Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube
    Nostalgia Central
    • Home
    • Blog
      • Lists
    • Television
      • TV by Decade
        • TV – 1950s
        • TV – 1960s
        • TV – 1970s
        • TV – 1980s
        • TV – 1990s
      • Comedy
      • Drama
      • Kids TV
      • Variety
      • News & Sport
      • Advertisements
    • Music
      • Music by Decade
        • Music – 1950s
        • Music – 1960s
        • Music – 1970s
        • Music – 1980s
        • Music – 1990s
      • Artists – A to K
        • Artists – A
        • Artists – B
        • Artists – C
        • Artists – D
        • Artists – E
        • Artists – F
        • Artists – G
        • Artists – H
        • Artists – I
        • Artists – J
        • Artists – K
      • Artists – L to Z
        • Artists – L
        • Artists – M
        • Artists – N
        • Artists – O
        • Artists – P
        • Artists – Q
        • Artists – R
        • Artists – S
        • Artists – T
        • Artists – U
        • Artists – V
        • Artists – W
        • Artists – X
        • Artists – Y
        • Artists – Z
      • Artists – 0 to 9
      • Genres
      • Music on Film & TV
      • One-Hit Wonders
      • Playlists
      • Online Radio
    • Movies
      • Movies by Decade
        • Movies – 1950s
        • Movies – 1960s
        • Movies – 1970s
        • Movies – 1980s
        • Movies – 1990s
      • Movies – 0 to 9
      • Movies – A to K
        • Movies – A
        • Movies – B
        • Movies – C
        • Movies – D
        • Movies – E
        • Movies – F
        • Movies – G
        • Movies – H
        • Movies – I
        • Movies – J
        • Movies – K
      • Movies – L to Z
        • Movies – L
        • Movies – M
        • Movies – N
        • Movies – O
        • Movies – P
        • Movies – Q
        • Movies – R
        • Movies – S
        • Movies – T
        • Movies – U
        • Movies – V
        • Movies – W
        • Movies – X
        • Movies – Y
        • Movies – Z
    • Pop Culture
      • Fads
      • Toys & Games
      • Fashion
      • Decor
      • Food & Drink
      • People
      • Technology
      • Transport
    • Social History
      • 1950s Year by Year
      • 1960s Year by Year
      • 1970s Year by Year
      • 1980s Year by Year
      • 1990s Year by Year
      • Events
    Nostalgia Central
    Home»Television»Comedy
    Comedy TV Shows - 1960s TV Shows - 1970s TV Shows - 1980s 3 Mins Read

    Dick Emery Show, The

    Share
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Reddit Email

    1 9 6 3 – 1 9 8 1 (UK)
    166 x 30 minute episodes

    Former driving instructor Dick Emery excelled as a comic master of impersonations in what became the BBC’s longest-running sketch show.

    His mimicry produced such characters as Gaylord the delinquent bovver boy; Old Lampwick; The bucktoothed vicar; sex-starved Hettie, the frustrated spinster (“Excuse me, Madam”, “It’s Miss!”); College the upper-class tramp; Farmer Finch; the wily Mr Crump; and the ultimate street-interview subjects, Mandy the dumb blonde (who always misunderstood the street interviewer and read sexual innuendo into every innocent sentence), the even dumber Hells Angel and the outrageously camp Clarence, with his catchphrase, “Hello Honky Tonks”.

    dickemery1

    Emery worked with an array of comic foils over the years, notably Joan Sims, June Whitfield, Pat Coombs and Roy Kinnear, who played the crooked father to Emery’s dim bovver boy, Gaylord (“Dad, I’ve got it wrong again.”)

    “Ooh, you are awful . . . but I like you!” (voiced by the aforementioned Mandy) was Emery’s most famous catchphrase, and in 1972, Dick Emery starred in a movie called (oddly enough) Ooh, You Are Awful. After cheating the Mafia out of a fortune, conman Emery trusts his partner to stash the loot in a Swiss bank.

    As the number of the account is tattooed on the rear of one of his girlfriends, a cheeky undercover operation begins.

    The “bottom” line is to photograph the evidence for posterity or he’ll make a complete arse of himself (sorry, I was getting into the spirit of it all there). Dick Emery trots out all his famous impersonations.

    Dick Emery’s holiday specials, The Dick Emery Christmas Show, were also extremely popular. They aired on Christmas Eve 1972, Christmas Eve 1977 and 27 December 1980.

    dickemery2

    Richard Gilbert Emery was born on 19 February 1917 at the University College Hospital in St.Pancras, London. His parents were a double-act known as Callan and Emery. They performed around Britain at music halls throughout much of Dick’s childhood, depriving him of a formal education.

    His parents divorced in 1926 and Dick went to live with his mother who realised that her son had inherited a talent for entertaining and insisted that he perform whenever possible.

    During WWII, Dick joined Ralph Reader’s Gang Show and entertained troops, and, in 1948, he appeared at London’s famous Windmill Theatre – around the same time as another new and unknown comedian, Tony Hancock.

    dickemery6

    He began appearing on radio and television in the 1950s, and his face soon became well known to the viewing public.

    By 1960 he was playing Private ‘Chubby’ Catchpole in the popular comedy series The Army Game.

    In 1963 the BBC offered Dick his own TV series and he quickly established himself as a class act.

    In 1979, following fifteen successful years with the BBC, Emery decided to switch channels to Thames for The Dick Emery Comedy Hour.

    There were two more comedy specials for ITV before Emery returned to the BBC in 1982 for two series of comedy thrillers (Emery Presents) in which he played Bernie Weinstock, the boss of a private detective agency.

    Later in his life, Emery was plagued with ill health and bouts of depression with periods of insecurity, and before the second series of Emery Presents could be shown, he passed away on 2 January 1983 at King’s College Hospital, London. He was aged 67.

    The second series, which was due to air on 13 January, was held over until later in the year.

    Video

    Related Posts

    • New Dick Van Dyke Show, The
      New Dick Van Dyke Show, The
      1 9 7 1 - 1 9 7 4 (USA) 72 x 25 minute episodes An attempt by CBS to emulate…
    • Jack of Diamonds
      Jack of Diamonds
      1 9 8 3 (UK) 6 x 30 minute episodes This six-part BBC comedy/thriller featured Jewish private detective Bernie Weinstock (Dick…
    • Dick Cavett Show, The
      Dick Cavett Show, The
      1 9 6 8 - 1 9 7 4 (USA) Daytime, primetime, then late-night talk and variety show. Often there was…
    • After Hours
      After Hours
      1 9 5 8 - 1 9 5 9 (UK) 28 x 25 minute episodes After Hours reunited the co-star (Michael Bentine)…
    • Grumbleweeds Radio Show, The/Grumbleweeds Show, The
      Grumbleweeds Radio Show, The/Grumbleweeds Show, The
      1 9 8 4 - 1 9 8 5 (UK) 15 x 30 minute episodes, 1 x special 1 9…
    • Army Game, The
      Army Game, The
      1 9 5 7 - 1 9 6 1 (UK) 157 x 30 minute episodes Debuting on ITV in 1957, The Army…
    • Stanley Baxter (Big Picture) Show, The
      Stanley Baxter (Big Picture) Show, The
      1 9 6 3 - 1 9 8 5 (UK) A lavish sketch show in which Scottish comic Stanley Baxter…
    • Kelly Monteith
      Kelly Monteith
      1 9 7 9 - 1 9 8 4 (UK) 36 x 30 minute episodes A comedy series in which…

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Reddit Email
    Previous ArticleSlapstick and Old Lace
    Next Article George And Mildred

    Comments are closed.

    Follow us
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
    • Instagram
    You May Also Like
    • Jigsaw
      1 9 7 9 – 1 9 8 4 (UK) 49 x 20 minute episodes This BBC TV […]
    • Sparks
      Record Collector described these kooky Californian anglophile […]
    • Traders
      1 9 9 6 – 2 0 0 0 (Canada) 83 x 60 minute episodes […]
    • Hell Drivers (1957)
      Released from prison and seeking anonymity, Tom Yately takes a […]
    • Ketchips
      “Crispy, spiky tubes of delicious mashed potato with a […]
    • Hush Puppies
      Before Hush Puppies Shoes revolutionised the footwear market in […]
    Twitter Feed
    Please note


    Nostalgia Central covers the period 1950 to 1999 and contains some words and references which reflect the attitudes of those times and which may be considered culturally sensitive, offensive or inappropriate today.
    Popular Tags
    1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1975 1976 Action Figures Amicus Arcade games Australia Beach movies Beatles Blaxploitation Board games Britpop Canada Crime Disco Disney Doo-Wop Elvis Presley Girl groups Glam Goth Hammer Heavy Metal Irwin Allen Labels Merseybeat Mod revival Motown New Romantic New Wave NWOBHM Oi! One-hit wonders Power Pop Pub rock Punk Radio Scotland Ska Soul music Surf music
    Search Nostalgia Central
    Copyright © 1998, 2022 Nostalgia Central
    • About
    • Contact
    • FAQ

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.