Graham Stark Show, The

1 9 6 4 (UK)
7 x 25 minute episodes

This short-lived series from the BBC starred scouse comedian Graham Stark. Each week he appeared in a series of sketches written by top comedy writer Johnny Speight and played host to singing stars, including Alma Cogan, Matt Monro and Dusty Springfield.

Appearing in sketches with Stark were Deryck Guyler, Betty McDowall, William Kendall and Arthur Mullard.

Stark left Liverpool for the professional stage at the age of 12, and before he was out of his teens he had acted, joked and danced his way through countless plays and pantomimes.

He spent World War II performing in Ralph Reader’s RAF Gang Shows, emerged to do four years’ hard work in repertory companies and then broke into radio.

He slipped across to television to do episodes of The Benny Hill Show and Comedy Playhouse productions, always remaining a comic actor rather than a straight comedian in the old fashioned sense.