, there are some shorter versions that start when the curtains go back. 😅😅
I'm British, you dont like it because it is dated. If you saw it before it did, you would probably have a nostalgic love for it, as is the case for most brits.
When Bernard Braden - principal scriptwriter for Morecambe & Wise - first approached Eric and Ernie about the bedroom scenario for the show, neither Morecambe nor Wise was keen to go through with the idea. They were afraid that the setting would be misunderstood, attributing an unintended undertone to the situation which was never intended. Eric and Ernie worried that the intended innocence of the scenario would be dismissed by the audience both in the studio and at home, and another more lurid interpretation would be made. This setting was one invented - for wat of a better word - many decades earlier by no less than Laurel and Hardy, who frequently used the two men-in-a-bed set-up quite innocently and to great comedic effect. What finally made Morecambe & Wise change their minds and accept Braden's recommendation to include the set-up? It was when Braden said quite simply: "If it was good enough for Laurel and Hardy, then it's good enough for you."
Ahhhh so this is where the 'not gonna sell many icecreams going at THAT speed' comes from! I get the feeling they can just be in any setting and their banter is great (some are not aumsed though
Sharing the bed - like sharing an apartment was just a device, it's simple for camera work and set, and place them in one spot. Since many jokes were based on their supposedly stained relationship, pairing them so closely made those reactions to each other. There is rarely a comedy that includes sniping where people are not "hostage" to some living or working relationship arrangement. Whether it is MASH or Cheers or a million other shows, conflicts make little sense if each person can go back to their room, to their house. The idea was put forward by their writer, they both initially hated the idea, he reminded them that Laurel and Hardy, who they both admired had used the same device several times. A great deal of Morecambe and Wise's act was unspoken, but the audience who knew them well could usually fill in the gaps, because they knew the characters - also jokes were often used again and again, the joke being in the repetition rather that the joke. There is a pretty good biopic about them called "Eric and Ernie", you can find here on TH-cam. They were more than a pair of comedians, they were adored and revered
It's a 1970s show. So funny at the time, and still is for those who watched it at the time - I was a little kid at the time and liked Morecambe and Wise. These days it's funny because of the nostalgia mostly, and younger people don't have that connection to that period of time and the memories these sketches are associated with. Also, like many sketch shows, there are some sketches that aren't as funny as others, particularly if you don't know the running jokes that are constants between Eric and Ernie, like Ernie being tight with money, and the crappy plays Eric teases him about.
It's not a difference between US and UK humour. It's hard to convey how loved they were. In the 70s, their Christmas show was the highlight of tv. They had started when they were children and references to their past, including them still sharing a bed because they'd done that since they were poor, was part of their magic. More accessible would their guest stars. Try them as backing singers to Tom Jones, stage hands with Shirley Bassey or one of Ernie's plays. Glenda Jackson?
Shirley Bassey coming down those stairs and getting her shoe replaced by a man's boot...no other duo could poke fun at huge stars of the time like Eric and Ernie did.
They were in bed together because their writer thought it would work and he used laurel and Hardy often being shown in bed together as a persuader and morecambe replied if it's good enough for them then it's good enough for us. Finally I agree with you the boys are entertaining but not laugh out loud funny
More innocent times. Eric and Ernie had initially been reluctant to do these ‘Bedroom’ scenes but were persuaded by the Scriptwriter that it worked for Laurel and Hardy, at which point Eric looked thoughtful for a moment, removed the pipe he had been puffing and said “We’ll do it”! These scenes became iconic because the relationship was so obviously brotherly, sexless and lacking in innuendo. As you say, this is pretty old ( 1970’s) but the secret of their success was the warmth and mischief they exuded and their faultless timing. The whole family could watch together without fear of anything inappropriate. The nation mourns them still.
If it's good enough for Laurel and Hardy to share a bed, Morecambe and Wise were told that it's good enough for you two. I hope they bring you sunshine too
Back at the time anybody in bed together was frown upon by TV censors, so two men were unheard of... Eric and Ernie normalised it behind humour. They'd have never been allowed on TV at the time otherwise.
Their writer persuaded them to do it on the basis that their comedy heroes, Laurel & Hardy, did it. I grew up watching this in the 70's along with millions of others and no-one thought they were gay or anything else.
No, nobody is going to die laughing at this, and I watched it when it went out for the first time. It's just gentle humour based on a love of M&W. As others have said, the two in a bed was sold to M&W because L&H did it and they were their heroes. Nobody was ever going to die laughing at L&H either but nobody would doubt how great and pioneering they were. The ice cream gag is part of British history, and you'll get a reaction from any native of a certain age, and it goes through their mind every time they hear an emergency vehicle siren.
Love the honesty. I agree with you, not that funny, apart from the ice cream van joke. But still entertaining. They did loads of sketches where they shared a bed. No one questioned it. It was just a more innocent time.
It was funny in the day and you have to remember this was a family friendly show and M&W didn't do risqué humour. Them being in the same bed doesn't depict them as living together, they're in a hotel room for any number of reasons, probably to save money, if it was two women sharing a bed no one would question it.
The whole in bed together was the idea of the writer if I recall correctly and as I said in a previous reaction you did Eric (Morecambe) wasn't sure about it as he wasn't sure the audience would accept it. But Eric was a fan of Laurel and Hardy and when someone said that "Well they did it." he agreed to do it. The funny thing is nobody at the time thought anything about it or that they were gay in the scene, they just accepted that it was 2 men in a bed in a comedy sketch.
The main joke was the fact both of them were n the same bed was NEVER explained.. lol. the icecream van/police car joke is a classic from those two. lol. It was humour of its time. they were an institution and nearly the entire country tuned in. When my brother was in senior school it was almost cult viewing. Some of it has travelled well with time. some not so much.
When Eddie Braben took over the writing of the show he wanted to emphasise their close friendship so he introduced the fictional notion that they lived together. Each show incorporated a scene from their apartment either in the living room or the bedroom. These scenes were often a pretend "fly on the wall" look at their life away from the stage and frequently involved Ernie preparing the script for a play and involved some casual banter between them. If you watch a whole Morecambe and Wise show, the context of these scenes make more sense. They tended to be a bit of low key light relief, so I can understand why you didn't find it that funny, although some of the lines have become classics. Even today when an ambulance is heard, people of my generation will still say "He won't sell many ice creams going at that speed". Each show also incorporated one of Ernie's plays which Ernie considered masterpieces (spoiler alert - they weren't). These always included a well known actor or celebrity of the time who would regret their involvement, although in reality they loved working with Morecambe and Wise. After all it was fun and they were being watched by 20 million people in the UK. House of Terror was one of these "plays", which you reacted to a while ago. It wasn't one of the better examples though.
The idea of them being in bed together was taken from the old Laurel and Hardy films. They spend their lives together and get on each others nerves, so they even sleep in the same bed. For M&W and L&H its completely innocent.
No two people have the same sense of humour, however Morecambe and Wise were massive in the UK 50 years ago. They are considered to be comedy legends, also many people in Britain don't find some US shows to be that funny.
Morecombe and Wise were definitely of their time. Some of their sketches were incredibly funny. The in bed together was just a thing. The situation was they lived together as there were regular sketchhes that took place in the bed and house. You should check out their making breakfast sketch. It's OK not to like something/find it unfunny. I for one don't find Friends in the slightest bit funny and that too, apparently, hasn't aged well.
They didn't use the crass humour of today. Their show was family Christmas night viewing and just taking a clip from a show doesn't show the variety of their performance.
Lots of British humour is language based. There are lots of British centric humour. Co op gave points called dividends so if you don't know you don't get! The bed was a running sketch! Born out of poor childhood upbringing
You must remember that the 1970’s was a completely different world, what we found funny then seems unfunny now. Morecambe and Wise were great family entertainment with nothing that you couldn’t sit and laugh to with Mum & Dad. In 2024, it does seem a bit dated, but nevertheless, it is a snapshot in time of a gentler form of tv family entertainment that we left behind during the 80’s - wanting to watch something else that was new, fresh and something the older folk wouldn’t like. Just enjoy Morecambe and Wise, The Two Ronnies and all the others of that time…..
If you say "... two old men, sitting in Deck Chairs ... " most people of a certain era will get that and be amused. But I wouldn't expect anyone who didn't grow up with only 2 or 3 TV channels, and the massive audiences watching shows like Morecambe & Wise on a Saturday evening, to understand that at all
Morecambe and wise started their act in 1940 when they were 16 and 17 years old , they toured theatres and became like Brothers, in the 1920,s siblings tended to have to sleep in the same bedroom together, so no-one really related any sexuality to the comedy routines,
Can someone tell me what they said just as he got into bed? "You laugjgjend djd psyciatrist in the morning." "I won't? I sjcnnd ddndjdjjd wkemem like everybody else." (Laughter)
BBC Bosses were not happy with Eric & Ernie sharing a bed due to homosexual connotations. Eric told them “It was good enough Laurel & Hardy” and they relented.
They said that the inspiration for the bed scene was Laurel and Hardy used to have episodes where they were in bed together. just sharing ; If it was good enough for them they said. it was an innocent time where we didn't think twice about the situation. It's ok not to find every little joke funny.
Yeah, it's very dated now - if you were there at the time, the 70's, this would have been the highlight of the week because there was nowt else to laugh at, 3 TV channels , mostly boring as can be, so Eric & Ernie became elevated to genius comedy status I guess. So us oldies still regard them with affection but we don;t exactly belly laugh, not because we know the jokes but because the jokes weren;t that great. In fairness, I think just one poor script writer had to come up with all this every week - Or at least I remember the script writer having a moan about how undervalued he felt. American comedy usually has a full team of writers as I understand, (correct me if I'm wrong) and I admire a lot of American stuff - from the days of Bilko through to Seinfeld - I loved Bakersfield PD for a while - a bit of an odd one. I don;t blame you not finding this hilarious cause it wasn't unless you were living in Britain at that time and had grown to love this pair. They felt like friends we all "knew". It does look strange now, two presumably straight blokes sleeping in the same bed, a bit like Laurel & Hardy.
Hi guys ian from glasgow. I might be biased but you cant beat good scottish comedy give still game .naked video .rab c nesbitt . Or scotch and wry pardon the french but youll piss yourself laughing .been enjoying your reactions .all the best to you and your family keep safe god bless x
Rab C Nesbitt wasn't funny though......... it was sh!te. I would give you 100% support if you would advocate Restless Natives for it's comedy and one of the best soundtracks to a film ( Big Country) I'm English btw, and have many Scots as friends, and they spout the same crap all the time........ there is better Scottish comedy than the run of the mill if you stop following the mainstream crap.....
To be fair I'm a Brit and I didn't find it that funny but this was the 1970's and not all comedy stands the test of time. That's not to say Morecambe and Wise are not legends and some of their material still has me howling with laughter!!
This humour isn’t really what most Americans find funny there is a difference in humour sometimes, maybe age comes into it as well, I was nearly wetting myself to this clip.
This is by far the worst example of Eric and Ernie. I grew up on them in the 70s and 80s and I didn't find it particularly funny. Stuffing the whale? Saw that coming a mile away. Ice Cream joke is funny and I still use it. I don't know why anyone would recommend Morecambe and Wise for a reaction video. No young British person would find this sketch funny and it's no suprise that young Americans wouldn't either. As for wetting yourself at this sketch. That says more about your pelvic floor muscles than it does about your sense of humour. One word "Kegel" :)
It's very dated humour and more nostalgic and really only funny to people who grew up with morecambe and wise and have a nostalgic view of simpler times...
Not the best sketch from Morecambe and Wise and a rare, non-scripted slip from Eric too. Eric and Ernie are still comic genius to me :) You should watch the BBC drama 'Eric and Ernie' about how they met and grew up together etc. interesting and funny !
I think it’s refreshing that you’re honest about what you do or don’t like. I’m afraid I find that Morecambe and Wise date rather badly. If they were as is claimed brilliant that certainly didn’t translate over time as well as say the Two Ronnies do.
Were you even around at the time ?.. doesn’t sound like it .., as brilliant as claimed ??? Errr YES they were !!!! everyone watched their Christmas shows it was a must see look it up between 21-28 million watched and as for comedy it will date that’s the nature of the beast … I never found laurel and hardy funny but my oldest brother who was 23 years older than me loved them he was born in 1930
They most certainly were brilliant in the 1970s, and many of their sketches do translate over time as well as those of the Two Ronnies. Some sketches involving guest stars have dated, though some are timeless (Andre Previn).
@@peterjackson4763 it’s a subjective thing humour. I’ve never particularly liked Morecambe and Wise, and viewed them as often overrated. There’s no right or wrong, when humour comes into play. Just opinion.
You missed a lot of the jokes. Co-op dividends are not a part of your culture and neither are Dinky toys. Morecambe and Wise were always shown sharing a bed. To Brits, that in itself is funny. Like it or not, we find different things funny. I don't know anyone who finds Bill Burr or George Carlin amusing. It's not that Americans have no sense of humour, it's just that you like more obvious jokes and often more offensive ones (which I why Americsns like Ricky Gervais and most of us can't stand him). That you got any of the jokes is impressive. They are very anchored in Britain in the 70s.
I don't even think 'Flashing' is a thing they would know...I would guess it'd be called indecent exposure...so the whole Flash Gordon thing went sailing by.
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As someone who grew up watching them it is hard to explain how much this duo were loved in Britain to those who were not around in the 60s, 70s and 80s. In the 70s their Christmas shows was watched by millions - it was probably the most eagerly anticipated show over the Christmas period.
The ice cream/police car joke has lived in my brain for over 40 years, and even now when a police car rushes by I still say " he's not going to sell any ice cream going at that speed".😆
Same here
Definitely now a staple of UK comedy, like the ‘playing the right notes, not necessarily in the right order…’
same, i had to rake over that joke from my great uncle when he passed
I still use the ice cream joke to this day
What about the man asking the ice cream man for a cornet, and the reply "do you want hundreds and thousands" no Just one! says the customer
Me too..😂
Same here 😂
Me too 😂
Same as 😅😅
The ice cream joke is one of my all time favourites.😂
Check out Morecambe and Wise with the Beatles.
Morcambe & Wise were an institution, on British TV for decades, with these skits, repeated situations over many years. This is just one small sketch in an hour long show, with only this short section 'in bed' together. I don't remember it ever being explained just why they did this, but no one ever questioned it or read into it anything sinister or strange. Eric Morcambe, in the glasses, was a naturally funny man, while Ernie Wise was more or less the straight man, & the but of many jokes. It was all very good humoured in those days, with only very slight smuttiness, but no swearing or political stuff. These 2 began in stand up in the north of England working man's social clubs, advanced to seaside summer shows, before becoming TV performers, in the 1960's, & by the 70's they were about the biggest stars on the screen, remaining there for the next 25-30 years, until Eric's death. It was a big transition from do your own stand up routine to weekly TV shows, with many sketch writers over the years, & it didn't always work. But there were threads than ran through their shows, like the bed scenes, that sort of worked over time like short episodes from long running soap operas, so you really had to see a series to get the point, though each skit had it's funny moments. There were repeated efforts by Ernie over the years to write plays etc which were always awful, as hinted at here, with Eric gently letting him know how bad they were, without cruelty, which led Ernie to keep trying etc. etc.
I can almost guarantee that most Brits, of a certain vintage, use that ice cream gag every time they hear an emergency vehicle siren!
I know I do!! 🤣🤣🤣
I use that 'ice cream van' joke every time I see an ambulance.
Having been a kid in the 80s and 90s I remember a lot of scenes from various comedy duos in this style. I think Laurel and Hardy started it, but M & W made it a staple of understated humor and even sitcoms adopted it in homage later. Keeping Up Appearances and One Foot In The Grave used to have these scenes too. I seem to remember French and Saunders did a few in this style.
I would definitely recommend checking out French and Saunders. They were pioneers of female-led sketch comedy in the 80s and into the 90s. Both remarkable women who created shows like Absolutely Fabulous and The Vicar of Dibley - legendary British comedy built from improv roots.
Eric and Ernie were like a comedy institution in the UK in the 1960-1980s. They span the grand old age of cabaret through to tv series. Much of the humour is contextual ... people of the time understood that Ernie was a very dubious author and that he was tight (e.g. the reference to the bank). It was aimed at the British audience with whom they shared cultural references of the 1970s/80s. Morecambe and Wise Christmas Shows were prime time tv and they had some of the greatest actors and musicians of our age as guests. One of the most famous is their show with Andre Previn, then conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra. Again, there are some gems amongst the guffaws ... the nature of much tv comedy series.
According to the documentary Morecambe and Wise didn’t want to do the bed sketches because of how it might look until their comedy writer pointed Laurel & Hardy done it, both Morecambe and Wise & Laurel & Hardy started out in the musical halls
A lot of the jokes come from the familiarity with the semi-biographical backstory of M & W being a northern comedy duo who grew up together and who had aspirations to the bright lights and (for Ernie) for 'legitimate' theatre. The original audience had the advantage of knowing that sharing a bed was a nod to their past as working comedians too poor to afford separate beds on tour, and knowing the running gags about Ernie's delusions of grandeur as a great writer.
Great reaction! Two men or muppets in bed is always a great setting for comedy. Ernie & Bert comes to mind.
God, I hope you mean 'Bert & Ernie'?!?! 🤣
Anybody who was anybody wanted to be on their show
These her sketches were usually a link to introducing a guest performance , Ernie - who was pompous considering himself a great playwright - would be writing his play which was often featured later in the show . In the seventies the jokes had to be family-friendly .Eric would wind him up , but never puncture his bubble .
Survivors of the last days of music hall, Eric & Ernie's first foray into television was the disastrous 1950s BBC show 'Running Wild' (which, in common with much of the corporation's early programmes, no longer exists). The critics were scathing. One newspaper reviewer described his TV as 'the box they buried Morecambe & Wise in last night'. Crushed by the response, the duo retreated to live performance, but with the theatre circuit in decline and the small screen in the ascendant, it was only a matter of time before they had to reconsider. Starting with the ATV series 'Two of a Kind' in the early 1960s, they transferred back to the BBC in 1968 - just before Eric Morecambe suffered a massive heart attack. This subtly changed the nature of their shows, but his extended convalescence also meant they ended up with a new writer: Eddie Braben. And it's his material that turned the pair into the biggest comedy stars in Britain. The boys were initially resistant to being shown in bed together until Braben said 'If it's good enough for Laurel & Hardy, it's good enough for you!'
It was family viewing, and everyone loved them. When eric died it was like losing an uncle. Christmas shows were brilliant. It is very very British humour. My brother now 63, still quotes morecambe and wise. Get out of that. Etc.
This was in the 1970s, you have to remember. They were great shows. Just loved morecambe and wise.
They were the first to do the credits at the end of a show and have pictures of the people. Ernest maxim was a gorilla dressed up, who was the producer. All tongue in cheek all family viewing. The stars that went on their show shirley bassey, tom jones, andre previn, chiff richards all british people.
You seem to be hung up on them being in the same bed. Reference Laurel and Hardy 'laughing gravy' Nobody said a word.
As Eric said, "If it's good enough for Laurel and Hardy, it's good enough for us!"
Funny isn't it, that in a time when we are supposed to be more enlightened and acceptable to things like that, people are more hung up on something like that than in the '70's/early 80's when this was recorded. As I said in my comment, nobody at the time even questioned it or thought they were gay in the scene. It was just a comedy sketch where there was 2 men in bed together. If they did the scene now there would be uproar and they would be saying they were gay. In some ways we have gone backwards and not forwards in our attitudes.
@@paulmaxey6377 The difference is that people seem to feel the need to talk about such things, nowadays, when, back then, no-one particularly cared about it, or just accepted the fact that 2 men can possibly sleep in the same bed and there be no connotations attached to it. Almost as though it didn't matter one way or the other. That it was a trivial matter not even worth mentioning. The problem now is that people tend to go out of their way to look for things to be offended about, as though it's something they have to do in order to give meaning to their lives. It's all superficial nonsense, for the most part. Which is why such things weren't talked about years ago.
@@paulmaxey6377 There wouldn't be uproar. Don't be silly.
There are definitely some UK-specific allusions in this, e.g. "Co-op" = Cooperative Society (shop), a type of supermarket of that time, "divy" = dividend, which members of the Co-op received as a reward for shopping there. So "getting your divy" = getting a return on your investment. The siren passing the window was that used on police cars of the time, but ice-cream vans also used musical tunes to attract customers.
The concept of co ops isn't UK specific at all, it's a common business model. Even on The Wire the drug dealers set up a co op.
@@wallythewondercorncake8657 In context the Co-op is a proper noun, now short for the Co-operative Group, a UK business. It is currently the UK's fifth largest food retailer and largest funeral services provider. So certainly UK specific.
It started with the Rochdale Equitable Pioneers Society which set out the Rochdale Principles. Those formed the basis of the International Co-operative Alliance's principles.
@@peterjackson4763 And guess why the shop is called that...
It's not rocket science.
That reminds me of our dogs. One wanted his brother's bed so he went outside and barked. His brother went out to see what the barking was all about and he ran in and grabbed the bed.
When they were trying to get established touring all the theatres and clubs etc. They would often share a room or a bed to save money.
They bombed at first on tv because the BBC employed a writing team who didn’t know them. They went home and Eric’s mom (I believe) told them they should do their own material and don’t get bullied! So they did and became the biggest comedy duo on British TV.
Eric and Ernie were of their time. I always preferred the Two Ronnie’s who were much cleverer, but the stand out Eric and Ernie for me was the sketch where they made breakfast….. worth a watch 👍🏻👍🏻
Like most current comedy it is contemporary to its time, with references to and acknowledgement of current shared social, political and economic perspectives.
As Americans you have the added problem of not having shared in much of this, either directly or vicariously. This is the same for Brits (for example) trying to watch SNL where many of the gags are about situations or people we don’t know and therefore often fail with non American audiences. When the audience is laughing and you’re not, that is because they understand the references and you don’t. Trying to comment on something you don’t understand is a difficult ask.
When they interviewed Morecambe and Wise they asked about the two men in one bed sketches, and they said in the old days when two men were in a situation where they had to share a room it was quite common that they would share a bed like that. They said Laurel and Hardy did it lots of times in there movies. It's only these days that people may assume they are gay.
The dressing gown in bed was a mistake by Eric, so his add lib reply to Ernie was just pure Eric and so typical of his comic skills. It must seem strange to anyone just discovering m&m but they became like family to us all in the UK, they were genuinely loved. Just a simpler, more innocent and happier time. I still miss them both. RIP lads.
M&W shows were a wonderful recasting of their music-hall stage shows from the 1950s (music-hall is a British version of vaudeville).
There seem to be a lot of Morecombe and Wise fans here, so I will share an apparently little known fact, I was delighted by it, and other people seem to enjoy it, so -
People who watched it back in the day may remember that every now and again, at the end of the show a woman would appear behind them, push them aside and say things like "I hope you have enjoyed my little show, and if you have, its all been worthwhile", she would then proceed to bow or nod to the applause of the audience as the show finished. Her identity was never given, her presence never explained and they would both step aside and meekly et her take their applause.
This was something they had done many times in music hall, and was actually a dig at George Formbys wife, who would stand offstage and then rush on to take the applause for her husband. It wasn't a happy marriage and she treated him like a performing dog, their having someone come on and do the same to them was mocking her - and George too I think? Im not sure that he was well liked by other acts
Definitely dated but i still love the ice cream joke.
I still do the ice cream van gag 😊
You must watch the classic sketch they did with Andre Previn, where they play Grieg's Piano Concerto (by Grieg). Much funnier than this. Make sure you get the whole sketch though, there are some shorter versions that start when the curtains go back. 😅😅
They have
I'm British, you dont like it because it is dated. If you saw it before it did, you would probably have a nostalgic love for it, as is the case for most brits.
When Bernard Braden - principal scriptwriter for Morecambe & Wise - first approached Eric and Ernie about the bedroom scenario for the show, neither Morecambe nor Wise was keen to go through with the idea.
They were afraid that the setting would be misunderstood, attributing an unintended undertone to the situation which was never intended. Eric and Ernie worried that the intended innocence of the scenario would be dismissed by the audience both in the studio and at home, and another more lurid interpretation would be made.
This setting was one invented - for wat of a better word - many decades earlier by no less than Laurel and Hardy, who frequently used the two men-in-a-bed set-up quite innocently and to great comedic effect.
What finally made Morecambe & Wise change their minds and accept Braden's recommendation to include the set-up? It was when Braden said quite simply:
"If it was good enough for Laurel and Hardy, then it's good enough for you."
It was incredibly funny 50 years ago.
Ahhhh so this is where the 'not gonna sell many icecreams going at THAT speed' comes from!
I get the feeling they can just be in any setting and their banter is great (some are not aumsed though
Sharing the bed - like sharing an apartment was just a device, it's simple for camera work and set, and place them in one spot. Since many jokes were based on their supposedly stained relationship, pairing them so closely made those reactions to each other. There is rarely a comedy that includes sniping where people are not "hostage" to some living or working relationship arrangement. Whether it is MASH or Cheers or a million other shows, conflicts make little sense if each person can go back to their room, to their house.
The idea was put forward by their writer, they both initially hated the idea, he reminded them that Laurel and Hardy, who they both admired had used the same device several times.
A great deal of Morecambe and Wise's act was unspoken, but the audience who knew them well could usually fill in the gaps, because they knew the characters - also jokes were often used again and again, the joke being in the repetition rather that the joke. There is a pretty good biopic about them called "Eric and Ernie", you can find here on TH-cam. They were more than a pair of comedians, they were adored and revered
It's a 1970s show. So funny at the time, and still is for those who watched it at the time - I was a little kid at the time and liked Morecambe and Wise. These days it's funny because of the nostalgia mostly, and younger people don't have that connection to that period of time and the memories these sketches are associated with. Also, like many sketch shows, there are some sketches that aren't as funny as others, particularly if you don't know the running jokes that are constants between Eric and Ernie, like Ernie being tight with money, and the crappy plays Eric teases him about.
It's just dated that's all. Nice bit of TV history. ❤
It's not a difference between US and UK humour. It's hard to convey how loved they were. In the 70s, their Christmas show was the highlight of tv. They had started when they were children and references to their past, including them still sharing a bed because they'd done that since they were poor, was part of their magic. More accessible would their guest stars. Try them as backing singers to Tom Jones, stage hands with Shirley Bassey or one of Ernie's plays. Glenda Jackson?
Tom Jones was so funny
Shirley Bassey coming down those stairs and getting her shoe replaced by a man's boot...no other duo could poke fun at huge stars of the time like Eric and Ernie did.
Been using the ice cream joke for the past 40 odd years. The kids are fed up hearing it 😂😂
They were in bed together because their writer thought it would work and he used laurel and Hardy often being shown in bed together as a persuader and morecambe replied if it's good enough for them then it's good enough for us. Finally I agree with you the boys are entertaining but not laugh out loud funny
They didn’t have to be laugh out loud funny all the time !!!!
Yeah. And when they were touring during the war, it was how they saved money in their digs.
I don't find friends funny but Americans and most English people find it hilarious
I never got it either, only watched two episodes.
You should watch their take on ‘Singing in The Rain’!
Absolutely. That one is timeless.
More innocent times. Eric and Ernie had initially been reluctant to do these ‘Bedroom’ scenes but were persuaded by the Scriptwriter that it worked for Laurel and Hardy, at which point Eric looked thoughtful for a moment, removed the pipe he had been puffing and said “We’ll do it”! These scenes became iconic because the relationship was so obviously brotherly, sexless and lacking in innuendo. As you say, this is pretty old ( 1970’s) but the secret of their success was the warmth and mischief they exuded and their faultless timing. The whole family could watch together without fear of anything inappropriate. The nation mourns them still.
Good reaction thanks, I think this wasn't there best sketch ether the ice cream joke and the side of the bed swap at the end was funny.
If it's good enough for Laurel and Hardy to share a bed, Morecambe and Wise were told that it's good enough for you two. I hope they bring you sunshine too
Ken Dodd and the Beatles . Jodi will probably laugh and Nick will be looking for hidden meanings.
Back at the time anybody in bed together was frown upon by TV censors, so two men were unheard of... Eric and Ernie normalised it behind humour. They'd have never been allowed on TV at the time otherwise.
Their writer persuaded them to do it on the basis that their comedy heroes, Laurel & Hardy, did it. I grew up watching this in the 70's along with millions of others and no-one thought they were gay or anything else.
Strange if you don't get it as you have the same vibe. It's not really about the jokes, more the characters & their relationship.
No, nobody is going to die laughing at this, and I watched it when it went out for the first time. It's just gentle humour based on a love of M&W. As others have said, the two in a bed was sold to M&W because L&H did it and they were their heroes. Nobody was ever going to die laughing at L&H either but nobody would doubt how great and pioneering they were.
The ice cream gag is part of British history, and you'll get a reaction from any native of a certain age, and it goes through their mind every time they hear an emergency vehicle siren.
Love the honesty. I agree with you, not that funny, apart from the ice cream van joke. But still entertaining. They did loads of sketches where they shared a bed. No one questioned it. It was just a more innocent time.
It was funny in the day and you have to remember this was a family friendly show and M&W didn't do risqué humour. Them being in the same bed doesn't depict them as living together, they're in a hotel room for any number of reasons, probably to save money, if it was two women sharing a bed no one would question it.
you should watch the movie made of their life story.
Yeah it's TH-cam as well very good.
The Great thing was, no one questioned why two good friends were in bed together.
The whole in bed together was the idea of the writer if I recall correctly and as I said in a previous reaction you did Eric (Morecambe) wasn't sure about it as he wasn't sure the audience would accept it. But Eric was a fan of Laurel and Hardy and when someone said that "Well they did it." he agreed to do it. The funny thing is nobody at the time thought anything about it or that they were gay in the scene, they just accepted that it was 2 men in a bed in a comedy sketch.
The main joke was the fact both of them were n the same bed was NEVER explained.. lol. the icecream van/police car joke is a classic from those two. lol. It was humour of its time. they were an institution and nearly the entire country tuned in. When my brother was in senior school it was almost cult viewing. Some of it has travelled well with time. some not so much.
When Eddie Braben took over the writing of the show he wanted to emphasise their close friendship so he introduced the fictional notion that they lived together. Each show incorporated a scene from their apartment either in the living room or the bedroom. These scenes were often a pretend "fly on the wall" look at their life away from the stage and frequently involved Ernie preparing the script for a play and involved some casual banter between them. If you watch a whole Morecambe and Wise show, the context of these scenes make more sense. They tended to be a bit of low key light relief, so I can understand why you didn't find it that funny, although some of the lines have become classics. Even today when an ambulance is heard, people of my generation will still say "He won't sell many ice creams going at that speed".
Each show also incorporated one of Ernie's plays which Ernie considered masterpieces (spoiler alert - they weren't). These always included a well known actor or celebrity of the time who would regret their involvement, although in reality they loved working with Morecambe and Wise. After all it was fun and they were being watched by 20 million people in the UK.
House of Terror was one of these "plays", which you reacted to a while ago. It wasn't one of the better examples though.
They started out as kids together and shared a bed in hotels
The idea of them being in bed together was taken from the old Laurel and Hardy films. They spend their lives together and get on each others nerves, so they even sleep in the same bed. For M&W and L&H its completely innocent.
No two people have the same sense of humour, however Morecambe and Wise were massive in the UK 50 years ago. They are considered to be comedy legends, also many people in Britain don't find some US shows to be that funny.
Justice 4 Jodi!!!
Morecombe and Wise were definitely of their time. Some of their sketches were incredibly funny. The in bed together was just a thing. The situation was they lived together as there were regular sketchhes that took place in the bed and house. You should check out their making breakfast sketch. It's OK not to like something/find it unfunny. I for one don't find Friends in the slightest bit funny and that too, apparently, hasn't aged well.
Two men in bed - Laurel and Hardy.
They didn't use the crass humour of today. Their show was family Christmas night viewing and just taking a clip from a show doesn't show the variety of their performance.
The reason they share a bed is because the idea was inspired by Laurel and Hardy.
Lots of British humour is language based. There are lots of British centric humour. Co op gave points called dividends so if you don't know you don't get! The bed was a running sketch! Born out of poor childhood upbringing
As Eddie braben the script writer put it Morecambe and wise live in their own innocent world , a bit like children ,
You must remember that the 1970’s was a completely different world, what we found funny then seems unfunny now. Morecambe and Wise were great family entertainment with nothing that you couldn’t sit and laugh to with Mum & Dad.
In 2024, it does seem a bit dated, but nevertheless, it is a snapshot in time of a gentler form of tv family entertainment that we left behind during the 80’s - wanting to watch something else that was new, fresh and something the older folk wouldn’t like. Just enjoy Morecambe and Wise, The Two Ronnies and all the others of that time…..
You guys need to watch the Miriam margoyles on Graham Norton compilation. She’s hilarious and shocking
I just find ABIT vulgar now, all done for attention
Spending a penny means going to the Bathroom for Urination
If you say "... two old men, sitting in Deck Chairs ... " most people of a certain era will get that and be amused. But I wouldn't expect anyone who didn't grow up with only 2 or 3 TV channels, and the massive audiences watching shows like Morecambe & Wise on a Saturday evening, to understand that at all
Ditto: two old ladies locked in a lavatory.
Morecambe and wise started their act in 1940 when they were 16 and 17 years old , they toured theatres and became like Brothers, in the 1920,s siblings tended to have to sleep in the same bedroom together, so no-one really related any sexuality to the comedy routines,
Jodi, David Mitchell's Ludwig TV series has just on to BBC Iplayer maybe on Britbox?
Can someone tell me what they said just as he got into bed?
"You laugjgjend djd psyciatrist in the morning."
"I won't? I sjcnnd ddndjdjjd wkemem like everybody else."
(Laughter)
I may be wrong but I think if you had grown up with them, you would find it funnier.
As somebody else said try their sketch with Andre Previn.
Eric and Ern have been together since they were kids
Had
Jodi, wearing a jumper in Las Vegas? Has the weather turned cold?
The funny thing no one even thought it was anything wrong with them two in bed together. simpler times they were friends.
BBC Bosses were not happy with Eric & Ernie sharing a bed due to homosexual connotations. Eric told them “It was good enough Laurel & Hardy” and they relented.
It was a family show
Loved Morecambe & Wise although this wasn't their best sketch.
I loved Morecambe and Wise years ago but it all seems very dated now. The ice cream joke is still a favourite though.
They said that the inspiration for the bed scene was Laurel and Hardy used to have episodes where they were in bed together. just sharing ; If it was good enough for them they said. it was an innocent time where we didn't think twice about the situation. It's ok not to find every little joke funny.
Doesn’t matter if you didn’t find it particularly funny, whole point of a review
Don't worry if you don't find them funny- a lot of these sketches, while classic, are as old as the hills and humour changes over time.
You have to grow up with these people on your tv and it is more about their body of work.
Yeah, it's very dated now - if you were there at the time, the 70's, this would have been the highlight of the week because there was nowt else to laugh at, 3 TV channels , mostly boring as can be, so Eric & Ernie became elevated to genius comedy status I guess. So us oldies still regard them with affection but we don;t exactly belly laugh, not because we know the jokes but because the jokes weren;t that great. In fairness, I think just one poor script writer had to come up with all this every week - Or at least I remember the script writer having a moan about how undervalued he felt. American comedy usually has a full team of writers as I understand, (correct me if I'm wrong) and I admire a lot of American stuff - from the days of Bilko through to Seinfeld - I loved Bakersfield PD for a while - a bit of an odd one. I don;t blame you not finding this hilarious cause it wasn't unless you were living in Britain at that time and had grown to love this pair. They felt like friends we all "knew". It does look strange now, two presumably straight blokes sleeping in the same bed, a bit like Laurel & Hardy.
Hi guys ian from glasgow. I might be biased but you cant beat good scottish comedy give still game .naked video .rab c nesbitt . Or scotch and wry pardon the french but youll piss yourself laughing .been enjoying your reactions .all the best to you and your family keep safe god bless x
Rab C Nesbitt wasn't funny though......... it was sh!te.
I would give you 100% support if you would advocate Restless Natives for it's comedy and one of the best soundtracks to a film ( Big Country) I'm English btw, and have many Scots as friends, and they spout the same crap all the time........ there is better Scottish comedy than the run of the mill if you stop following the mainstream crap.....
To be fair I'm a Brit and I didn't find it that funny but this was the 1970's and not all comedy stands the test of time. That's not to say Morecambe and Wise are not legends and some of their material still has me howling with laughter!!
Think it might be time for you to check out jethro
You guys just don't understand British humour (jk 🤪)
This humour isn’t really what most Americans find funny there is a difference in humour sometimes, maybe age comes into it as well, I was nearly wetting myself to this clip.
This is by far the worst example of Eric and Ernie. I grew up on them in the 70s and 80s and I didn't find it particularly funny. Stuffing the whale? Saw that coming a mile away. Ice Cream joke is funny and I still use it. I don't know why anyone would recommend Morecambe and Wise for a reaction video. No young British person would find this sketch funny and it's no suprise that young Americans wouldn't either.
As for wetting yourself at this sketch. That says more about your pelvic floor muscles than it does about your sense of humour. One word "Kegel" :)
Not one if their best
It's very dated humour and more nostalgic and really only funny to people who grew up with morecambe and wise and have a nostalgic view of simpler times...
Not the best sketch from Morecambe and Wise and a rare, non-scripted slip from Eric too.
Eric and Ernie are still comic genius to me :)
You should watch the BBC drama 'Eric and Ernie' about how they met and grew up together etc. interesting and funny !
I was a kid when these two were in their own show but I never found then that funny.
I think it’s refreshing that you’re honest about what you do or don’t like. I’m afraid I find that Morecambe and Wise date rather badly. If they were as is claimed brilliant that certainly didn’t translate over time as well as say the Two Ronnies do.
Were you even around at the time ?.. doesn’t sound like it .., as brilliant as claimed ??? Errr YES they were !!!! everyone watched their Christmas shows it was a must see look it up between 21-28 million watched and as for comedy it will date that’s the nature of the beast … I never found laurel and hardy funny but my oldest brother who was 23 years older than me loved them he was born in 1930
@@Reba-123 yes I was around at the time. I was a child.
They most certainly were brilliant in the 1970s, and many of their sketches do translate over time as well as those of the Two Ronnies. Some sketches involving guest stars have dated, though some are timeless (Andre Previn).
@@peterjackson4763 it’s a subjective thing humour. I’ve never particularly liked Morecambe and Wise, and viewed them as often overrated. There’s no right or wrong, when humour comes into play. Just opinion.
You missed a lot of the jokes. Co-op dividends are not a part of your culture and neither are Dinky toys. Morecambe and Wise were always shown sharing a bed. To Brits, that in itself is funny. Like it or not, we find different things funny. I don't know anyone who finds Bill Burr or George Carlin amusing. It's not that Americans have no sense of humour, it's just that you like more obvious jokes and often more offensive ones (which I why Americsns like Ricky Gervais and most of us can't stand him). That you got any of the jokes is impressive. They are very anchored in Britain in the 70s.
Strangely enough I grew up with Eric & Ernie on TV and still find them funny - and I also laugh at George Carlin. Different humour.
@@MikePhillips-pl6ovagree
I don't even think 'Flashing' is a thing they would know...I would guess it'd be called indecent exposure...so the whole Flash Gordon thing went sailing by.
They are in bed together … not sexual in any way …check out Laurel and Hardy !!!.. guess you still dont get British humour
As a kid i thought they were funny, but i grew up and moved on. The variety double act finished quite a few years back!